The Importance of the Exile

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A. The Exile – What it is, and Why it is Very Important.

1. Where Does the Exile Fall in Israel’s History? Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt at 1446 BC. Israel came to Mt Sinai later that same year. At Mt Sinai they had a dramatic encounter with God. They also entered into the Sinai covenant with God, and received the Law (the Law both guides Israel’s life and is also the requirements of the Sinai covenant). After Moses died, Israel crossed the Jordan river and entered the promised land under the leadership of Joshua. This occurred at about 1400 BC.

   David became the king of Israel approximately 400 years after the time of Joshua. Thus David ruled as king over Israel around the year 1000 BC. He was followed by Solomon. When Solomon died (931 BC), the kingdom of Israel split into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom had 10 tribes and was called “Israel.” The southern kingdom had 2 tribes (Judah & Benjamin), and was called “Judah.”

   The kings who were descended from David and then Solomon ruled Judah, the southern kingdom, from its capital city, Jerusalem. These kings ruled Judah for over of 400 years. This line of kings ruling Judah came to an end when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians (led by king Nebuchadnezzar), in 587/586 BC. That is when the exile begins.

2. What is the Exile?

   When Jerusalem fell, the Babylonians destroyed the Temple and much of Jerusalem. They took thousands of Jews to Babylon to be workers, servants, and slaves (not all of them were slaves). The Jews remained in Babylon for 70 years, until Babylon itself was conquered by the Persians (see Daniel 5). Shortly after that happened, the Persian king Cyrus decreed that the Jews could go home = they could return to Jerusalem (see 2 Chron 36 and Ezra 1). The 70 years they spent in Babylon, away from the promised land, are called “the exile.”

3. How Important was the Destruction of Jerusalem, and the Exile, to the Israelites? This is a major(!) event in the history of Israel. It occurred as a result of Israel broke the Sinai covenant

   Even though Moses and the prophets had warned Israel that this could happen, when it finally did happen, it was a shock to the Jews

   Many Christians do not realize how important, even how staggering, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple were to the Jews. It made the Israelites question if God had abandoned them

   The importance of the exile to Jewish thinking is reflected in the fact that in the New Testament, Matthew mentioned it in Christ's geneology

B. Passages that warn Israel that they could be taken away from the land and sent into exile if they scorn God and reject his laws:

• Leviticus 26 / Deuteronomy 28 Tripartite promise
• 1 Kings 8
• 1 Kings 9

C. Passages that record the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the Jews being taken into exile:

• 2 Kings 25 / Jeremiah 39 & 52
• 2 Chron 36

D. Passages that look back on the fall of Jerusalem –

Some of these passages explain it. Others express great sorrow, and even anguish, over it.

• Ezra 9
• Psalm 74 Reflects how it feels
• Psalm 77
• Psalm 79
• Ezekiel 33:21–33

The entire book of Lamentations; see esp. 5:22.

E. A psalm which shows that Israel eventually realized why they had been punished and sent into exile. In this psalm Israel confesses that it sinned and was unfaithful to God.

• Ps 106