40 - The Fall of Jerusalem

2 Kings 25:1-25:30

The reigns of David and Solomon are seen as the "golden age" of the kings:  the northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms are (somewhat) united, the Temple is built, and the united kingdom has considerable power in the region.

But before long, under Solomon's son Rehoboam, the north and south separate.  The kings of Israel (the north) pretty consistently did what is "evil in the sight of the Lord," praying to other gods, erecting altars and sacred poles to the local gods.  Around 721 BCE, the north fell to the powerful Assyrians.  Many of the people of Israel were resettled to other areas.

In the south, in Judah, there was also much apostasy, although there were a few good kings, including Josiah (7th C. BCE), who was said to have found the scroll of Deuteronomy, and re-instituted proper worship, outlawing worship of anyone other than Yahweh.   There were periods during which Judah was a vassal state to Assyria or Egypt; it was a much weakened state by the late 7th C BCE.

Finally, we are told at the end of 2 Kings 24, Zedekiah became king of Judah.  He too "did what was displeasing to the Lord....Indeed, Jerusalem and Judah so angered the Lord that he expelled them from his presence."

Thus, by the account we read today, Babylon (now ascendant), in the person of King Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Jerusalem, and the Babylonian exile of at least part of the population of Judah began in approximately 586 BCE.

Fall of Jerusalem

The exile is as crucial an event in the history of the Hebrew people as the time in Sinai, crossing the Jordan into the promised land, and building the temple to YHWH.    Why is that?  Why had God done this to them?

39 - Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

1 Kings 16:29-19:18

In a series of delightful stories, we meet the prophet Elijah, who is a refreshing change from the dreary kings of Israel and Judah.  And we see further evidence of the most fundamental teaching of Hebrew scripture:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

This is a direct reference to the first commandment, repeated in Deuteronomy as:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

Elijah fed by ravens

We start with one of the worst kings ever, Ahab.  Despite being king of Israel, he builds an altar to Baal.  Elijah calls him out, and in the name of God declares there will be no water in the land.  Elijah departs, and miraculously survives the ensuing drought with the aid of ravens.

He is then dispatched to the widow in Sidon, who has nothing, and asks her to bake a little cake for him, promising in the name of God that she will have meal and oil as long as the drought lasts.  She believes, bakes the cake, and the promise is kept.

Later her son falls ill and stops breathing.  By holding him close to his body, Elijah is able to return him to life and health.  The widow knows by this act that Elijah is "a man of God and that the word of the Lord is truly in your mouth."

The Lord sends him to confront Ahab, promising that the rains will come.  Elijah challenges Ahab to summon all Israel, including their priests.  Elijah challenges the priests of Baal  to a "my God is better than your God" elimination tournament, and wins.  The priests of Baal are....eliminated.  And the rain poured down.

Elijah calls on God to light the fire for the sacrifice

More than Baal or Ahab, however, Elijah fears Jezebel.  He flees to the wilderness, and is sent by God to the mountain at Horeb, or Mount Sinai. He then spent the night in the cave. The next morning, the dispirited Elijah stands at the mouth of the cave, and the Lord passes by him:

1911 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

"Sheer silence" is sometimes translated "soft murmuring" or "a gentle whisper" or "a still small voice."

The appearance of the Lord gives Elijah the strength to carry on to his next task, to appoint his successor, Elisha.

Do you recall when you have heard the "still small voice", or the "gentle whisper"?

38 - Solomon's Temple

1 Kings 8:1-9:9

His father David had hoped to build it, but now King Solomon builds the Temple for the Lord.  For the architecturally inclined, the design and build are specified in great detail in Chapters 6-7.

First Temple in Jerusalem

The time has come to dedicate the temple.  The Ark of the Covenant, with the stone tablets brought down from the mountain by Moses are placed in the temple.  The presence of the Lord is known by the cloud which fills the precincts.  Solomon blesses the whole congregation of Israel.  He reminds the people of their liberation from Egypt by the hand of the Lord, and the covenants made with Moses and David.

He asks for continued favor for the people, as long as they pray to his name.  His prayer echoes the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Torah, in which Moses recapitulates the history and laws and covenant. He recognizes that the people may sin and therefore be taken by their enemies, and asks God's mercy if they pray to his name.

God responds, and makes it clear that the Davidic covenant is conditional -- that if Solomon maintains his worship of God alone, and follows the law, then God will maintain his throne.

But...

9 ⁶“If you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, ⁷then I will cut Israel off from the land that I have given them; and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel will become a proverb and a taunt among all peoples.

 This is a warning, and a foreshadowing, of what is to come.

37 - King Solomon

1 Kings 2:1-3:28

King David is about to die, and gives a charge to his son and successor, Solomon.

2 ²“….Be strong, be courageous, ³and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”

David gives charge to Solomon

Thus begins a tumultuous period.  By the end of 2 Kings, the united kingdom of Judah and Israel has disintegrated, and the first temple built and destroyed.  These books make it clear that the failure of the kings to worship God and to keep his commandments cause the exile to Babylon.

Here at the beginning we see the young king Solomon, already recognized by his father as having wisdom, asking God in a prayer or dream for discernment:

3⁹Give your servant therefore an understanding mind* to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people? *[or understanding heart]

God grants this and more; He gives what Solomon did not ask for:  riches and glory and long life.

Immediately, Solomon shows his wisdom in the famous story of the two women brought before him, each claiming a baby.  Since they could not agree, he threatened to cut the baby in half.  The one whose child it was pleaded for the child to be spared and given to the other; Solomon recognized her love for her child, and gave it to her.  

Solomon with two women pleading for one child

And the people stood in awe of him, "because they perceived the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice."

When have you seen great leaders exercise wisdom and justice?  Should that be our expectation?

36 - David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel  11:1-12:25

David has been blessed with a covenant with God, he has consolidated the combined kingdom, but he is not a perfect person, perfectly following the law.

In the story of David and Bathsheba, David arguably violates at least 4 of the 10 commandments (coveting, adultery, murder, false witness).  Other than murder, he may not be that different from some political leaders of our day.  Is he an irredeemable sinner, or a faithful servant of God?

Nathan rebukes David

In my view,his faith his seen in his response to God’s judgment as delivered by Nathan. David understands and confesses immediately that he has sinned (12:13) and is subject to judgment. Where before he has received blessings, now he is subject to curses. Unlike other leaders, he stops denying that he did it, and accepts the truth of the judgment and the curse.

And even as the judgment is delivered on his son, in his stead, he fasts and seeks graciousness from God by prostrating himself on the ground (12:16). He suffers real anguish for his son, and believed that God would accept his penance and save his son. He also accepted when that did not happen.

David suffers the disease of all great leaders, but he accepts that God is his Lord, and he is subject to God’s laws – he may break those laws, but he accepts the consequences. He is a man of faith.

Do you agree?

35 - King David

2 Samuel 5:1 – 7:29

Both gospels (Matthew and Luke) which trace Jesus’ genealogy include King David in the ancestors of Joseph.   Our reading today shows why David was so important to Israel.

Having previously been anointed by Saul, David is now confirmed and anointed as king over both the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel.  David marched in and took Jerusalem, which ever since is called “the city of David.”  With direction from the Lord, David defeats the Philistines.

David knows the importance of worshiping God, and of the centrality of the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tablets given to Moses.

He brings the Ark to Jerusalem, dancing with joy.  He wants to build a house, a temple, for the ark, so that God’s people may worship properly.  But God has other ideas.  Instead he first will establish a covenant with David, then later his son (Solomon) will build the temple (in 1 Kings we learn that David could not build the temple because of the continuing warfare).

King David dances before the Ark

So God makes a covenant with David, and promises that when David dies, his son will succeed him and the Davidic kingdom will be forever. 

“7¹⁴I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.¹⁵But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.”

David then prays to the Lord, one of the greatest prayers of praise in scripture, rehearsing the history of the people of God, and of David’s own gifts from God.

This passage uses words that mean or are related to the word “house” many times.  How many references do you find?  What might it mean?

34 - David and Saul

1 Samuel 23:7 – 24:33

Saul knows he has fallen out of the Lord's favor, and knows that David will succeed him.  Nonetheless, he continues to pursue David, trying to eliminate him.

But David stays a step ahead of Saul, by communicating with the Lord, by receiving warnings from Jonathan, and by the very timely intervention of a "messenger" to Saul, who diverts him from the almost certain capture of David.

Finally Saul wanders into a cave occupied by David's men.  David is able to cut off a corner of Saul's cloak, proving he could have killed him.  But he prevents his men from killing Saul, and promises not to raise his hand against Saul; Saul in turn realizes David is more righteous, and he has wronged David.

David spares Saul's life

33 – David and Goliath

1 Samuel 16:1 – 18:16

Saul was the first king of Israel, but David is the king who unites north and south.  He is the great king.  He is a courageous warrior, a diplomat, a musician, a forceful leader, and also a great friend and an enthusiastic lover. 

First Saul is rejected by the Lord for disobedience.   The Lord sends Samuel to see Jesse the Bethlehemite, one of whose sons will be named as king.  David was the youngest son of Jesse, but “he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.”  Samuel anoints him and “the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.”

David with the head of Goliath

His first test is to combat the Philistine champion Goliath.  After a round of biblical trash talking, David brings him down with a single stone, then uses the giant’s own sword to kill him and remove his head, as promised.  Saul, still the king, puts David over the army, but is jealous of the acclaim that comes to David.

18¹² Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹³ So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. ¹⁴ David had success in all his undertakings; for the LORD was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them.

The end is near for Saul.

32 – King Saul

1 Samuel 8:1 – 10:27

To this point Israel has had judges to interpret and apply the law, and to lead the people against their enemies.  Bu the people demand a king, like the other nations have.  As Samuel realizes the time has come to appoint his successor, the leaders of the tribes come to him and demand a king.  Samuel takes the question to God, who says: 

8:7 "…Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. 9 Now then, listen to their voice; only — you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them."

Samuel warns them that a king will be an oppressor of the people, but they say:  

8:19… "No! but we are determined to have a king over us, 20 so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles."

Samuel blesses Saul

So Saul, who stands “head and shoulders” above all the others is found and anointed as the first king of Israel.  He has an auspicious start, but is he the right king for Israel?

31 - Samuel Listens to God

1 Samuel 1:1 – 3:21

Now begins the tales of Samuel and Saul and David, into which is woven many interesting characters and stories.

We start with three stories involving prayer.

In the first, Hannah, one of the wives of Elkanah, prays that she may have a son, whom she promises to dedicate to the Lord.  She "pours her heart out" to the Lord.

When she is rewarded with a child, Samuel, she keeps her vow and presents him to the priest, Eli.  Her prayer of thanksgiving,  in chapter 2, reminds us of Mary's Magnificat, and also includes a prophecy about David, that God "will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed."

Eli and Samuel

Finally, Samuel is called by the Lord, in a manner similar to other prophets and leaders.  In sleep, Samuel believes it is Eli is calling him, and three times responds:  "Here I am, for you called me."  Finally, as instructed by Eli, Samuel responds with a wonderful prayer response:  "Speak, for your servant is listening."


What do you learn about prayer from these examples?

30 - The Story of Ruth

Ruth 1:1 - 2:20
Ruth 2:21 - 4:22

This delightful tale of wandering, marriage, commitment and fertility gives us an insight into the culture and mores of the Israelites.  What is it that bound them together?  What makes a person an Israelite?  Ruth prefers to return with her mother-in-law Naomi to Naomi's native land, promising in words that are often heard in marriage ceremonies:

1¹⁶ ...Where you go, I will go;
   where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
   and your God my God. 
¹⁷ Where you die, I will die—
   there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
   and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!’ 

Ruth and Naomi

What do you learn about the relationship of the people with their God from this story?

29 - Samson Defeats the Philistines

Judges 13:1 – 16:31

Yet again:  "The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and theLord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years."

Michelangelo - Samson kills two Philistines.

Samson was one of the last of the judges - the non-hereditary officials chosen to rescue Israel from its periods of apostasy, which occurred in regular cycles.  During those times Israel was overcome by its neighbors.

He was also dedicated to God as a Nazarite, described in Numbers 6:1-21.  As part of his vows, his hair has not been cut.  And he was immensely strong.  Unlike Deborah/Barak or Gideon, he does not lead an army against the Philistines.  In fact he is very involved with them, especially their women.  Much of the conflict he is involved with seems personal, not national.

In his last act, he brings down the temple as an act of revenge for the Philistines blinding him.  He asks God for the strength he had previously had when he had all his hair.  God gives him the strength.

28 - Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Judges 6:1 – 7:25

Gideon is another human being whom God chooses and empowers to serve his people.  The engaging adventure features Gideon, who with his countrymen are suffering at the hands of the Midianites.  "6¹⁴Then the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.’¹⁵He responded, ‘But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’ ¹⁶The Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you..."  

After various proofs, and a slimming down of Gideon's army so all will know that it is the Lord who prevails, Gideon leads his 300 troops against the Midianite camp:  7:²⁰So the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow; and they cried, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’ ²¹Every man stood in his place all around the camp, and all the men in camp ran; they cried out and fled."

27 - Deborah Leads Israel

Judges 4:1 – 5:31

God has liberated his people from slavery in Egypt, and has led them to the promised land.  Surely now they will live the kind of life God has in mind for them, worshiping only YHWH, dealing justly with each other, keeping the covenant and laws of God.

Not quite.

Instead, as the book of Judges tells us over and over, the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Judges 2:11-15), worshiping other gods, being unfaithful to YHWH.  God is angered, and hands his people over to non-Israelite oppressors.  When the people cry out, he appoints "judges" who deliver them from their enemies.  After the death of a judge however, the cycle repeats itself, and the book of Judges tells of many such cycles.  Deborah is one of the early judges.

Led by the judge Deborah, the military leader Barak, and the cunning Jael, the Israelites achieve victory over the Canaanites, the oppressors of this period. Deborah is the only named woman judge, and she speaks as one who speaks with God.  But the text tells us that it was God who "subdued King Jabin of Canaan".

Deborah under palm tree

The Israelites believed their special relationship with God gave them a special destiny, but they let immediate desires overcome their long-term covenant.  Are there any parallels in human history?

26 - Israel's Disobedience

Worshiping Idols

Judges 2:6 – 3:6

The tribes of Israel are now in the land promised them by God.  But, like us, they can easily be distracted by idols that are more visible than the generous but not always in-your-face God.

Judges recounts how the people of God tried, not very successfully, to organize themselves to keep up their end of the covenant.  It lays the groundwork for the rise of the monarchy in later books.  And it raises the issue for me of instant gratification versus remaining constant in our promises to follow God.

How can we remain faithful all the time?