Saturday 19 July 2008

Sunday 20 July 2008 Bible Overview 3: Exile to John the Baptist. Melanie

Key events in the return from exile to John the Baptist

539 BC Cyrus decreed that Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild temple.

Haggai and Zechariah (prophets) urged people to rebuild temple.

Continual trouble between returned exiles and Jews who had stayed in Jerusalem.

Malachi (prophet) rebuked the people for misuse of the temple.

Nehemiah appointed ruler of Judah. Helped to rebuild wall of Jerusalem.

Ezra brought a Law Book to Jews in Jerusalem as a guide to life – later known as Pentateuch.

Those who had never been in exile cut themselves off – formed Samaritans. Built a rival temple. Led to lots of distrust of outsiders. Whilst those who returned from exile continued traditions of circumcision, keeping Sabbath, Synagogues

Greek rule under Alexander (336 BC)

Palestine came under authority of Seleucids – Antiochus IV.

Antiochus IV attacked Jerusalem; Forbade Jewish festivals; ordered copies of Law to be burnt; had pagan altars set up; Tried to force Jews to adopt Greek rule.

Hasidim Jews rebelled along with Judas Maccabeus– Maccabean rebellion.

Judas Maccabeus eventually entered Jerusalem and rededicated Temple.

Hasidim Jews split to form Pharisees and Saducees (Hasidim Jews became Pharisees).

Some other Jews formed own groups in desert (Essenes).

Roman rule


Roman Empire gradually took over all Greek controlled areas.

Octavian became ruler and took name of Augustus Caesar. Augustus reigned until AD14.

At about this time John the Baptist emerged from the wilderness, proclaiming the One who is to come.

We can only begin to imagine the chaos present in the country at the time. The Jewish people were split into several factions. The country had been ruled by Greeks and Romans. There had been oppression of the Jewish race by Antiochus IV. Above all there must have been a complete mistrust of foreigners and exiles.

Perhaps here we have a message for the church today. The church that is here for gathering exiles. Those exiles who have been made exiles by the force of our society – those who are rejected and labelled as outsiders. This includes the poor, and inevitably in this week of Lambeth we would think of gays and lesbians.

But the category of exile also includes those whom the world may judge normal, conventional, establishment types. The failure of old values and old institutions makes many people experience themselves as displaced people – anxious, under threat, vigilant, ill at ease and so in pursuit of safety and stability and well being that is not on the horizons of contemporary society.

Our ministry then cannot be about maintenance. It must also be about gathering, about embrace, about welcoming home all sorts and conditions of people. The church must have a ministry for being a place of home; a place for the mother tongue; a place of basic soul food; of old stories; of being at ease, and known by name; of belonging without qualifying for membership. This gathering is a crucial ministry amongst both the visibly excluded, but also amongst the visibly included who know themselves to be marginalized and powerless and under threat.

Welcoming in those on the margins is not the way of the world. But it is an alternative that lives on the lips of the church. And when we engage it again, we will be filled with energy and courage and generosity, enough to risk and to resist and to wait with eager longing for the Messiah who is to come.

Questions

How can the church be a place that welcomes exiles?

The Jewish people split into many factions – are there parallels today?

Who are the present day prophets?

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