198
April 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
& Î Î Í Î &■
ivuçr <« o s
the f 0 ew Çfirst Brj David L. Cooper«—
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Recent Developments in Palestine B y S. B. R ohold N EVER before in history has the Jewish problem demanded so much attention of the world, particularly the Christian world, as at the present time. When, late in 1929, news of terrible massacres in Palestine was flashed to all parts of the globe, Jewish people every where were tragically awakened to a hew realization of their inability to, rebuild Zion by seeking help of other countries. An old Rabbinical Jew, in discussing this situation, said: “We have sold our birth right for a mess of pottage. We have been persecuted throughout the world, and at last we have listened to the voice of a Gentile nation giving promise of aid in rebuilding our national home. We have sold all that was left to us and have relied on the promise of man. We have bought land, built our homes, and begun to sing our national songs. But we have forgotten the Song of Jehovah, and the Lord has come upon us in fury to make us realize that He alone can rebuild Zion.” The year began with a spiritual quick ening among Israel. It was not a na tional awakening, but was confined to various sections, particularly among the Zionist Halutzim. Evidences of revival were seen: (1) In a general desire for the Word of God; more Hebrew Bibles and New Testaments were sold than in any dther similar period. . (2) In an unusual demand, especially in the Jewish colonies, for New Testa ments printed in Hebrew, German and Russian. . (3) In an eagerness to hear about Jesus—His relation to the Father, to Is rael, and to the world. , (4) In an increased output in Pales tine of literature written in Hebrew con cerning Jesus and His claims. Never be fore were so many articles and pamphlets of this kind, written in sympathetic and informing style, published in the land of the Redeemer as in the first six months of 1929. (5) In the attendance at services, Bi ble classes, and mission meetings and in individual seeking for information and instruction. Perhaps the most important sign to us was that in different places, after a dis cussion or address, we would hear old men, and young men also, say: “We have made a mistake. We have given up every thing and have made great sacrifices of bodily comforts and ambitions, ancF have come to till the land. By this we thought to build a national home. But we have failed. We should have come and made sacrifices to teach the nations of the one God.” They did not have this view when, a short time ago, they would say: “We have bought every inch of land that we have claimed—land infested with disease and the ravages of 1,900 years. We are
clearing, reclaiming, and turning it into gardens. We are bringing in education, a new cülture, and everything modern.” And indeed, it has been shown by experts that during the past ten years the ad vancement and improvement made in Pal estine has been at the rate of fifty years in one. It has been hard to explain to these people, who are exalted because of what they have accomplished by their tremen dous sacrifices, that they must humble themselves before Jehovah in order to es tablish a point of contact with God whom they have grieved by rejecting His Holy One, whose heart is yearning for them and who, “in all their afflictions is af flicted,” The past few months have witnessed incomparable sorrow in Palestine. But the terrible trouble that has come upon the Jews was not occasioned merely by the great power of the Arabs arrayed against them. It was permitted- by God in order to teach His people a lessori. They must learn not to rely upon their own strength, or to implore other nations for aid, but to turn to Jehovah who is “the most high over all the earth.” He has a plan in which Israel has a part, and His purposes are for the benefit of all mankind. During the past four months one has had to listen to the most pitiful tales. From Jewish lips we have heard stories of the destruction of home and property, of the loss of dear 'ones, of the predica ment of relatives held by the law. How to comfort these people is a problem. They do not know the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and their hopelessness is heart-breaking. But God is working in the hearts of sorrowful Israel. There have been some definite conversions. An interesting case is that of a leading Jewish scientist. In the last six or seven years he has given up everything and has been endeavoring to awaken his Jewish brethren to a con
sciousness of Israel’s mission. He has lately made the imminent coming of Christ the central theme of his mes sage. In 1899 he had lost faith in religion and had gone to Leipzig to study philoso phy. There, through contact with Doc tors Wundt and Kittle, his faith was re stored. He went to Palestine as a director of the largest oil refineries in that coun try and Egypt. There he saw the tragedy of 40,000 young men, chiefly of, Zionist Halutzim, who had lost faith in ancient Judaism and thought to satisfy their long ing for spiritual things in the rebuilding of Zion. But brick and mortar cannot satisfy the longing heart of man. The scientist gave himself first to the distri bution of the Word of God, the Old and New Testaments.. Then he opened a home where young men and women could study the Bible and go forth as mission aries among their own brethren. He es tablished three different classes: first, for men who had lost faith in God; sec ond, to acquaint men with Jesus, the hope of Israel and of mankind; and third, to raise the question of what we shall do with Jesus. In an interview with him it was tragic to see a longing heart in every sense of the word, an earnest soul long ing for an invisible force to give him the power to lead the Jewish people en masse to Christ. He has attracted the attention of many, particularly of the Roman Cath olic church. He has said, “We have the Cross, holding, it up, but it is. only ma terial. It can be made of wood, paper, or iron. But we must seek the Holy Ghost in the Cross.” The Roman Catholic church has- sent to him the head of the churchijin Palestine, Patriarch Barlassina, who .Has made him no less than fifteen visits, trying to explain to him and the Jews gathered with him, the Holy Ghost in the Cross. Rome is keen and alert. I am sorry to say the Protestant church has not taken definite action in this matter. In, our last interview with him he said: “In all these sorrows I see th e .second coming of the Messiah. I feel it. And now comes the question: If He is coming now, and I believe He is, it is time to pre pare the way for Him, to lead the Jew ish people and all other peoples to wel come Him. The signs of His Coming are that the Jews are coming back to Pales tine, and that all elements are against their coming, God will teach the Jews to see through sorrows and sufferings, but I want to prepare the people.. We must show them the Holy Ghost in the Cross, and here is the way I want you to lead me. I see the Holy Ghost in the Cross, I know it, I feel it, but I cannot ex plain it.” He is one, as there are others within Israel, seeking in his own way to bring Israel to the Cross and to reconciliation with Christ. Such is undoubtedly the out come of Israel’s sorrows. As this dear man told us, “I see in the troubles the imminent coming of the Messiah.”
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