We Believe: Chapter 17 - The Exile and the Journey Home
The Students will learn;
Prophets continued to share God’s message.
God’s people in exile were given hope.
God’s people searched for wisdom.
The long return to Judah happened in three stages.
Faith Words
Lamentations- a sorrow that is expressed in the form of a poem.
Superstition- the false belief that living creatures or things possess powers that in fact they do not have.
Hope- a gift from God that enables us to trust in God’s promise to be with us always; it enables us to be confident in God’s love and care for us.
Proverb- a brief saying that gives wise advice.
Torah- the Hebrew name for the first five books of the Old Testament.
Facts
Ezekiel has a vision in which the glory of God left the holy of holies, the Temple and finally the city of Jerusalem.
The experience of exile in Babylon helped God’s people to grow on their faith.
The exiles identified themselves as Jews and called their religion Judaism.
Isaiah of Babylon said that salvation would come only through the suffering of a servant of the Lord, a servant who would be without sin.
The Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament
Book of Job- reminds us that suffering is part of life for all people.
Book of Psalms- a collection of poetic prayers and songs that help us to give worship to God.
Book of Proverbs- gives advice on how to live.
Book of Ecclesiastes- teaches us riches, pleasure, and even wisdom only bring happiness for awhile.
Song of Songs- collection of love poems that use symbolic language to help us understand God’s love.
Book of Wisdom- designed to urge people to live a good holy life.
Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)- deals with growing in faith and teaches that we can grow in faith by living a good and holy life.
**Explain the significance of each stage of the exiled people’s return to Judah.
Stage 1: A strong Persian ruler appointed two prominent Jews to lead a large Jewish expedition back to Judah. They succeeded in rebuilding the Temple and resettling a large part of the land.
Stage 2: An attack on Jewish territory prompted Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to protect the city.
Stage 3: Ezra tearfully recalled the people’s sins, moving them to repent and to agree to follow God’s law.
**Describe what happened to Job and what can be learned from his story.
**How did the experience of exile in Babylon help God’s people to grow in faith?
**What is the importance of hope in our lives?