The Egyptians were mysterious; the Assyrians fierce; the
Babylonians religious; the Greeks “thinkers”; the Romans “builders”—all shaped
history for a season, but now are gone.
There was one people contemporary to all these and only this people
remains—historically they were known as the Hebrews, then the people of Israel,
and now, the Jews.
From the human perspective two things seemed to distinguish
them as a peoples for about four millennia: keeping the Sabbath (Saturday as a
day of rest and worship) and observing the Torah (the first 5 books of the
Bible). This evaluation is looking from
the outside in. Looking from the other
direction, the picture is much different.
The Jews are a people who have a special relationship with the one, true
God. In a way history books acknowledge
this fact saying that their contribution to the religious scene is mono-theism, belief in one God.
This relationship with their God is expressed in “covenant” an unbreakable relationship,
sort of like the marriage contract but so much more. The terms of this “contract” are spelled out
in the Torah, most notably in the fifth book, “Deuteronomy”—regarded by many as
the most profound book in the Bible. God
promises to do certain things and the Children of Israel (the Jews) are to do
certain things, which responsibilities are summed up this way: “And what does the Lord require of you but
to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)?
A novel thing about this relationship is that Jehovah God
initiated it and the Children of Israel agreed to it. Yes, this relationship gave them certain privileges,
but also exacted awesome responsibilities.
Perhaps the greatest of these was to reveal to non-Jews, the nature and
character of God which had been revealed to them through the Torah. In a word, in their national character they
were to become like God. With such
winsome and loving lives through righteousness and justice, they were to draw all the peoples of the world to
their God.
How miserably they failed in this! Yes, there were brief and infrequent seasons
when God was pleased with His people Israel and the way they lived their lives,
but more often than not He wasn’t. When
He was not pleased, He would chastise them, sometimes very severely.
Where the Jews failed in developing God-likeness in their
national character, they were charged with a responsibility which they really
have not understood to this day—that being to bring forth a Messiah who would reveal clearly what
God was like and would indeed draw all persons unto Himself, all the while
reigning over Israel. (The facet of
reigning over Israel is yet future.)
This Messiah would make it possible for all those who received Him, to
have a “covenant” relationship with
God far superior to the one the Jews had with God, but it was personal, not
national as with the Jews.
Sad beyond measure is that the Jews, as a people, have not
realized their Messiah came 2,000 years ago.
When He came they did not discern His character (because they were
looking for a king) and to this day they will not read one of their greatest
prophets (Isaiah, chapter 53) telling precisely what would happen to Him. He
would experience momentary defeat, in order that all those who put their
confidence and trust in Him would never have to be defeated again—particularly
in death. Soberly, it must be added, Jehovah God has drawn a veil across their minds that they cannot see and understand (John 12:L37-40; Romans 11:8-10; II Corinthians 3:14 & 15).
Still, what a debt we owe the Jews in being History’s
Aristocracy. And what have they done? They
have given us the Patriarchs, the Law, the Prophets, the Old and New Testaments
of the Bible, and finally and supremely, the Savior of the world. Should we not bow before them?
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