Paul Luckraft reviews 'Outcast Nation: Israel, the Jews...and You' by Steve Maltz (2012)
This book, subtitled The COMPLETE story from Abraham to Armageddon, is indeed an epic, almost encyclopaedic, account of Israel and the Jewish people. It traces the sweeping story of God's covenant people from Bible times, through European history, up to the current situation in the Middle East and (using Bible prophecy) beyond.
Originally two separate and now out-of-print books, The Land of Many Names and The People of Many Names, the material has been amalgamated and updated. The style is typical Maltz – lively and entertaining, while also very informative and challenging. The '...and you' of the title is no accident. The whole narrative is designed to change your thinking and impact your theology.
Act 1: Covenant
The book is in three 'Acts', titled Covenant, Exile and Return. The first of these is largely a re-telling of biblical history, tracing the outworking of God's covenants with his ancient people. It will be familiar to most Christians who read the whole Bible. However, there is plenty here to help cement our understanding as the author shows how a bunch of slaves became a kingdom of priests. There is a good explanation of the relationship between the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, and also of the central importance of Jerusalem to the entire story that will unfold.
To help us understand the areas of debate and dissension, Maltz introduces two characters, Mr Roots and Mr Shoots, who keep appearing throughout the book. Mr Roots takes the plain literal meaning of the scriptures and accepts that the promises made to Abraham and his descendants still apply. Mr Shoots looks for symbols and allegory and would say that now Jesus has come, there is no role for the Jewish people or the land of Israel in the Christian age. Overall, Maltz's approach works well. It is not too intrusive and will help some people identify their own position on such matters.
This book is an epic, almost encyclopaedic, account of Israel and the Jewish people.
Act 2: Exile
Act Two opens with a brief (perhaps too brief) section on the period between the Testaments before we reach the fulcrum of history: Jesus of Nazareth. There is also not much detail here but this is reasonable as "all we are doing here is to examine the effects that his life had on the Jews of his day" (p127).
The main thrust of the central Act of the book is what the Jews call 'Galut', which we know of as diaspora or exile. How did this happen? How could this happen to God's chosen kingdom of priests? This is an excellent section in which we travel through history with them. The author provides many extra details that may be new even to those well-read on these topics.
There is a good historical survey of the Muslim period and its relationship to Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Equally enlightening is the examination of 'Christian' anti-Semitism and what the author calls 'the longest hatred' (chapter 11). He poignantly asks, 'Why are the Jews still hated?'
Act 3: Return
Act Three maintains the high standard of writing and analysis as the emphasis shifts to the rise of Zionism and the return of the Jewish people to the land. Certain key figures are highlighted for their 'philo-Semitism'. These righteous Gentiles include Corrie Ten Boom, Balfour, Shaftesbury, Churchill, Orde Wingate and William Hechler. Here we have some excellent cameos of those who were instruments in God's hands. This is followed by a full chapter on the writing and teaching of JC Ryle and his prophetic insights.
There is much of great interest for us to learn as we are taken through the period from 1882 onwards, including the time of the British Mandate leading up to the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948. Mr Roots and Mr Shoots re-emerge at this point to demonstrate the various viewpoints on the significance of this event and the miracles that followed concerning the continuing survival of the Jewish people. Here we find a severe critique of those who hold that Israel is just another country in our modern world, with no Divine purpose attached to their existence.
While some sections are brief, in others the author provides many extra details that may be new even to those well-read on these topics.
More recent times are also analysed with clarity and insight, especially the truth regarding the refugee situation. This will be particularly illuminating to those who get their information purely from modern media sources.
The Jewish People
Maltz also demonstrates there is indeed 'something special about these folk' by listing their achievements and contributions to humanity across several different fields. Most people would not recognise a lot of these achievements as coming from Jewish people. Maltz adroitly comments that those who today advocate boycotting Israeli products might not want to give up all the benefits that have come from these remarkable people.
When it comes to matters of salvation, Maltz is clear that it is only as a people that God has promised certain things through the covenants. Each individual Jewish person must find salvation in the same way as Gentiles: through Jesus. To spell it out he uses capitals! He states, "INDIVIDUAL JEWISH PEOPLE ARE NOT SAVED UNLESS THEY ACCEPT JESUS AS THEIR MESSIAH" (p308). This distinction between the Jewish people and a Jewish person is constantly re-asserted in the pages that follow. Here is no automatic place in heaven for anyone just because they are born a Jew.
Your Story
Overall, this book contains a very thorough exploration of this kingdom of priests in terms of its origin, development and eventual destiny. It also offers explanations for both the survival and success of this Outcast Nation. Such a comprehensive book could do with an index, though it is always a lot of extra work to produce one. It does however end with some recommended reading and a list of organisations working for Israel and the Jewish people, as well as a liturgy of reconciliation adapted, with permission, from Fred Wright's book Father, Forgive Us.
This book contains a very thorough exploration of this kingdom of priests in terms of its origin, development and eventual destiny.
Once you have read this book and considered all it has to say then you are left with the '... and you'. Now what do you make of it all? It is part of your story too, but what you do with this information is up to you. The author is modest enough to say that "Whether you consider the subject material of this book relevant to your lifestyle is not important" but adds that "What is important is that the story of the Jews serves to help you realise that there's more to this World than what you can see, hear, touch, smell or feel." (p347-8).
Outcast Nation (384 pages) is available from Saffron Planet Publishing for £10. Click here to purchase and also for a short video from Steve Maltz about the book.
