the Israel Jesus knew and was born into was very different than that of the old testament kings and the height of its success and power. After the kingdoms of Israel and Judah returned from exile in assyria and babylon they began to rebuild the country. If you are not particularly familiar with this time it is referred to as the inter-testamental period, or the 400 years of silence.

the gap between malachi and matthew is one that shaped the Israel Jesus would be born into, and is important in knowing why Jesus did what he did and said what he said. During this time the greeks were rising to power, spreading their kingdom, and eventually taking over israel. The Greeks would be followed by the romans and their reign over the middle east. To simplify it, basically, some people stopped caring and following the law and sided with the new way of life brought from the west, and some people became so immersed in the law and the ancient way of living that they became consumed by it.

So we have a cultural understanding of what Israel had become. the Pharisees were so wrapped up in rules and law they held themselves higher than others and stayed very exclusive, making God exclusive. The "average joe," so to speak, would have gone through the motions of religion, but been rather disconnected to it because the holiness of the pharisees could not be attained.

So it seems most people would have been in the middle. Not wanting to upset the religious leaders and not wanting to upset their ruling powers... not much affiliation, and very little understanding of true God of the universe.

This was the time Jesus was born. Which leads me to wonder... am I in a state of limbo between the world and God? Do I just go through the religious motions while being a slave to the culture i live in? If Jesus came now, what would he teach? what would he challenge me on?

Are you living in 2 worlds? Do you need Jesus to come and straighten some things out?

He is coming...