Today's Scripture Reading (November 14, 2026): Ezra 5
Sometimes
it is easy to believe that Adolf Hitler somehow invented the war against the
Jews. After all, in the wake of World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, and the
devastation these events inflicted on Germany, Hitler needed someone to blame
for his nation’s many problems, and the Jews became easy targets. The truth is
that even in Germany, anti-Semitism has a history that predates Hitler’s
obsession with and campaign against the Jews. In 1873, German journalist
Wilhelm Marr published a pamphlet titled “The Victory of the Jewish Spirit over
the Germanic Spirit.” Six years later, Marr published a second pamphlet, this
one entitled “The Way of Victory of Germanicism over Judaism.” Marr came to
believe the two cultures could not coexist. In fact, Marr strongly believed one
culture could succeed only if the other died. It is a belief that, five decades
later, Hitler would attempt to turn into a plan of action to be carried out
against the Jews so that Germany could survive. Hitler almost carried out the
plan.
However,
anti-Semitic roots in culture run much deeper than that. The reality is that
hatred against the Semitic races can be traced almost to the beginning of
recorded history. It was definitely present when the exiles began their return
to Palestine. So those who opposed the Jews wrote a letter to the king. The
letter's intent seems clear. A search was to be conducted of the records to
find out whether permission had ever been given for the Jews to rebuild their
Temple. Those who opposed Israel knew that rebuilding the Temple could be a
problem because the Temple was the center of Jewish Nationalism. As long as the
Temple lay in ruins, the Jews would remain defeated. Rebuilding the Temple
meant restoring Israel's strength. Giving Israel back its Temple would be
insane.
The
message is clear. The writers of the letter stand ready to serve the king and
halt the rebuilding of Jerusalem. These leaders argued that Jerusalem must be
denied her Temple and her national identity. The people of Israel had become
strangers even within their own borders, a condition that sometimes seems true
even in our contemporary experience. The people of the area believed they could
be safe only if the stranger was removed; in the end, Israel must die.
A
national identity that does not respect the foreigner within its borders is
always wrong. This diversity within a nation should be seen as a strength, not
a weakness. We are very different from each other, but if we are willing to
work together, these differences can help us solve our planet's problems. Any
other view can only be labeled short-sighted, and in the end, it will not only
be destructive to others but will also destroy us.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: Ezra 6
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