Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 13
I M M E R S E D I N C H R O N I C L E S –E Z R A –N E H E M I A H
I N 4 0 7 B C , leaders
of the Jewish community on the Egyptian island fortress of Elephantine wrote to the Persian governor in Judea for help.
They explained that their ancestors had built a temple to Yahu (Yahweh)
there but that it had recently been destroyed by a mob incited by the
priests of the Egyptian god Khnum. These Jewish leaders complained
that they had requested assistance from the priests and elders in Jerusalem but had heard nothing back. In response, the Persian governor
authorized them to rebuild their temple. But why hadn’t their fellow
Jews in Jerusalem been the first to help?
This request for the Jerusalem community to invest in a temple in
Egypt illustrates why the writing of a grand, new history of Israel was
necessary. These Jews in Egypt were worshiping “Yahu” alongside
other gods in a mix of Jewish and pagan rituals. This newly written history repeatedly makes a vital claim: True worship of God will follow the
instructions God gave in the Law of Moses and will occur in the place
God has chosen—the Temple in Jerusalem.
This history comprises the books commonly known as 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. It draws on accounts kept by prophets in
earlier times, on the personal memoirs of Ezra and Nehemiah, and on
community records. These materials were brought together into one
large work to address the particular challenges of this time.
Israel’s previously written history (from Genesis to Samuel–Kings) addressed the situation of Israel’s exile and answered the question: Why
did the Exile happen? Chronicles–Ezra–Nehemiah addresses the situation of the people after the Exile and answers the question: Who are
we now?
This new telling of Israel’s history begins with an elaborate genealogy
(a list of ancestors) that goes all the way back to Adam and reveals the
origins and development of the twelve tribes of Israel. Special attention
is given to Judah (the tribe of King David) and Levi (the tribe of priests).
This genealogy helps the current generation see that they are linked to
Israel’s most ancient people and stories. Thus, the lists begin the work
of reminding them of who they are.
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