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