After moving out of the city, nature suddenly plays a bigger role again. Tents, mountains and trees instead of houses, pyramids and towers. The animal and plant world is perceived more consciously. The artificial world no longer distracts, a life closer to nature is possible.

In harmony with nature

A few weeks after the Israelites left Egypt, they set up camp at the foot of Horeb. There they received a festival calendar that was based on the annual cycle of nature. The spring Passover festival was based on the ripeness of the barley. At the Feast of Tabernacles in autumn, many Jews still eat and spend the night in a hut covered with branches, straw and leaves for a week.

Of mountains and trees

Not only Mount Horeb, other mountains also played a role after the exodus from Egypt: The high priest Aaron died on Mount Hor (Numbers 4:20,27.28), his brother Moses, who had led the people out of Egypt, on the Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 5:34,1-5). His successor Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal (Joshua 8,20:4,5). The judge Deborah had her seat in the mountains of Ephraim under a palm tree (Judges 1:22,6) and King Saul held judgment under a tamarisk tree (XNUMX Samuel XNUMX:XNUMX).

On the mountains and under the trees, however, idolatry soon crept in with its ecstatic practices. With idolatry came plundering hordes. This led to wars with neighboring peoples. That is why the Israelites longed for a central government under a king who could then take targeted action against them.

Back to slavery in your own country

King Saul was the first king, followed by King David. He finally established his seat in Jerusalem, which he conquered from the Jebusites. Thus, for the first time in the history of Israel, "the city" plays a prominent role: Jerusalem, the city on the mountain. Here the holy Ark of the Covenant was fetched, the temple was built. City walls should protect against enemies. Unfortunately, that only worked for four hundred years. After that, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

The decision for monarchy had restored the Israelites to conscription, taxation, and even compulsory labor (1 Samuel 8,11:17-1; 5,27 Kings 32:XNUMX-XNUMX). Urban culture, with all its violence and hierarchy, had Israel firmly in its grip again, and they were not immune from idolatry either. The kings themselves imported it from neighboring countries.

The prophet Elijah

Even before Israel was conquered by its enemies, the prophet Elijah warned of the consequences of idolatry. His life took place between streams (Krit, Kishon) and mountains (Carmel, Horeb). He appointed his successor while he was plowing the field. He brought a message to the king in the vineyard. He covered long distances on foot until, according to the biblical account, a fiery chariot picked him up in the middle of nature and carried him away in a storm (1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 2). In this way he exemplified closeness to nature and country life to the people.

Back to slavery abroad

Most of the Israelites were eventually resettled in Assyria and Babylon, while a portion actually took refuge in Egypt, the land where they had once been slaves (Jeremiah 42–44). So the circle was closed and freedom was over for the time being.

Depart from Babylon!

But God had not given up on his people. He made a second attempt. Through his prophets he proclaimed: “Come out of Babylon!” (Isaiah 48,20:50,8) “Flee out of Babylon!” (Jeremiah 2,3:48,21) “Woe! woe! Flee from the land of the north!« (Zechariah XNUMX:XNUMX Elberfelder) The exodus from Egypt became the great model for the new exodus: »They were not thirsty when he led them through the deserts, he caused water to run out of the rock for them ." (Isaiah XNUMX:XNUMX)

But why should they leave the then world metropolis?

»Flee out of Babylon and save each one his soul, lest you perish in his iniquities!« (Jeremiah 51,6:51,45) »Get out from among them, my people, and save each one his soul from the fierce wrath of the LORD!« ( 50,13:XNUMX) (God's wrath in the Bible is a picture of what happens when God withdraws his protecting presence.) “Because of the wrath of the Lord it will remain uninhabited and will be utterly desolate; whoever passes by Babylon will be amazed and hiss because of all her plagues." (XNUMX:XNUMX)

Immorality, crime, terrorist attacks, epidemics and catastrophes - these are the dangers that are lurking in the cities today or have their worst effects there.

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