I’ve been wondering lately whether we’ve properly understood the prophecy in Ezekiel 37: the vision of the valley of the dry bones. It’s as if a voice cries to me, “Listen! Listen!”
There are a lot of dead spots in our culture. “Higher education,” for one. And lower education. You can name as many as I can. They all need God’s attention. He asks us, “Can these bones live?” But He already knows the answer.
You bring to mind a wonderful song written by the Maccabeats and performed at the recent March for Israel in Washington. I first heard the Maccabeats 10-12 years ago when they were still in college, and I’m happy that they’re still singing. I find this song so inspiring that it brings tears to my eyes. I think it applies to all people trying to follow God and fight for our lives in a Godless world. (“Am Yisrael Chai” means “the people Israel lives.”)
Inspiring! Thanks, Phoebe.
Mike, I am a Jew. My maternal grandmother was a Jew. My mother became an atheist and raised me as an atheist. I became a Catholic later in life. But I do not think my entire family on my mother’s side is in Hell. Our God made a covenant with His people and He has not broken it. As the song says, we’re still here, in spite of those who would gladly see us gone or in Hell.
When persecution comes, we are all Jews.
I hope it’s not necessary for me to distance myself from comments which I feel are very wrong in tone; but maybe I’d better do it anyway.
As the king of Denmark said, Mike, when the Nazis invaded his country, “Today we are all Jews.”
And it hardly need be said that ALL the founders of Christianity were Jews.
I think we need, here, to go back to Romans 10.
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved…” (v.1).
What is St. Paul’s explanation of Israel’s rejection of Christ? Why did God let that happen?
(Chap. 11, v. 11) “I say then, Have they (the Jews) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy…”
So, yes, there is a problem: but God is making use of it, He has permitted Israel to carry on in its old ways to demonstrate that anyone’s reliance on his own righteousness–on anything but God’s sovereign grace–is totally misplaced–
And that in the end, God will solve the problem and graft the Jewish people back on to His tree.
And what have we to boast of? Are we more righteous than the Jews? Really?
Very well stated, Lee.
I am not ignoring you; but I won’t be able to replay until I’ve had time to pray and think over it. Intramural feuding within the Church is the devil’s delight. But “Go-along-to-get-along” can be just as destructive.
I see no value in telling people, “Your loved ones are lost in Hell forever because they happened to have been born Jews and never converted to Christianity.”
But where I have failed, here, is in not commenting on the worst wave of antisemitism to sweep the world since WWII. To Phoebe that sounds like you’re saying, “Well, that’s what they get for rejecting Christ.”
It’s getting late and I’m too tired to make an argument. I have not done a good job of handling this blog. Tomorrow I’ll try to do better.
And for the record: No one deserves to be attacked and murdered by bloodthirsty savages like Hamas. Every hand should be raised against them. The support they’ve enjoyed here in America is a deep stain on our nation.
I am deleting this for reasons that are obvious to everyone but you.