The Bible's Story: Parts 9 and 10 (Exile and the Prophets)

Continuing a series on the Bible's summary:

 Part 9:  In 587 BC, the Babylonian armies once again marched across the now-destroyed “Northern Kingdom” of Israel, and what was left of the “Southern Kingdom” of Judah, completely looting and leveling everything in their path, including Solomon’s great Temple in Jerusalem.  A vast majority of the Hebrews they encountered where either put to the sword or carried off as slaves into exile in Babylon.  In other words, the Israelites were now enslaved and in exile in what is present-day Iraq.  

Why?  Why did God let this happen?  It could be said that history does indeed repeat itself, especially for those who fail to learn from it.  Recall the great enslavement of the people in Egypt and the great event of the Old Testament: The Exodus from Egypt, where God leads his people out of the chains of slavery into a new land, with the understanding that they were to honor and glorify God and God alone.  Sadly, honoring God rarely happened.

Conditions throughout the kingdoms were horrific.   Morality had crumbled and society was in chaos.  The people by-and-large were morally and spiritually bankrupt as they engaged in open prostitution even within the temple, and filled the temple with shrines to all manner of false gods.  Its leaders were fiscally irresponsible, enslaving their own people and letting greed run as the center of their existence.  Taxation was through the roof.   Leaders only looked out for themselves (this includes the majority of the kings), and were as morally and spiritually bankrupt as the people.  As the end of Judges testifies, people were doing as they saw fit, not as God had commanded them.  God’s Word meant very little in those times.  The laws that Israel had to honor God by honoring their neighbor had long disappeared.  Prosperity had completely ruined them, and as a result, they had forsaken God who had given them this prosperity in the first place.  As a political note: if you change a few names, dates, and place locations, are we describing our own country?

Therefore, because Israel had forsaken God, who had granted them the prosperity they once enjoyed, God now threatened through a small remnant of faithful followers (the prophets) that disaster would fall on them if they did not return to their Lord and God and forsake the many sinful, selfish ways that God deemed destructive to them and the common good.  Warnings were issued for dozens, even hundreds of years, that went unheeded.  

The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles essentially retell the story of the kings, but this time for a remnant of God’s people now in exile that would be restored.  If God had something to say before the exile, did God also have something to say even now to those who were in exile?  Was God still interested in them?  The answer is a resounding “yes.”  Israel needed to recall what had gotten them into this new slavery and this new mess in the first place: they themselves did. 

Continuity with the past was perhaps the best way they could prevent the same thing from happening once more.  And of course, during this whole period of time, the prophets - those elusive, sometimes reclusive, often reluctant but faithful messengers of God, were not only warning them of disaster, but also reminding them that God’s covenant with Abraham was not fulfilled yet.  While their “predictions” of disaster did indeed come to be fulfilled, would their words of comfort and encouragement regarding the restoration of Israel and a coming Savior from God also be fulfilled?   

Part 10:  The Kingdom has been destroyed.  Its’ buildings lie in ruins.  The Temple has been leveled.  Its’ people have been carried off into exile in Babylon, and it seems they are right back where they started - in slavery and bondage.  So what happened to God’s promise to Abraham?  Enter the prophets!

There are numerous books of prophesy in the Old Testament.  They are divided into “major” and “minor” prophets.  These correspond largely to the size of the books.  Therefore, the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel are considered “major,” while the majority of the prophets (Hosea through Malachi) are considered “minor.”  Other prophets also existed that do not have their words recorded in the Bible, such as Elijah, who was a prophet of God in the early years of the kings.  Nearly half (17 of 39) books of the Old Testamant are books attributed to these elusive messengers of God.

What is a prophet?  It is someone, called by God, to deliver a message to God’s people.  A prophet’s primary mission for God is not to predict the future, but to deliver the message.  God’s prophets had a universal message that recurred over and over.  It is not unlike the message we saw throughout the history books telling us of the kings: the people had rebelled against and turned away from God, and needed to renew their commitment to the LORD.  Spiritually, the people were terminally sick.  Morally, the people were bankrupt.  Socially, however, things never appeared better, despite the lies, deception, corruption, and greed on a national level.

As God’s messenger, first and foremost, what is often associated with the prophet’s words is a statement such as “thus says the Lord...” (Jeremiah 2:2 and elsewhere).  Though the prophets spoke for God, their message was often ignored.  So how then, one might ask, does a person know if the prophet’s message is for real?  It can be measured on whether or not it conforms to the past history, and on whether or not its message comes true.  

In the case of the Biblical prophets, they really weren’t telling the people anything new that they had not heard before.  If we recall the covenant God made on Mount Sinai (the 10 Commandments), there were certain stipulations that went along with it.  The prophets were simply reminding the people and the leaders of those stipulations, and warning them that the disasters foretold for them disobeying the covenant would take place soon if they did not change their ways (Deut. 27:15-26).

However, the prophets, in addition to warning the people of impending disaster according to the conditions of the Sinai Covenant, also foretold of a “restoration” after disaster hit, that would also be brought about by God.  The “restoration” prophesies all center on a future “Messiah” or “Savior” that was yet to come.  Some of these prophetic words are even affirmed when we read the four Gospels, especially in the Gospel of St. Matthew.  For example, Isaiah 7:14, which says “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son...” is confirmed to be fulfilled in Jesus when we read Matthew 1:23.  So even though the disaster scenario of the Israelites disobeying their part of the covenant was going to happen, God wasn’t done yet, and had additional plans for not only Israel but also the whole world, Isaiah 11:10, 12 and elsewhere.  

Though Israel was God’s chosen, eventually all peoples are chosen by God to live in covenant with Him through the examples both good and bad given us by the Hebrew people.   The foretold Messiah is to be the fulfillment of this future hope.  Today, we know this Messiah as Jesus.

Author's note:  This was originally a series written for a bulletin insert, and is continuing to be adapted as a Confirmation curriculum Bible overview.  The whole series is available by contacting me.  Past blog
installments can be found here:

Part 1

Parts 2 and 3

Part 4

Parts 5 and 6

Parts 7 and 8

No Excuses

"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." - Romans 1:20

Trail Log:  March 18, 1990

 It has been nearly two years since the odyssey on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) began.  Much of it, especially those “not so good” times, has been forgotten or stored in the collective unconsciousness, anyway.  Over the past year I have reflected much on that journey, wishing how I were back there and how I wish I had done a lot of things differently.  Isn’t that the story of life??  Looking back on the past, remembering with fondness those things of yesteryear, yet wishing somehow there was a way to recapture those days and relive them, perhaps changing a few things along the way?  Much has happened in the 1 ½ years since the last day on the PCT.  I am finishing my thesis, I have worked as an emergency dispatcher - a job come and gone, that was a good experience.  And now, I live in Palo Alto California, working as a geologist specializing in earthquakes, and still looking for the perfect girl for me.  Some things never change, I guess!

And yet, all of that pales in comparison to this moment.  Here I sit at approximately 7850' in elevation, surrounded by snow on a glorious March morning in the looming presence of Half-Dome.  Stretched out in front of me are the peaks of the Ritter Range, and the head of Yosemite Valley.  The Ritter Range - alas!  I can think back just by looking out at Banner peak and seeing through the mountain to the other side - hiking past Thousand Island Lake, with Banner Peak towering over both the lake and I.  The ever present breeze here is the voice of God, calling me back to my roots.  The woodpeckers are out; their task of searching for food in the bark of the Jeffrey Pines never complete.

It is a glorious view, and my presence here feels natural - I belong here.  Recharged now, I can return to the city.  Yet I do not want to return.  Not return?  To a place where I am an important and integral part of human expansion?  Why would I not want to leave a place where I feel so insignificant in the shadow of such worthy grandeur?  Because I belong here.  Yet, I sigh with reluctance because I know that I must return, for now anyway.  This is a harsh and hostile land, despite that God blessed me with some beautiful winter weather this weekend.  Yet, the very nature of this place prevented me from reaching my destination - the almighty summit of Half Dome.  2/3 the way up quarter dome, I gave up because the snow was getting too deep and slushy.  I had lost the trail long ago - but kept at the task regardless.  I am humbled by that towering monolith, yet I do not regret that loss.  I still have an impressive climb behind me; one that has left me with a tremendous view of the Sierra high country.  My first winter experience is nearly over: My first real hike in a year and a half.  (I was prepared this time: lots of warm clothes, a warmer bag, and snow shoes).

Right now, there is a slight breeze, and the stillness coupled with the rustling of the pines and cedars gives me an aching longing to be back here for a great length of time.  My heart aches tremendously to be able to soak everything about this place up and keep them all: the crisp, clear march air, the towering snow-clad spires of granite, the breeze, the rustling of the pines, the birds chirping, the views, the very essence of this place - the Incomparable Valley.  I feel like through all of these things, I am staring in awe face to face with God.

And I see now why man was removed from Eden.  He can’t fit in.  His own sin got him expelled by God, in part because he is not God, and as such, can never in this life truly be completely immersed in the presence of God.  That is the definition of heaven, and this world, though grand in its beauty, is not heaven.    We can accomplish great things with the help and aid of God, but in the end, it can never ultimately be about us, because in the end, we destroy and demolish Eden, and it can destroy and demolish us.  The beauty of our natural world - God's creation - is about as close as we can ever get to Eden, and in itself pales to comparison with the paradise of Eden.  God's creation is both beautiful and terrifying.  One little slip anywhere could destroy life itself - we certainly cannot survive here without significant aid.

------------------------------

A later addendum to this trail log:  These observations seemed so poignant re-reading them, and like so many things in life, much of what was said here was forgotten, or ignored - either accidentally or intentionally (or a bit of both) - in the years between then and now.  A couple of constants to ponder as I reflect back here in the heartland of America:  I miss those days still, longing for more but knowing that my age and life circumstances mean they are over, and nostalgia aside, accept that willingly.  The second is that all of these experiences - THIS log from a weekend trip in March of 1990, another trip in April where I summited Half Dome for a second time AND had the entire dome to myself all night long, along with extending that hike to the summit of Cloud's Rest to the east, all led eventually to my life vocation of being a minister and ambassador of God's Holy Word.  Not just an ambassador, but one who recognizes the extreme importance and truth in all of it - fed in part by seeing the creative hand of God first hand on this trip, and many others.  The mountains may always be calling me.   But in that calling, it is only to feel insignificant in the presence of God's sheer creative power - to get but a glimpse of God - highly incomplete that it may be - in what He has made.  It is the essence of Romans 1:20.

Yes, the original post before the "addendum" is my actual trail log from that winter trek into the Yosemite backcountry.

A Memorial Day Remembrance

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France. A total of 2289 of our military dead.

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium. A total of 5329 of our military dead.

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France. A total of 4410 of our military dead.

4. Brookwood, England American Cemetery. A total of 468 of our military dead.

5. Cambridge, England. 3812 of our military dead.

6. Epinal, France American Cemetery. A total of 5525 of our military dead.

7. Flanders Field, Belgium. A total of 368 of our military dead.

8. Florence, Italy. A total of 4402 of our military dead.

9. Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. A total of 7992 of our military dead.

10. Lorraine, France. A total of 10,489 of our military dead.

11. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. A total of 5076 of our military dead.

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14246 of our military dead.

13. Netherlands, Netherlands. A total of 8301 of our military dead.

14. Normandy, France. A total of 9387 of our military dead.

15. Oise-Aisne, France. A total of 6012 of our military dead.

16. Rhone, France. A total of 861 of our military dead.

17. Sicily, Italy. A total of 7861 of our military dead.

18. Somme, France. A total of 1844 of our military dead.

19. St. Mihiel, France. A total of 4153 of our military dead.

20. Suresnes, France. a total of 1541 of our military dead.

IF I ADDED CORRECTLY, THE COUNT IS 104,366 of our military dead.

This does not even count those who were buried on our own shores.

Apologize to no one.

"The nation that forgets it's defenders will itself be forgotten." - President Calvin Coolidge

Division

 

These are some random thoughts on this sunny last day of April.  Yesterday, I saw a post that argued against the labeling of soap dispensers as racist.  You mean to tell me that someone out there has actually postulated that bathroom soap dispensers are racist?  Yes, you know?  Those automatic soap dispensers that hang on bathroom walls - often found at gas stations, truck stops and rest areas?  You know, the kind that have motion sensors in them to dispense a small amount of soap hands-free?  Well, they are apparently racist because they don't sense the color of a person's skin (seems like that would make them NOT racist to me...) and because they cause a black person to expose the lightest portion of their skin - their palm - to the dispenser.  (Uh, it'll work just the same on the back of your hand, your foot, your leg, your arm, your jacket sleeve...)  Just when I thought the world couldn't get any more stupid, and I'm proven wrong, again.  I actually thought that the Portland Oregon school district debating whether or not trees were racist was the dumbest thing ever.  (yeah, in the state that has a TREE on their license plate - THAT Portland) This one tops that.  As the point of the video denouncing this lunacy so aptly states, if you think in racist terms, you'll see racism in everything.  Apply that more broadly:  If all you do is focus on hate (or fill in the blank), all you'll ever do is see everything through a hate-filled lens.  It seems today that Dr. King's dream has died a slow, asphyxiating death, because we have an entire party (yes, the Democratic party) that can't see beyond the color of a person's skin, and refuses to judge anyone on the content of their character.

    Today, we have no end of terms thrown around by the liberal media and the Democratic party such as "white privilege," "systemic racism," "critical race theory," and so on.  But here's the problem as I see it with these terms, and it's twofold.  One:  I was raised in a typical midwestern middle class family (you'll note that I didn't identify it as "white.").  My parents never taught me to judge anyone by their external appearance.  Just the opposite, in fact.  Nor did I learn (in a well-integrated school system, by the way), that a person's skin color mattered in the slightest when it came to how we interact and judge one another.  I'm also not alone.  It was purely natural to then head to college and see the same kinds of things play out there.  The only time I would judge anyone on our track team:  white, black, or Jewish, was on how well we all ran and how well we functioned together as a team.  As a sophomore, in the 4x400 relay, I was exchanging the baton with a teammate who happened to be black.  We dropped the baton on the exchange (the only time I can recall that ever happening).  It had nothing to do with skin color between us.  It had everything to do with my exhaustion and inability to place the baton squarely in his hand.  But there were also some unusual changes in college now too.  Now, we had such things as the "black student union," along with various "minorities-only" groups, activities,  and fraternities.   At the time, I began to learn that these were ok because we were all still racist.  That came as a surprise to me, even though yes, racism still exists. Some of those teammates and classmates who just happen to be black have now also - over 35 years later, accused me of being a part of all those terms above.

    Two:  when it comes to college, I never got any kind of "privilege" with being white.  In fact, I'm still paying off refinanced student loans 35 years later.  I'm not alone in this.  I don't know anyone who happens to be Caucasian who's had an easy time of life all because of their skin color.  Just the opposite in fact.  Additionally, the only ones who happen to be white and are screaming "racism," "white privilege," etc. are the rich, Hollywood and political  (Caucasian) elite who have gained their fame and fortune at the expense of the rest of us - all skin colors included in "us."  And that, my friends, is a whole different issue.  Here's a good summary of how I see it - coming from a post I made recently on Parler:  "For sale: one mint condition 'white privilege card.' It has never been used, not even once. The reason I'm selling, is because it has never done a damn thing for me. No free college, no free food, no free housing, no free anything. I actually had to go to work everyday of my life while paying a boatload of taxes to carry those who chose not to work. If you're interested, I prefer cash but would be willing to do an even trade for a race card which seems much more widely accepted and comes with multiple benefits, if you fit the profile. Serious inquiries only!"

In light of all this, what I've come to learn is that while racism does still exist, a cursory glance at history (our own recent history) certainly shows that it is nowhere near the levels it was back in the contentious '60's.  I've learned that yes, the death of minorities at the hands of police is tragic, and in at least one recent case, should not have happened.  Officer Chauvin's humanity and empathy should have kicked in and George Floyd should not have died.  I've learned that the media and the aforementioned political party routinely lies to us (lying by omission of facts and truth) surrounding racism, as more Caucasians are killed by police each year than African Americans.  I've also learned (well, I already knew this) that if you don't want to get shot by the police, cooperate with them.  In fact, whether fearing such things or not, we are to respect authority, including the police.  Above all, I've learned that the biggest racists in America today are the ones who themselves are crying "racism" and they come in all genders and colors.  Today's "cancel culture," "woke mentality," and "virtue signaling" is accomplishing nothing but throwing gasoline on the fires of an already divided nation, that has divided only because the Democratic party and the mainstream media tells us we should be divided.

Has America made mistakes in it's history?  Of course.  But let's see them for what they are, and let's also recognize the extreme sacrifice in blood to correct those past mistakes, all for the sake of liberty and freedom.  And therein lies the rub.  history shows that the world is bloody - especially when it comes to being horribly divided.  That lesson is even in our own history, and it is most evident, oddly enough, in the issue of race and slavery.  Our own Civil War was the bloodiest and costliest in American lives in the history of this country's wars.  And with liberals and the media dividing us again, I fear that another Civil War is inevitable.  Too many people have had enough of this extreme radical view of America and the world, and are tired of the race-baiting, divisive politics that are rapidly destroying this country.  It's time to move past the destructive "identity politics" so adeptly utilized by American liberals, and get back to being "One Nation Under God" once again.

But what do I know?  I'm just a white middle class male, so any position I have is automatically wrong.

Was it Worth It? (Reprinted)

Not my words, but I wholeheartedly agree with the argument behind it.  Liberals have destroyed this country and have shredded the constitution, all for personal power and gain.  Original article link at the end.

By: Judd Garrett
Objectivity is the Objective

January 17, 2021

The National Guard, the FBI, the CIA are being sent to the Capitals in all 50 states, and there’s going to be over ten thousand National Guardsmen at the inauguration on Wednesday. The question is, why now? We experienced seven straight months of riots in our major cities, the death and damage has been well documented, yet Governors and Mayors refused to take action to stop those riots. Why? Why would they refuse to act to protect and defend the citizens of their cities and state? The cities most damaged by the 2020 riots are all Democratically controlled and all refused federal assistance to stop the rioting?
Prior to the January 6 Capital riot, Washington, DC mayor Muriel Bowser wrote a letter to the U.S. Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of the Army, stating, “to be clear, the District of Columbia is not requesting other federal law enforcement personnel and discourages any additional deployment.”
Why would she turn down help from federal law enforcement when she warned about potential violence at the rally? Why? The same reason she turned down federal law enforcement’s help during the riots in DC this summer. She wanted the riots to occur both times.
Like other Democrat Governors and Mayors, if the riots could be blamed on Trump, she didn’t care if her city burned and her citizens were killed. There is video evidence of the DC police opening the doors, stepping aside and allowing the rioters inside the Capital. Who gave that order?
Shortly after the riot ended, Muriel Bowser was on TV, using the riot to justify making DC a state, to expand her office, and her power. Isn’t that convenient? ‘My poor decisions allowed the protest to turn into a riot, causing the death and destruction in my city, so make my city a state, make me more powerful. Reward me for my ineptitude.’ She should have been on TV submitting her resignation for dereliction of duty, and failure to protect her city and her citizens.
The riot at the Capital has been characterized as the greatest threat our country has ever faced, equivalent to Pearl Harbor and 9/11. But when riots were tearing down your cities, breaching your stores, burning down your buildings, the same politicians who were shuddering under their desks on January 6, were fine with people shouting, ‘burn baby burn’ in June, July, and August.
If you haven’t noticed, the Black Lives Matter riots have stopped. Is this an indication that police departments are no longer “systemically racist”? Or are they only racist from June to November of Presidential election years? The BLM protests/riots accomplished nothing substantive for black people. Race relations are not better today than they were 8 months ago. They are worse. Black lives are not better today, they are much worse considering the majority of the stores that were looted and burned to the ground in the inner-cities were owned by black people. The protests/riots greatly benefitted the Democratic party, though. And that was their sole purpose. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez admitted this in November.
Now, the Capital riot is being used to impeach Trump, and shut down the conservative social media site Parler. We are told that the riot was planned on Parler for weeks, and that’s why the site had to be shut down. How inept are our intelligence agencies? Not one agent was monitoring the “insurrection” traffic on Parler so they could alert Muriel Bowser to mobilize the National Guard? This is not unique, they also missed BLM and Antifa planning their riots on Facebook and Twitter for 7 straight months in 2020. In all cases, they either did not have the intelligence, or the intelligence was not heeded by the politicians.
This is the way our politics work these days. In 2017, in one of the few lucid interviews Nancy Pelosi has ever given, she revealed a Democrat demonization tactic called “wrap-up smear.” She said, “You smear somebody, with falsehoods and all the rest, and then you merchandise it. And then you write it, and then they’ll say ‘See? It’s reported in the press that this, this, this and this,’ so they have that validation that the press reported the smear, and then it’s called the ‘wrap-up smear.’ Now I’m going to merchandise the press’s report on the smear that we made.”
This is the person who leads the United States House of Representatives. So, if you wonder why nothing ever gets done, why our problems never get solved, you don’t have to look any further than what she said in that press conference.
In June of 2018, when our economy was humming along very well under Trump’s policies, especially the low unemployment and high wages for minorities, far-left talk show host Bill Maher said, “I'm hoping for it (recession) because I think one way you get rid of Trump is a crashing economy." So, I’m hoping for misery on the American people so my side gains power. This is evil.
In her recent 60 Minutes interview, Nancy Pelosi admitted to holding up the stimulus for small business for 7 months, solely for political purposes. Their strategy; use the pandemic to destroy the economy, to destroy lives, inflict as much misery on the people, blame Republicans and Trump with their “wrap-up smear” tactic, and win the election.
The Democratic politicians who did nothing to stop the riots which devastated their cities and states also imposed the harshest and most devastating lockdown measures in the country. Interesting, now that Biden is about to take office, and the country must turn around so Biden will get credit, many of the Governors who denied Trump’s calls for re-opening have changed their tune.
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo had an epiphany about the devastation of lockdowns recently. He said, “We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass. The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open. We must reopen the economy.” He is almost quoting Trump word for word. He knew Trump was right all along, but for months he had the most draconian lockdown policies in America, destroying millions of people's livelihoods and well-being for a political victory. This is criminal.
Chuck Schumer, after months of blocking and stalling needed stimulus, holding legislation hostage to his far-left projects, and only giving $600 of stimulus checks, promises now a quick delivery of new stimulus including $2,000 checks as soon as Biden takes office.
After criticizing President Trump’s push to re-open the country as reckless throughout his campaign, Joe Biden wants to open all schools within 100 days, even though the vaccine will not be widely distributed throughout the country to protect everyone. Is anyone going to blame the Coronavirus deaths that occur after the re-opening on Joe Biden? It’s interesting, most political websites have stopped the death counts, stopped tallying the Covid-19 infections and deaths that were so prominently displayed from March 2020 until November 2020. Are there no more infections? No more deaths? Of course not.
This reminds me of the death counts we would get day-in and day-out during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars under George W. Bush, but amazingly stopped under Barack Obama as if soldiers stopped dying the day he took office. This is why very few people know that more servicemen were killed in Afghanistan under Obama than Bush. Everyone seemed to care about every single casualty of war under Bush, but stopped caring or at least paying attention under Obama.
The exploitation of these crises by the Democrats was solely for political gain. This is what Mr. Potter would do in the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, exploit crises to expand and consolidate his power. But it’s worse than Potter. At least Potter was honest in his cruelty. He made it clear he didn’t like the working people and planned on exploiting them. You knew who the devil was. These politicians talk to us like they are George Bailey but treat us like Mr. Potter would. It’s so much more sinister.
They told us they were so concerned about our well-being that we had to give up our rights, be locked in our homes, have our schools and businesses shut down, all for our own good. Yet, simultaneously, they allowed mobs of rioters to roam the streets unfettered, to kill, injure, burn and destroy without doing anything. They do not care about your well-being. They care about their power. And the lockdowns and riots were used solely to help Biden get elected.

Was the carnage worth it?

Original article can be found here:  https://www.objectivityistheobjective.com/post/was-it-worth-it