Psalm 44:11

Psalm 44:11

Scattered but not forgotten

There has been more than one occasion when Israel was scattered among the nations and devoured by their enemies. It happened to them under the Assyrians and the Babylonians. It happened to them under the Roman Empire when they were thrown to the winds for nearly 2,000 years. Throughout this latter period, they were persecuted by many of the nations on earth and so they stuck together in small communities, as foreigners without a home of their own. What is amazing is that they kept to their ancient faith and its rituals and some of them even retained a ridiculous dream that, one day, they would return to the land and Israel would be restored. A ridiculous notion indeed, until the 20th century and the arrival of Zionism and growing persecution that drove them back to Palestine. Hitler’s murderous intentions to annihilate the Jews actually had the opposite effect, after World War 2 the world felt sorry for these people and ultimately that led to the recreation of the state of Israel in 1948.

So, yes, the ancient people of God have been scattered among the nations like no other civilisation; they have been persecuted like no other nation and they have survived despite all of this. Psalm 44:11 is doom-ridden and the Lord is blamed for these calamities but we know that the people of Israel were never completely forsaken by God. His purposes have always included them, and their occupation of the Promised Land once again, is a massive indicator that these are the Last Days.

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