Why is Spain given as the example of a nation that turned on the Jews?
Spain is cited because it stood at the height of national power and empire, then in 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella decreed that every Jew must leave, convert to Catholicism, or die. A great Jewish exodus followed, and within about a hundred years Spain was reduced to almost nothing, illustrating the covenant curse.
Les explains that Spain is probably one of the best examples of a nation that turned on the Jews. Spain was riding the crest of national power and empire, and its explorers covered much of North America. Yet in 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella made the decree that every Jew would either be out of Spain, convert to Catholicism, or be dead by a set day. A great exodus of Jews out of Spain followed. Within about a hundred years, Spain was nothing, just a blip on history. Les ties this to the covenant promise that God will bless those who bless the nation of Israel, those out of the seed of Abraham, and curse those who curse them. He says it has always been that way with every empire that turned on the Jew: down they go. The ultimate blessing through Abraham’s line came in Messiah, Christ, whose finished work of the cross became a blessing for the whole human race.