The British journalist, William Norman Ewer, wrote during the early part of the 20th century: “How Odd of God to Choose the Jew”. His comment sparked a multitude of replies, but the one that best appear to have responded to his comment was the reply from Cecil Browne: “But Not so Odd as Those who Choose A Jewish God But spurn the Jews“.

From a purely literary point of view, it would be obvious that Browne’s comment was the successful retort to Ewer. Nevertheless, the “anti-Jew” comment of Ewer continued through the 1900s until the end of World War II. Some believed that anti-Jewish sentiment faded to a large extent with the historical end of the Holocaust and the establishment of the nation of Israel. But, we see in the events of the present time that such antagonism only lingered in the recesses and backroads of people’s minds and memories and is now, once again, evident in places great and small throughout this circular sphere that we call Planet Earth.

To recite and enumerate the multitudes of events, chants, demonstrations and political actions that are targeted against Jews, and against the Jewish State, Israel, would appear to be superfluous. Every day brings with it another protest, another call for exclusion, punishment and for death to the Jews and to Israel, referred to be some segments of society as the “Little Satan”, as well as calls for the death of the “Big Satan”, the United States. Even many who preach sermons mix politics with Bible from their pulpits. Some sing “Go down Moses … and Let my people go.” But then, the condemnation comes that Israel’s response is not proportionate to the attack that it suffered. 

These events are particularly egregious at this time, on this day, when most Jews throughout the world celebrate the Feast of Passover – a time of remembrance of the release of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The historical event, which appears in the Book of Exodus and has both physical and spiritual lessons for us all, is referred to throughout the Older and Newer Testaments. It is an event that is to be told and re-told from generation to generation. Clearly, that event has considerable significance for us today.

This post is not intended to be a Sermon from Mount Carmel, in Haifa. Nevertheless, there are some details of the story of the exodus from Egypt that cannot be disregarded on this 200th day of Israel’s war against Hamas. Jumping past God’s prophetic declarations to Abraham, we read that Moses, the one called to lead the children of Israel to freedom, told Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt: “Let my people go”. Pharaoh refused. God sent plague after plague upon the Egyptians, affecting water, plants, livestock and daily life and eventually, bringing about the death of multitudes of Egyptians and finally, the military might of Egypt. Each plague was progressively worse than the preceding ones. Egyptians suffered and groaned and complained, but their leader refused to free the children of Israel until the leader of Egypt, the Pharaoh, that represented the power and might of his nation and who was treated as a god of the people, was affected by the personal loss of his first born son. 

Apparently, the suffering of the Egyptians that was brought about by the God of the children of Israel was not enough to move Pharaoh, as he remained adamant in his steadfast refusal to release those whom Egypt held captive and whose lives existed at the whim and fancy of Pharaoh. It’s interesting that none of the neighboring countries or tribal communities attempted to intercede when the Egyptians were suffering and none of them asked Moses or the children of Israel to provide camel caravans of deliveries of humanitarian aid to the citizens of Egypt. Of course, there was no internet at that time and no social media, nor were there institutions intended for “higher learning” that would allow for rebellion and violence under the guise of free speech, or any Middle East organization that was to oversee the camel deliveries of aid and assistance to the suffering Egyptians. It was only when the ultimate price was paid, the price of human life and the loss of the firstborn of every Egyptian household, that the cry went out throughout the land to let the Hebrews go. And they did go, with gifts from the Egyptians who were only more than happy for them to leave. Once they were freed, Pharaoh tried to capture them again and bring them back to Egypt. At that time, however, God brought an end to their efforts once and for all.

The leadership of Israel today has called for the release of the hostages being held by Hamas, by the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and by the riff-raff, all of whom are holding some of those taken captive on October 7th. We won’t discuss whether they were right-wing or left-wing in their ideology, because that did not enter into the thinking of the terrorists. The Hamas leadership of Gaza doesn’t care about the suffering of the people that it is supposed to care for. And they, in turn, according to most information polls, overwhelmingly supported Hamas in its actions and would even vote for Hamas, again, if elections were to be held today. 

I’ve read far too many articles of those who call for Israel’s total withdrawal from Gaza and for its unilateral ending of the war, so that all of the remaining hostages could be released. It is regrettable that most of those condemning Israel’s actions against a vicious, totally immoral and death-idolizing enemy do not live here. They live in their political ivory palaces, condemning from afar what they, themselves, would be unwilling to tolerate if they were the direct victims of terror. 

Passover is definitely a celebration of freedom and this year’s observance was made extremely difficult because some of our people are still being held hostage – a fact that seems to have been forgotten, overlooked or simply ignored by many who condemn Israel’s actions against Hamas. In exchange for the release of hundreds of prisoners, many of whom are guilty of murder, the number of hostages being offered by Hamas at this point is only 20. They want a six-week moratorium on the fighting so that they, Hamas, can try to locate the remaining hostages, as they admit they don’t know where all of the hostages are at this point. Israel still doesn’t know how many are alive or what their condition is. Nevertheless, it amazingly continues to try to negotiate with representatives of evil, so that they would “let our people go”. 

The Dry Bones Blog – 19 April, 2024

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7), including Hamas. Israel was called of God to be a light to the nations, not because of our “greatness”, but because we were “the fewest of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7). There is a demonic movement spreading throughout the world that seeks to extinguish that light, but it will not succeed and those who curse Israel will find themselves “fighting against God” (Acts 5:39). “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: ‘If this fixed order departs from before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever’.” (Jer. 31:35-36)

Every offer of peace that Israel has made towards its enemies has been rejected. As former Prime Minister Golda Meir once stated: “We’re the only people in the world where our neighbors openly announce they just won’t have us here. And they will not give up fighting and they will not give up war as long as we remain alive. Here.“

And in a “60 Minutes Interview” that took place during September, 1973, Golda said to then Senator Joe Biden, “Don’t look so sad, Senator, we have a secret weapon in our battle against the Arabs. Senator, we have no place else to go.”

The war against Hamas can end today, Passover 5784. All they need to do is “Let Our People Go!”

Bless, be blessed and continue to be a blessing.

Marvin