Chapter 17 The Return From Exile
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Transcript of Chapter 17 The Return From Exile
Chapter 17
The Return from Exile
The Exiled
• Mourned their loss– Nation– Temple– People
• Called a lamentation– Sorrow expressed in the form of a poem
Book of Lamentations
• 5 poems– Describe the destruction Judah– Suffering of the people
• Jeremiah – probable writer– Firm faith in God’s love will show
comfort
Ezekiel
• A priest• Exiled to Babylon• Had a 25 year ministry• Message found in Ezekial• Condemned
– social injustice– Idolatry– Superstition
• False belief that living creatures or things possess powers
The Message of Ezekiel
• His vision– Glory of God abandoned Jerusalem
• Left the temple-dwelling place of God• Left Jerusalem• People’s action showed a rejection of God
– Very strong words• People unfaithful from the beginning• Said God’s words were “I will disperse you
among the nations and scatter you over foreign lands, so that I may purge your uncleanness”
• During exile he offered words of hope/comfort
• Had a new vision– God would purify those who remained
true to him– Take them home to Judah
While in exile…
• Afraid/confused• Grow as a people• Relationship with God changed• Judaism – religion of the Jews• Saw their past ways
A new relationship with God
• What made someone one of God’s people– Not birth in the promised land– Not citizenship in an independent Judah– Had to:
• Follow God’s will• Have absolute faith• Make a personal commitment to follow the
covenant
Treatment while in exile…
• Babylonians treated them well• Live lives freely• Remain together as a community• Given fertile land to live on• Some prospered/held high positions• Proved that God was protecting them
Isaiah in Babylon
• Message found in book of Isaiah• Had a message of hope
– Trusting and confident in God’s love for us
– Have faith in God and hope– Reminded them that God had always
been faithful to them– God would save them in a “bigger” way– Salvation would come through the
“suffering of a servant”
The Book of Job
• Great example of “Wisdom Literature”– giving practical
guidance on how to live
• Background– wife– large family– relatives– servants– many posessions
• His downfall– lost children– took possessions– disease overtook
his body
• Remained faithful– “we accept good
things from God; and should we not accept evil” (Job: 2-10)
• Words from God– humans do not always
understand God’s ways– good people do suffer
• God’s words strengthen Job’s faith
• God repays his loyalty and faith – everything re-payed in
double measure
3 Stages out of Exile
• Persian’s take over Babylon– came from modern day
Iran and Afghanistan– Cyrus – King of Persian
Empire– allowed Jews to return
to Judah• still belong to Persia• rebuild the Temple• practice their faith• Persian governor• governed themselves
locally and religiously
Stage 1
• Descendant of David – leads 1st wave back
to Judah– begin rebuilding the
nation
• King Cyrus dies in battle– rebuilding delayed– Temple
reconstruction stopped
Haggai and Zechariah
• prophets• urged the Temple
restoration to go forth
• get unfinished work complete
New leader in Persia
• begins migration back to Judah
• succeed in rebuilding the Temple– 515 B.C.
• stage 1 complete– Jew occupy the land– temple had been
restored
Stage 2
• 70 years pass• Judah in trouble
– foreign lands trying to take over
• Nehemiah to the rescue– sent to rebuild the walls
around Jerusalem
• Stage 2 complete– Judah is free from
foreign attack
Stage 3• Nehemiah’s mission was
military• Ezra’s mission was
religious– reform religious and social
practices– leads a 3rd migration to
Judah– orders the “law” be read
out once in Jerusalem– follow law of Moses or the
Torah• 1st 5 books of the Old
Testament • Stage 3 complete
– The people submitted fully to God’s will