Clean Out the Temple

One more of these stories from the Old Testament, if you’re willing to hear it.

Hezekiah, around 715-687 BCE, was king of Judah. Now Judah was where the Temple of the Lord was located (see last week), but since the days of Solomon, the Temple had been closed and temples and altars to other gods were set up throughout the kingdom. The worship of God had been so forsaken that parts of the Temple were used to worship other gods.

And it’s into this setting that Hezekiah becomes king.

The Bible records that the very first thing Hezekiah did as king was open the doors to the Temple, repair them, and order the Levites (the God appointed priests) to “consecrate themselves,” to get themselves ready to minister before the Lord. The Bible records this massive cleaning project – it took eight days just to clear a path across the courtyard to the Temple and another eight days to clean out the temple itself.

Can you imagine the amount of garbage and pagan worship that was dragged out of the temple and burned?

Joy – in the extreme

There’s another great story from the Old Testament: Solomon, King of Israel and son of David, finishes building the temple of the Lord – this magnificently huge and beautiful structure. (As a side note, when Ezra rebuilt the temple, those who had seen Solomon’s now destroyed temple wept because it couldn’t compare in size, scale or beauty. In fact, read that story and compare it to the one we’re talking about today.)

On the day of dedication (think opening day for every sports team at once and in the same place…) everybody shows up from all over Israel. The Bible literally says “all of the men of Israel,” which means men, women, children, servants, plus tourists and foreigners there for the party. And they sacrifice animals, sheep and cattle, to the Lord which in our current context sounds barbaric and gross, but then was a symbol of joy, celebration, hope, and peace with God and with others. Again the Bible says that “so many sheep and cattle were sacrificed that they could not be recorded or counted.”

Joy – in the extreme.

And that’s just the drum roll.

Rearrange Your Army

There’s this great story in the Old Testament. Jehoshaphat (Je – hoe – show – fat), the King of Judah, is invaded by not one or two, but three foreign powers. 2 Chronicles says that Jehoshaphat was “alarmed” – the Bible is full of understatements like these: three powerful nations in alliance to destroy 2 of the tribes of Israel, and Jehoshaphat is “alarmed.”

The King calls together all of the people and standing before the temple of the Lord commands the people fast and pray to the Lord for help. Jehoshaphat prays this marvelous prayer (2 Chron. 6-12) in which he praises God and reminds God of all of the promises God made to His people. And the end of his prayer is brilliant – “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

Jehoshaphat hears a word from the Lord commanding him to gear up for battle and face these enemies. It’s here that Jehoshaphat does something no other successful military commander has ever dared.

The Resurrection of the Dead

For weeks now, we’ve been looking at the exile that the Jews found themselves in for 1000 years before Jesus. The slavery and torment they suffered at the hands of their captors, the Babylonians. The reasons for this slavery.

We’ve looked at the Jews’ misplaced trust and idolatry of the relics of their faith (the temple, their worship practices, their sacrifices); their refusal to be a “light to the nations,” focusing the message of God’s desired relationship inwardly; their failed economic policy, neglecting the needs of the widow, the orphan, denying justice to the poor; and their sense of entitlement and ownership of the good gifts God had blessed them with.

And we’ve seen along the way how we share much in common with these Jews – how our actions and inactions as Christians have relegated us to an obscurity in the world, a new kind of exile, where we cry out, like slaves in a foreign land, for rescue.

And it’s when we’ve discovered ourselves in this exile that we can finally hear from God the words of rescue he has spoken:

The Resurrection of the Dead.

My Power and the Stregth of My Hands

“When you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses, when your businesses become larger and your bank accounts grow – then you will say: ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me!’”

For 400 years, a people, who claimed to be God’s special possession, God’s anointed people, God’s chosen ones, this people slaved under the hand of the most powerful military/industrial complex in the world. So great was the power of Egypt, so vast were its resources, so influential were its artisans that the world still bears the marks of this empire more than 5000 years later.

And it’s under this empire’s rule that “God’s people” were slaves. They owned no land. They worked for someone else’s gain. They were beaten, abused, and murdered without any course of justice.

It’s here that the people cry out to God.

It’s here that God hears their cry.

As exiles.

As slaves in a foreign land.

Failed Economic Policy

The number one charge leveled against the Hebrews by the Prophets of God before they were carried off into captivity was that they had practiced a failed economic policy.

We’ve been looking at the 1000 year blank most Christians draw from Solomon to Matthew. The fuzzy areas of the Bible where, by negligence or by insufficient explanation, our sense of the overall story of the scriptures is lost. We’ve discovered so far that the Bible’s hope of Messiah comes precisely from these scriptures – for when the people were carried off into exile in Babylon, God promised rescue through His “Anointed One” (Heb: Messiah) in terms like “the Forgiveness of Sins,” “the Salvation of God,” “the Resurrection of the Dead,” “the New Life of the Kingdom of God” (for those who understand: “ha’olam haba”).

When the prophets summarize the reasons for the impending exile, the number one reason they cite is that Israel has continually “defrauded laborers of their wages, oppressed the widows and the fatherless, and deprived foreigners of justice” (Malachi 3:5).

A Light for the Nations

I pass 15 churches on my way to work every morning. 15. One every mile. There are half as many filling stations on the same route – which, I guess, means that my car gets better millage than my prayers.

We’ve been looking at the “fuzzy” sections of the scriptures. The 1000 year blank that most Christians draw from Solomon to Matthew. The dominant story of this period is one of rebellion and exile – and hope (but one birthed as slaves in a foreign land).

Which carries me back to the 15 churches I pass every morning (and twice on Sundays).

When God called his people out of Egypt, he called them out “in the sight of all the nations.” He rescued his people to show the world what he is like. He gave them his law to show the world how humanity was created to live. He led them in a cloud and pillar to announce to the nations that “the LORD, he is God.”

Then the people got to the land of promise and the light that was for the nations turned inward. What was given to the Jews for all people was closeted away, placed in a temple, protected by armies and borders and a king.

The Temple. The Temple. The Temple!

Imagine, if you would, a building. Glorious, beautiful – taking years to build and thousands of thousands of dollars. Wood carefully selected from the best parts of the world. Furnishings crafted by the best of artisans. Embroideries and fabrics specially made.

And this building isn’t just any building. This is a house of prayer, a sanctuary to the Lord. Every detail laboriously poured over until, at last, the walls are complete, the roof finished, the decorations are in place – it’s ready to serve its purpose.

Know a building like that?

So did the Israelites. The Temple was the most beautiful building in all the world. Heads of state and foreign dignitaries traveled all over the world to glimpse this glorious structure.

It was a symbol of Jewish national identity. What does it mean to be Jewish? Come see this Temple and find out!

It was a symbol of the utter defeat of all the nations (and their gods) that previously possessed the land. Where is the heart of Israel? At its temple!

It was the center of wealth and prosperity in Israel. Who holds the nation’s possessions? The King of Jerusalem and the Temple priests in the treasury!

It was a lucky charm.

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the end of the earth.  Isaiah 42:10a

We’ve got to be clear on something. The Christian story comes into the story of Israel. Christianity is not some “other” religion, created by Paul and Jesus to stand as an alternative to Judaism. And while Christianity is not a branch of Judaism, its roots and origins are grounded in the history of Israel.

So, what’s the big deal Josh? Why kick off an entry with that?

I feel as though often we don’t know how to approach the Christian story because we don’t know the story of Israel. Maybe we know a bit of the Exodus story and David’s kingship makes us smile, but the part about the kings and prophets, they just intimidate, confuse and scare us.

The story of Israel then is a story of relationship: formed, broken, renewed, rejected, and awaited. God formed a relationship with Israel at the Exodus – carrying the people through “like a father carries his son.” (Deuteronomy 1:31). The people broke this relationship, following their own gods, living by their own rules. God renewed his relationship with his people establishing a “kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:13) The people rejected God’s relationship yet again – disobeying God’s laws, and following other gods.

Phelps Phever

Michael Phelps wins 8 golds, seven in record time and has given every journalist (and woman in America) a case of Phelps Phever.

That’s right, I coined it. You can quote me.

How many six year-olds in America just jumped into a pool….

Update: In church today a little boy was asked what a picture of the olympic rings represented. The boy eagerly shouted: NBC! Well done, corporate America. Well done.