Destruction

On to chapter 3 in The Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and one of the questions for reflection and discussion is:

Ancient Israel's geographic location between the mighty empires of Egypt and Mesopotamia virtually ensured its repeated domination by superior military forces. Rather than view their history as the result of a vulnerable position and the realities of international aggression, however, most biblical writers interpreted Israel's rise and fall as a consequence of its failure to worship YHWH alone. How do you interpret Judah's destruction by Babylon (587 B.C.E) and again by Rome (70 C.E.)? Why did YHWH not protect his convenant people from their enemies?

I believe that YHWH allowed Judah’s destruction by Babylon and again by Rome to facilitate spiritual growth among the covenant people – and, by extension, followers of other faiths who built upon Judaism. The period of the Babylonian exile was “the most productive era in terms of biblical composition. Scholars believe that much of the Hebrew Bible … was thoroughly revised and reedited during the late sixth, fifth, and fourth centuries B.C.E … Without king, country, or sanctuary, the Jewish exiles in Babylon pondered the national disaster that had robbed them of all the divine promises made to Abraham and David. In the final edition, the Torah thus does not end as one would expect, with Israel’s possession of Canaan. Instead, it concludes with Moses’ ultimate disappointment – seeing the Promised Land from afar and then dying before he can enter it. The divine promises remain in effect, but their fulfillment lies in the indefinite future … At that low point in their history, it may have seemed as if God had entirely abandoned his people. During the exile and its aftermath, Judean writers produced varied works that dramatized their nation’s misfortunes, including the Book of Job, in which a righteous man reexamines traditional concepts of God’s character and divine justice. As Job, after almost unbearable suffering, is finally returned to divine favor, so Israel could hope for restoration” (page 54).

Moments of crisis truly test people’s beliefs and cause them to reevaluate their worldview. Viewed with a long-term perspective, Judah’s destruction by Babylon and again by Rome was a very positive development since it caused scholars to fundamentally reevaluate and refine their belief system and to search for deeper meaning. Many centuries later, we all still benefit from the results of their suffering and searching – in the form of the Hebrew Bible. Also, by leaving people wanting, YHWH provided ongoing motivation to people – even the most righteous among us – to uphold their end of the covenant in hopes of being returned to divine favor.

In his bestselling book Good to Great, Jim Collins opens by observing that “good is the enemy of great”. Had YHWH simply handed Israel possession of Canaan and vanquished its enemies, the people probably would have led good lives but not pushed themselves to be truly great spiritually. It’s just human nature to do that. Why endure pain (even in the form of intellectual or spiritual questioning) if there is nothing to be gained? If YHWH has already told you you’re the chosen people and he has bestowed blessing upon you, why push to become something more than that? Why push to deepen your understanding of the covenant or become better people? You couldn’t have things better than they already were. Instead, YHWH pushes his people to go to the next level and continually seek to improve themselves and their understanding of Him over time. In a word, to strive for greatness as YHWH is great.