THE STORY OF GOD’S PEOPLE

1. THE STORY OF GOD’S PEOPLE A Story of Ups and Downs… A Story of the People’s Unfaithfulness AND God’s Ongoing Faithfulness

2. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY… • 1290 B.C.—Exodus and Wilderness • 1250 B.C.—Entrance into the Land • 1050 B.C.—Beginning of Kingship • 922 B.C.—Division between North and South • 9th and 8th centuries—Prophets appeared (Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah) • 722 B.C.—NK (Israel) Falls to Assyria • 587 B.C. – SK (Judah) Falls to Babylon • Exilic prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel

3. Now, approximately 700 years after Exodus from Egypt

4. EXILE!—587 B.C.

5. Leaders taken to Babylon—Some escaped to Egypt—Poor and untrained stayed in Jerusalem

6. DURING THE 500 YEARS AS A KINGDOM, A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY HAD DEVELOPED • God had promised LAND • God had established a DYNASTY (king) • God “resided” in the TEMPLE in Jerusalem

7. EXILE (587 B.C.)—the breakdown of all the systems in which the people trusted • Loss of land • Loss of king • Loss of temple

8. This creates a major theological crisis for the people of God! • Confidence in God • Question of identity • Where do we go from here?

9. The Historical Accounts • Chronicles – A look back to “the good old days” – David • Ezra-Nehemiah – rebuilding the temple, the walls, and the faith of the people • Esther – Courage and Hope – God is with His people!

10. 537 B.C.—The Return • Rise of Persian Empire under Cyrus • Edict of Cyrus—return to homeland and relative freedom to practice religion and customs

11. THE PRE-EMINENT PROBLEM: No Longer a Nation THE PRE-EMINENT QUESTION: Who are we? What is our identity?

12. WHAT WOULD YOU DO??? If you were the “vision team” of a group returning from exile, how would you go about trying to re-establish a source of identity?

13. ARTICULATING AN IDENTITY • TEMPLE--People who worship God • TORAH--People of a sacred writing • RELATION TO OTHERS--Insiders vs. Outsiders

14. TEMPLE—People of Worship • Foundation of new temple almost immediately under Sheshbazzar • Temple completed 20 years later under the leadership of a new governor Zerubbabel and the encouragement of prophets, Haggai & Zechariah • “Hymnbook of the Second Temple”--Psalms • New History—Chronicler’s History – a king like David!

15. TORAH—People of a Sacred Writing • Ezra, a priest who had grown up in Persia (Babylon) brings back the story that defines their identity—the TORAH (teaching; instruction)

16. EXCLUSIVE??? The basic approach of Ezra and Nehemiah INCLUSIVE??? The short stories of Ruth and Jonah THE GREAT DILEMMA—What do we do with “outsiders”??? COMPETING VOICES

17. DISCOVERING A POST-EXILIC IDENTITY—537 B.C. Return from Exile • People of Worship—Rebuilding of Temple, Developing a Hymnbook, and Rewriting a History (temple completed by 515 B.C.) • People of Written ScriptureTorah presented by Ezra the priest (450 B.C.) • People in Relationship to Outsider—Exclusive approach by Ezra and Nehemiah; Inclusive approach by short stories of Ruth (Moabite) and Jonah (preacher to Assyria)

18. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FAITH DURING EXILE… • LAMENT—the honest expression of grief to God—no cover up to God! • HOPE—an understanding of creation as the LORD’s capacity to take chaos (like exile) and bring order

19. WisdomLiteratureLearning about life from the God of creation • Dealing with Life’s Realities • Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs • Voicing Grief and Hope • Psalms, Lamentations, Song of Songs

20. The Character of this Diverse Literature: • Dealing honestly with Life • Refusing to remove God from the equation • Willing to host alternative voices and viewpoints as the truth, the whole truth…

21. PropheticVoicesin the postexilic period • Nahum – God’s judgment on Nineveh (contra Jonah) • Habakkuk – The just will live by His faithfulness! • Zephaniah – the Day of the Lord – judgment/salvation

22. PropheticVoicesin the postexilic period • Haggai – encouraging the leaders to rebuild the temple • Zechariah – rebuilding, but also anticipating the Messianic Age • Malachi – let’s get things right, and prepare the way of the Lord

23. PropheticVoicesin the postexilic period • God’s judgment is just! • Life after exile is tough! • Faith in God overcomes the toughest obstacles! • Faith = Undivided Loyalty! • God is coming! Get Ready!

24. GROWING DIFFICULTIES OF THE FAITH OVER A CENTURY (450-350 B.C.) • FORMALISM: Temple Worship increasingly gave way to practices without meaning • LEGALISM: Obedience to the Torah in a narrow sense became the means to be the people of Yahweh • EXCLUSIVISM: Keeping outsiders OUT became predominant

25. A NEW THREAT TO THIS NEW IDENTITY!!! THE RISE OF THE GREEK EMPIRE under Alexander the Great in 333 B.C. HELLENISM—Greek language, culture, and thought

26. THE JEWS UNDER GREEK RULEAlexander the Great dies 323 BCEmpire inherited by successors: Ptolemy – EGYPT • Annexed Palestine • Jews relocate to Egypt and adopt Greek culture • Septuagint (LXX) • Diaspora Seleucids – SYRIA • Antiochus III – 198 defeated Egypt and made Palestine part of Seleucid kingdom • Favorable period for the Jewish people

27. THE THREAT OF HELLINIZATION 175 BC – Antiochus IV Epiphanes Return to Hellenization project, including worship of Greek gods

28. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THIS THREAT??? HASIDIM—the people of hesed (covenant faithfulness) ‘the loyal and faithful ones’

29. FORMATION OF VARIOUS GROUPS • PHARISEES—out of power in the temple—therefore, quite liberal (wanted things to change); ‘in the world’ but not ‘of the world’—laws of separation • SADDUCEES—in power in the temple—therefore, very conservative (to preserve status quo) • ZEALOTS—take up military arms and fight • ESSENES—withdraw to caves in the desert and wait for God to do something himself

30. ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES in 167 B.C. • Outlawed Judaism • Looted the Temple • Built Acra – a Greek citadel city to control Jerusalem • Persecution of Jews • ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

31. MATTATHIASand his seven sons • “Let all who are zealous for Yahweh come out and fight!!!” • Judas “Maccabeus” (the hammer), the oldest son takes over—thus becomes known as the Maccabean movement

32. Judas Maccabees defeats the Greek army,cleanses Temple, erects a new altar, andrededicates the Temple in December 164 BC • Miracle of the oil Lamps keep burning for eight days • “Festival of Lights”—Hanukkah • Century of Jewish independence (163-63 B.C.)

33. RESPONSE TO PERSECUTION AND GREEK (323-63 BC) and then ROMAN POWER (63 BC) APOCALYPTIC—a way of viewing the world and a literature that expressed that worldview

34. Apocalyptic (literally meaning “to see or to reveal”) thought… • Dualistic • Expectation—God would eventually overthrow the world power and establish THE KINGDOM OF GOD • Eschatology—”end times” • Led by an “apocalyptic seer” • Hidden, coded language

35. THE BOOK OF DANIEL • Stories to sustain a distinctiveidentity in a world gone mad • Stories to give hope and courage to people of faith in times of deep crisis • Stories to remind us of the ultimatetriumph of God and God’s people, despite present circumstances or evidence

36. AS THE STORY OF THE OLDER TESTAMENT ENDS: • People of God wrestling with the question of identity – what does it mean to be the people of God in this world? • People of God wrestling with the question of restoration – what is the kingdom of God going to look like in this world? • People of God wrestling with the question of a King – When will God send us the promised Messiah (David-like King)?

37. PREPARETHE WAYOF THE LORD… JESUS!

38. Reading Quiz – Friday, Nov. 19 or Thursday, Nov. 18 • Chapter 18 (pp. 253-267) – 18 terms • Chapter 19 (pp. 269-281) – 12 terms • Chapter 20 (pp. 283-297) – 14 terms • Chapter 21 (pp. 299-313) – 15 terms • 58 pages of text…36 terms • 24 matching questions 59