I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, whoever curses you I will curse, and the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.
-Genesis 12:2-3
God made the above promise to Abraham, the father of the Hebrew people. God was choosing a people for Himself, from which His promised Messiah would come. Jesus is God's culmination of that promise to the Jews, and to the whole earth.
One of the most compelling arguments for the validity of Scripture is the ongoing triumph of the Jews. There is no race on earth that has been the subject of so many plots and schemes for demise...and yet again and again, they conquer, rising out of the ashes. The only explanation for both the hatred against them and their constant survival is the simple fact that God chose them.
The old Testament is filled with stories of wicked men and women who wanted to make an end of God's people. Pharoah had all the baby boys of the Hebrews thrown into the river in Exodus. Haman, in the book of Esther, sought to destroy the entire race of Jews. Countless other enemies arose against them, intent on destruction. Yet the Jews endure to this day.
I do not believe that these old Testament enemies were acting alone. Satan orchestrated these evil devices against the Jews. Why? To prevent the Savior from coming. Satan knew God's promises. He knows the Bible. If he destroyed the Jews, he would, in theory, destroy God's promise, and our hope of salvation. Makes sense, right?
A last-ditch effort was made by King Herod after Jesus was born. Satan used Herod's insane jealousy to kill babies in Bethlehem, in hopes of destroying the young Messiah. But he failed...again. Jesus lived out his life, then died on the cross and rose again, paying our penalty and making it possible for us to come into right relationship with God. Through Christ, we can have eternal life. This was the very thing Satan wanted to prevent. This was why he used wicked people to make so many attempts against the Jews.
You would think that Satan would give up on harassing the Jews after this and just focus on people in general. After all, the Messiah had come. People of every race and nation could now be saved. The Jews played no further role in God's grand scheme...or did they?
It is true that Satan is a roaring lion. He seeks to devour whom he will (First Peter 5:8). He throws fiery darts at believers, which is why we need to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). He tries to steal our joy and effectiveness for Christ. But he is still madly after the Jews. There have continued to be attacks against the Jews throughout history . Mad attacks. Attacks that make no sense, except that Satan was behind it. Why would that be?
Could it be that God's promise to Abraham is still in effect? Does God still have plans for Israel? We know from scripture that He longs for their salvation (Matthew 23:37-39). Many Jewish people have embraced Jesus as their Messiah. We also know that Israel plays a role in end time prophecies and Christ's return (Matthew 24:15ff...and countless places throughout the Bible).
Satan wants to foil God's promises and plans now just as much as He did before Christ. Maybe even more so now, because his time is shorter and He is more desperate!
The biggest, most recent mass-attack against the Jews was the Holocaust. Millions of Jews and other people were exterminated at the hand of the Nazis. Like all other attacks on the Jews throughout history, this originated with Satan as an effort to thwart God's plans. Satan used Adolf Hitler, a crazy, wicked man given over to evil. He was no different than Pharoah, Haman, or King Herod.
The Holocaust was a devastation. A ministry I support that leads Jews to Christ shared that before the Holocaust, many Jews in Europe were coming to Jesus by the droves. There were Messianic Churches all over the place. Most of these Christian Jews were destroyed in concentration camps. The effects of the Holocaust still hang in the air. The number of living Jews is still greatly diminished from what it was in the 1920's. And many Jews today use the Holocaust as reason for having a hard heart against the gospel. It is truly tragic.
My mother-in-law pointed out something truly redemptive to me. God used the Holocaust to arouse worldwide sympathy and support of the Jews--something that had never happened before. This support enabled them to return to Israel when it became a nation again in 1948. Israel being a nation is key in end time prophecy. God did what He has always done, used Satan's evil schemes to bring about His purposes. That is redemption.
However, we must never, ever downplay the Holocaust. I have seen a rising trend of this lately, and it scares me. People defend Hitler, saying he would never have been so bad if he didn't get kicked out of art school. That logic is not only crazy, but inconsistent. Every one of us has been hurt and disappointed, but very few attempt to destroy a race of people. Humanizing and validating Hitler's wickedness is not the answer. I personally wish someone had been able to reach Hitler for the Lord before it was too late. But being kicked out of art school is no excuse for destroying human life. One person even told me she believes the Holocaust was "meant to be". That terrifies me. Nothing evil is ever meant to be. In God's divine Providence, He allows evil, but it is NEVER His plan. Let us grieve for the lives lost in the Holocaust, and every other attack against the Jewish people. God isn't done with them yet.
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