Genesis 1-11 is an introduction, or prologue, to the rest of the Bible. It sets the stage for God’s relationship to Israel and eventually the rest of the world. God intended for heaven and earth to be related. He intended for humans — his imagers, his children, his representatives — to be in relationship with him. Then a few things went wrong. Not that God was surprised. He already knew what could happen when he made humans with free will.
First, Adam and Eve were deceived and chose to disobey God. As a result sin and death enter the world (Rom. 5:12). Second, there was a divine rebellion involving the sons of God. Depravity accelerated. Third, there was a human rebellion where humans wanted to make a name for themselves, control their own destiny and control God. As a result, God disowned and scattered all the nations. He only claimed Israel as his own.
The accounts of the sons of God and Tower of Babel were events that ancient Mesopotamia recognized. They considered these events to be good and beneficial to society. Biblical writers also affirm these two events but they believed that they were bad and detrimental to human society.
Failure
Time and time again in the Old Testament we see Israel breaking covenant with God. They disobeyed God and wanted to do their own thing. They went after and worshiped other gods that Yahweh told them not to follow. They refused to believe in Yahweh and to be loyal to him. Eventually, things got so bad that God allowed other nations to come into their land, conquer them, and take them away.
Exile
The northern kingdom of Israel was deported to Assyria in 722 BC. The Babylonian exile can refer to a number of separate events, though it usually refers to the deportation of most of Jerusalem (southern kingdom) to Babylon after the destruction of the capital in 586 BC. Basically, the governments of Israel and Judah were dissolved. What is more, Solomon’s temple was utterly destroyed.
With all of these events came a lot of questions. Where was God? What about the promises to Abraham and David? How could the Hebrews worship God without a temple?
Messianic Expectations
Jews returned to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon in 538 BC. They were allowed to return under an edict issued by Cyrus King of Persia. By 515 BC the reinstated Jewish residents had completed building the Second Temple.
The prophets take their places in the backdrop of the captivity and return. Initially, they warned Israel of the impending captivity. Later, they explain why Israel was in captivity. But they also pointed to the future when God will fix the world.
The Messiah, as God’s agent, was to come and set things right. As we know from the gospel writers, some of these expectations were just wrong. But Second Temple Jews thought about what was already written and they expected the messiah to correct three problems that mankind faced.
- The problem of sin and death (Gen. 3) is corrected by the sinless human life of Christ and his resurrection from the dead.
- The problems that resulted from the Sons of God episode (Gen.6), is corrected by Jesus coming “in the flesh”, raising up a redeemed family of God and making it possible for humanity to do what Yahweh wants done by sending his Holy Spirit to live in believers. Human depravity, or our inclination to self-centered, self-willed lives, is made possible by the Holy Spirit living in us. If you are a believer, he is living in you. You just have to figure out how to let him be the center of your life and how to hear his voice.
- The problem of the nations being scattered and disowned by God (Gen. 11) is corrected by the preaching of the gospel (good news of the kingdom) whereby anyone can become a child of God.
Heiser says it this way: The Messiah Didn’t Come to Deal ONLY With the Fall
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