Praying at the Western Wall (“Wailing Wall”) – Temple Mount in
Jerusalem
(photo by Sara Holben – May 2009)
Background: (adapted from an article by Mark Throntveit,
www.enterthebible.org)
The
history of Israel revolves around the two events of exodus and exile. At the
exodus (from slavery in Egypt), Israel began the process toward becoming a
nation. The exile from Jerusalem to captivity in Babylon in 586 B.C., however,
signaled the loss of Israel's status as an independent nation, and even after
the return from exile approximately 70 years later Israel was merely a political backwater in
the Persian province of Yehud.
How
did it all happen? In 605 B.C., the
Babylonian Empire became the dominant power over all of the ancient Near
East. When the province of Judah
revolted in 597 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and deported the leading Jewish
citizens to Babylon, including the priestly prophet Ezekiel, who ministered to
the exiles. The prophet Jeremiah had urged Zedekiah, the last Davidic king to
rule in Judah, to surrender to Babylon since Babylon was merely the rod of
Yahweh's judgment against Israel (Jeremiah 25:1-14). Zedekiah refused and
revolted in 587 B.C., hoping for aid from Egypt that never materialized. The
king was blinded immediately following the execution of his sons, and led off
to Babylon in chains as Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and burned the
temple.
One
would expect this to be a bleak period in the life of God's people: Jerusalem
destroyed, the temple burned, the end of the Davidic dynasty, and the most
prosperous and influential leaders of the population deported. Yet, this was
the most productive period of Israel's history; it fostered the birth of
Judaism. The people came to recognize that God had not been defeated; indeed,
God was the author of these events and could be worshiped apart from native
land, temple, priest, or king. This was a crucial insight for Diaspora Judaism,
those living in Babylon, Egypt, or elsewhere, deprived of their former
institutions.
Without
a king, Israel remembered that Yahweh had always been their true king. A burned
temple hundreds of miles away meant there were no sacrifices, but the Sabbath
could become a time to worship and contemplate God's word in the synagogue. In
fact, most of the Old Testament was written, compiled, or edited during the
exile. Furthermore, circumcision came to be seen as a way to identify a people
as easily as national boundaries.
This
was a time when Israel learned again to hope and trust in God’s promises, even
in the midst of despair. Some of the
most inspiring messages of hope come from the prophets during this time.
Readings for Week #7:
· Psalm 137 – lament over Jerusalem
· Jeremiah 18:1-12 – judgment on Israel
· Lamentations 3:1-33 – we lament, but also have hope
(this is the
basis for the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”)
· Isaiah 40:1-11, 28-31 – a vision of hope and promise
of return
· Ezekiel 37:1-14 – a vision of restoration and rebirth
Additional Resources: You may need to copy and paste the URL into your search engine.
- Psalm 137 has been set to music by a variety of composers over the centuries. Wikipedia lists a variety of these with links to hear them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_137. One of my favorites has always been "By the Waters of Babylon" by Don McLean from his 1971 album "American Pie" ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpydaQgOviA.
- to explore some of the prophets of the exile - go to http://www.enterthebible.org and look for more information on Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Lamentations and more.
