Psalm 83:5: “They say, ‘Come, let us wipe them out as a nation, so that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’”
The first time we encounter the Jewish nation as a people is in Exodus chapter 1, where they are enslaved by a cruel Pharaoh. Throughout the history of this people, there have always been forces seeking to destroy and eradicate them. In the Bible, we read about the Amalekites, Goliath, and Haman. In the book of Nehemiah, we encounter Sanballat and Tobiah, who were displeased that a man had come to help the Israelites.
Hatred of Jews, or anti-Semitism, is sometimes referred to as the “eternal hatred” or “the oldest hatred.” As long as there have been Jews, this hostility against them has existed. This hatred appears in various parts of society, different religions, political extremes, and among different ethnic groups. There is no rational explanation for this phenomenon. Sometimes it is the need for a scapegoat, but not always. Sometimes it is envy, but not always. This ancient hatred is driven by a spiritual battle against this people.
Psalm 83:1-5: “A song. A psalm of Asaph. O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God. See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.’”
Asaph illustrates a connection between the hatred of God and the hatred of the Jews. It is difficult to understand hatred against Jews without recognizing the spiritual battle they face.
In Exodus 17:8-15, we read about the Amalekites attacking the Jews, where Moses had to be assisted by Aaron and Hur to keep his hands lifted for Israel to prevail. This event concludes with verses 15-16: “Moses built an altar and called it ‘The Lord is my Banner.’ He said, ‘Because hands were lifted up against the Lord’s throne, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.’” In the Bible, the Amalekites symbolize hatred and hostility against the Jews, and God promises to protect His people.
The Word of God provides several examples of this battle against the Jews. During their exile in the Persian Empire, a decree was issued to exterminate them. In the Book of Esther:
Esther 3:8-9: “Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.’”
Esther 3:13: “Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.”
Nehemiah describes the period when the Jews returned from captivity to rebuild Jerusalem. These texts have many parallels with what we observe today.
Nehemiah 2:10: “When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.”
Nehemiah 4:1-3: “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, ‘What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?’ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’”
Nehemiah 4:7-8: “But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.”
The Biblical Explanation of Irrational Hatred
In Revelation chapter 12, a war is depicted between a dragon and a woman:
Revelation 12:1-5: “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who ‘will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.’ And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.”
In the Bible, the serpent or dragon often represents Satan. The woman is depicted giving birth to a male child who will rule all nations. The child is clearly Jesus, but who is the woman? She is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of stars—reminiscent of Joseph’s description of his family, the Jews. The woman who gives birth to the male child is likely the Jewish people, from whom Jesus came. The dragon attempts to “devour the child,” but later in the chapter, it becomes clear that the dragon also attacks the woman.
Revelation 12:13-17: “When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”
The dragon, Satan, persecutes the woman—the Jewish people who brought forth the child, Jesus. The Jews were instrumental not only in bringing salvation to humanity but also in crushing the serpent’s head, as prophesied in Genesis 3:15. Thus, this people have become a target for the evil one. God made a collective covenant with them, and they serve as His instruments in the world. Consequently, the enemy wages war against them, manifested through anti-Semitism throughout Jewish history. In verse 17, it is mentioned that the dragon also wages war “against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” These “other offspring” must be Christians. Both the Jewish people and the Church find themselves in a spiritual battle.
Jesus has already won the victory over the enemy’s forces once and for all on the cross. The Bible’s detailed description of the end of this war highlights the Lord’s sovereignty from beginning to end.
Reflection Questions – The Battle
1. – Does anti-Semitism exist today, and how does it manifest?
2. – How would you describe the causes of anti-Semitism?
3. – Which Bible verses spoke to you the most?
