So diplomatic, this chapter is. It kind of gave me some good feelz, you know? Tattenai seems a bit harsh when he rides up on the Israelites all puffy-chested and gets all up in their bizness, but in actuality, he handled the situation like a fair politician. Tattenai was the governor of the province, so it was his job to make sure things were running according to rule and law. He saw something he knew wasn’t supposed to be happening, and he reported it. Now, the reporting it is the key here. Up to this point, we’re kind of used to seeing rulers and leaders who don’t like stuff to just start killing people, but Tattenai, and the government of Persia (Babylonia) seem to be a little different than what we’ve seen in past chapters. And we have to remember, also, that Judah is no longer a “kingdom,” or at least it’s not a “lawful” kingdom with a human king anymore. It’s under rule of Babylonia and has been for some time. And we haven’t got to read much about this new government and its priorities, so we have to kind of deduce what we can along the way … and do our Googling when we don’t have all the answers … which is often … for me anyway. So, what I’m saying is that it seems this government has a sort of diplomacy, and the people who were allowed to go back to Jerusalem, having spent most of their lives in the Babylonian environment, used their diplomatic skills to counter the governor’s inquisition. Brilliant. And much more peaceful than a bloody battle. Though, diplomacy often is a much longer process.
Writing prompt: diplomatic
Write about the pros and cons of both war and diplomacy.
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