History's Testimony:the Jews

Throughout human history, no minority has ever been as oppressed, hated, or successful as the Jews. So what has set the Jews apart? What has made them so distinct? Well, if I had the luxury of being able to assume that I had a solely Christian audience, then I could simply respond to these questions in a single sentence: they are God's chosen people! Of course, even in that situation, such a simplistic response would be extremely unprofessional. Not that this makes my answer any different, it just means that I'm going to need a lot more words.

To begin, the Old Testament records a series of covenants made between God and His people. The first of these was a covenant between God and Abraham in which He first created His chosen people. So what does it mean to be God's chosen people. Well, as study of Jewish history, based primarily upon the Old Testament, suggests that the title implied not only protection from mortal enemies, but also protection from the immortal Enemy, which is where the Old Testament gets its bad reputation. The reason God established His people was to prepare for the Messiah and His earthly kingdom, therefore, He could not afford to give the Jews the same freedom to sin as He offered other nations.

Historically, the most basic notable feature of the Jews is the varying degrees of power and influence that they have experienced. When the Jews started out, they were a small, unnoticeable culture somewhere in northern Africa. The Jews have never grown to be as mighty as Rome or even the colonial superpowers of more recent centuries. However, this same culture was the first known monotheistic religion. When it is unified, Jewish culture has always been relatively small, despite being a minority that has spread across the world. So what is so special about that? The answer is that even though there has never been such a thing as a Jewish empire, Jews have at times been a huge cultural and political influence. The reason for this seemingly contradictory set of historical may lie in God's purpose for the Jews. If humans are sinful, then it is doubtful God's people could have spiritually survived the kind of power and luxury brought on by such an empire.

Another notable feature of Jewish culture lies in its attitude toward cleanliness. In the Old Testament, Jews are expected to be very particular about what they ate and how they prepared to eat it. This ends in the New Testament in Acts 10: 9-13 when God tells Peter to eat both clean and unclean animals, signifying that Christ died for Gentiles as well as Jews. However, while God still expected His people to be both physically and spiritually pure, it would seem that there were very practical benefits of such observances. A close examination of just what animals were unclean indicates that even the eating habits of the Jews were designed to protect them from the world. While this could be used in favor of atheism as well as Christianity, the fact that these cultural traitsd were accompanied by so many other blessingsd would indicate that they were put in place as part of a grander plan.

Even the location of the Jews made them better able to serve God. Anyone who knows even the most mediocre knowledge of the ancient world can tell you that the Jews were positioned uncomfortably close to some of the greatest empires of history. As predicted by the prophet Daniel, dominance over the Mediterranean was passed down from empire to empire for four imperial generations. Based on this precarious perch, the Jews were ready to spread God's kingdom across the civilized world at a moment's notice, whether they knew it or not.

But what about after the coming and going of the Messiah? What was God's attitude toward the Jews after Jesus died, rose again, and saw to the establishment of His church? The answer may be found in the way Jews have interacted with the world since then. Throughout history, Jews have been among the most adaptable people in the world and were among the most successful immigrant groups in industrial America. Instead of being cast aside, this small, Middle Eastern culture spread across the earth to such a degree that no single event could possibly banish them to the history books. And for good reason, these same Jews who so often prosper in alien lands are the favorite victims of hatemongers and conspiracy theorists. To this day, Jews are despised more than any other culture.

The only explanation is the one offered by the Bible. Time and time again, the Bible refers to "the world" as a sort of sinful force that moves in the hearts of all who are unsaved and even many of those do profess to be saved. Whether this is a psychological force or Satan's influence on this world, the Bible is clear that it does exist in some form. It also is very clear in saying that the world hates God and anything that God has put in place. Therefore, if the Jews still are God's chosen people, then the world must despise them above all else.

It is my firm belief, based upon the Bible and historical facts, that to this day, the Jews remain God's chosen people, that through their strong cultural identity, they have remained the same people with whom He made covenant after covenant, and that their existence and history are among God's clearest marks upon this world.