The Greatest Jewish Contributions

Great indeed are Jewish contributions to humanity and its civilization.  In literature, law, history, philosophy, art, and science, Jewish people are always in the forefront.  When we open a magazine or newspaper, we find Jewish authors in the list of best selling books.  Jewish scientists and men of letters are prominent among the recipients of the much coveted Nobel prizes.  We could not apprehend atomic science, or realize moon flights without the brilliant Jewish man, Albert Einstein.  Medicine would be deprived of advancement without Dr. Jonas Salk, discoverer of the polio vaccine, and Dr. Paul Ehrlick, discoverer of salvarsan.  Great too, were Jewish contributions in the field of physics by Chaim Weizmann and Fritz Haber.  In history we can boast of Josephus, Neander, and Graetz.  Yet all  these, and many other vital achievements, pale in significance before the three great contributions of greatest import for all mankind, and valid for all centuries.

First: Monotheism.  The first of these is monotheism.  The knowledge of one GOD was brought to mankind through the Jewish people.  Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli’s reply to Daniel O’Connell, the Irish nationalist, is classic: Yes, I am a Jew; and when the ancestors of the Right Honourable gentleman were brutal savages in an unknown island, mine were priests in the Temple of Solomon!  Do you believe in one GOD, Who was worshipped through the sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem?    We believe in Him, and confess together with all of Israel, saying, ‘Shema Yisra’el’, ‘Hear O Israel, the LORD thy GOD is one LORD.’  A sincere Gentile Believer in GOD will always be grateful to the Jewish people for being the first to reject the man-made gods and worship one GOD. 

The second greatest Jewish contribution is the Book of Books.  If you are an educated person, one of the books in your library, no doubt, is a Bible.  The word ‘Bible’ is derived from the Greek ‘biblia’ meaning ‘books’, for it is not one single book, but a collection of sixty-six books bound together into one volume.  It contains law, history, poetry, and prophecy.  It begins by telling us that GOD is in existence and acting in history, preparing Creation for man, the chief object and highest being of the physical universe.  GOD in His greatness condescends and reveals Himself to man.  He established a relationship with man by means of a Covenant (the berith).  If a man is obedient to GOD, then GOD grants man life and prosperity.  After this Covenant was broken, a new Covenant was made with Noah.  Then with the patriarchs, and later, with Israel at their exodus from Egypt.  At that time GOD gave to Moses and Israel, the universal Ten Commandments.

The people whom GOD used to write the Bible, lived and wrote their Books in various periods of the Jewish era.  The historical climate varied.  The earliest Books were written at a time while Israel was an aggregate of Hebrew tribes, wandering in the wilderness of Sinai, keeping on the move constantly.  Other parts were written when Israel had achieved her zenith of success in the times of David and Solomon.  Large sections of it were written in anticipation and during the Babylonian captivity.  Some of the Scriptures were written when the Jewish people lived under Roman rule, and some parts after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.

But in all generations, all the authors whom GOD inspired were Jewish people, writing under the guidance of GOD, and His Holy Spirit.  The writers belonged to different classes in Jewish society.  There were kings, princes, and potentates, as well as simple fishermen and farmers.  Both educated and ordinary people wrote this great Book.  They had this in common: they were all great Jews.

How ignorant indeed, is the person who disregards our great treasure, our great contribution to mankind.  The entire Bible of Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament.

The third contribution is the hope of mankind.  Noble souls have always appreciated the Jewish peoples’ contributions to mankind, while ingrates have always rejected, or even persecuted them, to their own detriment.  The great event which took place 1900 years ago, far exceeds all others. At that time JESUS, YESHUA the Messiah (Hamashiach) was born of a young Jewish virgin in Bethlehem of Judea, just a few miles south of Jerusalem.  He grew up in the town of Nazareth, in the District of Galilee.  When He went through the cities and villages dressed in Jewish garb, with a tallit, the people longed to touch the tzitzith, the hem of His garment, to be made whole from their physical and spiritual sickness.

His words and conversations were in Aramaic.  Today this is a dead language, yet the whole world at the present time is familiar with His words and teachings.  For He became the Hope of mankind.  In our generation, learned men and women go to savage tribes to study their primitive languages in order to be able to translate the words of this Man of Galilee to them.  Individuals and nations who receive Him and follow His teachings, rejoice in blessings and prosperity.

Wherever He has been rejected, there is darkness and death.  Surely, our greatest contribution to mankind is the very Saviour of mankind itself.  For generations most of our people ignored Him, but today, this has greatly changed.  Many of our Jewish leaders now write and speak words of praise for Him Who was, as the prophet Isaiah says, Despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him.  He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

What does this mean to you?  Have you studied the life of JESUS?  Are you also convinced that He was a Divine Person?  If so, He invites you to receive Him as Messiah, and your personal Redeemer from sin.  One of His first Jewish followers records for us these words: But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of GOD, even to them that believe on His Name. Thousands of Jewish people have called upon the Name of the LORD, and millions of Gentiles also.  Although the majority of our people are still standing aside merely admiring JESUS the Messiah, we know that soon, they will look to Him, for we read in the Bible, And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. (Romans 11, verse 26).

We hope that you will deeply consider these matters.  GOD has chosen our people for great things.  However, true greatness comes through faith, and by receiving into your life, this greatest Jew, and greatest Man, the LORD YESHUA, the Messiah.  Shalom.