“Violent rhetoric is almost always a response to violence experienced. The suffering we endure becomes the lens through which we see the world. That was true for the first-century Jews waiting for the Messiah, and it’s true for us today. What we’re going through shapes what we’re looking for in a Savior.”- Kyle Idleman
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”- Genesis 3:15 (NIV)
As Kyle Idleman moves on in Chapter 2 of The Missing Messiah, he continues his discussion of Jesus as King.
1. A King like David (cont.). Furthermore, this David-like King possessed two main qualities. He functioned as a (1) liberator of his people and (2) an annihilator of his enemies. Thus, Pastor Idleman notes, as a liberator this David-like King would be:
- exceptionally good and kind to those he called his own.
- gather the lost tribes and bring them back to Israel after their long exile.
- bring liberty, light, joy, comfort, peace, and freedom to the released captives.
In this way, then, Israel viewed this David-like King as the nation’s Savior. Thus, this view represented the core of the Jewish expectations for the coming Messiah. In addition, a second strand was woven into the fabric of the Old Testament. The Messiah as a light to the Gentiles (Isaiaha 49:6).
However, in the Intertestamental Period — the time between Malachi and Matthew — an about face happened. Whereas Old Testament prophets spoke of the coming Messiah bringing peace, now Jewish writings started painting the Messiah as warrior.
What changed? Kyle asks. His answer: Pompey happened. The violence and occupation that followed Pompey’s march into Jerusalem certainly wound up the Jewish people. But it also rewired their hopes.
Today’s question: What Bible verses most help you when your suffering becomes the lens through which you see the world? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A suffering Messiah? Unimaginable!”