Pentecost 24
Haggai 2:1-9
2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17
(prayer)
When King Solomon’s builders had completed constructing the temple, it must have been a magnificent sight. Imagine the wonderful smell of the freshly cut and sculptured cedar, the brightness of the crisp lines of the large stones; the inlayed gold and other decorative elements.
For centuries the Hebrew people had used a tent-like structure as their main house of worship; and the dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant – the box containing the remains of the original ten commandment tablets. The style comes from their nomadic times as refugees fleeing Egypt in the time of Moses. For the first years in the land of Canaan, the tabernacle may have continued its nomadic shifts, moving from place to place as the Hebrew tribes established themselves in the land. Then when King David built the city of Jerusalem to be the Capital of unified kingdom governing all of the twelve tribes, the tabernacle found a permanent home.
The Hebrew Scriptures tell us that David considered building a more permanent structure but was convinced that God wanted him to build a palace for himself instead (cf. 2Samual 7). And so it came to David’s successor, his son Solomon, to build the Temple. And it was easily the most striking characteristic of Jerusalem. It symbolized the centrality of Yahweh as the God of the Hebrew people and it solidified Israel’s place among nations.
As Solomon spoke at the dedication of the Temple, he confessed that “Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you [God], much less this house that I have built!”
It is ironic that from the beginning Solomon recognized that it was impossible to contain God in any one place, but that over time, being in the Temple became almost synonymous with being in God’s holy presence: to the point that it was felt that one could not “really” meet God anywhere else. Rituals and rites expanded to re-enforce that theology. This issue was central to the division of the nation of Israel in the wake of Solomon’s death. The northern tribes resented the increasing dominance of Jerusalem in Judah within the whole nation of Israel. For northerners, other sacred locations like Mt Gerizim and Jacob’s Well and Bethel were losing their place within the religious culture of the people. So, Solomon’s death provided the opportunity for the northern tribes to succeed from the Jerusalem based leadership. The era of the Divided Kingdom began. Northern Israel and Southern Judah were, in theory, one people but, in practice, separate nations. Within the south, this provided even more credence to a Temple-centred theology.
How devastating it must have been for the people of Judah as the Babylonian empire ventured west and successfully enveloped Judah, taking over the agricultural lands and invading and ransacking Jerusalem. Most of the people were deported to live in Babylon (an inventive way to stifle the chances of a counter revolution). News spread quickly among the exiles that the Temple had not escaped the onslaught. All of the rich ornaments, including the Ark of the Covenant were taken. It is quite likely that the invaders had no idea how valuable the contents of the Ark were to the Hebrew people. Those fragments of stone (which symbolized the law that governs the relationship between God and the people) that had been lovingly preserved for centuries in houses of canvas and stone, were probably un-ceremonially dumped out and scattered to the wind. [Unless you believe the tale that the Ark was whisked away to freedom at the last minute and (right now) is hidden in a Coptic Orthodox Christian Monastery in Ethiopia.]
Imagine how devastating the knowledge of the destruction of the Temple must have been to a people, who had come to believe that God had chosen to dwell uniquely in that place.
For several decades, the Judean people were forced to endure on memories of the Temple. As new generations were born, they could only be told of the festivals and the celebrations at the magnificent Temple – they had no way of experiencing it firsthand. Eventually, as the time of exile dragged on, very few people with actual memories of the Temple dwindled down to a handful, and they would have been only children when they were last at the Temple.
The exile lasted six decades, before Cyrus of Persia, who was now the broker of power in the region, issued an edict allowing for exiled peoples to return to their land of origin.
The descendants of the original Judean exiles were allowed to return to a place that most of them had never seen. Wonderfully, the ‘story’ of the people and their God had endured the exile. In fact, a more ever-present God was now the focus of the people – a God who comforts and stays with the people in times of struggle.
//
Haggai was a prophet in the new Jerusalem among the returned exiles. Under the leadership of the Judean Governor, Nehemiah, and the Priest, Ezra, a new Temple was being constructed. The passage Brian read today, comes from a mere four weeks after that reconstruction had begun. Haggai, addresses those elders, who as Children had seen and experienced the wonder of the first Temple. “How does it look to you now? It doesn’t compare does it?”
The Ark with its mercy seat and the cherubim were gone; the tablets of stone, the pot of manna, Aaron’s rod, the eternal fire on the altar, all of things that made Solomon’s Temple a sight to behold had been swept away. Although some of the grand stones were now being used as part of the foundation to this new Temple, it could never be the same. Sure, substitutes for the old relics and artefacts would be created and put in the new Temple, but they could never be the same. Even if this new Judah had unlimited resources and could create an almost exact duplicate, it could never the same as the Temple in the Elders childhood memories. In fact, resources were quite limited and this second Temple would be much smaller and more simply ornate for many centuries to come.
//
Haggai and the elders and all of the remnant of Judah knew that (although it was an exciting time to be rebuilding), the life of the people had forever been changed and there was no going back.
Kind of depressing!
But ...
Prophets always had a “but”.
But ... Haggai says ... take courage! Everyone, from King Zerubbabel, to High Priest Joshua, from the youngest child to the oldest senior, take courage! God is with you!
It is an old promise. Just as God was with Moses during the exodus, just as God was with the people as they entered Canaan and resettled the land, just as God was with the tribes during the time of the Judges and under the reigns of Kings Saul, David and Solomon. Just as God was with the people after the nation split and, even as we discovered, during the exile (with the help of people like the old prophet Ezekiel) that God was even with us in Babylon; Yahweh, our God, the Lord of Hosts, lives amongst us!
And so, even if this building seems like nothing compared to what is remembered, the glory of God, the real heart of the old Temple is here!!
In time, we will regain some power in the region; we will be able to adorn this new Temple with gold and silver, maybe to the point that it will be greater than the former house, but even now, do not fear, for God is with us! Haggai said.
//
In four days, many in our world will pause to remember the day and time of the end of the First World War – 2010 is the 92nd anniversary of that Armistice. At this time of year, we are also drawn to the memory of the end of World War II, which ended with the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945 (over 65 years ago). This past summer, I had the opportunity to stand on deck of the USS Missouri where the documents were signed. It was like stepping back in time.
Many remembrance day cenotaphs also recognize those who fought in the three year Korean War, which effectively ended with a peace treaty signed in 1953 (57 years ago).
I know that many of you have first hand memories of these events. For me, and those of my generation and younger, none of these events were part of my direct life experience. The Vietnam War hadn’t even started when I was born in 1963.
I suspect that every single one of the cubs, scouts and beavers and their leaders have no living memory of the great 20th Century wars involving Canada.
For them and for an increasingly large percentage of the population, Remembrance Day is not about remembering the events, but remembering the stories and their impact.
Do you know the name John Babcock? He was the longest surviving Canadian known to have fought in World War One. He passed away this past February at age 109. All the WW1 vets are gone.
The reality of time tells us that within the next 30 to 40 years, by the time my kids are my age, all WW2 and Korean War veterans will have lived their full lives.
The nature of Remembrance Day is changing from remembering events to remembering the stories of those events and the impact.
Old soldiers do fade away. It has happened before. Even in our best attempts to honour Canadian veterans of wars, we pay no attention to those who fought in the war of 1812. Can you imagine how different life would be in Canada today, if the Americans had been successful in annexing upper Canada a century ago. And yet, we have all but forgotten the sacrifice of those brave fighters for Canadian Freedom.
The act of remembering is certainly fluid with time. I wonder how long our memories will be. “Fortunately” (?), our world remains a violent place. Human beings ability to justify war for reasons of greed, pride, religion and revenge will give new generations new war memories of their own.
We will lose the direct ties to the past. But we can work at maintaining the story of the impact.
//
As the first century moved on, an impatience grew among the members of the early church of Jesus Christ. The excitement in the early years was that God’s renewal and Jesus’ second coming would be an imminent event. The Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica seemed to carry that theme. One had to be ready at all times, because Jesus could come as suddenly as a thief in the night. By the time that Paul’s successors penned what we call the 2nd letter to the Thessalonians, this was much less obvious. So, 2nd Thessalonians counters the belief that the “day of the lord” - the beginning of the end of human history - had already come. The author of the letter spends the first half of chapter 2 refuting this claim, listing a number of events that would have to happen first (a rebellion, a lawless one, etc.).
The author was concerned that people had given up on living faithfully – the end was already here, what point is there to putting energy into this life. It was an ironic over-interpretation of the concept of Freedom in Christ. Christ sets me free, so I don’t have to do anything!
But ...
Prophets always had a “but”.
But ... the book of 2nd Thessalonians says ... you are beloved by God, and so stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you have been taught! Being faithful means remembering why faith is important: how does your faith impact your life, here and now! [I’ll talk a bit more about that next week, as we read on in 2nd Thessalonians and hear a warning against idleness.]
//
Remembrance is important, it has a place. After all, we will share an act of remembrance in a few minutes as we share in the sacrament of Jesus’ Last Supper. But remembrance alone is destine to fade away with time.
In the context of remembrance, Haggai also spoke about renewal: 6For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
The new Temple was not going to be the same as the first structure, so fondly remembered in the elders’ stories. Renewal is not about lamenting that we don’t have what we once had, it begins by acknowledging and celebrating what we do have. For the Judeans of the time of restoration, they still had the presence of God in their midst. They just didn’t have all of the gold and silver ornaments that were once reminders of that to a previous generation. That was enough! They had what was important: the knowledge that they were not alone. The impact of the exile had taught them that. The first exiles couldn’t even find joy in the happy songs of home, because they felt so cut off from God in a foreign land. They hung their harps in the trees and just sat and wept by the rivers of Babylon: lost in memory.
Eventually, they moved beyond mere memory and found that they had what they needed, God was with them. God was not dead under the stone ruins of a mere building; God was where they needed God to be.
//
Remembering is good. But it is the starting point. Where does it lead us? How can it help us discover where we are and what we have, here and now?
When we share the bounty of this table today, we are looking for a fresh renewal as we involve ourselves in an ancient practice.
May it be so, with all of the opportunities of this life. Thanks be to God. Let us pray:
Help us God, to remember your presence with us, as you have been present with all your people throughout the ages. Amen.
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