Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance and Heroism Day
Remembering the Past, Looking to God’s Faithful Future
Well, today, Tuesday the 14th of April, is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance and Heroism Day in Israel. It began at sundown yesterday and continues until nightfall tonight.
In Israel, at ten o’clock in the morning, a siren sounds all across the land. Everything comes to a stop for two full minutes of silence. Cars pull over to the side of the road, people stand still, and the whole nation remembers the six million Jewish people who were murdered in the Holocaust, along with the brave heroes who resisted the evil.
As a born-again believer who loves the Bible and has a Bible-strong heart, I find this very moving. Israel is an amazing nation. Now, no government is perfect, not in Israel, not here in the UK, not anywhere in this world. But God has a very special plan for the Jewish people that will never change.
The Bible makes this so clear. In Zechariah 2:8 the Lord says, “…for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”
And the Apostle Paul asks in Romans 11:1, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not!”
One day, during the time of tribulation, many Jewish people will turn to their Messiah, Jesus. God has not forgotten His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
I can’t wait for the day I get to visit Israel in the Millennium Kingdom! What a glorious hope that is. The prophet Isaiah gives us a beautiful picture of that future in Isaiah 2:2-3:
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains…
Many people shall come and say,
‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
Right now we are living in difficult days. Antisemitism is rising again in many places, including right here in the United Kingdom. Last year there were around 3,700 recorded antisemitic incidents, one of the highest numbers we’ve ever seen. Many Jewish people feel unsafe, and that breaks my heart.
I follow a lady named Erin Molan who is a strong and trustworthy voice in these times. She speaks clearly against the rise of antisemitism and the challenges we see in the West. Our Prime Minister has spoken out against antisemitism and taken some steps, but many feel it’s more talk than real change on the ground. Whatever your thoughts on politics, we need to remember something very important: no politician or political party can be our saviour. All human leaders are imperfect, just like all of us in this fallen world.
That’s why the Scripture gives us this wise word in Psalm 146:3-5:
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help…Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”
As Christians, our calling is simple: pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), stand against hatred of the Jewish people, and share the love of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, with everyone we can.
Even in the darkest times, God comforts His people. Isaiah 40:1 says, “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” says your God.
So let’s take a moment today to remember the Holocaust, thank the Lord for His faithfulness, and pray for protection over Jewish communities in the UK and in Israel.
Let’s pray that many hearts will turn to the Lord, both now and in the days ahead.
“The Lord bless you and keep you” (Numbers 6:24).
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