During the many struggles of the Jewish people during the five hundred years between the Old Testament and the New Testament, four main developments seem to have occurred:
1. Ceremonies. Jewish life centered around the Temple and the priest. It was important to have daily sacrifices, with private offerings for special occasions and public sacrifices for the Day of Atonement and other great days. The rules and ceremonies for these times were very detailed and precise.
2. The Law. The Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) became more and more important. Synagogues were growing in number because so many people were far from Jerusalem and could go to the Temple only on rare occasions. Member of the synagogues studied hard to memorize the Torah, explain it to one another, and hold it in high honor. It was absolutely essential to the unity of Jewish people.
3. Wisdom. Not only the Greeks and the Egyptians but also the Jews, came to treasure the wise sayings had been preserved from leaders of the past. The Jewish leaders honored their own "wisdom" that had been collected and written down. One idea in the wisdom writings was very popular: that evil is always punished and doing good always brings reward.
4. Expecting the "last days." For centuries, the Jewish people had believed, especially in times of gloom, that God would take charge of world affairs. God would punish oppressors and support God’s chosen people. This was the message of prophets who had announced that a Messiah would come. There would be a new Day of the Lord.
But in the Persian and Greek periods, new ideas began to creep into this pattern of Jewish thought. Using elaborate symbolic numbers and figures, some of the writers worked out a sensational way of looking at history. They said that God would act suddenly to restore the nation of Israel to a position of power.
What the people seemed to forget was that none of these four developments really matched what God wanted most. Again and again, through the Hebrew prophets of long ago, God had called on the people to reach out and share their faith with others. They were to be God’s servants to the world.
Instead of heeding these calls, the people had focused too much on themselves, neglecting their larger mission.
In Christ,
Janet Irene Thomas
Playwright/Director/Screen Writer
Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
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