Our Journey

I was a history major in college so I really enjoyed today's reading.  I spent a lot of time focused on Latin American history and Jewish history, so semesters of classes were wrapped up in these few pages J  Looking at today's reading, know that there is a lot going on with the Israeli people.  As the writer ended, this is not the same nation that saw Mt. Sinai.  This is not the same people who wandered the desert, who lived under the judges, who saw the first temple, and who were captured and lived in Babylon.  The nation has evolved and there are pockets of Jews all over the lands.  They are in Present day Europe, North Africa, Greece, and as Far East as India.  They still hold on to their rituals and with the one temple still in Jerusalem (destroyed again as we just read,) the culture and religion has adapted.  These decades shape the Jewish people that Jesus entered: synagogues, rabbis ("teachers",) new religious beliefs, and different interpretations of the scriptures.  The government is different within the Jewish nation and in the secular world, as they know it.  We see the stories that Shakespeare and Hollywood brought to life. 

            There is a lot of information in these pages covering centuries, but as we begin the New Testament tomorrow, this is where we are:

·      Rome is the world power, but Greek influence is still very heavy (The New Testament was written in Greek vs. Hebrew)

·      King Herod is the governor of the Jewish land, his capital is Jerusalem

·      The Pharisees and Sadducees are in power within the Jewish culture

·      Rabbis are the new priests…they are teachers and known for their wisdom

·      The Jewish people have still gone thorough much violence, are still ruled by Gentiles, and are still waiting for a Messiah – or Savior to take back their land, religion, and culture from all others (Rome) and can only be attained through force.

·      The voice of God has not been heard on about 400 years.  The prophets no longer exist.

This is the Jewish world that Jesus is entering. 

 

Like the Hebrews, we have journeyed together the last 10 months from the Garden of Eden, to Egypt, wandered the desert, we conquered tribes to enter the Promised Land.  We marched with Joshua around Jericho, prayed with Deborah, fought Goliath, and saw the Temple built.  Together we have seen Godly kings and evil kings.  Our brothers have been split and dispersed to other far away lands.  We heard the voices of the prophets, and saw God's grace returning home.  We have been on a great journey together through the Old Testament and I thank you for being a part of it.  I pray that you have come to know a great God.  We have seen who God is and the most amazing part is that He is the same as we enter the New Testament.  Even better than that, is that He is the God I trust in today.  We have seen God as Almighty, Bountiful, Creator, Deliverer, Eternal, Faithful, Good….Jealous, Kind, Love, Merciful, Never-Tiring…Worthy, eXalted, Yahweh, and Zealous. 

 

As we start the New Testament don't forget the journey that we all have gone through with the Jews.  We will see the OT time and time again in the books ahead.  Don't ever stop praying for God's people.  We have seen why the world needs a Savior and why Jesus came.  He came to save these people.  He came to save us.  Never stop praying for the nation of Israel.  Never stop thanking God for His wisdom and for loving us first.