This is a call for Christians to love, respect, and serve Jews in your community.
Who are the Jews?
1 When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to possess and has driven out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God delivers them before you and you strike them down, then you must utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. 3 What is more, you shall not intermarry with them. You shall not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will be inflamed against you, and He will quickly destroy you. 5 But this is how you shall deal with them: You shall destroy their altars and break down their images and cut down their Asherim[a] and burn their graven images with fire. 6 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be His special people, treasured above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. — Deuteronomy 7:1-6 (1406 BC)
The oldest archeological evidence of the Jewish people is the Merneptah Stele. Its presence helps to prove the biblical assertion that Israel has been in the land of Israel for more than 3200 years.
In 2067 BC, Abraham and Sarah settled in Gerar, Gaza. Isaac was born in Gerar the following year of 2066 BC. Isaac’s fraternal twin sons Jacob and Esau were born in 2006 BC. Isaac blessed Jacob with the rights of the firstborn. In 1906 BC, as recorded in Genesis 32:22-28, God renames Jacob, Israel, “One who struggles with G‑d.”
Understanding the Jewish Worldview
Here is the essence of Judaism: We do believe that goodness prevails, but the happy ending is not our focus. Our focus is the struggle to get there. Regardless of the result, the struggle itself is holy. If you strive for goodness, you’re in, even before you get there. If you’re trying to be better, even if you fall sometimes, you’re on the path. It’s all about the struggle.
That’s why the Torah doesn’t speak about heaven. We believe in the afterlife, but we aren’t preoccupied with it. We focus our energy on the effort to be a good person, the struggle to do the right thing, the battle against our adversaries, both internal and external.
Some religions seek serenity. Some spiritual paths promise peace. Others offer a place in heaven. Judaism embraces the struggle of the here and now. The victory will come. But for the time being, we are here to grapple with G‑d, debate with our fellow humans, and struggle with ourselves, never accepting that the world can’t change, starting with me. That’s Israel.
Chabad.org: What Does Israel Mean?
I cite two reasons we Christians must be connected with our Jewish neighbors.
First, Our Jewish Neighbors Are Threatened
In case you are unaware, there are people within the boundaries of the United States of America who hate Jews. Who are these haters of Jews? Here are a few examples:
- Fox News, February 8, 2024: Biden invited Muslim leader who publicly supported terror group Hezbollah to meet with his top aides | “President Biden sent top aides to Michigan on Thursday to meet with Arab American and Muslim community leaders, and one person reportedly invited to the discussion has publicly expressed support for the terror groups Hezbollah and Hamas…Biden made the move with the leaders as he’s faced criticism from the Muslim community over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.”
- ABC News, January 19, 2022: Synagogue attack puts Jewish community on edge | “Recent attacks on Jewish institutions — including the 10-hour-long hostage situation at a synagogue in Texas on Jan. 15 — have cast a dark shadow on the simple act of walking into a Jewish institution.”
- Wall Street Journal, February 2, 2024: Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital | “Thousands march in support of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. Protesters, many with kaffiyehs covering their faces, shout “Intifada, intifada,” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” and “America is a terrorist state.” Local imams give fiery antisemitic sermons. This isn’t the Middle East. It’s the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Mich.”
- Independent News, February 16,2023 | Iran ‘mapping’ locations of Jewish diaspora for ‘hit squads to target’ in event of attack by Israel “It was at a separate closed event Mr. Talebzadeh organised in Iran where Ms. Perez-Shakdam said she was told of the plan “to identify all the prominent NGOs run by Jews, who was doing what in each business sector, the important rabbis.”…“They wanted to figure out their influence and where they lived with their families in order to target them,” she said.”
- Sunni Islam, Sahih Muslim, Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2926 “Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. “O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.””
Second, We Christians Are Next
The Dallas Express, February 15, 2024 ‘Down With America’ Group Creates Chaos at Dallas City Council Meeting, “As 10 of the protesters spoke against Israel for the apparent “genocide,” “slaughter,” and “occupation” in Gaza, others in a show of solidarity rose to their feet, snapping their fingers in agreement.”
For a local congregation of Christians to intentionally support the Jewish people within proximity of the congregation benefits the world in two ways.
The National Interest, September 20, 2014 | Four Reasons ISIS Is a Threat to the American Homeland “Terrorism is by definition “asymmetric”—a weaker party using violence as a political tactic against a more powerful adversary. And any capable terrorist group can be thought of as having “asymmetric advantages” because it operates in the shadows and can often pick the time, place and nature of attack against its enemies.
But groups like Al Qaeda and its more sophisticated offshoots are especially problematic with regard to asymmetric advantages because they operate in effective, secret global networks; they are focused primarily on Western liberal democracies that are more open and therefore more vulnerable than other types of political systems; and they recruit actors willing to die on their missions, so they are less concerned about carrying dangerous substances, like radiological or biological material.”
A YouTube video titled The Jihadis Next Door [Documentary] underscores the threat against Western Civilization (Christianity). Pay attention to the statement, “When the day of Sharia comes, you will see this flag flying everywhere.” — Minute 2:27-2:35
The video was recorded in England. Yes, England is far away, but the threat of Islamist terrorism is next door in neighboring Dallas, Texas.
Learn About Nearby Jihadii Terroristic Threats
In case you are unaware, there are people within the boundaries of the United States of America who hate Jews. Who are these haters of Jews? Here are a few examples:
The Dallas Express, February 15, 2024 ‘Down With America’ Group Creates Chaos at Dallas City Council Meeting, “As 10 of the protesters spoke against Israel for the apparent “genocide,” “slaughter,” and “occupation” in Gaza, others in a show of solidarity rose to their feet, snapping their fingers in agreement.”
That Islamist threat of ‘DownWith America’ before the Dallas City Council is legally terroristic. I refer you to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 11.402 Terroristic threats and the Texas Penal Code: Terroristic Threat.
The Benefits of Loving, Protecting, and Blessing our Jewish Neighbors
Numbers 24:1-9 and Genesis 12:3 express a divine law by which the people who bless Israel and our Jewish neighbors will be blessed.
What do the verbs to bless and to curse mean? I offer the Spanish language explanations. In Spanish, to bless is the verb bendicir, ben (good); decir (to say). The Spanish verb to curse is maldecir, mal (bad); decir (to say). Numbers 6:22-27 supports these definitions.
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift His countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
The Priestly Blessing, Numbers 6:24-26
All we know as Western Civilization is due to the Judeo-Christian Biblical worldview.
“I call the Bible the soul of Western Civilization because it propelled the development of everything good in the West: its notion of human dignity, human rights, human equality, justice, optimism, heroism, rationality, family, education, universities, technology, science, [a] culture of compassion, great literature, heroism, economic progress, political freedom. Take, for example, democracy.”— Vishal Mangalwadi, author of The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization (Thomas Nelson, 2012).
Facts: Why Christians must support Israel and local Jews
- Christianity has not replaced Judaism. You are welcome to argue this point with me in person. I append this fact with Romans 3:31 and Romans 11:1.
- As recorded in ancient Biblical scripture, God gave the land to the Jewish people forever.
- God has promised to bless those who bless Israel.
- Israel is a strategic ally and our most reliable ally in the Middle East.
- Christians and Jews share a Biblical worldview of Western Civilization.
- The enemies of Israel plotting that country’s destruction also plot to destroy Christianity.
Action
- Pray for wisdom and direction. James 1:5
- Choose to love Jewish people. 1 John 4:8
- Connect with local Jews. How? For many years, it has been said there are only 6 degrees of separation between you and the rest of the world’s population. Facebook (Meta) calculates 3.5 degrees of separation. If the grace of God motivates you to connect with local Jews, speak about this with people closest to you, at least 6 of them. 1 Peter 3:15 is the key: simply tell your story to fellow believers. “God is moving me to get to know local Jewish people.” You are already connected to local Jews through your closest friends.
- Learn about your Jewish neighbors through the American Alliance of Jews and Christians led by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Learn ancient Jewish wisdom from The Rabbi Daniel Lapin Podcast.
John White
Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 