Renewal and reconstruction: Holy Writ in Ezra-Nehemiah – A missional reading

Abstract

In this article we investigate the missional potential of the two-volume book of Ezra-Nehemiah. We contend that the written word of God is a transforming power in society through the mediation of the church. This implies that spiritual renewal precedes social reconstruction. We examine this book historically, canonically and exegetically to lay a foundation for a missiological reflection on the results of this excursion in the field of biblical studies. We close with the formulation of some missional conclusions that serve as guidelines for the development of a relevant theology of mission.In hierdie artikel ondersoek ons die missionêre moontlikhede van die tweedelige boek Esra-Nehemia. Ons stel dat die geskrewe woord van God ’n hervormende krag in die samelewing is deur die bemiddeling van die kerk. Dit impliseer dat geestelike vernuwing sosiale rekonstruksie voorafgaan. Ons doen historiese, kanoniese en eksegetiese ondersoek na die boek om ’n grondslag te lê vir ’n missiologiese beskouing van die resultate van hierdie ekskursie in die Bybelwetenskapveld. Ons sluit af met die formulering van missionêre gevolgtrekkings om te dien as wegwysers vir die ontwikkeling van ’n toepaslike sendingsteologie.

‘Remember the law of Moses’: Malachi 3:22 in prophetic eschatology, with a missional postscript

“…28.See Paulo (2017:35-39, 136, 141) about the difference between the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible regarding the identification of the one place chosen by God in Deuteronomy 12. This agrees with the contestation between Jews and Samaritans around the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple as narrated in Ezra 4-6 (Wielenga 2013). The strife between returned Jews and their ethnically related enemies (Samaritans and Judeans who had not been forced into exile but had remained in the land) was religious in nature, even though political and economic motifs played a role as well; the danger of syncretism, however, was perceived by Malachi as the real threat to the people (see also Ml 2:10-16).…”

The Deuteronomic roots of postexilic prophetic eschatology in Malachi

“…The absence in Malachi of clear references to Israel's calling among the nations despite its awareness of the worship of Yahweh Tsebaōth among them, is not evidence of a nationalistic ideology as allegedly also found in Ezra-Nehemiah (Wielenga 2013). It is instead a matter of getting their priorities right: without spiritual renewal, the Jewish remnant population in Persian Yehud would not be of use as a blessing to the nations.…”

The gēr [immigrant] in postexilic prophetic eschatology: The perspectives of Ezekiel 47:22–23 and Malachi 3:5

“…4 This requires a short review of the relationship between these two 'law codes' 5 concerning their specific position on the gēr. This 1.A socio-anthropological and socio-psychological approach to the exilic-postexilic context is advocated here (see Rom-Shiloni 2005:1-45), rather than a theological one, followed in this article (Wielenga 2013). Awabdy (2012:258, 266-268) points out that ethnicity does not play a role in Israel's legislation concerning the immigrants among them, different from the contemporary ancient Near Eastern praxis.…”

“…However, in postexilic Yehud, this perspective on social justice and equality (see e.g. Is 61:1-2) must have been accepted as part of the authoritative 'book' of the Law of Moses(Wielenga 2013).…”