PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT GOD IS PUNISHING THE JEWS.

By Michael Brown and Jonathan Feldstein, Op-ed contributor Friday, January 19, 2024

Supporters of Israel, members of the Jewish community, and hostages' families and friends attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas, next to a chair sculpture titled the "Broken Chair," near the United Nations office in Geneva, on October 22, 2023. Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip stormed Israel on October 7, taking more than 200 hostages and killing at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials. | Gabriel Monnet/AFP via Getty Images

There are many spaces where Jews and Christians agree. For example, both emphasize how important it is to love God and one's neighbor, as well as the importance of following the ethics contained in the Torah and the teachings of the prophets. Both also emphasize the day of the Last Judgment, where we will be held accountable for our choices.

In addition, there are many spaces where people disagree. This will include the question of how a person can receive forgiveness, as well as the acceptance or rejection of the New Testament as Scripture and Jesus as the Messiah. In addition, there are questions about how strictly the current application of the law should be carried out.

Because of this agreement, and despite the differences, Orthodox Jews and followers of the Jewish Jesus can cooperate with each other in some places, but in others, cooperating must cross forbidden lines. We cannot work together to create a Jewish day school curriculum because our visions and goals will be very different. However, we can work together to combat myths, lies, and misconceptions about Jews and the state of Israel. This also applies to the wider relationship between Jews and Christians. We, as Orthodox Jews and followers of the Jewish Jesus, do this for this reason. We really think it's important to do it for the good of our people and the health of the church.

Next, this brings us to the topic of the article. Since October 7, there has been slander, lies, and real genocide against Israel and Jews around the world. If a person believes that his mistakes are morally unfounded, unclear, and integrated, they will be forgiven. However, the recent accusations regarding the statements of a certain Christian leader go beyond general slander and are perceived as extremely controversial and theologically misguided. (We do not mention the name of this pastor here because there are some questions about the full meaning of his statement.)

A well-known pastor claimed that the Hamas massacre on October 7 was God's punishment for the Jews for refusing to accept Jesus. It was not the pastor's detractors who spread the allegations; instead, one of the pastor's followers posted the statement on social media. Everyone is against this. Questions posed to the pastor's office were not answered, nor did they affirm or deny the statements ascribed to them.

It is completely illogical to say that, based on our theological assumptions, we can say that God punished Israel for certain reasons at a certain point in modern history. What prompted the brutal attacks of the Amalekites after the exodus or the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt in the past? Was this because the Jews did not realize that Jesus had been accepted thousands of years before he was born? (Maybe, in this case, because they are guilty of certain mistakes.) Was it because not accepting Jesus was also caused by the Inquisition, "Church" violence against Jews, the sending of Jews to the ghetto, and the Holocaust? Did the Nazis kill more than 1.5 million Jewish children because they, or their parents, did not accept Jesus?

What would such prophets of doom say about the massacre of Christians in Nigeria today or throughout the Arab and Islamic world? Doesn't that show that they don't believe in Jesus enough? Are they really not Christians? Moreover, isn't it dishonest to say, "Jews suffer persecution and attack because they disobey God, while Christians suffer persecution and attack because they obey God?"

It is frightening that a pastor would pretend to know God's thoughts and say that God is punishing the Israelites and Jews at this time in such a terrible way. This is especially true because they do not believe in Jesus. Will the same be true for the Iranian Muslims who have recently lost their lives to suicide bombers? Was this the result of their unbelief in Jesus? What about the recent earthquake in Japan? Is it because they have no faith?

To bring this closer to those living in the United States, what about the Christian children and teachers who were massacred in recent shootings in American schools, including Christian schools themselves? Is it because of their unbelief? This concept makes no sense.

Yet, when Hamas carried out the most horrific killing of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust, in a way that embarrassed even ISIS and Al-Qaeda, some Christians boldly said, "God punished them because they didn't do it.Trust in Jesus.

Statements like these, which focus on punishment and retribution, are more akin to Islamic extremism than Christian. Moreover, since we are both in the crosshairs of radical Islam and have been victims of it more than we want to remember, Jews and Christians must unite in the imperative to fight this evil. Islamic extremists who kill Jews in Israel kill Christians in various places around the world. Don't be fooled.

And let us be careful before saying that we know the mind of God about all the sorrows that man experiences. The Bible itself gives cause and effect for certain things. It is another matter when we engage in theological speculation that has no merit whatsoever.

Although we personally, as well as Jews and Christians in general, may disagree on some very important theological issues, the war against Hamas has shown more than ever that we are on the right side and that the enemy is evil and out of place. Pastors or prophets, perhaps, claim to know that God punishes Jews today because they do not accept Jesus. The day we stand before him, we do our best to let God himself solve this problem.

Many Christians today still need to understand the history of the church claiming to deal with Jews and Israel. Recent statements like these, which are not explicitly denied or criticized, spread the shame that the Church still faces and make the relationship between Jews and Christians even more difficult to establish.

As Jews and Christians, we can and should agree on that, especially at this point.

Michael L. Brown, Ph.D., is the author of more than 45 books and host of the radio show Line of Fire (TheLineofFire.org).

The Genesis 123 Foundation (Genesis123.co) and the host of the Zion Inspiration podcast are Jonathan Feldstein.

News Sources : https://www.christianpost.com/voices/please-dont-tell-me-that-god-is-punishing-the-jews.html