The Modern Miracle

Note: This is a topic on which I could go for days. For the purposes of this entry, I’ll set most political points aside, as well the depth of historical and Scriptural details, and instead give a generalized view of the situation.

It’s been in the news a fair bit leading up to today. But in case you haven’t heard, today, May 14, is the 60th anniversary of the creation of the modern state of Israel.
Foretold by the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel, in chapters 36 and 37 of the book that bears his name, Israel has re-emerged as a nation on the earth, and Jews have once again returned to their ancient homeland in droves.

On May 14, 1948, out of the ashes of the Holocaust, in accordance with the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and United Nations partition plan of 1947, the leaders of what was to become the re-born State announced the creation of the State of Israel. Immediately afterward, the armies of 5+ neighbouring Arab nations invaded the state they rejected. When the armies of both sides signed armistices in 1949, the state of Israel became a reality, encompassing the land allotted to them by UN Resolution 181. (The Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan Heights, and even Jerusalem itself were not in Israeli hands until 1967. But that’s a history lesson for another time.)

So why is this a “modern miracle”? Because it never should’ve happened, and I mean that in a positive way. A people group scattered from their homeland for 1900 years, with no real unity in form of religious practices, language, culture, etc, should certainly disappear into history. But in spite of all this, the Jews have retained their identity as a people over the centuries. Their bond with their ancient homeland could not be replaced no matter where they went. Even after facing pogroms, Holocaust, dhimmitude, assimilation, Inquisition, and civil war, they are still around.

This could never have been possible without the fact that God is with them. They are God’s chosen people; the apple of his eye, if you will. The Bible is full of references to that fact; and full of promises He has made to them. He promised to return to them their Land. He made good on that promise.

For this reason, I have utmost confidence that they will survive the current rocket attacks from Hamas, the threats from Syria, and the genocidal intentions of Iran. It is also why I have pledged my unswerving loyalty to them. Both as a people, and as a nation. That is not to say that I believe they are right in everything they do. I believe they are as fallible as anyone else, and that they make foolish and wrong choices sometimes. But I know that my God has chosen them as His own. So I can do no less.

-Bernier