Saturday, April 7, 2012

Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus

I wanted to take a brief break from the discussion this week, since it's Easter weekend.  I'd like to share a brief quote:

"If our Lord said, frequently, with great definiteness and detail, that after He went up to Jerusalem He would be put to death, but on the third day He would rise again from the grave, and this prediction came to pass, then it has always seemed to me that everything else that our Lord ever said must also be true." - Wilbur M. Smith

Happy Easter!

Saturday, March 31, 2012

A Warning Against Idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:12-18)


The following quote is taken from evilbible.com: 
           
            "Burn Nonbelievers - Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods.  In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully.  If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock.  Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it.  Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God.  That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt.  Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction.  Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you.  He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors.  "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him."  (Deuteronomy 13:12-18 NLT)

            This passage is another example of the term charam (see my earlier article on "Charam"), which means, "the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering" [1]. 
            In this instance, there are a few things which need to be considered.  First of all, the charge of idolatry is a very grievous sin, which God does not take lightly (see Exodus 20:3-6, 23; 23:13, 23-24; 34:17; Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15-28; 5:7; 6:14-15; 8:19; 12:31; 17:2-7; 27:15; 29:17-18).  God warned the Israelites on several occasions that if they committed idolatry, it was a crime that warranted the death penalty.  The Israelites' covenant with God demanded that they worship and serve him only.  They were not supposed to worship other gods or fashion idols for themselves.  God had warned them that if they did these things, it would lead to their destruction: "If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed" (Deuteronomy 8:19, NIV). 
            Why is idolatry considered such a serious crime?  The severity of the judgment, capital punishment, is due to the severity of the sin.  God is the only God, the Lord and creator of all the universe.  When anyone bows down and worships or pays tribute to a false god or idol, they are taking credit away from God and giving it to something undeserving of that credit.  "I am the LORD; that is my name!  I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols" (Isaiah 42:8, NIV).  The crime of idolatry was so serious that it was often referred to as adultery against God (Ezekiel 6:9).
            A process was involved in determining whether or not someone was guilty of this crime.  First of all, the case had to be carefully investigated, and there had to be proof of guilt (Deuteronomy 13:14).  It could not be a baseless accusation.  The Law also stipulated that there had to be at least two witnesses to the crime before it could be investigated (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15).  Finally, if there was proof that the crime had been committed and the inhabitants of the town were sentenced to death, they and all of their possessions were to be destroyed.  The people could not just kill those convicted of the crime and keep their property and possessions.
            A question that may arise here is, "Why was the entire town burned, including all of the people?"  In instances of charam, God designated certain persons, places, and things as objects of his special wrath and judgment because, in his omniscience, he knew them to be impure and hopelessly unrepentant [2].  An example was to be made of that town, so that those who observed it would be warned against ever committing the same crime themselves (Deuteronomy 13:11).
            It is also important to note that the town was burned after the inhabitants had been killed (verses 15-16).  The inhabitants of the town were not burned alive.

References
[1] Footnote in the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT).  This term (charam) occurs in the following verses: Exodus 22:20; Leviticus 27:21, 28-29; Numbers 18:14; 21:2-3; Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 7:2, 26; 13:15-17; 20:17; Joshua 2:10; 6:17-21; 7:1, 11-15; 8:26; 10:1, 28, 35, 37, 39-40; 11:11-12, 20-21; 22:20; 1 Samuel 15:3, 8-9, 15, 18-21.
[2] Footnote on net.bible.org, for Deuteronomy 2:34.               

Saturday, March 24, 2012

A Prophecy Against The Ammonites (Ezekiel 21:28-32)

The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

 "Humans are Fuel for Fire - As for you, son of man, prophesy: Thus says the Lord GOD against the Ammonites and their insults: A sword, a sword is drawn for slaughter, burnished to consume and to flash lightning, because you planned with false visions and lying divinations to lay it on the necks of depraved and wicked men whose day has come when their crimes are at an end.  Return it to its sheath!  In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.  I will pour out my indignation upon you, breathing my fiery wrath upon you, I will hand you over to ravaging men, artisans of destruction.  You shall be fuel for the fire, your blood shall flow throughout the land.  You shall not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.  (Ezekiel 21:28-32 NAB)"
            
           This passage is a prophecy against the Ammonites.  The Ammonites were an ancient nation who were descendants of Lot (Abraham's nephew) and one of his daughters (Genesis 19:30-38).  The Ammonites were constantly at war with the nation of Israel, and their relations were always hostile (Judges 3:13; 2 Chronicles 20; Nehemiah 4:7).  They even oppressed the Israelites for 18 years (Judges 10:6-9).  Again and again, their mission seemed to be not only to oppress Israel and take their land, but to humiliate and disgrace them: they threatened to gouge the right eyes out of every man of Jabesh Gilead (1 Samuel 11:1-2), and they humiliated a peaceful delegation of Israelite ambassadors by shaving their beards and cutting off their clothing, leading to a war (2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19).  They were also known for their cruelty in times of war:  "This is what the LORD says: 'For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent.  Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders...'" (Amos 1:13, NIV).
            This particular passage in Ezekiel mirrors other passages in the books of prophecy of the Old Testament, stating that God would wipe out the nation of the Ammonites (Jeremiah 49:1-6; Ezekiel 25:1-7; Zephaniah 2:8-9).  God had given the Ammonites a chance to make peace with Israel during the reign of King David, but the Ammonites rejected the peaceful offer (2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19).  Eventually, God's patience ran out, and he determined to allow them to be conquered as they had conquered and oppressed other nations.  By the end of the Roman Empire, the  nation of Ammon was completely dissolved, absorbed into the Arabians [1].
            This is a prophecy of war, and like many of the prophecies, it describes what the conquerors will do to the nation that is being conquered.  The Bible does not record that the Ammonites were actually burned alive; "fuel for the fire" can be literally translated as "food for the fire" or "consumed by God's anger".  Fire and burning are used in Hebrew to designate any destruction, whether of humans or objects.  To be consumed by fire, in this context, means to be destroyed in war [2].  The meaning is not necessarily literal.  In any case, as another passage in Ezekiel notes, God does not take pleasure in the deaths of anyone (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11).

References
[1] Justin Martyr's Dialogue With Trypho, (originally written circa 160 CE) translated by Henry Brown, 1745.  Pg. 167.
An Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, Thomas Hartwell Horne, 1836.  Pg. 405.
[2] Gesenius's Lexicon, Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (translated by Samuel P. Tregelles), 1847

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Passages From "The Book Of The Wisdom Of Solomon"


The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"Human Sacrifice -Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.  As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.  In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;  (Wisdom 3:5-7 NAB The Book of The Wisdom of Solomon is mostly in Catholic versions of the Bible.)
Child Sacrifice - And this became a hidden trap for mankind, because men, in bondage to misfortune or to royal authority, bestowed on objects of stone or wood the name that ought not to be shared.  Afterward it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but they live in great strife due to ignorance, and they call such great evils peace.  For whether they kill children in their initiations, or celebrate secret mysteries, or hold frenzied revels with strange customs…  (Wisdom 14:21-23 RSV)  The Book of The Wisdom of Solomon is mostly in Catholic versions of the Bible.  This passage condemns human sacrifice but acknowledges that it did happen by early God worshipers."

            I'm only briefly going to discuss this passage, since The Book of the Wisdom of Solomon is considered Apocrypha (non-canonical) in the Jewish scriptures and most standard Bibles.  It is interesting to note that it was not included in the canon by Catholics until the 15th century CE.
            First of all, neither passage promotes human sacrifice.  The first passage is merely symbolic, representing a person's total devotion to God.  The second passage clearly condemns the practice of child sacrifice to false gods and idols; the sacrifices being made are not to God, nor would they be approved by God.
            In any case, this book was not included in the Biblical canon, and is not authoritative.  One major reason for this is that it was written far too late to have been written by King Solomon (who ruled circa 971-931 BCE); scholars roughly place it as having been written between the 2nd century BCE-1st century CE.  It was rejected by the Jews as non-canonical in 90 CE, and was also rejected by several of the early church fathers.  It is not part of the Word of God.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

King Josiah's Reforms (2 Kings 23)


The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"Josiah and Human Sacrifice - At the LORD's command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, and he arrived there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to offer a sacrifice.  Then at the LORD's command, he shouted, "O altar, altar!  This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David.  On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you."  (1 Kings 13:1-2 NLT)

    He [Josiah] executed the priests of the pagan shrines on their own altars, and he burned human bones on the altars to desecrate them.  Finally, he returned to Jerusalem.  King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: "You must celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the Book of the Covenant."  There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah.  This Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem during the eighteenth year of King Josiah's reign.  Josiah also exterminated the mediums and psychics, the household gods, and every other kind of idol worship, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah.  He did this in obedience to all the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the LORD's Temple.  Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses.  And there has never been a king like him since.  (2 Kings 23:20-25 NLT)"

            In order to get a better sense of what is going on in this passage, we need to examine what was going on during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (circa 640-609 BCE).
            At this point in Israel's history, the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered by the Assyrians, and those who had lived there were exiled and dispersed.  The kingdom of Judah remained, and had fallen into decline.  King Manasseh of Judah (circa 698-642 BCE), King Josiah's grandfather, was responsible for defiling the Temple of God by placing idols of Baal and Asherah inside of it (Deuteronomy 16:21; 2 Kings 21:2-9; 2 Chronicles 33:1-9).  He also practiced child sacrifice in defiance of the Law (Deuteronomy 18:10), by sacrificing his own sons in a fire (2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 33:6).  He also was responsible for the murder of many innocent people (2 Kings 21:16).  His son, Amon (Josiah's father) was no better when he became king, and he reigned only two years before being murdered by his officials as part of a conspiracy (2 Kings 21:19-24; 2 Chronicles 33:21-25).
            Josiah became king at age 8, after his father was murdered.  He was different than his father and grandfather in terms of his devotion to God, and he made plans to restore the Temple in Jerusalem.  During this restoration, the high priest, Hilkiah, found the book of the Law in the Temple, and presented it to Josiah.  After Josiah's secretary read it to him, he despairingly sent the high priest and some of his officials to a prophetess named Huldah to find out what God had to say regarding the book that had been found.  Huldah proclaimed a message from God that Judah would be destroyed because of the people's idolatry, but that Josiah would not live to see it.
            In response to this message, Josiah immediately began a series of reforms in his kingdom.  Determined to do everything he could to help his kingdom avoid the coming disaster, he committed himself to God's covenant, and the people did the same (2 Kings 23:1-3; 2 Chronicles 34:29-33).  He then began removing all of the idols and pagan priests from the kingdom, starting with the Temple. 
            The question that has been posed is this: Why did Josiah go to such extremes in his reforms?  What was going on at that time that posed such a threat to the kingdom of Judah?  We will attempt to examine some of the major issues that Josiah faced, and that he eliminated during his lifetime.
            First and foremost, there was the major issue of idolatry.  The Israelites' covenant with God demanded that they worship and serve him only.  They were not supposed to worship other gods or fashion idols for themselves.  During Josiah's lifetime, and partially due to the practices of his father and grandfather, the people of Judah worshipped Baal, Asherah, Molech, and a host of other idols, in addition to general worship of the stars and constellations.  This was in direct violation of God's Law, which forbade these practices on several occasions (Exodus 20:3-6, 23; 23:13, 23-24; 34:17; Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15-28; 5:7; 6:14-15; 8:19; 12:31; 17:2-7; 27:15; 29:17-18).  God had warned them that if they did these things, it would lead to their destruction: "If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed" (Deuteronomy 8:19, NIV).  Idolatry is a sin that God does not take lightly.  This is why Josiah took careful measures to remove and destroy every idol set up in the Temple, as well as everywhere else in his kingdom.
            Another issue was that of cultic prostitution.  Many ancient cultures who engaged in pagan worship, particularly that of Baal, engaged in this kind of prostitution [1].  In some cultures, each man and woman were forced to participate in the ritual at least once, which was believed to stimulate the fertility of the crops, animals and humans [2].  The prostitutes (male or female) would engage in sexual intercourse on a public altar or in front of a shrine, with whomever would give them money in exchange.  The Canaanites would give their firstborn daughters to the local pagan temples for this purpose.  This was another practice that Josiah abolished during his reform; he "tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the LORD, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah. " (2 Kings 23:7, NIV).  Prostitution was forbidden in the Law (Leviticus 19:29; Deuteronomy 23:17-18).  
            Finally, there was the matter concerning the verse that evilbible.com quotes: the killing of the pagan priests on their own altars.  Why would Josiah do this?  To find out, we must examine what went on during worship at the pagan altars in the kingdom of Judah.  It is interesting that the author of evilbible.com does not mention this, since the website (and this section in particular) is focused on the condemnation of human sacrifice: human/child sacrifice was massively performed on the pagan altars in question.
            Worship of Baal and Molech frequently involved the sacrifice of infants, particularly firstborn sons [2] [3].  Sometimes the babies and children would be immediately burned to death in a fire, other times they would first be placed on an altar that had been heated by coals, and then rolled off of it into a burning fire as a sacrifice.  This practice was strongly condemned by God: "They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin" (Jeremiah 32:35, NIV; see also Leviticus 18:21; 20:2-5; Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 19:5).  (A common question in response is, "If God was against human/child sacrifice, then why did he command Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?"  See my earlier article for a discussion of this topic.)  Baal worship, besides human sacrifice and cultic prostitution, also involved self-mutilation (1 Kings 18:28).
            With all of this in mind, we can conclude that Josiah executed the priests for violating God's commandments against idolatry and child sacrifice.  He was, in essence, doing to them what they had done to countless victims on their altars.   

References

[1] Daily Life In Ancient Mesopotamia, Karen Rhea Nemet-Nejat, 1998.  Pg. 193. 
[2] Exploring the World of the Bible Lands, Roberta L. Harris, 1995.  Pg. 53, 73, 89.
[3] A History of the Ancient World (Fourth Edition), Chester G. Starr, 1991.  Pg. 156.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Achan's Sin (Joshua 7)


The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"God Commands Burning Humans - [The Lord speaking]  "The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a horrible thing in Israel."  (Joshua 7:15 NLT)

            Let's examine the story of Achan in Joshua chapter 7.  Since it always helps to examine a verse in context, you can read the full chapter here:


                Earlier, in the Law, God specifically had commanded that none of the plunder that had been set apart for destruction (see the earlier article on charam, things/people devoted to destruction) be kept by the Israelites (Deuteronomy 7:25-26, 13:17).  The items were a holy offering to God, and were not to be tampered with or stolen. 
            Just before this chapter, in Joshua chapter 6, the Israelites had destroyed the city of Jericho after God had caused the city walls to fall, and the city and everything in it was supposed to be destroyed as an offering to God.  Just before they conquered the city, Joshua reminded the Israelites not to take any of the items devoted to destruction; if they did, they themselves would be completely destroyed (Joshua 6:17-19).
            Achan, a man from the tribe of Judah, deliberately disobeyed this command, and stole some of the items devoted to destruction, then hid them among his possessions (verses 20-21).  Because of his crime, the Lord withdrew his protection from the Israelites, as he had warned them he would do if they violated the Law.  36 Israelite men were killed in battle because of what Achan had done (verse 5).
            The punishment that God sentenced on the one who took the items devoted for destruction was a very specific punishment for a specific crime.  It is important to note here that Achan did not voluntarily confess when all of the Israelites assembled before God.  If he had confessed immediately instead of waiting until all of the tribes and families had been narrowed down to him, there is a chance that he and his family might have been spared.  When David confessed his sin of adultery and murder (which was punishable by death), God had mercy on him, and let him live (2 Samuel chapters 11-12).  Likewise, when the city of Nineveh repented of their sins after a warning from God that he was about to destroy them, he had mercy and spared them (Jonah chapter 3).  If Achan had voluntarily confessed and repented instead of waiting until Joshua forced him to confess, he might have been spared as well.
            Unfortunately, that is not what happened.  Achan was forced to confess after he was singled out, and they found the evidence that he had stolen what was God's and lied about it.  The promised punishment was then carried out: he and his children, along with all of his livestock and possessions, were destroyed.  The Israelites stoned them to death and then burned the bodies (verse 25); they were not burned alive, as evilbible.com seems to suggest.
            One question that is commonly asked is, why were Achan's children killed as well?  After all, there is a verse in the Law that states that children should not be executed for their parents' sins (Deuteronomy 24:16).  The explanation here is that Achan's children knew exactly what was going on, and yet they said nothing.  If they had convinced their father to confess or told Joshua what had happened themselves, they would have been spared.  It is entirely possible that they were accomplices in their father's crime, assisting him in stealing and hiding the items.  This is why they were executed as well.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Jephthah And His Daughter (Judges 11)

The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"Jephthah Burns His Daughter - "At that time the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and led an army against the Ammonites.  And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, "If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the LORD the first thing coming out of my house to greet me when I return in triumph.  I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.

"So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave him victory.  He thoroughly defeated the Ammonites from Aroer to an area near Minnith – twenty towns – and as far away as Abel-keramim. Thus Israel subdued the Ammonites.  When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter – his only child – ran out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy.  When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish.  "My daughter!" he cried out.  "My heart is breaking!  What a tragedy that you came out to greet me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and cannot take it back."  And she said, "Father, you have made a promise to the LORD.  You must do to me what you have promised, for the LORD has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites.  But first let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin."  "You may go," Jephthah said. And he let her go away for two months.  She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children.  When she returned home, her father kept his vow, and she died a virgin.  So it has become a custom in Israel for young Israelite women to go away for four days each year to lament the fate of Jephthah's daughter."   (Judges 11:29-40 NLT)

            Let us examine the story of Jephthah and his daughter.  Jephthah was a judge of Israel, during the time period of the Judges (circa 1380-1050 BCE), which took place in between when Israel settled in the land God had promised them (Canaan) and the time when kings began to rule them.  Jephthah was somewhat of an outcast; his father was named Gilead, and his mother was a prostitute (Judges 11:1).  When he grew up, his half-brothers by his father's wife drove him into exile, so that he would not be able to share the inheritance with them (Judges 11:2-3).  Jephthah went into exile and apparently traveled with a band of men, most likely outcasts like himself.  At some point he had a daughter, although the text does not mention if he ever got married, or if the child's mother was around.
            Eventually, the Gileadites turned to him for help in fighting against the Ammonites, who had been oppressing the Israelites for several years (Judges 10:7-9).  They made him their leader and commander, and he went to battle for them against the Ammonites.  As the text shows above, he then made a foolish vow; stating that if given victory, he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of the door of his house as a burnt offering (it is entirely possible that he had livestock where he lived, and so he most likely assumed that the first thing that would come out would be an animal fit for sacrifice).
            There are two major flaws in Jephthah's hasty vow.  First of all, God had already taken pity on the Israelites, and had determined to have mercy on them and deliver them from the Ammonites (Judges 10:16).  God did not give Jephthah victory in response to his vow, but in spite of it.  Secondly, Jephthah, for whatever reason, never considered the possibility that his daughter would be the one to come out of the door to meet him.  Human sacrifice was forbidden in the Law: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire" (Deuteronomy 18:10).  Jephthah should have kept this in mind before making his vow.
            It is interesting to note that Jephthah's daughter mourned with her friends over the fact that she would never marry or have children; the text does not specifically say that she was mourning that she was about to die.  Likewise, the original Hebrew text is ambiguous about what actually happened; stating only that "her father kept his vow" and "she died a virgin".  It does not specifically say that he killed her and made a burnt offering of her.  This has led some scholars to speculate that he did not actually kill her, but instead he gave her to the Tabernacle as a lifelong servant, which meant that she would never marry.
            Whether or not Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter as a burnt offering, the moral of the story is not to make foolish vows, especially vows that break God's law.  This story does not promote human sacrifice; likewise, the text never states that God approved of what took place.