Last week’s theme, that of judgment
against Egypt—and by extension, against all nations—for their treatment of
Israel, continues through the last three plagues and Jeremiah’s warning, just
like the warning of Ezekiel, that God would use Babylon to punish Egypt for her
treatment of Israel. At the conclusion of the prophecy, the Holy One gives this
promise to Israel:
Don't be afraid, Ya'akov my servant,"
says ADONAI, "for I am with you.
I will finish off all the nations
where I have scattered you.
However, you I will not finish off,
I will discipline you as you deserve,
but not completely destroy you."
Egypt, of course, still exists on a map as we see it today,
but the distinctive ethnic culture of the Egyptians was utterly destroyed, being
subsumed under the Greek Ptolemy culture, and later by the culture of Islam.
The Jewish people, on the other hand, in accordance with God’s promise, have
never lost their distinctive ethnicity or culture, retaining it even after two
millennia without a homeland.
This realization should cultivate a sense of humility in
all those grafted into Israel by union with Israel’s Messiah. A thousand
nations have come and gone into the mists of history, but Israel, the Goy
Kodesh (Holy Nation), remains set apart for the Eternal One’s purposes and
because of His promises. Even though the Jews were for centuries considered by
all a cursed people (exactly as Moses predicted; Deu. 28), God has never
forgotten His covenant with our forefathers, the same covenant for which sake He
sent the Ten Plagues against Egypt, to bring us up into the Land He had promised
them.
There will come another day, very soon, in which the Judge
of all the earth will once again sit in court and judge the nations for how they
have treated Israel. Where once He sent Ten Plagues against Egypt to bring
Israel into the Land, then He will send Seven Plagues against the whole earth in
order to preserve our people there. Where, I wonder, will America stand? Will
we stand along with Israel? Or will we be judged as was Egypt in last week’s
Parashah, a broken reed that gave Israel no true support, worthy therefore of
being given over to the very enemies we were trying to placate?
