Around 950 BCE King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, where the nation’s communication with God was to be focused, through sacrifices offered by the priests. At his dedication service, Solomon alluded to a theological problem: “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built!”   (1 Kings 8:27)

It turns out that besides a theological question, the construction of the Temple generated a socio-political problem too, as we see from the rebellion that broke out upon Solomon’s death, provoked by anger over the burden of conscript labor required to build his edifices. The result: the permanent split of the kingdom in two – Israel and Judah. (1 Kings 12)

Thereafter the Temple served only Judah, where it became the focus of a new theological division, between those who believed that the Temple and its service were essentially magical, guaranteeing God’s favor if all the rules were meticulously observed, and those who saw the peace and prosperity of the nation as dependent on their upholding the covenant, the laws of the Torah designed to build an ideal, just society. The latter party was represented by prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. For example:

Will you steal and murder and commit adultery and swear falsely, and sacrifice to Baal, and follow other gods whom you have not experienced, and then come and stand before Me in this House which bears My name and say, “We are safe!”?  (Jeremiah 7:9-10)

Jeremiah’s warning that the Temple was not secure if........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)