It’s Happening
For the week of March 22, 2025 / 22 Adar 5785
Vayakhel & Parah
Torah: Shemot/Exodus 35:1 – 38:20; B’midbar/Numbers 19:1-22
Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:22-26)
This week’s special reading from the prophet Ezekiel foretold a miracle of which we are witnesses today: the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. It grieves me to no end to think of how many people cannot see this wonder. Age-old prejudice, historical theological misrepresentation, and misguided social justice ideologies have obscured what are perhaps the most remarkable developments in history. That the Jewish people have survived at all—empire after empire, devastation and exile, not just once— is noteworthy. Contrary to popular misconception, through the centuries, there was always a small, virtually powerless remnant who remained in our God-given land, while the majority of the nation lived throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe and eventually the Americas and elsewhere, where some longed for the day of return, promised by Ezekiel and others.
But return we have. When the British took over responsibility for what was then known as Mandatory Palestine, there were about 60,000 Jewish residents. Despite facing existential threats from its founding until now, the Jewish population of Israel today is over seven million. That’s about 11,567% growth! . Half of the world’s Jewish population lives in our ancient homeland today and is perhaps one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse societies on the planet. Despite propaganda to the contrary, Israel is a religiously and culturally pluralistic society in one of the most intolerant and dangerous regions of the world. It is also a hub of innovation in various areas, including agriculture and health.
Some might point out, however, that Ezekiel isn’t simply speaking about unusual political and cultural events, remarkable as they are, but also about a spiritual awakening among the Jewish people. Yet, just as many are oblivious to the remarkable nature of the return to the Land, there is a lack of awareness of God’s transformative work among us. I do not think it is a coincidence that the emergence of what was then known as the Hebrew Christian movement in the 1800s coincided with Restorationism, later named Zionism. Then, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a great number of Jewish young people came to believe in Yeshua as Messiah, this time along with an earnest desire to retain our Jewish distinctive. It is not far fetched to connect this with the surprising repossession of the Old City of Jerusalem and the acquisition of biblical Judea and Samaria in 1967.
While many ignore God’s current, multi-faceted workings among his ancient covenant people, others miss the intents of his heart by insisting on their particular preset formulas. They claim that God won’t or can’t do this or that with the Jewish people unless this or that happens first. Tell me, how much of the Bible do we need to read before we realize that God isn’t constrained by our systems? The power of the Good News of the Messiah is for the Jews first and foremost. It always was and always will be. Let’s pray and act, expecting to see God’s word through Ezekiel fully fulfilled in our day.
Scriptures taken from the English Standard Version
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