Topical Bible: Servant: The Jews in Babylon

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The term "servant" in the context of the Jews in Babylon refers to the period of the Babylonian Exile, a significant epoch in Jewish history when the people of Judah were taken captive by the Babylonians. This event, which began in 586 BC with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, marked a pivotal moment in the spiritual and cultural development of the Jewish people.

Historical Context

The Babylonian Exile was a consequence of the persistent disobedience and idolatry of the Israelites, as forewarned by the prophets. The prophet Jeremiah had prophesied the coming judgment, stating, "This whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years" (Jeremiah 25:11). The exile was both a punishment and a period of refinement for the Jewish people, intended to turn their hearts back to God.

Life in Babylon

In Babylon, the Jews found themselves in a foreign land, serving under a pagan king. Despite their circumstances, they were encouraged by the prophet Jeremiah to seek the welfare of the city where they were exiled: "Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper" (Jeremiah 29:7). This directive underscored the importance of maintaining their faith and identity while contributing positively to their new environment.

Spiritual Servitude and Renewal

The exile served as a period of spiritual servitude, where the Jews were called to reflect on their covenant relationship with God. The prophet Ezekiel, who was among the exiles, conveyed messages of both judgment and hope. He emphasized the need for repentance and a return to the Lord, promising that God would restore them: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

The Role of Servants in Prophecy

The concept of servanthood is also deeply embedded in the prophetic literature of this period. The Book of Isaiah introduces the "Servant of the LORD," a figure who embodies the ideal of faithful service to God. This servant is depicted as one who will bring justice and light to the nations, a role that foreshadows the coming of the Messiah: "Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations" (Isaiah 42:1).

Return and Restoration

After seventy years, as prophesied, the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland under the decree of Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who conquered Babylon. This return marked the end of their physical servitude in Babylon, but the lessons learned during the exile continued to shape their spiritual identity. The rebuilding of the Temple and the reestablishment of Jerusalem were seen as acts of divine restoration, fulfilling God's promises to His people.

The period of the Babylonian Exile and the subsequent return to Judah highlight the themes of servitude, repentance, and redemption. The Jews' experience in Babylon serves as a testament to God's faithfulness and the transformative power of His covenant with His people.

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2 Chronicles 36:20
And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
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Esther 1:1
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even to Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)
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Esther 2:1
After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
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Esther 3:1
After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
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Esther 4:1
When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
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Esther 5:1
Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
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Esther 6:1
On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
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Esther 7:1
So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
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Esther 8:1
On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.
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Esther 9:1
Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
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Esther 10:1
And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land, and on the isles of the sea.
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Library

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
... CHAPTER V. WHAT MESSIAH DID THE JEWS EXPECT? ... of God upon earth - brought about by
the Servant' of the ... late work speaks of five monarchies - Babylon, Medo-Persia ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v what messiah did.htm

There was at that Time at Babylon one Nehemiah...
... There was at that time at Babylon one Nehemiah, a servant of the ... He, having inquired
of his fellow-countrymen the Jews, what was the condition of their ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xi there was at.htm

Expository Treatise against the Jews.
... reason of mine enemies, deliver me," that the Jews may not ... said, it was the "form
of the servant" [1569] that ... as in Egypt, nor seventy as in Babylon, but bend ...
/.../expository treatise against the jews.htm

Cyrus, the Servant Of-The Lord {4}
... Behold my servant, whom I will uphold; My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth; I
will make my ... By the fall of Babylon and its empire the Jews were freed from ...
/.../kingsley/historical lectures and essays/cyrus the servant of-the lord.htm

The Servant of the Lord.
... Behold my servant, whom I will uphold; My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth; I
will make my ... By the fall of Babylon and its empire the Jews were freed from ...
/.../kingsley/lectures delivered in america in 1874/lecture iv the servant of.htm

The Return of the Exiles
... had been left open and unprotected, the Jews had abundant ... Shortly before the fall
of Babylon, when Daniel was ... our God, hear the prayer of Thy servant, and his ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 45 the return of.htm

The Story of the Fiery Furnace
... After King Nebuchadnezzar died, his kingdom became weak, and the city of Babylon
was taken ... It is that Daniel, one of the captive Jews. ... O Daniel, servant of the ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of the fiery.htm

The Apocalypse.
... In Job it is the struggle of an individual servant of God with ... numbers (the rabbinical
Ghematria, geometria) was familiar to the Jews in Babylon, and passed ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 101 the apocalypse.htm

Letter Xlv. To Asella.
... [926] Pray for me that, after Babylon, I may see Jerusalem once more; that Joshua ...
For I am but a servant, and the Jews still call my master a magician. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlv to asella.htm

Concerning Esther and Mordecai and Haman; and How in the Reign of ...
... and was one of the principal persons among the Jews. ... Her uncle also removed from
Babylon to Shushan, and ... against the king; and Barnabazus, the servant of one ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 concerning esther and.htm