trusting in His promises

Saturday, January 26, 2008

the history of Israel

today's photographs are memories from my Israel trip back in December.

and today, we shall have a history lesson about this very special country called Israel.
really happy that i am taking this module on the History of Israel here. :)
it's my most interesting module!

here's a very interesting excerpt from one of my readings:

"They had to endure the early persecutions of the Catholic Church, the ravages of the Crusades, desecration of the Host, ritual murder, and blood libels, accusations of poisoning of wells and carrying the Black Plague, the Inquisition, the Chmielnicki massacres, and countless pogroms. They were tortured, burned at the stake, expelled, made to wander from place to place- always forced to rely on the whim of the ruling bishop or prince. Yet in the journey, Jews defended themselves with whatever means were available to them and acquitted themselves honourable. Despite the harsh reality, the Jews managed to survive. Many times previously history had declared the Jews dead, yet they had survived. So too it was during the Holocaust, Jews, against all odds resisted their murderers and survived them."

During my lecture yesterday, my professor talked about the state of the unborn Jewish nation before 1948. before there was israel, there was Palestine. and there were talks since 1937 through the Peel Commision proposed by the British, to partition this land and to give 17% of mandatory Palestine to form the Jewish state. However, this idea was rejected BOTH by the Palestines and the Jews.

i was quite shocked that the Jews rejected this offer. i mean, i thought that they would be filled with excitement at such a proposal especially when things in Europe did not seem to be in favour of the Jews.

and the reason is this.
Remember the story of the wise King Solomon and the two women who fought over the baby?
What was his solution?
to cut the baby into half and divide it equally among the two women.
and the woman who stopped King Solomon from doing that and decided that the other should have the baby was the rightful mother- because her unwillingness to cut the baby showed her love for the child.

Similarly, there were Jews who felt that the Promise Land was not just that partitioned land of 17%. The authorities should never split it into two. They would rather maintain the status quo. WHAO.

ten years down the road, the nation of Israel was formed and Jews from around the world could go back to their home. yet conflict between Israel and Palestine still exists even in the 21st Century.

wha, very interesting right? hahahaaha.

After doing my readings and just thinking about the lecture, it made me think of the Tank Museum that we visited in Israel. Indeed, through all the struggles and persecution that the Jewish people have endured, i can only say one thing! God must have been with them every step of the way.

I mean, they only had 3 pathetic little tanks to start with right in the beginning. Its just mind-blowing to even think about how the 3 scraps of metal could have won any enemy that was so much stronger. They are God's chosen people, without question.

even though God has been so good to them, they failed to see and to remember what he did for them in the past. so this week, i think i am constantly being reminded to remember God's goodness in my life. :)

on a side note, and you all can give me your opinions! :)

in another history class, we discussed the genealogy of morals. ARGhhhh.
we talked about the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
ARGGHhh times ten.

and my professor said this, "Our sanity lies in our ability to have private thoughts"
well yes, i understand where he is coming from, but i don't agree with it 100%.

i think that the mind is dangerous and it can fall into sin most easily.
don't you agree?

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS 12:37 PM