Fungsi hukum torat bagi identitas umat Israel: menurut kitab esra fasal 7-10 dan, kitab nehemia fasal 8-10

Abstract

Ezra's most important task was to rebuild the community of Israel that had returned from exile. In this work Ezra took firm measures. The function of the Law was again maintained through its being read and analysed according to context. This analysis and explanation of the Law received much attention, so that it could be understood and applied by the people in their lives. The people must obey the Law of Yahweh, because His Law was the source from which the teachings about the love of God flowed. In short, it can be said the law of Yahweh dominated their lives at that time. The identity of His people was determined by obedience to His law. So a wall was built around the community of Israel, not only the Jerusalem wall, but a wall of exclusiveness which was based on racial purity and religious loyalty. What motivation really lay behind Ezra's strict measures? Ezra's measures truly involved more than just the problem of reorganizing the people of Israel and the prestige of building the wall and the Temple. To maintain the purity of Israel's blood was basically a struggle to protect Israel' s identity and specific character of her faith in the face of the tensions of religion and culture which were prominent during the days of the Persian empire. Membership in the community of Israel, according to Ezra, was determined by two things: - first, religious loyalty. They must obey the law of Yahweh and serve Him in worship at the Temple. - secondly, birth. It was very important for an Israelite to be born of a pure Israelite family. He must be able to prove his Israelite origin. His father must be an Israelite, his mother must be an Israelite, as too must his ancestors. Did Ezra's measures lead to an exclusive attitude? We have produced evidence that the problem of syncretism haunted Israel ever since their occupation of the land of Canaan. During the exile, when the people of Israel lived in a rootless state, the problem of syncretism became more acute. And after the exile the threat of cultural assimilation was very strong. In that situation the faith of Israel must be strengthened. The drastic measures of Ezra with regard, to mixed marriages and the "breaking of ties with foreigness can be regarded as fulfilling this aim. What motivation really lay behind Ezra's strict measures? Ezra's measures truly involved more than just the problem of reorganizing the people of Israel and the prestige of building the wall and the Temple. To maintain the purity of Israel's blood was basically a struggle to protect Israel's identity and specific character of her faith in the face of the tensions of religion and culture which were prominent during the days of the Persian Empire. Membership in the community of Israel, according to Ezra, was determined by two things: - first, religious loyalty. They must obey the law of Yahweh and serve Him in worship at the Temple.-secondly, birth. It was very important for an Israelite to be born of a pure Israelite family. He must be able to prove his Israelite origin. His father must be an Israelite, his mother must be an Israelite, as too must his ancestors. Did Ezra's measures lead to an exclusive attitude? We have produced evidence that the problem of syncretism haunted Israel ever since their occupation of the land of Canaan. During the exile, when the people of Israel lived in a root- less state, the problem of syncretism became more acute. And after the exile the threat of cultural assimilation was very strong. In that situation the faith of Israel must be strengthened. The drastic measures of Ezra with regard, to mixed marriages and the "breaking of ties with foreignness can be regarded as fulfilling this aim, would their mission be obstructed by their closed attitude? Indeed the exclusiveness which resulted from Ezra's measures meant that their missionary task was not carried out. But because the people of Israel were surrounded by foreign religion and culture, their mission could not be achieved. Thus they emphasized rather the firmness of their identity and protected the specific character of their faith in the midst of other nations. They returned to the laws, rituals and cultic acts which were emphasized by the priests. They convinced that the basis of Israel's life was the pure worship of God, which also became their means of serving Him. So they restored what was most basic in the life of Israel from the beginning, because before Israel became a nation like other nations, they were a worshipping community. So Ezra's work did not stop at nationalism and racialism, birth at loyalty which was zealous for Israel's religious heritage. A new attitude toward the future dawned, a longing to place oneself at the "beginning" not in order to forget the past, which in the final analysis pointed the way to God, but to continue history in the" authentic" manner as in the past. Contextual theology which is at present being developed by Asian theologians is basically to counteract the exclusive attitude of Christians. Asian Christians, especially in Indonesia, are a minority group, they live in the midst of a society which consists of various tribes, religions, languages, different social institutions, etc. Tensions from other religions and culture are unavoidable. In this situation firmness of faith is very important. But on the other hand the faith must be lived in an Asian context. His Word (which is also revealed through His laws and statutes) must be able to be lived in all the circumstances of life in Asia itself.