Lutherans believe that the Bible is inspired by God and is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and doctrine. That’s loaded statement, however, because it can be interpreted very broadly. It also doesn’t offer us a whole lot of help with the passage we read from Ezra 4-6 today.
There’s a major problem with these chapters. They depict the ancient Jews running into problems as they try to rebuild the temple after returning from decades of exile in Babylon. It’s late in the 6th century B.C.E. The returned exiles have cleared the temple site of rubble and relayed the foundation. We read about that last Sunday. Now they’re building above ground and the work is clearly noticeable. Ezra tells us that “adversaries” of the Jews heard of this work. The text says that the adversaries are people who were brought to the land by the Assyrians a long time before. Indeed, other historical sources agree that about 150 years before the Assyrians did import colonists from other parts of their empire to settle in northern Israel. These people would not have been Jews and they would not have believed what Jews believed.
Interestingly, however, these non-Jewish people offer to help build the temple. Why? Why would you offer to help Jews build their holiest building in their holiest city if you don’t live by Jewish religious beliefs? Ezra calls them “adversaries.” If they were adversaries, then maybe their offer to help was intended for sabotage. Or perhaps it was a genuine offer; but these non-Jews felt that by offering to help they would be able to use the temple for their religious beliefs too. In a time and place where many religions mixed regularly that may have been acceptable to some. But for the ancient Jews their religion needed to remain pure and uncompromised. Some biblical scholars theorize that perhaps these adversaries were actually in power in area and they were hoping to increase their influence, or at least not have their influenced decreased, by offering to help with the temple.
Whatever was the case, the Jews rejected their offer. We’re told that the adversaries then discouraged the people of Judah, they made them afraid, and they bribed officials to frustrate the Jews’ plans. They sound like a pretty immoral bunch. There’s no wonder you wouldn’t want to work with them! That is certainly what Ezra wants to depict them as.
The adversaries are successful. Work on the temple stops. It stops for about 17 years. Remember that the whole region was ruled by the Persians at this time. Persian King Cyrus, who allowed the Jews to rebuild dies. Persia goes into turmoil. Within a couple years Darius arises to rule Persia. There is much confusion as to who is trustworthy and who is not. Given the instability and the question of loyalties we can understand why Ezra records in chapter 5 that Persian officials demanded proof for permission to rebuild the temple, and they wanted the names of those who were leading it so as to hold them accountable if it turns out they are being subversive.
But, with determination and patience, the correct documentation is found and work on the temple resumes. It is completed. As Ezra tells it, it was a lengthy and difficult process. But it was completed eventually. Ezra’s story is one of faithfulness, perseverance, commitment, and love of God that saw the massive project to its completion. It’s a great story and it can make for a great sermon.
But that story has a big problem.
Ezra isn’t the only part of the Bible that tells us about this time period. And Ezra isn’t the only part of the Bible that tells us about the delay. Ezra 5 even mentions two of the other biblical witnesses to this time period. They are the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. So we can very easily turn to the writings of those prophets and learn more from them.
The problem is, that their version of the delay in building the temple is almost the complete opposite of Ezra’s version.
This is something that is both puzzling and fascinating about our scripture. It frequently contradicts itself, and doesn’t seem at all bothered by the contradiction. I’ll return to that at the end of the sermon. Before that we want to look at the contradiction.
Remember that Ezra paints the returning Jews and their endeavors in a positive light. He depicts them as dedicated and faithful. They are good people with the right priorities who are overcoming practical and political obstacles in carrying out the will of God.
What does Haggai say? Haggai 1:1 starts off saying, “In the second year of King Darius in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah.” In other words, Haggai is precisely describing the exact same people at the exact same time. From what we read in Ezra, we’d expect Haggai to say something like, “God is pleased with your diligence and your commitment to rebuilding the temple.” But what does Haggai say? “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.” And, “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in paneled houses, while this [temple] lies in ruins?” And then Haggai goes on to rip into the people for their wrong priorities.
As Haggai tells it, the Jewish leaders have the wrong priorities. They’ve focused on enriching themselves first, building themselves nice houses and comfortable lives, and they’ve ignored the work of the temple. Therefore, God is punishing them for their continued lack of faithfulness.
So which is it? Was the construction of the temple delayed because the Jewish leadership ran into fierce opposition, or was the construction of the temple delayed because the Jewish leadership was self-centered and basically lazy?
Ezra gives one story. Haggai gives another. Both are scripture; the ultimate authority in faith and doctrine.
I tend to believe Haggai more. Ezra frequently overlooks rough patches and puts a positive spin on things. And yet, Ezra does reference a number of things that can be verified by other independent historical sources. So you can’t just dismiss Ezra as wrong. From my own research I believe Ezra is correct in that there was official opposition from non-Jews to the reconstruction of the temple. Its construction was forced to cease for years. But then the people became complacent and stopped caring. They needed to be goaded to get back to work.
If that is the case, then we can understand the contradiction and learn from it. How many times do we start a task with commitment, but then the commitment wanes as time goes on?
How many times do we do things with mixed motives? The public face we put on something is virtuous, but there is a hidden benefit for us? Was the construction of the temple really about devotion to God for those Jewish leaders or was it mixed with motives of power and influence? When the promised benefits ceased, did the motive evaporate.
Proverbs 21:2 famously says, “All deeds are right in the eyes of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart.”
Mark Oldenburg, my one seminary professor, said that we usually decide that we want to do something, then we invent a theology to justify it. How often do we want to do something, and then invent a morality to allow it?
“All deeds are right in the eyes of the doer.”
Earlier I promised that I’d wrap up with the way the scripture sometimes outright contradicts itself; and it doesn’t seem to be bothered by the contradiction at all. The Bible does that all over the place.
There’s a big part of me that wants the Bible to give me clear and specific answers to all questions. I want clear and specific advice for all situations. I want life to be able to be divided into good and bad, right and wrong. And then I will do what is good and right. (Or at least I tell myself that I will to do what is good and right. I’m probably lying to myself!) But the Bible does not give oversimplified answers to the all too complicated questions and problems of life.
I believe the Bible is inspired by God, and probably more deeply inspired by God than we may be ready to admit. For God has given us a collection of writings that, instead of giving absolute answers, gives us a framework for faithfully struggling with problems.
Haggai and Ezra flat out disagree with each other. Perhaps that’s unsettling, but their contradictions helps us to explore their own issues, and wrestle with our own issues in ways that are informed by faith.
I do not believe God has a scoreboard of the right and wrong things we have done. I do believe God will join us in the messy struggles of mixed motives and unclear answers, and then lead us faithfully forward.
Ultimately there is only one truth. That is the love of God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ. For Jesus is our friend, our Lord, and our Savior. Things done faithfully in Jesus’ name, even if we falter and struggle, are still things truly done for the glory of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment