The Time In Between Time

By Mary Vee
Between the Old and New Testament

From the Historical records

Photo by Mary Vee

The time in between time. 

In our chronological walk through the Bible, which started "In the beginning," Genesis 1:1, we have read about the lives of many people. 

Once Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem the second time, there wasn't anything else recorded in the Old Testament, chronologically speaking. The Israelites never really did follow through and stay loyal to God's commands. 

God became silent.

And so the Bible, God's Word, is silent during the four hundred years between the Old Testament and New Testament. 

But there are records, documents, like Josephus, archeological, Biblical and historical studies of the time that have been used to conclude these four hundred years were not a time in which the the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem followed God's commands as they promised they would.

A few posts back show Nehemiah's frustration when he returned to Jerusalem the second time. He'd led the campaign to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He'd led the campaign to dedicate lives to worship the one true God. The God who loved them. He'd led the campaign to insure the Levites received proper payment in order to continue their work in the temple. 

And still.

The people did not prosper as a people who'd dedicated their lives to God. The Persian Empire continued their rule over Judah and Jerusalem. 

The Jews kinda expected a super hero to come and rescue them. They wanted this super hero to prove Israel's dominance. To bring wealth and power to the country.

And when they didn't see this super hero...they stop trusting in God. They turned their backs on their promises to faithfully worship Him. 

 *They forgot God's gift of the land to Abraham. His rescue of them from Egypt. 
 *They forgot His miraculous wins in battle like Jericho, and a small rock in the hand of a young man who was willing to fully trust God when facing a giant. 
 *They forgot the strong judges who preserved their nation. Judges like Deborah who led the nation to victory over the enemy commander Sisera who ended up dying by the hands of a woman named Jael. 
 *They forgot how God's word, sweet like honey in a rock, soothed in times of trouble.
 *They forgot how God searched for Cain and gave him a chance to repent.
 *They forgot how God protected them from rebellion within the ranks as with Korah.
 *They forgot how God used a donkey to protect a prophet from listening to an evil king.
 *They forgot how God gave them the king they wanted, even though it offended Him.
 *They forgot how God kept prophets in the know. Prophets who had the strength to give messages, exactly as God spoke, to the people.
 *They forgot about the water and food in the desert. The land of milk and honey.


They forgot.

They forgot.

They forgot.

The next few days we will remember what God has done...so we will not forget what He has done for us because of His great love for us.

Come back next time, because interesting events happen in Jerusalem in days to come.
*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
New International Version, New King James Version. 
My Bible College training.
My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
Pastoral sermons on this time
Matthew Henry Commentary
F. LaGard Smith Commentary