Just Waiting

The Fall semester is almost over. Next week Tuesday is the last day of class for my course before finals week. In the Fall, I teach Old Testament History and Theology for the certificate program. This week we studied the period between the Old Testament and the New. The question I try to answer for the students in this lesson is: How do we go from the return to Jerusalem from exile and the rebuilding of the temple at the end of the Old Testament to the Roman occupation as it is in the Gospels? The rebuilding of Jerusalem is basically done by 500 BC and Malachi is thought to have prophesied about 430 BC. This means that there are about 500 years of history between the Testaments.

I find the history of this time to be rather depressing. It is a time of constant change for those who live in Judah and there is no word from God about what it means. Throughout the Old Testament, there are times of trouble. For the most part, these times of trouble are related to immoral kings and false prophets. But there is always a word from God. A call to repentance. The word of the Lord was always present in their community as God called them back to his covenant. During this later period, however, there is no message. There are no prophets.

There were about five different historical periods after the return from exile. First, Alexander the Great conquered Persia and Judah was ruled by the Greeks. After he died, there was civil war for about 12 years. Then Judah was ruled by the Ptolemies, the Seleucids, the Hasmoneans, and finally Rome. During this time, the Hasmonean rule was the only period they ruled themselves. The temple fell into disrepair. They were forced to take on the culture of the Greeks. There was a constant threat of war. And God was silent. All they could do was wait for the Lord.

I think we, as Christians, can feel a kinship to the Jews of this time period. This lesson is an appropriate lesson for this time in the church year. Over the last few Sundays, we have focused on Jesus' return and the final judgment. This week we are making the transition to Advent. Both the end of the church year calendar and its beginning speak to the coming of Jesus. Something we are waiting for. And in our day like in the days between the testaments, God is silent.

This not to say that God is not speaking to us through his word. He is. But God does not come to us and speak to us directly. He does not send prophets to speak to the situations we face today. So all we can do is wait as the Jews did before Jesus came. We wait in the same way that they waited, in expectation and hope. In expectation that Jesus will come soon. In hope because we know that he brings joy when he comes.

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