Anti-Semitism - Jim Currie

ANTI-SEMITISM

In the world around us today, many things are happening which may well give us cause for careful thought and deep concern, but none of these is more significant and ominous than the recent outbursts of anti-Semitism which has suddenly flared up in many countries. These demonstrations have taken place simultaneously, so it seems reasonable to assume that they have been engineered by some organisation which has agents at work throughout the world.

With all sane and civilised people we condemn such anti-Semitic outrages as a crime against humanity, and a flagrant breach of justice, but as Christians we must do infinitely more than that, we must seek to understand and to make known the underlying cause of this vile racialism.

Anti-Semitism is not a new phenomenon, nor is it restricted to a few Gentile nations, for it would appear that there is a vicious streak in all unredeemed human nature which finds sadistic pleasure in persecuting others, and no people have suffered more as the victims of this base desire than the Jews. The records of history for the past several thousand years prove that all the great nations and world powers have, at some time and in varying degrees, indulged in some form of Jew-baiting. And not only so, for we can learn from history that the resurgence of anti—Semitic activi­ties has always betrayed the corruption, moral de­cadence and increasing spiritual darkness in the people who encourage it.

This was tragically true even of the organised Church in what we today term the Dark Ages. That period was indeed a time of spiritual night in many hearts, for the Church was corrupted with gross worldliness and defiled by pagan superstition, and one of the awful results was that the Jews throughout Europe were hounded and persecuted as “Christ-killers”. Even today too many Chris­tians are slow to expose and denounce anti-Semitism when it again rears its ugly head.

In view of the facts of past history then, it is surely not surprising that many Jews actually despise the Name of Jesus, and many more are suspicious of the attitude and intentions of the Church, for, as a nation scattered throughout sup­posedly Christian countries, they have experienced but little of that love and grace which the Founder of Christianity commanded His followers to display to all men.

But let us digress here for a moment to get one point clear in our own minds, for the term “Chris­tian countries” is dangerously misleading! There is no such thing as a truly Christian nation, nor a truly Christian government, for the simple reason that no nation and no political party is composed of spiritually enlightened Christians who are com­mitted to Christ and His Cause. In a number of countries Christianity is accepted in a general and vague sense as the common religion of the people, but in actual fact there is no Christian nation, there are Gentile nations, with a small proportion of people in them who truly owe their allegiance to Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. What is the real cause of anti-Semitism? What lies be­hind it?

The true answer is revealed to us by God in the Holy Scriptures, and as Christians we must recog­nise that the origin of anti-Semitism is to be found only in the spiritual realm. In every other sphere we are dealing merely with the symptoms of what is a spiritual disease, deep-seated in the hearts of men.

When we accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Covenants as the inspired Word of God, we are made to realise that anti-Semitism is the result of evil and malignant spiritual forces which are, and have been at work in the world around us. Anti-Semitism is a clear manifestation of evil, and as such it declares itself to be overwhelmingly anti-Christian, completely contrary to the precepts of Christ, and utterly antagonistic to the spirit of divine love. Anti-Semitism is not of God but of Satan, who inspires and encourages it to achieve his own nefarious design.

From the day that God called Abraham and chose him to be His servant, Satan’s attitude to him and his descendants has been one of relentless antagon­ism. Satan hates the Jews today, and still plots to bring about their downfall and annihilation, because by their very existence in the world they are a living witness to the supremacy and faithfulness of the One True God who created them. The sur­vival of the Jews, in the face of centuries of injus­tice, persecution and massacre is a miracle wrought by the almighty power of the One Almighty God.

This truth was clearly re-affirmed by the prophet Isaiah, even at a time when there was great spiritual decline in Israel:

“Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside Me there is no saviour; there­fore ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God” (Is. 43: 10).

God is unchanging in His faithfulness to the descendants of Abraham, who by their continued existence as a nation testify to His Being and power, therefore God will never allow them to be destroyed from off the face of the earth, but has promised to restore them to their own land, accord­ing to His purpose.

Thus let us search the Scriptures and find there the truth and power of God to deliver our minds, and cleanse our hearts from all traces of that anti-Semitism which defiles those who cherish or practise it.

If we pause, even for a few moments, to consider the truth of the Scriptures, we will realise that, according to the Sovereign Purpose of God we, as gentile Christians, owe an immeasurable debt to the Jews because it was through their ancestors that our Gentile forefathers were brought from pagan darkness into a saving knowledge of the One True God in Christ, the Holy One of Israel.

How did this come about?

When God called Abraham of old, He entered into an everlasting Covenant with him, and gave him certain irrevocable promises:

“I will make of thee a great nation.

I    will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.

And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12: 3).

For centuries God has been keeping His promise. In grace and in love He has dealt with His people, chastening them as a father chastens his son, when they were disobedient; punishing them to restore them to faith and obedience when they rebelled against His holy will. And in every generation there has been a faithful remnant through whom He achieved His purpose.

What a glorious privilege God conferred on Abra­ham and his descendants, for He chose them to be His people, His servant. But that priceless privi­lege imposed a fearful responsibility (and human nature so easily holds to privileges while conveni­ently ignoring the responsibilities), for unto them was committed and entrusted, by divine revelation, the knowledge of God and of His Will, which they were to cherish and to publish unto the ends of the earth.

But as we continue to study the Scriptures dili­gently we are shown that Moses and the prophets looked forward in faith and testified to the great fulfilment of the promised blessing which was to come when the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel Himself, would appear in their midst. Nor were they left in any doubt concerning His Person, His lineage after the flesh, the manner of His birth, life, death and resurrection, for all these were revealed centuries before He came. May I give just two obvious quotations from the Book of Isaiah?

“Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a. son, and shall call His Name Immanuel (God with us)” (7:14).

“Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Coun­sellor, the Mighty God . . .“ (9: 6).

No man can fathom and explain this truth, for it defies human comprehension, but the indisputable fact remains that the Scriptures of the Old Cove­nant proclaimed the advent of One who would be both human and Divine: “a son”—”the Mighty God”.

But more than that, the Messiah is referred to as the Seed of Abraham, the Seed of Isaac, and the Seed of Jacob; facts which clearly establish His race. Then we see that His lineage is limited, according to God’s Purpose, to one tribe, the tribe of Judah. This in turn is narrowed down to one family, for He is spoken of as the Son of David, the One who would come to lay down His life, thereby making full and final atonement for the sins of His people, and all mankind.

Thus when He came, He came to His own people, fulfilling in their eyes all that was foretold con­cerning Him. The Son of Mary lived on this earth for thirty years, and was identified in the world as a JEW.

When John the Baptist cried, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world”, he pointed to One who was, in the flesh, a JEW.

Therefore, my friends, how can we who are Christians ever raise a hand to persecute the Jews,

when! our Saviour and Lord, great David’s greater Son stretches forth His nail-pierced hands upon us in blessing, from His Throne of Grace? Can we, in His Name, return evil for good, and cursing for blessing?

Our debt of gratitude, our debt of honour is inescapable, for it is through the Messiah of Israel that the Father’s gracious gift of salvation and eternal life is now freely offered to all men who repent of their sins and receive Him.

From Jerusalem, the capital of a small state under the. Roman yoke, the Good News was carried by the first Jewish apostles and believers, to a so-called cultured world which was in reality wearied of its burden of sin, and was dying in spiritual darkness.

And what a debt we owe to that giant among all Jews, Saul of Tarsus, who, according to the command of the Risen Lord, became the outstand­ing messenger of God to the Gentiles:

“Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusa­lem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1: 8).

The New Covenant, sealed with the Blood of the Lamb of God, was the promised outcome of that Covenant which God had established with Abraham centuries earlier, and He commanded that the Good News be preached to the Jew first, and then to the Gentiles.

What of the present and the future?

The Scriptures reveal that God is still working out His purpose towards its complete and triumph­ant fulfilment.

We find that the prophets declare the Advent of the Messiah, apparently in two distinct ways. Some­times He is revealed as One who is meek and lowly, coming into the world to give His life a ransom for many, redeeming the souls of men from the con­demnation of sin by His death and resurrection. In other passages of Scripture His Advent reveals One who appears with the power and majesty and glory of the King of Kings. What does this mean? Is there a contradiction in the Word of God? Impossible! The Scriptures prove two Advents of the same Person.

The Messiah has come and was the Son of David, the Child of Mary who was of the house of David, therefore thus far the Scriptures have been fulfilled concerning the life and ministry of the Son of Man, AND the remaining Scriptures will be fulfilled, as literally as the first, when He returns in the glory of heaven and of the Father, to reign as King, and every eye shall behold Him.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be estab­lished in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it” (Is. 2:1).

So it shall be, even as God said unto Abraham, “and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”.

Thus, whether the world recognises it or not, whether or not men believe it today, God has re­vealed to us in His Holy Word that the course of history, the fate of mankind, and the divine expec­tations of all true Christians are inseparably inter­woven with the destiny of the Jews.

Therefore let us believe with a perfect faith that the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, will come again, and though His Coming be delayed, let us confidently await His appearing.

REV J. LAWRENCE CURRIE.

(This is the text of the message broadcast on the Short Wavelength from St. Andrew’s, Cape Town, on Sunday evening, 24th January, 1960).