Jerusalem 3000 By: Alick Isaacs |
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Introduction As opposed to the book of Genesis, which tells of individuals, the later books are about the growth of the Jewish nation. In many ways, the Bible's description of how this nation grew parallels the stages of an individual's journey towards personal maturity. Genesis portrays a small family unit which embodies the still embryonic qualities of the nation. The stories are symbolic. The traits of the sons of Jacob represent the roles which are later to be played by the tribes. Abraham's journeys through the land of Israel, and in particular his presence on Mount Moriah, consecrate the ground and impart it with national symbolism. The exodus from Egypt is the birth of the nation; and the wanderings in the dessert are the years of early childhood. In turn, settling in the city of Jerusalem is the symbol of Israel achieving national maturity. We shall begin however, with the People of Israel as they struggle with their national "adolescence". 2. Joshua 3. Judges Throughout the Book of judges a number of important themes are stressed:-
4. Samuel and Saul
5. The City of David What was David's reason for choosing Jerusalem as his capital? Of course there were many. The one which you chose will reflect where your sympathies lie with regard to the different perspectives which we discussed in our first lecture. Let's consider David's choice of capital carefully. The city of Jerusalem was built at the foot of Mount Moriah; though David was never permitted to build the Temple. He was a soldier whose hands were stained by the blood of war and the construction of the Temple was a privilege destined for a man of peace. David built his city running down the side of the hill. His own palace stood at the top, the homes of his generals were beneath his own, below them the prophets then the scribes and so on. The city utilised the natural topography of the hillside to represent its internal hierarchy. The essential feature of all this was the sense that the presence of God himself watched over the city from the summit of Mount Moriah. David was God's anointed king who ruled over the united tribes of Israel with God's favour. He was a messianic figure, the ruler of the tribe of Judah and the ancestor of the Messiah who, according to the prophets (who of course post date David), will redeem the world from sin at the end of days. This monarchy drew its force from the proximity of its capital to the foot of the stairway. Incidentally, the hierarchical structure of the city which we have just mentioned explains David's famous sin with Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Uriah was one of David's generals and as such his home was positioned under the roof of the Royal palace. Privacy, in the city of David was only up hill. Uriah's home was clearly visible to those few who were above him in social stature. Hence David got a look at his general's wife and fell in love when "it came to pass at eventide, that David rose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful to look upon". The city of Jerusalem was never conquered by the tribes when they entered the land of Israel. The Canaanite Jebusites still continued to occupy the city throughout the rule of King Saul. David conquered the city in order to make it his capital:- "The king and his men set out for Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the region. David was told, "You will never get in here! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back." But David captured the stronghold of Zion; it is now the city of David." Jerusalem lay on the boundary between the territories of the tribes of Benjamin (the tribe of Saul) and the tribe of Judah (David's own tribe). As such, it was border territory which belonged to neither of these warring tribes. Jerusalem's centrality and its "Jebusitality" granted it the essential quality of neutrality. It was on the border of the two important tribes but belonged to neither. This feature was the source of the secret of Jerusalem's success as a capital and of David's success in achieving the unification of the tribes. Modern examples of the same phenomenon are Canberra, the capital of Australia and Washington D.C. Both citwere founded in order to resolve the conflicts between Melbourne and Sydney in Australia and New York and Philadelphia in the USA; all of which competed for the status of Federal capital. Jerusalem was centrally located. It was strategically well positioned, and was close to an essential water supply, the Gichon spring which flowed through the Kidron valley. 6. The Ark of the Covenant David insisted on purchasing with money, the threshing floor of Arnuah The Jebusite which was on Mount Moriah,
The Temple was perceived as a home for God and its construction was to mark the achievement of maturity of our Biblical child - Israel. 7. Solomon Builds the Temple Solomon married no less than seven hundred wives and kept three hundred concubines. If that isn't daunting enough consider briefly the prospect of keeping a thousand mothers in law happy! The purpose of his multiple marriages though was not his mothers in law but their husbands. Solomon married the daughters of the kings of the neighbouring empires establishing valuable diplomatic contacts and trade ties consecrated through marriage. These brought much wealth to his Kingdom, averted war and allowed for the work of building and glorifying the city to be done. Solomon's temple, the details of which are described in the Book of Kings, was a magnificent edifice. It stood at the top of the city of David, casting the protective shadow of God's presence on all who beheld it. The great king Solomon, the king who built it, enjoyed absolute power and loyalty. His rule was an era of absolute peace. The spirit of the Lord was finally given a permanent home. The Ark of the covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies and the daily and annual cycles of Temple ritual began. The Priests (Kohanim) of the tribe of Levi presided over the sacrificial ritual and daily miracles were reported to occur within the walls of the great Temple. This Temple was to stand on Mount Moriah for an era of 400 years.
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