Exodus, Exile and The Prodigal Son
Tim Davis
The exile is over! The kingdom has come! It’s time to celebrate!
This is the subtext of Jesus’ beloved parable we commonly call, “The Prodigal Son.”
Now you might be thinking, “Whenever I’ve talked about the Prodigal Son, I’ve used it as a story to illustrate the kind of lifestyle I’ve lived.” And of course, this story can provide us with a case study to think about our own lives. So we can ask questions like, “have I lived more like the younger son taking off for the hills only to return to God regretful for my actions, or am I like the older son, angry that God is celebrating someone who lived recklessly?” And though we can apply Jesus’ story in this way…
The Old Testament background, paired with Luke’s presentation of Jesus’ mission, enriches our meditations on this text.
Let’s see how this works.
EXILE & THE LONGING FOR GOD’S KINGDOM
From the point God rescued Israel out of Egypt, he dwelt in their midst via the tabernacle. You can read about this in Exodus 25-40. One of the benefits of this mobile tent is that it was mobile. The Levites could set it up, tear it down, then set it up again.
However, all this changed when David’s son, Solomon, built the temple. For Israel, this was like upgrading from a flip phone to the latest iPhone. God’s presence moved from a tent to a fortified building…
Until the exile.
The books of 1 & 2 Kings depict one large avalanche of sin. And in the end, God allows the Babylonian empire to destroy the temple and take the Jews into exile. But before this happens…
Ezekiel sees God’s glory leave the temple.
If God is leaving his dwelling place, does that mean he’s done with his people for good? Is he giving up on the promises he made to Abraham? Will he ever return to establish his kingdom in their midst? These are the kinds of questions they were asking and the questions many of the prophets addressed.
Thankfully, God would one day return to establish his kingdom and fulfill all of the promises he made.
So when God’s people returned to the land and rebuilt the temple (this takes place in Ezra and Nehemiah), they think, “this is the time we’ve been waiting for!” Unfortunately, this new era wasn’t as great as they expected. They expected God’s kingdom to come. They expected his presence to dwell heavily in their midst. But the final few prophets who spoke to this community—namely, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi—responded with sobering news: we’re still waiting for God’s kingdom to come.
So by the time we get to Jesus, the Jews were still in exile. Not geographically. After all, they were in the land and they had a temple. But theologically, they were waiting. They were waiting for God’s kingdom to arrive.
This is where Jesus enters the scene.
THE KINGDOM HAS COME… IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE!
Jesus inaugurates his ministry by announcing the arrival of God’s kingdom. So if you’ve been following with the story, you know that this means the end of exile!
Toward the outset of his ministry, Jesus says, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (Lk. 4:43). Jesus’ purpose—his mission—was to herald the good news that God’s kingdom has come. This begs the question…
What does God’s kingdom look like?
This brings us back to Jesus’ teaching Luke 15. It looks like the lost being found; it looks like the dead coming back to life; it looks like a celebration (Lk. 15:24)! In fact, when one person repents at the good news of the kingdom, even heaven erupts in elation (Lk. 15:10).
So if you’ve wandered away from God, please know there’s a party awaiting your return. And if you’re currently “in the Father’s house”, remember, “you are always with [him], and all that is [his] is yours” (Lk. 15: 31). Therefore, rejoice when your brothers return.