Term 3 – Exile
Introduction
Though Israel has lost its land, God has not given up on them. He speaks to them through his prophets who, like a sensitive conscience, declare God’s words of advice, judgement, and hope to His people. This term introduces the main messages of the prophets during and after exile and puts them in the historical context of their time. We study what message the prophets proclaimed for the people of their own time and explore the parts have an enduring relevance that reaches down the centuries to Jesus’ life on earth, and to our own time today.
Summary of Sessions
- The Kingdom’s Final Days. The history of Judah’s demise.
- Jeremiah – God’s Weeping Messenger. Jeremiah warns a complacent king of God’s impending judgement on Jerusalem and its people for covenant failure – and looks ahead to a new and more glorious covenant.
- Ezekiel – Visions of God’s Glory. A refugee sees visions of God’s glory departing, but eventually returning to, Jerusalem
- Daniel – Faithfulness in a Godless Place. An exiled, high-flying Jew manages to both live faithfully and thrive in the court of a despotic conqueror.
- Isaiah – And Yet There is Hope. Isaiah 40-66: prophecies of Israel’s return, and God’s work of judgement and salvation leading to a new Eden.
- The Exiles Return. The Jews are allowed to return to their land and rebuild; under Ezra and Nehemiah they face hardships but persevere, and are exhorted to stay true to the covenant. We glance forward to their historical story between the Old Testament and the new.
- A Nation in Waiting. Zechariah tells Israel the timing of salvation depends on their behaviour; and we explore what the Messianic prophecies, made by Zechariah and many of the other prophets, reveal about the Messiah.
- Review and Reflection. We reprise the message of the prophets, and look for guidelines on how to interpret their sayings in own own time. Then, as the Old Testament falls silent, we review of God’s covenants with His people: where do they now stand before Him?
