“He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.”(Psalm 78:67-68).
Today we explored the “tent of Joseph,” that is, the land that was allotted to Ephraim and Manasseh (often referred to as Samaria). As we traipsed through cities, up mountains, and through wadis, I thought about why God chose Judah over Ephraim and Manasseh. No answers were quick in coming…but after our Samaritan adventure, I am more in awe of God’s grace than ever. Let me start at the beginning.
Our first stop was a quick overlook over the Rift Valley. Alexandrium, one of Herod’s desert palaces, once stood on the highest mountain peak in our view. He often used the basements of these palaces to imprison and torture his political opponents—or his own family. John the Baptist was beheaded at a palace just like this one.
For our second stop, we had to stop at a security checkpoint before entering the West Bank, and were only allowed through because one of Dr. Wright’s Jewish acquaintances met us there and agreed to be our escort. He was a spry old man with a long white beard; a passionate Zionist who was not afraid to voice his political opinions. We went through the Jewish settlement Elon Morae, and ascended a hill overlooking Shechem (the modern city of Nablus in Arabic) as well as Tirzah and Sycar. Surprisingly, Elon Morae does not have a wall around it, because its inhabitants believe that a wall says, “This land is mine and the land on the other side is yours,” a concession they are not willing to make. They believe all the land is rightfully theirs.
Politics aside, it was a great spot and it really helped me see the different routes coming out of the area, as well as understanding the cities better. Shechem is on the dividing line between Ephraim and Manasseh, and is in a secure position with the potential for expansion, looking to the Mediterranean Sea. Tirzah enjoys good access to the mountains, and relatively good access to Galilee; however, it doesn’t have access to the coast and remains an eastern-oriented city, looking over the Rift Valley. This whole northern area is different from Jerusalem because is more open and easily accessible—perfect location for a central city, has better soil and water resources, and also enjoys being the hub of many routes, allowing connections for trade and expansion. In short, I quickly realized that the northern kingdom has many advantages over the southern kingdom.
Next, we headed over to Mount Gerizim, where long ago Joshua gathered the people, recited the Law of Moses, and pronounced the blessings and curses (Josh. 8:30-35). Brad shouted out the blessings from Deuteronomy 28:1-14 for us.
From there we descended to Samaria, and learned more about the Samaritans. Basically, the Assyrian invasion caused the Samaritans to disperse: some went to Jerusalem, some stayed in Samaria, some fled to other places, and some were sent into exile. The Assyrians brought foreigners in to live with the ones who stayed; as a result, the Samaritans became a breed of “half-Jews” who were later also susceptible to Hellenistic influences. They were never on friendly terms with the southern kingdom, who thought their actions reflected unfaithfulness to the God of Jerusalem.
The Samaritans are still a people today (about 700 total) who reside in communities in Shechem and Tel Aviv. The high priest met us at their place of sacrifice and taught us about their religion. He made it clear that they are not Jewish. They hold to the Pentateuch and also hold the doctrines of one God, the prophet Moses, the importance of Mount Gerizim, and the coming Last Days. They still keep Jewish holidays like Rosh Hoshanah (starting tonight), Passover (where they still sacrifice sheep), and Shabbat every week. They intermarry within their community, and because of this many Samaritans have physical deformities. As the priest spoke, I was distracted by the children playing in the background. They were very entertained by several large sheets of plastic. The priest said that all the children attend Arab schools. It was very interesting.
Our last stop was in Shiloh, where we stood on three different sites that could be where the tabernacle once stood. The first option now has the ruins of a Byzantine basilica on it. The second one is an old orchard that has been excavated that church tradition holds as the site. The last option is now a lookout point near an old wine press.
Sitting on the bedrock of the last archaeological site, we took a moment to discuss Psalm 78. This psalm is a history psalm from Jerusalem’s perspective. It shows how Shiloh—the “better” city in terms of location and resources--compares with Jerusalem.
The psalm starts with exhorting the people to “teach their children…that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God.” Dr. Wright pointed out that we are always just one generation away from falling away from the Lord. The family is the basic unit of society and must teach their children—the next generation—about the Lord.
Then the psalm goes through a short history of Israel, reviewing how God has always been faithful, even when the Israelites reject him over and over. He even “dwelt in a tent among mankind” at Shiloh, living just as the people lived. However, when the Israelites persisted in worshipping idols, “he utterly rejected Israel…He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh.” Verses 62-64 detail the awful destruction of Shiloh. Then we read:
“He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.”
How completely unexpected! Ephraim and Manasseh have all the advantages…yet God chose Judah. Joseph was the oldest son of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel—he had everything going for him! (Just check out the blessing he gets in Genesis 49:22-26). Judah, on the other hand, was the youngest son of the hated wife, Leah—he had nothing going for him. Yet God chose to love and bless Judah, though he did nothing to deserve it. Judah was chosen simply because of grace.
Furthermore, “He chose David his servant and brought him from the sheepfolds,” another unexpected choice (v. 70)…the youngest son of a hillbilly family, with no military or political experience. Yet God called him to “shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance,” just as God himself had done: “He led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock” (v. 52). He chose David, an undeserving shepherd, to be a man after his own heart.
The northern arena would have been the ideal place to build a kingdom, but instead, God chose Judah. If God chose Judah solely because of grace, how much more is our own salvation a gift of grace! God chose me “before the foundation of the world” not because of anything I’ve done, but because of his grace. I still don’t understand this mystery, and probably never will. All I can do is stand in awe of God’s grace displayed to me through Jesus Christ, and respond with with a life of love and sacrifice to Him.
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