THE HOLOCAUST - WHY?

Many people in the world today question if G-d really exists.
They see hunger, wars, injustice, and question how a just and loving G-d could allow this to happen.

 

Maybe the one of the hardest things to understand is The Holocaust.
How could a modern sophisticated, educated culture plan the systematic state-sponsored murder of an entire race of people – the Jews?

It’s even more difficult to understand that this plan was actually implemented resulting in over six million people being senselessly executed for no other reason than their being Jews.

It is understandable, especially for those who lived through and survived the extermination camps and death marches, that it is a challenge to believe G-d loves them and cares.

So let’s examine what we know about G-d from His word and figure out how this ALL makes sense.

To begin with, the scriptures give examples throughout history of evil plans for the destruction of G-d’s people. There is Moses:

When Moses was born, the Leader of Egypt made a law that any Hebrew male baby must be killed. The midwives were instructed to spare the girls, but throw the baby boys into the Nile River.

Although this evil plan did not succeed, thanks to big hearted midwives, the spiritual evil was present in Pharoah’s  heart and could have resulted in an entire generation of men being exterminated.

Most of us are familiar with Haman. Haman despised the Jews and planned the annihilation of all the Jews in Persia. It was very close to happening, but divine intervention came at the very last moment when Queen Esther obediently acted on God’s plan to deliver the Jewish people.

Throughout history, there have been numerous attempts to wipe out all Jewish people living on earth. Every one of them has failed.  Where does this evil come from? And why does it exist?

The Bible tells us that man was created without evil in him. It says when Adam and Eve were created they were naked, and felt no shame. According to the dictionary, “shame” is a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming or impropriety. They didn’t have shame because they had done nothing wrong they were without sin.

When G-d made man, He gave him dominion over all the earth:

Then G-d said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the ir, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

 

The Lord had man name everything and enjoy all He had made for him. In the Garden, the Lord told Adam “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; BUT you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

 

Now most people who know this part of scripture know Adam and Eve disobeyed G-d, ate from the tree BUT did not die. So what is that all about?

The Garden of Eden was a place of purity, holiness, no discord or strife, no evil or pain. All that died when Adam and Eve disobeyed G-d. Before they sinned, they had no knowledge of evil. It was unknown to them. Suddenly, after eating the apple, their innocence died, their purity died, their peace died. They felt shame. They had been enticed to leave their perfect environment for toil, despair, and pain resulting from their sin. They had lost the authority G-d had given them to have dominion over ALL the earth and relinquished it to G-d’s enemy, the serpent, Satan.

The prophet Isaiah describes Satan vividly, beginning when he was Lucifer, the Arch Angel of worship. In the 14^th chapter of Isaiah, verses 12-15, Isaiah prophesies:

How you have fallen from heaven O Morning Star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the
   nations!
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne
    above the stars of G-d;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of
   the sacred mountain.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the
  Most High.
But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

The prophet Ezekiel prophesies similar words in chapter 28, verses 12-15:
You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the Garden of G-d; every precious stone adorned
  you:
ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, sapphire,
  tourqoise and beryl.
Your settings and mounting were made of gold; on the day you were
  created, they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of G-d;
You walked among the firey stones.
You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created

Till wickedness was found in you.

Lucifer lost his position as lead worshipper in heaven because pride was found in him. He was overly impressed with himself and thought he could be greater than G-d!

This pride did not end because of punishment, but only increased as rage and anger led Lucifer, now Satan, to lead a rebellion in heaven against G-d.

Satan hates everything that reminds him of G-d.
Satan hates every Word G-d speaks because it is truth.
Satan hates everything that G-d loves.

So when G-d created man in His image, breathed life into him, created a perfect place for him to live, wanted fellowship with him, Satan was bent on destroying it. Thus, he tricked Adam and Eve into following him.

Sin dominated their hearts and their birthright was handed over to G-d’s enemy.

Throughout the Bible, men and women like Abraham, David, Deborah, Esther, King Hezekiah and King Josiah, believed wholeheartedly in the G-d of Israel and their “faith” was credited to them as righteousness.

However, throughout history, there are many people who have been painfully deceived into doubting G-d and thus aligning themselves with His enemy.

When Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, he had the support of the people. The democratic government was collapsing and the Great depression was having an effect on the German people. Hitler promised everybody something and many opponents were fearful of opposing him. Through powerful propaganda, he convinced people the Jews were the enemy of Germany. So, the German people gave their right to choose away much like Adam and Eve did in the garden. They too relinquished their freedom to have dominion over the countries direction and gave it to an evil taskmaster to do as he saw fit.

The result in both of these situations was devastating.

Now, let’s look at G-d, the G-d of Israel, the G-d of scriptures.
David sings in Psalm 145, verse 13, that “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving to all he has made.”

Jeremiah tells us in chapter 31, verse 3, “The Lord appeared to us in the past,” saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

So how can we attribute the hate, the evil, the atrocities of the Holocaust to G-d? It doesn’t line up with his description. But, it certainly lines up with Satan’s description.

So, why the Jews? Why this group of people? Why are the Jews called “Chosen”? Are they chosen by G-d just to suffer?

The Prophet Ezekiel thoroughly answers this question. Like any people group, the Jews have people who honor G-d in their lives and people who dishonor Him. Ezekiel explains in chapter36, verses 22-23:
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my Great Name, which has been profaned among the nations, the Name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

Ahha! The Jews were not “chosen because they were the most numerous. In fact G-d says in Deuteronomy, chapter 7 that the Jews are the “fewest in number.”

The Jews weren’t chosen because they were the most righteous, because G-d says they profaned His name in the nations.

No, G-d spoke His Word over the Jewish people and despite their weaknesses and flaws, He will show himself holy through their lives so the nations will know how great He is. G-d is faithful to all He has spoken.

Let’s look at how G-d moves to exalt His Word.

To begin with, Yad Vashem, has a growing list of individuals who risked their lives and some gave their lives to rescue Jewish people during the Holocaust. The number is smaller than the real number since many records have been destroyed and some countries like Denmark want to only put their group name down. Even with this, as of January this year there are 24,811 individual names listed. Many of these individuals rescued 100’s, some 1000’s of Jewish people.

We do not know how many others are not listed.
We do not know how many others were prompted by G-d to help, but for various reasons, declined.

We do know that there are over 6 million Jewish people living in Israel today. That is a miracle! It is ONLY because “the Word of the Lord is right and true, He is faithful in all He does.” (Psalm 33, verse 4)

From 1901 to 2012, 22% of Nobel Prize winners have been Jewish. These individuals have made huge contributions to the well- being of mankind on the earth. How is this possible when evil leaders have tried to destroy them? The G-d of Israel is faithful in ALL he does.

It is so important at this time in history that we know who we follow. There are only 2 choices according to the scriptures. You either follow the Holy G-d of Israel or you follow His enemy, Satan. At least 24,811 people aligned themselves with G-d’s rescue plan in World War II as did 1000’s of troops and saved an entire race that was targeted for complete destruction.

G-d is saying to us today, like he said through Joshua:
Now, fear the Lord and serve Him with ALL faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped….and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

If we all choose to love the Lord our G-d and serve Him only, we will see huge victories over His enemies.