09/05/2022 – Day 190 – Luke 19 – 20 / Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem – 19: 41 – 44
I will share with you 1) Barclay’s commentary (*A) , and 2) John Gill’s commentary (*B) :
“…From the descent of the Mount of Olives there is magnificent view of Jerusalem with the whole city fully displayed. As Jesus came to a turn in the road he stopped and wept over Jerusalem. He knew what was going to happen to the city. The Jews even then embarking upon that career of political manoeuvre and intrigue which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, when the city was so devastated that a plough was drawn across the midst of it. (*C) The tragedy was that if only they had abandoned their dreams of political power and taken the way of Christ it need never have happended.
The tears of Jesus are the tears of God when he sees the needless pain and suffering in which men involve themselves through foolish rebelling against his will.” (*A)
Josephus, perhaps the most reknowned Jewish historian ever, estimated 1,100,000 deaths with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. (*C – “The Works of Josephus”) Not that we should trust Wikipedia, but it shows 4,000,000 Jews worldwide around the time of Nero – pre-destruction of Jerusalem.
(*B – link below) – A one sentence summary of Gill’s commentary: “The Jews pretend to assign other causes of Jerusalem’s destruction; but the true cause was their rejection of Jesus, as the Messiah.”
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/luke-19-44.html
Question – The U.S. is not the covenant nation of Israel. But do you think God will judge us as a nation if we continue our evil ways? If so, what would be your biblical support to a brother or sister that challenged you on that position?