The Most Discriminated Against People in History
Posted: Sunday, November 06, 2011
by Joel Kontinen
http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/
They were persecuted in ancient Egypt, Persia and almost everywhere they went. Many rulers sought to destroy them as a people but none ultimately succeeded in their evil schemes. They were often singled out as the cause of misfortune, and others did not hesitate to spread malicious rumours about them.
The Old Testament Book of Esther is an early account of the misfortunes of this people group: “Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.’ ” (3:8-9)
When in the mid 14thcentury Black Death culled the population of Europe to about a half of what it had been before the pandemic, they were accused of causing the devastation, although scientists now believe that it was caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium spread by rats.
But worse was yet to come. Even though pogroms eventually made way for the Holocaust, humanity has not learnt much from history. Anti-Semitism is once again on the rise in Europe, where the media practically ignore the rockets that Hamas regularly launches into civilian targets, such as kindergartens in Israeli towns, and other atrocities, and take Israel to task for daring to defend her citizens.
The entire scenario is more or less bizarre since the Bible promises blessings to those who bless Abraham’s descendants.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)Timely - Kristalnacht anniversary - and powerful. Well written and full of heart.
Don't you think it strange and ironic that it was because of the "Persians" that the Jews were freed?Thanks. Yes, there certainly is irony in the Bible. Moses was saved from death by the daughter of the man who wanted to kill all newborn Hebrew boys, for instance.Yes. This kind or irony fills the pages of human history. My article about "family" was a poetic attempt at alluding to this.Thats right. Thanks.
AAhhh the book of Esther, and the tables that were turned on Haman and his ten sons. Ironic that Haman built the right amount of gallows for his sons, and himself; POETIC JUSTICE.
Amazing how God takes the plans of Satan and those who attempt to follow him, and uses them for his own purpose. However, all battles are NOT won, and when we see our lives on earth as a 'spiritual battle' with another dimension; the sooner we can prepare to fight the war around us.
Thanks...Yes, indeed. Another interesting "coincidence" is in 1 Kings 17. Some commentators think that the ravens that brough food to Elijah atthe time of a severe famile got it from Ahab's table.LOL.... it makes me laugh, to think that Jezebel drove Elijah away in fear at one point, yet from her husband's table he is fed...God has a sense of humor.He sure has.
Perhaps you are right about the discrimination, probably not. The Jewish race has had plenty of opportunity to reap the rewards of this planet. If they are held to a higher standard it is because of their own invention, namely the god of the bible. Any race of people who claims to have more right to any god would bring intolerance upon themselves. The balances instituted within life itself tells you, me, and everyone that there is good and bad. Either extreme is harmful to our existence.
What does this say about your creator, that it was not able to create perfection? Time and history has shown us that two of anything is never responsible for the existence of any species. All species on this planet would created in abundant numbers to insure their survivability. The wisdom of this universe is in its flaws, not its perfection. Without imperfection there would be little need for its opposite. In fact, without each of them neither could be understood.
The mandate that we, the human race must not only endure the physical toll of this life, but also a spiritual battle is unimaginable. It leaves the impetus of life heavy with the burden of uncertainty. There is a certainty to life that should be understood. To live, love, hate, fight, earn, and attempt to succeed in whatever desire one so chooses to partake. Yet each of these things must never be allowed to dominate one's life.
Preaching and requiring any form of devoutness is not what any god would or should want. Teaching by act, strength of passion, and endurance are the things that human beings endeavor, and by the spirit of their nature are so endowed. The continuation of these so called beliefs are no longer the driving force of this earth. They will meet the same fate as all other beliefs, they will change or they will disappear. In either case, our fate will not be any worse or better for it. Just my opinion and thanks for letting anyone comment.
Thanks for your feedback. You might be on the right track in saying that the Jews are at least partly the cause of what has happened to them. Their biblical mandate was to bring blessings to the world and in that they often failed. The Old Testament book of Jonah perhaps illustrates their ethnocentric view. This, however, should not give non-Jews the right to show contempt for them.
When it comes to people, I wouldn’t use the word race, as both the Bible and modern genetics say that all humans living today belong to the same human race.
Yes, as you suggest, we live in a world where perfection and imperfection meet. The perfection speaks of the original very good creation, and the imperfection of a world suffering from the consequences of the Fall.
I think that as long as there are people on the planet Earth, a considerably percentage of them will embrace belief in the Creator.
Thank you, Joel, for a powerful article. God Bless Israel!Thanks Ken. Yes, may God bless Israel!
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