The Cause of Anti-Semitism

David Kupelian of WorldNetDaily has written an interesting article on the reasons for anti-Semitism. However, like many WorldNetDaily commentators before him, he takes a fundamentalist Christian view, as is illustrated by his conclusion.

The Jews are a divine paradox, one of many: For instance, it’s a divine paradox that God knows what’s going to happen to each of us before we’re born, and yet we have free will. It’s a paradox that God is love, and yet God allows evil to exist, to serve a certain purpose.

In the same way, it’s a paradox that the Jews, although as a whole they rejected Jesus as being the promised Messiah, are nevertheless still chosen by God as a special people, with a special blessing as well as a special burden.

I really get riled by this kind of subtle preaching by WorldNetDaily, as I have posted about in the past. My complaint is that WorldNetDaily claims to be “A free press for a free people.” Yet it has a clear religious agenda.

If the truth be known, anti-Semitism is actually predicted in the very verses that Christians use to support their contention that Jesus died for the sins of humanity!

13. Behold, My servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
14. As many wondered about you, “How marred his appearance is from that of a man, and his features from that of a people!” 15. So shall he cast down many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for what had not been told to them they shall see; and that which they had not heard they shall consider.
1. Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2. And he came up like a sapling before it, and like a root from dry ground, he had neither form nor comeliness; and we saw him that he had no appearance that we should have desired him.
3. Despised and forsaken by men, a man of pains and accustomed to illness: and as one who hides his face from us; despised, and we esteemed him not.
4. Indeed, he bore our illnesses, and our pains – he carried them, yet we accounted him as plagued, smitten by God and oppressed. 5. But he was pained from our transgressions, crushed from our iniquities; the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his wound we were healed.
6. We all went astray like sheep, we have turned, each one on his own way, and the Lord accepted his prayers for the iniquity of all of us.
7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he would not open his mouth; like a lamb to the slaughter he would be brought, and like a sheep that is mute before her shearers, and he would not open his mouth. 8. From imprisonment and from judgment he is taken, and his generation who shall tell? For he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the transgression of my people, a plague befell them.
9. And he gave his grave to the wicked, and to the wealthy with his kinds of deaths, because he committed no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10. And the Lord wished to crush him, He made him ill; if his soul makes itself restitution, he shall see seed, he shall prolong his days, and God’s purpose shall prosper in his hand.
11. From the toil of his soul he would see, he would be satisfied; with his knowledge My servant would vindicate the just for many, and their iniquities he would bear.
12. Therefore, I will allot him a portion in public, and with the strong he shall share plunder, because he poured out his soul to death, and with transgressors he was counted; and he bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

Christianity interprets these verses as identifying the “servant of G-d” as Jesus by viewing them outside of the context of the immediately preceding verses, which are as follows:

Is 41:8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

Is 41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

Is 44:1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

Is 44:2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Is 44:21 Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

Is 45:4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

Is 48:20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

Is 49:3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.