Understanding the Old Testament: Exile

Camelot is the name of the legendary place in England, where King Arthur is said to have ruled the land in collaboration with the Knights of the Round Table; perhaps in the time after the Roman Empire left England. However, the peace and good will of Camelot was short lived, when Arthur was betrayed by his wife and best friend.

Camelot defended as an idyllic time of happiness and peace, could also be ascribed to the time of King David, who ruled from 961 to 1000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. For much of David’s reign, this was a perfect time for God’s people.

• They were ruled by a benevolent King, anointed by God, to whom God gave many victories in battle.
• David ruled in accordance with God’s covenantal law; and facilitated a time of spiritual revival among the people—that they might have a personal relationship with God.
• Indeed, this was a time of prosperity as well, which continued during the reign of David’s heir and son, King Solomon.
• If there was any time in the history of the Jewish which could be considered a time of Shalom—of peace, well-being, & spiritual comfort—it was during David’s reign, and during the first part of Solomon’s reign.

However, David was a horrible father, whose son, Absalom, instituted an unsuccessful revolution to claim his father’s throne.

After David, his son, Solomon was made king.  During much of his reign, the time of Camelot continued.  However, like many kings to succeed him,  Solomon turned  his back on God, his covenant,  and began practicing pagan religions. In response, God condemned Solomon, saying, quote, “…Since this is your attitude and you have not kept My covenant and My decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you.” unquote

                                                                                                    

Accordingly, shortly after Solomon died, the nation of Israel was torn in half.  The 10 northern tribes formed their own nation, which they called Israel; and the southern 2 tribes formed the kingdom of Judah.

Would you please take out the yellow insert in your bulletin, and you will see the centuries that we have covered in our summer sermon series. Please look down to pint # 7—which begins in 933 BC.  From that time on, up until 536 BC, spiritual and often social & political chaos reigned.

1. During that time, the people of Judah and Israel fought and lost battles and wars against many empires, which surrounded them:

1. The  Ancient empire of Egypt to the south;
2. The Assyrian Empire to the North, where Syria is today
3. The Babylonians from the north west, where Iraq is today;
4. The Phoenicians, from modern day Lebanon
5. And finally the Persians, from modern day Iran.

These nations exacted tribute, and defeated armies the armies of Israel & Judah, and placed their own puppet kings on the throne.

 God could have intervened and the enemies of Israel & Judah, but God chose not to do so. As we heard in today’s reading from 2^nd Kings, since God’s people repeatedly broke the Mosaic covenant, which God had initiated to protect and love His people.

• Going back to Solomon, the Kings did not turn to God for help, but they made alliances with foreign nations, which was forbidden in covenantal law.
• The national leadership and the wealthy oppressed the poor and the needy through self-serving regulations and horrendous taxes.
• At one time, the northern nation of Israel actually invaded southern Judah, though they were unsuccessful.
• God’s people started intermarrying with foreigners, and that unleashed a whole host of pagan religions, which led God’s people astray.

1. “The Mother goddess religion, which was popular in the Middle East, competed for Jewish converts, as did the nature religion of Baalism, the cult of the dead, divination, idolatry,  astrology, séances, and the cults of black magic.  Some of these religions called for human sacrifices of both unborn and older children, who were thrown into the sacrificial fires.

• Finally, the religious leadership became a clique of proud, arrogant, self-serving autocrats, who valued gold and silver more than God. Oh, they continued doing the regular sacrifices at the temple. Unfortunately, their heart wasn’t in it.   They were simply going through the motions, just like the Pharisees and religious leaders during Jesus time, as described in today’s Gospel. As the Bible says, “Man looks at outward appearances, but God looked at the heart.”
  
  

So, going back to shalom machine----the leaders and people rejected God’s law, and God let them go on their own way.  But to tell the truth, God was furious with his people, and sometimes intervened in battles to let pagan nations defeat them.

Essentially the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah began to rot from the inside out, which resulted in their own self destruction.

• Looking to # 7 C in your outline, the nation of northern Israel was defeated around 733 BC by the Assyrian Empires.  These 10 tribes went into exile, but they were never heard of again. 
• Then looking to # 8, one hundred and fifty years later, the southern nation of Judah was defeated by the Babylonians, who exiled elite and wealthy people, leaving the rest to fend for themselves in a waste land with no protection at all.
  
  

During the time preceding these exiles, there were some small groups of holy men and women, who remained faithful to God’s covenant.  These people gathered around unofficial spiritual leaders known as Prophets.  Prophets were faithful people, whom God raised up to speak His word to the people and leaders of his people, whose hearts had hardened against Him.

 

One such man was the prophet Jeremiah.  He received many words of judgement from God, who called his leaders and people to repent.  Jeremiah hated his job much of the time, because either people refused to listen, or they did not believe him. Eventually, Jeremiah stirred up so much trouble, that the King of Judah imprisoned him at the bottom of a dry well.  Once the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem, the conquering emperor released Jeremiah.

Being exiled—losing the Promised Land—losing God’s favor—really broke the backs of the people of God.  They began to repent, as we heard in today’s psalm, and to call upon the mercy of the Lord.  However, simultaneously as God judged his people, He also offered them so me faithful encouragement.   You see, with God, judgement is never the last word.  Mercy and hope are the last words. Thus, through Jeremiah, God proclaimed this word to all of God’s people, both those in ancient times, and to all of us here today.  This word of prophecy is fulfilled through the King of heaven and earth, who is Jesus Christ our Lord:

“A new day is coming,” announces the Lord.    “At that time I will raise up from David’s royal line
    a godly heir to the throne.  He will be a King who will rule wisely.
    He will do what is fair and right in the land.⁶ in his days, God’s people will live in safety.
And this one will be named, The God Who reconciles us to Himself.

--The Rev. John Donnelly    8/23/15