The Miracle of Israel’s Survival through History
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By Dr. Susan Michael, Crosswalk.com
One cannot help but notice when reading the Bible that most of the people groups mentioned no longer exist. Even the major empires—such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Roman Empires—have passed from history. But this tiny little people group—the Jewish people, numbering no more than 17 million at any time in history—still exists, despite repeated attempts from her enemies to wipe her off the map. Recent decades of such threats by Iran and Iran’s proxies are just the most recent examples—and evidence of God’s promise of preservation being fulfilled before our eyes.
The Jewish people somehow survived two exiles (one of which was almost 2,000 years long) and centuries of persecution and expulsions, as well as multiple attempts at annihilation. Certainly, the odds were against their continued existence, not to mention the reestablishment of national sovereignty in their ancient homeland. Iran’s threats and pursuit of nuclear weapons underscore the continuing peril the people of Israel face. And yet, Israel survives.
Israel’s Guaranteed Survival
To describe their survival as a miracle is justified and correctly assigns responsibility for it to God, who affirmed several times in the Hebrew Scriptures that the people of Israel would never cease to be a nation before Him (Jeremiah 31:36; Isaiah 66:22). Consider God’s promise through Jeremiah:
“For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished.” (Jeremiah 30:11)
Even though God would discipline His people for disobedience, the Jewish people would endure. The fact that Israel is surviving and thriving today is evidence of this.
The calling on the Jewish people was to bless the world through God’s redemptive plan—and they would suffer greatly for it. The powers of evil would forever fight against God’s plan because it would bring an end to their power on earth. Throughout history, they have tried to stop it by destroying the people called to bring it about.
Psalm 83 tells us God’s enemies hate His people, the children of Israel, and have “taken crafty counsel” against them in an attempt to cut them off from being a nation (vv. 2–4). Israel’s enemies that are trying to annihilate her today are, in reality, God’s enemies. The nations coming against Israel are merely doing Satan’s bidding—he knows God’s purpose and plan for the Jewish people and has been trying to stop it from coming to pass since the beginning. The physical battles for Israel’s existence are in truth spiritual ones—and a tale as old as time.
However, the God of Israel is not unaware; He understands the difficult place this has put His people in and therefore has guaranteed their survival. Amid modern warfare and nuclear threats, Israel stands; her continued existence testifies not to her abilities or her allies’ military prowess but God’s faithfulness.
The Book That Preserved
As God’s people, they represented Him in an evil and idolatrous world. Therefore, they needed to live a righteous life that reflected His holy character by observing hundreds of moral and ritual laws. As dispersed Jewish communities throughout all five continents passed down these laws from generation to generation, they retained an identity that went beyond their nation of residence. Even within a wide diversity of interpretations of these laws, the book in which they were found—the Torah—kept Jewish identity alive.
Their remarkable achievement in retaining a national identity during 2,000 years of dispersion is unmatched by any other people group in history. David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, quipped: “We have preserved the Book, and the Book has preserved us.”
Longing for Zion
Because many of the laws required residency in their ancient homeland, a longing to return to Zion also bonded communities of Jews living on different sides of the world and without a common language. “Next year in Jerusalem” became the heartfelt motto for Jews no matter their age, ethnicity, place of residency, or language. It’s a longing realized in the modern State of Israel where millions of Jews from around the world have returned—even if amid war and hardship.
Resiliency of Heart
Almost half of the Jews of the world live in the Land of Israel today, where they have enjoyed 70 years of statehood and endured 70 years of a constant state of war and thousands of terror attacks. For the past half-decade, the Iranian regime has reminded Israel regularly of its intention to annihilate it, while it tries to develop the nuclear weapons that will allow it to do so. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has bombarded Israel with a steady stream of hatred and demonization of her citizens.
Yet Israel has been ranked among the top 10 happiest countries in the world for three consecutive years! This astounding statistic indicates the great resiliency of the Jewish people. Centuries of opposition have made them a strong people. They have not just survived but have thrived.
Principles found in their Book have also made them a caring people. Despite how they have been treated by others, they continue to volunteer and help the helpless around the world. The little State of Israel has provided humanitarian assistance in over 140 countries—all because of the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, to “repair the world,” and their biblical mandate to be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 60:3). They do this in times of peace—and in times of war.
The story of the survival of the Jewish people is a painful one, filled with much suffering and great sorrow, but it culminates in the greatest event of all history: the day the Lord will appear in His glory in Zion and rule the nations from there (Psalm 102:15–16). Jerusalem will be a praise in all the earth (Isaiah 62:7), all wars will cease (Isaiah 2:2–4), and the nations will come up to Jerusalem to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords—the God of Israel (Zechariah 14:16).
Until that day, modern conflicts—including this most recent war with Iran—remind us that though the struggle against Israel’s enemies continues, Israel’s existence today remains real and tangible evidence of God’s faithfulness throughout history.
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Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Roman Mykhalchuk
For over 40 years, Dr. Susan Michael has advanced the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) in the USA and worldwide. She serves as the USA President and sits on the ICEJ’s international Board of Directors. She is frequently asked to address complex issues to diverse audiences—including antisemitism, Jewish-Christian relations, and Middle East affairs—and does so with clarity and grace. Dr. Michael leads the American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) network, has authored books, such as Encounter the 3D Bible: How to Read the Bible so It Comes to Life, and has developed educational resources, including the IsraelAnswers website, ICEJ U online courses, and curricula for Christian colleges.
