Skim through Haggai and/or Zechariah. Note the problems in the Jewish community that these two prophets address. How would their prophetic message have helped in rebuilding Jerusalem and in helping reforms among the Jewish people? What aspects of their teachings might have helped the Jewish people survive even after the temple was destroyed and the Jews were removed from their land again?You may turn this into two "extra credit" blogs if you like: one entry on each book.
Broc Kilber- The book of Haggai is proclaiming that the Jewish people have the blessing of the Lord and that the building of the temple is what he wants and desires. This would have been a massive boost to moral for the Jewish people as they know that what they are doing is God's will and that he is blessing their endeavors. This would also have been a boost to moral after they the temple was destroyed in 70AD. This shows that the Lord did not forget them in the past and will not forget them in the future and that they can have hope.
ReplyDeleteBroc Kilber- The book of Zechariah is a collection of prophecy for the future of the people of Israel and it is a hopeful one. It speaks of the enemies of Israel being struck down and the wrath of God being upon them. It speaks of Jerusalem becoming the untouchable city that is returned to all its glory. This book would have been of great hope no matter the time or place of the Jewish people. It shows that the Jewish people will win in the end and their enemies will be punished.
ReplyDeleteThe prophet Haggai addresses a distracted and discouraged community that has been returned from exile but has delayed rebuilding the temple. Instead of focusing on God, they focused on their homes and comfort. He rebukes the neglect and calls people to action, reminding them that their hardships and social difficulties are linked to their spiritual apathy. His message reunited a sense of purpose and urgency, encouraging the community to center their community on the worship of God. God is with them, and their obedience matters; he helped restore hope and focus during critical times.
ReplyDeleteZacariah speaks about the exile within the Jewish community. This was done with a border and visionary approach. He addresses Spiritual empathy, lack of leadership, fear of enemies, and doubt of God's promises. Through a series of visions, acts, and prophecies, Zech reassures the people that God has not abandoned them. He shows them a vision of restored Jerusalem. He showed them a righteous leader. His message helped fuel long-term resilience and hope by showing the efforts of a divine plan. After the temple was destroyed, all were scattered. His teachings about God helped preserve identity.
ReplyDeleteWalker Larson: Haggai
ReplyDeleteSkim through Haggai and/or Zechariah. Note the problems in the Jewish community that these two prophets address. How would their prophetic message have helped in rebuilding Jerusalem and in helping reforms among the Jewish people? What aspects of their teachings might have helped the Jewish people survive even after the temple was destroyed and the Jews were removed from their land again?
You may turn this into two "extra credit" blogs if you like: one entry on each book.
What's really hard for me to internalize and understand is the question of culture. When I think of the culture I live in, I think of it as a still, unchanging object. I feel as if the culture I live in is just the same as it always has been. Granted, there are exceptions to that, but for the most part it feels as if our culture does not change. But the reality could not be farther from the truth. Culture is ever changing and ever evolving. Much is the same with religion. Religion is only as deep as the people who practice it. If I gathered together all Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists and wiped them off the face of the earth, that religion would cease to exist. This is a bit of an extreme example, but it highlights my point of religion and culture only being as deep as people. The same was true in the time of Haggai. People in Jerusalem, given an absolutely extraordinary opportunity to go back and Make Jerusalem Great Again, or MJGA, used the opportunity to fix their houses and collect wealth. They almost squandered their opportunity to create a lasting impact, and Haggai made sure to tell everyone how close they were to blowing their chances. "You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes." This is an important reminder to the Jews (and to us) to say, if you don't take your opportunities seriously, and if you don't fix your culture or heart, you will not have another.
Walker Larson: Zechariah
ReplyDeleteSkim through Haggai and/or Zechariah. Note the problems in the Jewish community that these two prophets address. How would their prophetic message have helped in rebuilding Jerusalem and in helping reforms among the Jewish people? What aspects of their teachings might have helped the Jewish people survive even after the temple was destroyed and the Jews were removed from their land again?
You may turn this into two "extra credit" blogs if you like: one entry on each book.
In class, you talked about how the Jewish people saw exile into Babylon as God calling his shot. In the book of Zechariah, you have a very similar thing happening. You have Zechariah laying down a challenge for the Jews, much how the earlier prophets said, if you don't change your hearts towards God, you will be removed from your homeland, but if you do change your hearts, you will prosper. In Zechariah, we have him saying, if you follow God and keep his commands, you will usher in a golden age of civilization. You have God laying forth a challenge to his people. He gives them something to work towards and to look forward to. He instills in them an idea of continuity, an idea that forces them to look down the road and force themselves to always think about what's next. This is something a lot of countries and peoples lack. Particularly in America, we lack perspective. We don't think about crazy deficit spending, or the long term political implications of our actions, or the effect they will have on our kids. This is a very important and culturally significant challenge Zechariah gives to the Jews.