Now you shall eat it in this way: with your garment belted around your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in a hurry—it is the Lord’s Passover. – Exod. 12:11
If any of you who are reading this know Messianic Jews living the US, I urge you to prayerfully consider sending them a link to this article.
For 22 years, God has placed on my heart how critical it is for all of the Jewish people to make aliyah and particularly for Messianic Jews to move to Israel. The first time I gave details of that message was in early 2001, a few months before the events that later (appropriately) came to be known as 911 – the phone number used to call in an emergency in the US.
Last week’s parsha was from the book of Exodus. What is the situation for the descendants of Israel at that time in history? They had moved to Egypt – the superpower of the day – to survive a famine. There they thrived for a few generations, even considered favored because of Joseph’s contribution to the nation. Eventually, they became despised and hated, being considered a “second column” within that nation. They were enslaved and abused. They then watched as the nation which housed/abused them experienced divine judgement. Near the end of that period of judgement, God tells His people to get ready to leave “in haste”! Not even a chance for the dough to rise — just get out. The judgement upon the nation continues after they leave as God destroys their army.
Let me ask you all a question at this point. If you could go back in time to Germany in 1925, what would you say to the Jewish people living there? And how about if you went back in 1931? My guess is that in 1925 you’d talk about the upcoming Holocaust and the need to make preparations, and move out of Europe over the next few years … And nobody would believe you. In 1931 you’d say get out fast and forget about convenience … And some people would believe you but almost nobody would leave. By the time most Jews wanted to leave Germany the doors were closed to Palestine, to the US, and elsewhere.
Here are a few concise observations from scripture and from historical realities:
1. God promised to bring the descendants of Israel back to the Land He gave to them at a time when they did not deserve it, for the sake of His holy name. (Ezekiel 36)
2. Fulfillment of the above started happening 140 years ago and is currently in progress. (First wave of aliyah started 1882.)
3. God judges nations (see the entire Bible)
4. The US is currently experiencing divine judgement (compare current events to patterns of judgement in the Bible)
5. Throughout the past 100+ years, as God drew the descendants of Israel back to the Land from the nations to which they were scattered, those who voluntarily returned, before the pressure became great, were able to come with much better circumstances than those who waited.
I believe that the barriers to aliyah for Messianic Jews, which is already significant, will rise even more in the future, even in unexpected ways. Let us not turn a blind eye to the times in which we live. The time has come to leave in haste.