Liturgics - 5

IV. Worship in the post-captivity era

 

Introduction

 

Temple worship centered on the Jerusalem Temple, along with the destruction of the temple

after Israel was invaded by Babylon (2 Kings 24:14; King Jehoiachin, B.C. 597) Stopped.

 

2Kin 24:14 He carried into exile all Jerusalem: all the officers and fighting men, and all the

craftsmen and artisans--a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the

land were left.

 

And as the Israelites became captives of Babylon, they lost all of the typical

temple worship, including sacrifices.

Losing the temple, they were under the rule of Babylon.

Permission is obtained in the form of synagogue-centered worship.

This synagogue-centered worship continues to be maintained even after the

return of captivity to Babylon, It persists after the rebuilding of the Jerusalem

Temple. The features of synagogue-centered worship are as follows.

 

1.  Forms of worship in the synagogue

 

① Meaning: Synagogues are words from the Greek language, meaning they are

gathered together and harvested.

② Origin: It is its origin that under Babylonian rule, it was allowed instead of

temple worship.

③ Central elements of worship : prayer, reading and interpretation of the Bible,

④ Features: As a regular Jewish synagogue (meetinghouse), they gathered on the

Sabbath or on the offering day, and later on the second or fifth day of the week. It was referred to as the so-called building of the gathering of devout Jews.

 

The sacrificial sacrifice reconstruction and synagogue system continued, so temple

worship and synagogue worship were concurrently carried out (Ne 8:1-6),

 

Neh 8:1 all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told

Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had

commanded for Israel.

8:2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the

assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.

8:3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in

the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people

listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

8:4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on

his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left

were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

8:5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above

them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.

8:6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded,

"Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

 

and synagogues were established anywhere inhabited by the scattered Jews.

 

Acts 6:9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen

(as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen,

13:5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish

synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There

they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.

17:1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to

Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

 

And the synagogue served as the center of Jewish religion, thought, and education.

 

2.  Organization and operation of the synagogue

 

According to Luke 7:3-5, the synagogue was organized of elders and was run by

the presbytery.

 

Luke 7:3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking

him to come and heal his servant.

7:4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to

have you do this,

7:5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."

 

There was a presidency elected at that meeting, and the presidency led worship,

preached, and counseled the congregation (Acts 13:14-15).

 

Acts 13:14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they

entered the synagogue and sat down.

13:15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers

sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of

encouragement for the people, please speak."

 

He also managed the synagogue, was in charge of education, and collected and distributed relief funds.

And there was a rabbi in the synagogue to preach and exhort.

 

3. Order of worship in the synagogue

 

According to Acts 15:21, worship without sacrifice was held every Sabbath in the

synagogue.

 

Acts 15:21 For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read

in the synagogues on every Sabbath."

 

The order of worship is as follows.

 

① Reading a shema

② Prayer

③ Reading the Law

④ Reading the book of Prophecy

⑤ Sermons and exhorts

⑥ Benediction

⑦ Hymn

 

The hymn is unclear, but it seems to have sung a psalm and a blessed poem

from Aaron.

 

4. Synagogue facility method

 

Seven candlesticks were erected on the pulpit, and a temporary ark was installed

in the center. In it was a scroll of the law and the teachings of the prophets.

 

The pillars inside the synagogue were decorated with vines, and the exterior of

the building was not colorful.

 

5. Combined temple worship and synagogue worship

 

As already mentioned, after the return of captivity, the Jews offered both temple

and synagogue worship, and the temple worship offered a ransom with sacrifices

at the temple in Jerusalem.

However, the major difference between the synagogue worship held at the same

time was that worship without offerings was held in synagogues built in each

village and in each region.

 

Also, in the temple worship at that time, a large number of people gathered from

various places for large events at every Jewish feast, including regular worship

services. In addition to regular worship, synagogue worship taught Bible studies

and prophetic lessons.