- Jan 25, 2009
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Shalom
Concerning why I was writing this due to how I was recently blessed in being able to watch a video through one of the ministries I work with. The video was by a man known as Ray Comfort, a Jewish evangelist who has done much within the Kingdom of God to impact others for the Lord. The name of the video he did is entitled "180"---specifically on the subject of abortion and how others are to respond to it.
According to Claiborne, when Bonhoeffer tried to assassinate Hitler the cross lost. Claiborne later denounced Hitlers genocide of Jews as really really terrible theology and a skewed theology .....but it seemed odd to many for one not to say it was bad theology to allow someone to come to power like Hitler and have his way. And I do wrestle on the subject.
At what point is it either permissible to take a life...or to spare one for the Glory of the Lord?
There are literally others within the Jewish world that feel that trying to come against Hitler was the equivalent of attacking one appointed by the Lord...and in example, one can consider the Lubavitcher Rebbes comparison of Hitler with Gods servant Nebuchadnezzer ( 2 Kings 24:1-3, 2 Kings 25, Ezra 5:11-13, Jeremiah 21:6-8 , Jeremiah 25:8-10 , Jeremiah 27:7-9 , Jeremiah 29 , Jeremiah 43:9-11, Ezekiel 29:18-20 Daniel 1-4 ) . As Haretz noted:
Was surprised (to say the least) that others within Judaism felt that way on a man like Hitler....but there were others from that era who felt the same. Others feel that Hitler was in the position he was like Nebuchadnezzar and that others should respond like Daniel did by simply intercedding for the king/nation and living one's life in peace---much like the early believers did when it came to them saying prayers should be offered for leaders, including those who were cruel (I Peter 2, Titus 3, I Timothy 2:1-7, etc). Others felt that Hitler was given power by God's command---and that his actions were necessary for the creation of the Israeli state. Others felt that people should be apolitical and simply keep to themselves rather than try to stir anything up.
And then you have other that were willing to take the man out like Deitrick Bonheffer--much like the Zealots felt in regards to holiness being expressed even in the willingness to take life.
I wonder where others should stand today....and if it came down to taking life, if it'd be right to consider doing so. It has been a blessing talking with other Messianics on the subject, especially as it concerns looking back on horrible moments in history and wondering how to best interpret them or see what should have been the right course of action ...and if anyone here would like to share, would love to hear
Concerning why I was writing this due to how I was recently blessed in being able to watch a video through one of the ministries I work with. The video was by a man known as Ray Comfort, a Jewish evangelist who has done much within the Kingdom of God to impact others for the Lord. The name of the video he did is entitled "180"---specifically on the subject of abortion and how others are to respond to it.
Although there are things I disagreed with the man on, I greatly appreciated many of the points he chose to bring up in regards to how believers should respond when it comes to what's essentially genocide (with abortion)--and I appreciated his bringing up the example of Hitler and how many allowed Hitler to come to power/had no issue with his actions.....and yet, for people saying they're against what he did, they would not have a problem with aborting babies.
One of the main points that stood out to me was when Comfort began asking questions such as "Would you assassinate Hitler if you had the chance?"...and if others said "Yes", he followed up by asking others if they'd be willing to assasinate the mother of Hitler when she was pregnant with him. Although he was using that as a spring-board to the larger issue of killing babies in the womb, it was interesting to consider the question by itself since many said "Yes" to the killing Hitler's mother---and as shocking as that was, it was interesting to see how there was a bit of a Biblical parallel.
The festival of Purim is coming up and I've been eagerly looking forward to celebrating as I've done yearly for a good bit with my Messianic fellowship. And in going through the story recently, some things stood out to me. Obvious is the fact that the main enemy in the story--Haman--was one who sought to destory the Jews....and yet the Lord sovereignly worked to protect the Jewish people. The Lord intervened by controlling the lot in such a way as to give a year's worth of time for Esther to intervene...and the Lord happened to have the lot during the time of Passover (the Month of Nisan, Esther 3:6-8 ). Haman himself was an Agagite ( Esther 3:1-3, Esther 9:23-25 , etc )--and being an Agagite meant that one was a descendant of King Agag....the King of the Amalekites who Saul initially sparred rather than destroy (I Samuel 15/ 1 Samuel 15 /1 Samuel 28:17-19 ). This is important because the Amalekites were the ethnic enemy of the Jewish people...a people the Lord swore to be at war with for generations and wipe out ( Exodus 17:15-16, Deuteronomy 25:17-24, Num. 24:7) --and ones who were essentially related by blood to the Israelites since Amalek came from Esau's line ( Genesis 36:11-13 , Genesis 36:15-17 ). Although Saul was noted to have defeated them ( 1 Samuel 14 /1 Samuel 14:47-49 ), he disobeyed the Lord's command to destroy them ( 1 Samuel 15:1-3 ).
Some wonder how Haman could be a descendent of King Agag when it seems the text of scripture says that Saul killed all of the Amalekite people and King Agag had been destroyed. But Samuel did indeed write that all the Amalekites had been killed. He must have been referring to all the Amalekites who had remained in their villages because 1 Chron 4:43 says that in the days of King Hezikiah, about 300 years later, 500 men from the tribe of Simeon killed the rest of the Amalekites , who had apparently escaped before Saul could get to them. This helps explain why God was so angry with Saul, and also how Haman could have been a descendant of King Agag.
Saul's allowance ensured that a descendant of the Amalekites survived.....enabling a genocide to be set up many centuries later. For Haman's anger was not only toward Mordecai, but to all Jewish people because of the bad blood that had occurred between the two groups for ages. Just as Saul was a Benjamite ( 1 Samuel 9 ) facing Amalek, so Mordecai was one as well ( Esther 2:4-6 ) facing a descendant of Amalek---paralleing a centuries old drama. The Lord thankfully intervened to stop Haman from carrying out his genocide---and where many seem perplexed is wondering if it was perhaps FATE for things to go down like they did in Esther.....or perhaps if it was a matter of chance playing out...with the Lord (in His providence) having to come into the situation/"sewn up loose ends" that should have been dealt with ages ago. T
The seemingly insignificant decisions you make day by day can affect generations after you....and on the subject of abortion, the reason the 180 video seemed to tie in is because many have wrestled over just how far they'd be willing to go to say prevent future attrocities from occurring. In the event of Hitler---just as it was with Saul's actions leading to a Haman---what should have been done in order to prevent someone like Hitler from doing as he did?
There were many who were condemned for plotting against Hitler when he began to come to power, especially in regards to others feeling as if violence was not allowed to occur amongst believers based on what Christ commanded with loving one's enemies. Others have discussed more in-depth on the subject as well. In example, one individual known as Shane Claiborne spoke on theology and war...and if seeing the following video from 02:13, Claiborne begins speaking about German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffers role in the attempt to assassinate Hitler:
As Claiborne says:
I think even Bonhoeffer was wrong. Theres an interview with Hitlers secretary in a movie called Blind Spot, and she tells about when the assassination attempt failed, and Hitler was very interestingly protected from the bomb, he was convinced at that point, more than ever before, that God was protecting him and his mission, and he went forward with renewed vigilence like ever before. So I would say on the day that Bonhoeffer did that, the cross lost, and that violence just perpetuated.
At what point is it either permissible to take a life...or to spare one for the Glory of the Lord?
There are literally others within the Jewish world that feel that trying to come against Hitler was the equivalent of attacking one appointed by the Lord...and in example, one can consider the Lubavitcher Rebbes comparison of Hitler with Gods servant Nebuchadnezzer ( 2 Kings 24:1-3, 2 Kings 25, Ezra 5:11-13, Jeremiah 21:6-8 , Jeremiah 25:8-10 , Jeremiah 27:7-9 , Jeremiah 29 , Jeremiah 43:9-11, Ezekiel 29:18-20 Daniel 1-4 ) . As Haretz noted:
God as surgeon
By Yehuda Bauer
The panel discussion on "Haredim and the Holocaust" recently aired on Channel 1 should have included the views of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Chabad's so-called "King Messiah"), Rabbi Menachem Schneerson.
On the subject of the Holocaust, the Rebbe wrote as follows: "It is clear that 'no evil descends from Above,' and buried within torment and suffering is a core of exalted spiritual good. Not all human beings are able to perceive it, but it is very much there. So it is not impossible for the physical destruction of the Holocaust to be spiritually beneficial. On the contrary, it is quite possible that physical affliction is good for the spirit" ("Mada Ve'emuna," Machon Lubavitch, 1980, Kfar Chabad).
Schneerson goes on to compare God to a surgeon who amputates a patient's limb in order to save his life. The limb "is incurably diseased ... The Holy One Blessed Be He, like the professor-surgeon...seeks the good of Israel, and indeed, all He does is done for the good.... In the spiritual sense, no harm was done, because the everlasting spirit of the Jewish people was not destroyed."
The Rebbe's stance, therefore, is clear: The Holocaust was a good thing because it lopped off a disease-ravaged limb of the Jewish people - in other words, the millions who perished in the Holocaust - in order to cleanse the Jewish people of its sins.
There is logic in this theology: If God is indeed omnipotent, knows everything and controls the world ("God presides over the trials of 4 billion people all day long, every day without a moment's rest"), which implies divine supervision on an individual and collective basis, then the Holocaust took place not only with his knowledge, but also with his approval.
By Yehuda Bauer
The panel discussion on "Haredim and the Holocaust" recently aired on Channel 1 should have included the views of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Chabad's so-called "King Messiah"), Rabbi Menachem Schneerson.
On the subject of the Holocaust, the Rebbe wrote as follows: "It is clear that 'no evil descends from Above,' and buried within torment and suffering is a core of exalted spiritual good. Not all human beings are able to perceive it, but it is very much there. So it is not impossible for the physical destruction of the Holocaust to be spiritually beneficial. On the contrary, it is quite possible that physical affliction is good for the spirit" ("Mada Ve'emuna," Machon Lubavitch, 1980, Kfar Chabad).
Schneerson goes on to compare God to a surgeon who amputates a patient's limb in order to save his life. The limb "is incurably diseased ... The Holy One Blessed Be He, like the professor-surgeon...seeks the good of Israel, and indeed, all He does is done for the good.... In the spiritual sense, no harm was done, because the everlasting spirit of the Jewish people was not destroyed."
The Rebbe's stance, therefore, is clear: The Holocaust was a good thing because it lopped off a disease-ravaged limb of the Jewish people - in other words, the millions who perished in the Holocaust - in order to cleanse the Jewish people of its sins.
There is logic in this theology: If God is indeed omnipotent, knows everything and controls the world ("God presides over the trials of 4 billion people all day long, every day without a moment's rest"), which implies divine supervision on an individual and collective basis, then the Holocaust took place not only with his knowledge, but also with his approval.
And then you have other that were willing to take the man out like Deitrick Bonheffer--much like the Zealots felt in regards to holiness being expressed even in the willingness to take life.
I wonder where others should stand today....and if it came down to taking life, if it'd be right to consider doing so. It has been a blessing talking with other Messianics on the subject, especially as it concerns looking back on horrible moments in history and wondering how to best interpret them or see what should have been the right course of action ...and if anyone here would like to share, would love to hear
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