Yahweh’s Conditional Protection Of Jerusalem
After David conquered Jerusalem, one of his first acts was to move the Ark of the Covenant there. After some initial difficulty, the Ark was moved into a tent inside the city while a temple was being constructed. Finished under Solomon, the Temple was a point between Heaven and Earth, a true manifestation of God. The temple served as a beacon to all, and because of this, the people of Israel and Judah adopted the idea of “sacral kingship”(Armstrong 52). Yahweh was the king’s Mashiach or “anointed one,” and once the king was anointed, he became God’s son. This came with a type of covenant by God, that is the king had to “defend the poorest, save the children of those in need, and crush their oppressors”(Psalm 72:4), and in exchange God would provide them absolute security. So if a covenant was made over the security of Jerusalem, why was the temple destroyed by the Babylonians?
The idea of absolute security is expressed in three words throughout psalms in Jerusalem, mishpat, tzedek, and shalom. Mishpat literally means judgment, but it also denotes the harmonious rule of Yahweh(Armstrong 53). Tzedek means justice, and it was the human king’s task of the time to carry this out among all his people. Shalom is normally translated as peace, but also refers to wholeness, such as “fertility, harmony, and success in war”(Armstrong 53). Shalom also entails the other two, and if any of these virtues were lost, then Yahweh’s protection of Jerusalem would cease.
As time progressed, Jerusalem became more powerful and wealthy, becoming a possible target for their neighbors. Though Yahweh was largely praised, he was not exclusively praised despite the efforts of the Deuteronomists, and this led to issues. Some citizens of Jerusalem believed that the mere presence of Yahweh and admiration of him when enemies got close was enough, but as discussed earlier, if the three values were not met, Yahweh would not protect them. The people of Jerusalem violated mishpat, the harmonious rule of Yahweh as alien gods were being worshipped. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem for the second time, systematically burning the city and murdering its citizens.
The people of Jerusalem strayed from their agreement with Yahweh, mishpat, tzedek, and shalom were not met, and so Yahweh allowed the city to be destroyed. Yet even in the rubble, the “city of Jerusalem would prove to be a religious symbol that could generate hope for the future”(Armstrong 78).
The idea of absolute security is expressed in three words throughout psalms in Jerusalem, mishpat, tzedek, and shalom. Mishpat literally means judgment, but it also denotes the harmonious rule of Yahweh(Armstrong 53). Tzedek means justice, and it was the human king’s task of the time to carry this out among all his people. Shalom is normally translated as peace, but also refers to wholeness, such as “fertility, harmony, and success in war”(Armstrong 53). Shalom also entails the other two, and if any of these virtues were lost, then Yahweh’s protection of Jerusalem would cease.
As time progressed, Jerusalem became more powerful and wealthy, becoming a possible target for their neighbors. Though Yahweh was largely praised, he was not exclusively praised despite the efforts of the Deuteronomists, and this led to issues. Some citizens of Jerusalem believed that the mere presence of Yahweh and admiration of him when enemies got close was enough, but as discussed earlier, if the three values were not met, Yahweh would not protect them. The people of Jerusalem violated mishpat, the harmonious rule of Yahweh as alien gods were being worshipped. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem for the second time, systematically burning the city and murdering its citizens.
The people of Jerusalem strayed from their agreement with Yahweh, mishpat, tzedek, and shalom were not met, and so Yahweh allowed the city to be destroyed. Yet even in the rubble, the “city of Jerusalem would prove to be a religious symbol that could generate hope for the future”(Armstrong 78).
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