Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/732

 of the  Lord,  the  Messias,  for  whom  their  fathers,  the  patriarchs  and prophets, had  yearned. Ever since  that  accursed  cry  “Crucify  Him” was uttered,  Israel  has  ceased  to  be  the  chosen  people  of  God  and  of the  Messias;  for  it  proved  itself  unfaithful  to  its  God,  its  calling,  its history, and  its  past. The fate  of  Israel  has  been  a very  marvellous and striking  one. God prepared  this  people  during  two  thousand  long years for  the  coming  of  the  Messias. Every type  and  prophecy  pointed to Him,  and  each  day  the  Israelites  prayed  that  He  who  was  promised might speedily  come. And yet  when  He  came,  full  of  grace  and  truth,  to fulfil  the  law  and  the  prophets,  His  people  disowned,  rejected,  persecuted and killed  Him! However, the  delusion  and  passions  of  men  could not frustrate  the  loving  plans  of  divine  wisdom;  on  the  contrary,  under the guidance  of  Providence,  they  served  to  carry  them  out. The chosen people killed  the  Messias  and  would  not  believe  in  Him,  but  Almighty God reserved  to  Himself  a sufficient  number  of  “true  Israelites”,  that through them,  that  is,  through  the  apostles,  salvation  might  be  proclaimed to the  whole  world. Salvation came  out  of  Israel,  and  through  her gave life  to  the  nations  of  the  world,  even  though,  by  their  own  fault, it turned  to  the  destruction  of  the  unbelieving  Jews  themselves. The vengeance which  they  desired  and  called  down,  fell  upon  them.

The Blood  of  our  Blessed  Lord  has  indeed  been  on  the  Jews  and their  children.  In  the  year  70  A.  D.  the  judgment  of  God  which  they challenged overtook  them,  as  has  been  described  in  chapter  LX.  The Jews had  rejected  their  Messias  and  killed  Him  “by  the  hands  of  wicked men”, acknowledging  the  Gentile  Caesar  as  their  sole  lord;  and  now this Caesar,  by  sending  his  army  against  Jerusalem,  became  the  instrument of the  divine  vengeance. Many of  those  very  men  who  had  cried  out: “Crucify Him,  crucify  Him!”  were  alive  at  the  time  of  the  siege  and taking of  Jerusalem,  and  themselves  experienced  its  bloody  horrors. Many thousand  Jews  died  on  the  cross  under  Titus;  a million  perished partly by  the  sword,  partly  by  famine  and  disease;  about  92,000  were sold as  slaves  for  a nominal  price  (thirty  being  sold  for  one  piece  of silver); and  the  remaining  few were  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth. Israel might  have  been  the  first  among  the  nations  if  it  had  believed in Christ;  but,  as  it  is,  it  has  simply  ceased  to  exist  as  a nation. The Jews are dispersed,  and  are  without  home  and  country  and  temple,  and  for more than  eighteen  hundred  years  have  been  vainly  waiting  for  another Messias. Every nation  has  its  own  prince  or  king,  but  the  Jews,  since the rejection  of  their  true  king,  have  had  no  king  of  their  own; scattered about among  all  nations,  they  have  as  many  rulers  as  there  are  rulers upon earth,  but  not  one  whom  they  can  call  their  own! Thus was accomplished the  fate  of  Israel,  prefigured  by  that  of  Cain,  affording to all  the  world  a most  clear  proof  that  Jesus  Christ,  whom  Israel  rejected, is the  true  Messias  and  Redeemer.