John Davis gives a succinct history of Jesus’ ministry in his fourth edition (1934) of The Dictionary of the Bible: “The news came that John the Baptist had been cast into prison by Herod Antipas. The work of the herald was over. The old Jewish church had been sufficiently called to repentance and reformation, and she had refused to listen. Jesus began forthwith in Galilee to preach the kingdom of God, to announce the germinal principles and the new dispensation, and to gather the nucleus of the future church. The great Galilean ministry of Jesus lasted about sixteen months. He took for his center the busy mart of trade, Capernaum. In Galilee, he was in the midst of a population prevailingly Jewish, yet in a region removed from interference by the religious authorities of the nation.”
Davies lays out the ministry for us: “His evident purpose was to set forth the true, spiritual kingdom of God, and by mighty works convince men of his authority and the character of the kingdom. He asked for faith in himself. He unveiled the real character of God and his requirements for men. He did not apply to himself the name Messiah, for carnal minds would have too easily misunderstood it. He generally called himself the Son of Man.”
Although seemingly religious, the above describes Jesus’ revelation—to unveil God’s true character as loving, assisting others toward forgiveness and redemption, and rendering judgment only if needed. Mercy is to modify judgment. Jesus demonstrates all these qualities and yields the thought that God resists judgment. Among the people, the face of God has transformed from a God who judges to one who restores—the sick are healed, and the blind see.
S O N of M A N
In Enoch I, v.46.2, “And I asked the one—from among the angels—who was going with me, and who had revealed to me all the secrets regarding the One who was born of human beings,’ ‘Who is this, and from whence is he who is going as the prototype of the Before-Time?” And he answered me and said to me,’ This is the Son of Man,* to whom belongs righteousness, and with whom righteousness dwells. And he will open all the hidden storerooms; for the Lord of the Spirits has chosen him, and he is destined to be victorious before the Lord of the Spirits [God] in eternal uprightness. This Son of Man whom you have seen is the One who would remove the kings and the mighty ones from their comfortable seats and the strong ones from their thrones. He shall loosen the reins of the strong and crush the teeth of the sinners. He shall depose the kings from their thrones and kingdoms. For they do not extol and glorify him, and neither do they obey him, the source of their kingship [from where the kingdom was bestowed upon them]. The faces of the strong will be slapped and be filled with shame and gloom. Their dwelling places and their beds will be worms. They shall have no hope to rise from their beds, for they do not extol the name of the Lord of the Spirits.” “…They manifest all their deeds in oppression; all their deeds are oppression. Their power depends upon their wealth. And their devotion is to the gods they have fashioned with their own hands. But they deny the name of the Lord of the Spirits. Yet they like congregating in the houses and (with) the faithful ones who cling to the Lord of the Spirits.”
*”Man” in this context means “people” or “human beings.” Though this passage could be rendered as “Son of human beings,” to avoid unnecessary confusion…” (footnote ‘e’) James H. Charlesworth (editor), Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1, 1st Enoch. Considered as a title or formal name, Son of Man also poses Jesus as representing the sons of all men, as we see later in the text. “The Lord of Spirits has chosen him,” only makes sense if he has been chosen on behalf of all men. Since the Son of Man “to whom belongs righteousness, and with whom righteousness dwells” is directed to correct unrighteous circumstances, such as sinners generally: disposal of kings who do not extol him, the strong (haughty) will be shamed, oppressors will lose wealth and power (dealing with love of money, coveting power), and those who under disguise congregate with the faithful ones, these shall be exposed and diminished. We must conclude that the Son of Man is also the Messiah, not only from what he does, but his designation as “with whom righteousness dwells.” Verse 48, “the Lord of Spirits and his Messiah,” makes this proposition clear.
[God]Verse 48, “At that hour, that Son of Man was given a name, in the presence of the Lord of Spirits, the Before-Time; even before the creation of the sun and the moon, before the creation of the stars, he was given a name in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits. He will become a staff for the righteous ones so that they may lean on him and not fall. He is the light of the gentiles, and he will become the hope of those who are sick in their hearts. All those who dwell upon the Earth shall fall and worship before him; they shall glorify, bless, and sing the name of the Lord of the Spirits. For this purpose, he became the Chosen One; he was concealed in the presence of (the Lord of the Spirits) before the creation of the world and for eternity. And he has revealed the wisdom of the Lord of the Spirits to the righteous and holy ones…and because they will be saved in his name and it is his good pleasure that they have life.” Closing with and describing those who are not of him, “For they have denied the Lord of the Spirits and his Messiah. Blessed be the name of the Lord of the Spirits.”
The above two paragraphs encapsulate the Essene belief in a divine being whom God will send to Earth and then be revealed as the Messiah. Most scholars believe the Enoch I text to have been written during the Greek occupation (332-144 BC), written approx. 200 BC, not long after the Pharisees began to organize. Its revelatory nature (apocalyptic) gathers the Essene and those of the Pharisee movement (apocalyptic Pharisees) who share similar beliefs. The extended text given over to the Book of Enoch suggests that the ‘Son of Man’ is a long-held secret and is not a recently made-up belief to suit circumstances.
Daniel 7.13 14 is often quoted for the Son of Man context: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. (14) And, there was given Him dominion, that all the people, nations and languages, should serve Him…” The messianic vision has been long-standing. Many scriptures denote that a messiah will arrive, such as Deuteronomy 18.14-15, “(15) The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy bretheren, like unto me”; Genesis 49.10, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah [scepter infers preeminent representative], nor the ruler’s staff between his feet”; Isaiah 7.14, “shall call his name Immanuel.” The Son of Man is a unique terminology, and it describes the complete humanity of the Messiah while designating him as a divine being specially appointed.
Generally, “son of man” is used in a peculiar manner to identify oneself, but when used as “the Son of Man,” it is typically taken as a title. With Matt. 8.20, referring to foxes having holes but the Son of Man has no place to rest, signifies a specific ‘set apart’ relationship to God that, while on earth, the average man does not have to endure, but the Son of Man, the Messiah, will. The Matthew scripture (also, Lk. 9.28) points to the more significant burden, or a burden no other man can carry. All men in those days would have relatives with whom to seek shelter during hard times. Still, this reference by Jesus seems to exclude any normalcy relative to shelter, safety, or even worse, that he is constantly exposed to the machinations of the world and left with no safe harbor. The usage of ‘Son of Man’ now takes on dimension and moves us beyond any normal circumstances an average man may confront. That being so, Jesus moves beyond any reference to the ‘average man’ and must be designated a peculiar or unique man.
Adam is perceived as especially created. Much like Adam, the Son of Man is a unique creation, connotating foremost a spiritual being, as he is associated with the Lord of Spirits, and secondarily an incarnate or a physical being. This simultaneous spiritual and physical presence asserts the Messiah. Jesus was a man in the flesh, yet not of it, nor of the world, even though in it. The Son of Man comes in the clouds of heaven; God also comes in the clouds of heaven.
The populace believed the Messiah to be the ‘one who will deliver us.’ Almost all Jews assumed the Romans were the only problem—continuing with Davis, “The new ministries of John and Jesus saw past Roman occupation and viewed the corruption within the nation,” [the lack of enlightenment into the Spirit of God, but well studied in the law] “and that an internal cleansing, or conversion, would require that a new seed must be sown.” That new seed would be the Son of Man, the Messiah, Jesus.
*
There has been much discussion concerning Jesus’ supposed visits to India. Some scholars believe he did go to India. Most others do not believe so, Bart Ehrman for one. The Buddhist records ascribed to that time period have been determined fake. Of course, others do not agree with this analysis.
Buddhism is a respected teaching (est. 600 BC), but it excluded women and commoners, something Jesus would object to. Its practitioners were only the sons of the royal families, the Mughals, as was Gautama (Siddartha), and later the sons of the wealthy were accomodated. Other stories retell Jesus as espousing his Judaic revelation, even while learning what he might in Buddhist and Brahmic environments. Some chronicles indicate that Jesus was thrown out of India by the Brahmins, with death close at hand. None of these beliefs may be true, but are popular.
It may be more likely that foreign travel would include Alexandria, which housed the Library of Alexandria. Many philosophers, religious representatives, and scholars would be there. In fact, the Jewish population exceeded a number of tens of thousands. The problem here is that these Jews appear to be largely Hellenistic, although conclaves of believers whose beliefs more closely resembled Jesus’ teachings were also thought to be in residence. Some maintain that before his ministry Jesus sailed as far as England, this by way of the merchant, Joseph of Arimathea.
The inclusion of the Moghul families and Brahmans, to the exclusion of the lower classses, and concerning class and judgmental criticisms within Judaism, Jesus taught equality as Child of God.
The caste system practiced throughout India left the poor without a higher understanding, not to mention a pathway they might follow, that much is true.
Saint Thomas proselytized in India,
martyred by Brahmins, AD 72.
Six million Christians worship in India today.
∞
B E G I N N I N G M I N I S T R Y
After his anointing, (Lk. 4.1-13) Jesus is said to be filled with the Holy Ghost, or ‘filled with the power on high’, and was led by the Spirit, or ‘the Holy Spirit Himself’, and also infers the Holy Spirit gave him guidance.* (2) “being forty days tempted of the devil,” and it is after this, Matthew 4.3, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be bread.” The temptation is to prove-out his identity, but the questioner is unworthy (before swine, Mt. 7.6). The answer is to live by the word of God and not only by bread, but the answer also dismisses the questioner. The second temptation offers power and glory with kingdom possessions, should Jesus bow down and worship him. Jesus declines, and again Jesus dismisses Satan, “Him only shalt thy serve.” The devil finally tempts Jesus to demonstrate his power at the risk of his own life, to ‘save himself’. His answer, “Do not put Adonai to the test.” Jesus does not argue, he is direct, and at each question Satan is dismissed. Finally, in Mt. 4.11, “and then the devil leaveth him.”
Specific preparation is wisely put in place before formal ministry proceeds. The first preparation for Jesus’ ministry is always noted as the temptation. Yet, there seems to be more here, for a person cannot be constantly tempted, and the ministrations of the Holy Spirit must be taken into account.* In the ministry of Jesus, the movement of the Holy Spirit will become pronounced.
*guidance: Kregel Companion Bible notes: “The spirit not only led him “into” the wilderness but guided him when there.”
Mt. 4.18, Jesus calls those who have been waiting, his friends:
“Simon called Peter, Andrew, his brother… James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother,”
It is in Lk. 5: 9-11, we observe: “For he (Simon) and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken; (10) and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” (11) So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him.”
Before the formal calling forth of the ministry, Jesus probably taught in Capernaum. As scripture indicates, his reputation as a Rabbi (teacher) seems without question. Many people might know him or know of him, with “returned” to Galilee the key word: Lk. 4.14, “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.” The Galilean ministry now begins: “and news of him went out through all the surrounding region. (15) And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”
“Glorified” tells us that people were well aware of Jesus, or quickly became so. The people would spread the word, and some would follow him from one village to the next. In Lk. 4.42, he tried to keep him from leaving them (43), but he said to them, “I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also because for this purpose I have been sent.” “Glorified by all” tells us that Jesus became quickly known even from the beginning. Matt.4.24 tells of his fame spreading as far as Syria, and so already word of the ministry has moved among non-Jews. It is unusual that a Rabbi would be embraced outside Israel. Jesus’ message is foundational and for all people.
Early in his ministry, Jesus elevated the basic principles of the Way. These foundational principles would be belief-faith, love-forgiveness, and knowledge-wisdom. Belief and faith initiate action and are thus foundational (Jm. 2.17); love and forgiveness touch all other attributes of character, with love initiating new creation, while forgiveness releases personal bondage; knowledge and wisdom are highlighted throughout the Hebrew Bible. The prophets had taught these character elements, but the final interpretation and edification had not yet been given—the Essenes believed only the Messiah could accomplish this task.
Yet, this new exposition of enlightened knowledge, principles never cohesively taught to the population, would remove much of the current legalistic doctrine and require a whole new understanding: the law may reveal everyone’s sin; still, love will heal and grace will forgive them. Nor had Judaic teachings yet been interpreted by the Messiah, which would become a much higher level of understanding than that given by the prophets.
The early ministry would ground the disciples in these new principles: Matthew the tax collector is accepted as a disciple (Mt. 9.9), demonstrating that anyone may be chosen, anyone called; Jesus heals a centurion’s servant (Mt. 8.7), anyone might be cured, especially should they ask; in chapter five of Matthew, Jesus gives the Beatitudes and speaks of universal love, to be merciful toward others, to seek purity of heart as to see and understand God. In Matt. 7.7-11, Jesus urges the people to keep asking and seeking, offering hope and not abandoning God’s promise.
Following in Matt. 7.12: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” He conveys the spiritual aspect of the Law of Reciprocity, to which the written Law is subject. He explains an aspect of the law of spiritual love, to maintain a comity in your dealings with others. The speaking and doings of Jesus become profound in their implications.
Jesus begins to reveal the secrets of God’s kingdom.
Previous prophets had only
hinted at such things.
Even though at times mysterious, Jesus is more often explicit as he explains the enlightenment into God, the teaching that later becomes known as the Way. He tells us that if the kingdom of God is within you [and a king must inhabit his kingdom], God is with you always, not just outside of Self as the Jews of that day believed. God is ever-present within, and that His kingdom lives within will later become the revolutionary teaching for the world.
These are secrets that those of the higher Essene priesthood would not want to be revealed, for these secrets are for the Elect and not to be shared outside the priesthood. “He shall conceal his counsel among the men of injustice, but he shall impart true knowledge and righteous judgment to those who have chosen the Way, to each according to his spirit and according to the rule of the age, guiding them with knowledge,” Community Rule, VIII, Cave 4 (IQS ix, 15-x, 3), translation Geza Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. Jesus begins to reveal the very secrets meant not to be revealed! For those who perceived themselves as holy, and the Ossaean Community in Qumran indeed did, Jesus personifies the Wicked Priest. His clashes with the scribes (Ossaean) are notorious.
“For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light,” Lk. 8.17 is the Parable of the Revealed Light (also Lk. 12.1-3). Lk. 8.18, “Take heed how you hear (understand). For whoever has, to him, more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”
The Sadducees seem to have, yet they will become diminished. The Pharisees faced a similar confrontation. Jesus tells the people how to walk with God and reveals the attributes of the actual pathway, the basics of which are faith and wholeness with God, bound by love and forgiveness. Being a creative element, love and the power of love compound themselves, and faith upon faith is still preached in many churches every Sunday (Mt. 9.22). Knowledge and wisdom begin to complete the journey all souls travel. For the follower of Jesus, more is promised; thus, more will be given to those who accept the promise.
The mechanics of enlightened thought-teaching are now being made public. John the Baptist introduces the new thought* of equality of station and that the repentance required is no longer directed toward ritual actions or affectations at being more holy, but first requires a shift in basic understanding. A new heart-centered commitment must now come into order, instead of being reserved only to the head, the intellect, or the law. The emphasis upon the heart teaching, not merely the head teaching, is illustrated throughout Jesus’ ministry. The order of events in consciousness has taken a bend in the road, and actions taken by the new man must reflect the new commitment.
*New thought: Being a Jew is no longer a place of privilege, Mt. 3.9, for all of God’s children are equal (Children of God).
Other prophets had mentioned the love teaching, but never taught with the same clarity and wisdom. Love predominates all other aspects of the pathway: knowledge is essential, but without love, knowledge rings hollow; faith may presume outstanding achievements, but not done with love, the achievements are but a shell; love is eternal. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10.10) provides the intent and a summation. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus says, ‘for this abundant life you always carry with you, which no one can steal.’
The disciples gather in the authority of his message. In Matt. 10.1, the disciples are given the power over unclean spirits, allowing them to “heal all kinds of sickness.” Previously, they were baptizing in the Jordan, and they continued to baptize even as Jesus oversaw them (Jn. 4:1-2). They have now tasted the truth of Jesus’ anointing. In their own way, they experience anointing power, and where spiritual sleep had once consumed man, the awakening brings life and healing.
In Matt. 8.26, Jesus rebukes the wind and brings calm. This act expresses authority but offers a powerful and practical example of the storms afflicting each man or woman. How a person speaks, even within themselves, that they may rely more on the spirit of God, who calms the turbulent winds—these principles, along with others, mark the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The fulfillment of the law is fully counterbalanced by the underlying spiritual law, which becomes the proper fulfillment of the law.
∞
People seldom read the Bible with the thought that Jesus is teaching enlightened understanding into the spirit and nature of God. Some read scripture with a sense of excitement, sometimes becoming exalted by the words themselves. Still, others read as literalists and miss the broad-based allegorical meanings. Still, others understand more, but the enlightened message is missed (see Mt. 13:10-17). As to allegory, has anyone heard of a Rabbi who states with belief that a big fish literally swallowed Jonah? There may be a few, but I have not heard of one. Storm-tossed seas are friendly to no one, representing repentance or a return to the pathway God has for each person. Jonah teaches a simple lesson but with graphic details.
Following the previous Matthew scripture (13.10-17), dealing with parables (lessons) and understanding (clarity, cognition), Jesus reveals one of his primary principles. He delineates the Parable of the Sower. Jesus the Sower, and now the disciples had already taken up this task. This calling is of the spirit. It is not of the mind of men, nor can it manifest from ourselves as we now are, but from the transition into a spirit-led life.
The Parable of the Sower illustrates common sense or practical knowledge applied in our physical world. The farmer does not sow seed for his health, but to receive a harvest. Without sowing, the field remains the same, barren. Likewise, we must sow seed to the spirit, or else we become caught up in the same version of ourselves. The Parable of the Sower illustrates that we should sow relative to spiritual matters that concern the Self. The saying, ‘so above, so below’ expresses this relationship, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven,” Matt. 18.18. The interrelationship of heaven and Earth (spiritual and physical) is practical and whole, intimately connected.
Jesus seeks that plain of enlightenment that asserts a profound cause-and-effect teaching, the awakening, and one that moves to the core of each man, his very thinking. Jesus’ teaching has no formal rules that we observe, unlike those of the Pharisees. The Pharisaic cleanliness rituals lack a spiritual foundation, and their prayers are either misguided or mere shadows and reflections of the genuine understanding. Jesus arrives instead at the root of mind and spirit, thought itself. Actions bring accountability, either good or bad, but attitude, intent, and purpose reveal the heart and must also be accounted for. This accounting of the heart cannot be an accounting by law.
A foundational, disciplined ministry now takes form. If Jesus dwelt in Capernaum, then Simon,* Andrew, James, and John would have had ample time to learn at the feet of Jesus. Jesus’ ministry was from the beginning much like John’s ministry,** bursting out of itself and expanding rapidly. The disciples would have viewed the spiritual authority of Jesus, had already accepted him to some degree, and were ready and prepared to move forward when called.
Jesus speaks by the sea.
Capernaum was modern for its time.
A new city, and it developed into
a bustling trading center.
Jesus heals paralytics.
* NIV Lk. 4.13 notes: Capernaum is a sizable town. Simon Peter’s house was a base of operations, fulfilling Messianic prophecy from Isaiah, as the public ministry was near Zebulon and Naphtali.
** John’s ministry occurred during a Sabbatic year, as was the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, which allowed for less labor and increased spiritual seeking. For this reason, John attracted large listening audiences, touching many thousands. Those who visited the Jordan River would undoubtedly have spoken of John or Jesus to others.
We know that crowds pursued Jesus right after the calling of the four fishermen:
Mt. 4.24, “Then his fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. (25) And great multitudes followed him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis*, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.”
*Decapolis is a district of ten cities, mainly of Greek influence, located south and east of the Sea of Galilee. Syria (Acre, also known as Acco) is only a two-day journey. Decapolis is an hour by boat from Capernaum.
This ministry cannot be ill-planned. The ministry appears to be well-planned, well-thought-out, and well-guided. It is not so much that Jesus plans each step, but as the spirit moves, it is built stone by stone and initiates an active and committed ministry force. The idea of Jesus taking his small, bedraggled band of disciples from one village to another is simply inaccurate. The early proving of Jesus is now accomplished. We see no random acts; we see acts of purpose. We see men familiar with Jesus, and then we see them called into a life of discipleship. It would then be time for the ministry to take its next steps.
Jesus would instruct in love and forgiveness, knowledge and wisdom, and his ever-present faith to walk in the Way. These teachings would become foundational to the early church.
God Bless!
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YAHWEH, CANNIBALISM, HUMAN SACRIFICES AND JESUS
The most execrable and diabolic of the divine laws of Yahweh are the repeated enactments condemning his Chosen to cannibalism, the eating of human flesh, and ordaining and sanctioning living human sacrifices to appease the fierce wrath of the holy God. These infernal ukases consign the Heavenly Father of Jew and Christian to eternal loathing, as well as the inspired book which enshrines them.
Text after text of the inspired word of God relates to the custom of burning children as living human sacrifices to this Hebrao-Christian Moloch. True, some texts forbid the practice, but they are very late in Hebrew history, and testify by their iteration to the inveterate cult of human sacrifice. The instance of the God’s command to Abraham to murder his God-engendered Isaac to the whim of the Monster of Hebrew mythology is too well known to need narrating; it is no palliation of the barbarity that a billy-goat was substituted just as the deluded votary of Yahweh “stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (Genesis xxii, 10); the god who would command a father to do such a thing and the poor obsessed fool who would obey are alike beneath contempt.
Jephthah was himself the “goat” of his God, as well as “a son of a harlot” (Judges xi, 1), when “the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah” (xi, 29) to incite him to murder. “And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Yahweh … that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me … shall surely be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it {123} up for a burnt offering” (xxi, 30, 31). The revolting murder of his own daughter as a burnt sacrifice to the Moloch of Israel, because “I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I cannot go back,” is a blasting infamy to the God who instigated and accepted the murder, and who intervened with none of his usual meddlesome conjuring tricks to prevent it. It is recorded that the murdered maiden’s father, in making this human sacrifice, “did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: … and it was a custom [margin, ordinance] in Israel” (xi, 39), thus testifying to the historical fact that human sacrifice was a customary thing in Israel, was established by divine “ordinance,” and was practised for ages among these barbarian people.
Here is the ordinance, the divine law of Yahweh, which commanded these sacrificial murders:
“When a man maketh a singular vow … he shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good. … No devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto Yahweh of all that he hath, both of man and beast … shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto Yahweh. None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus. xxvii, 2, 10, 28, 29).
Commenting on this abhorrent law of God, the pious editors of the Biblical Encyclopedia, [New York, George H. Doran Co., 1907. 5 vols. (This is not the Encyclopedia Biblica.)] betraying the prostitution of mind of bibliolaters seeking to “justify the ways of God to man,” far from venting their loathing, thus slavishly display their maudlin exegetical wit: “(28) Devoted—anything which by the law belonged to the Lord could neither be sold … nor be redeemed by the vower. (29) surely … death, in extreme cases, where death was proper and right, there was no alternative” (Vol. I, p. 344).
Yahweh vengefully sent one of his frequent famines upon his Holy Land, “flowing with milk and honey,” and it grievously afflicted his Chosen for three years, until the “man after Yahweh’s own heart,” David, “enquired of Yahweh” what it was all about. “And Yahweh answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites” (2 Samuel. xxi, 1), heathen enemies whom Yahweh had ordered to be exterminated. David cast about for a form of sacrifice potent enough to conjure away the wrath of his benign God, and to this Yahweh divinely guided him. He took two sons of Saul by Rizpah, and five sons of Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s own wife, “who loved him”—and “they hanged them in the hill before Yahweh; and they fell all seven together, and were put to death. … And after that God was intreated for the land” (2 Samuel xxi, 8, 9, 14); glutted with the butchery of human sacrifice to him, he graciously ended the famine. But what heart will not be wrung by the mother’s woe of Rizpah, who “took sack-cloth and spread it … upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night” (xxi, 10); the heart-broken mother of the God’s victims despairingly lying over the rotting bodies of her loved sons for several months under the open skies, fighting off the scavenger birds and beasts from the poor carcasses of the human sacrifices to the Christian’s loving Heavenly Father.
Rizpah disobeyed her God’s repeated commands to eat her dead sons. The holy God of Israel, in his sacred Mosaic law, time and again imposes cannibalism, and of the most revolting kind: “Ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat” (Leviticus. xxvi, 29). “And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and thy daughters” (Deut. xxviii, 53-57)—the whole passage should be read for its refinements of gloating fiendishness. And again the holy God ordains these delicate repasts: “And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat everyone the flesh of his friend” (Jer. xix, 9). And again: “The fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers” (Ezek. v, 10).
Hi Philip,
I wrote a longer comment, but unfortunately (and somehow) it got erased. However, regarding paragraph two, the ritual you refer to was relatively well-known in the ancient world. Usually, a thin copper plate was placed over the throat and secured with a string. If copper was unavailable, a linen cloth was used. The knife was brought down to the throat, held there briefly, and then raised up. Its significance to monotheists established the end of child sacrifice and demonstrated to all that child sacrifice is anathema. Scholars are aware of this ritual (I read about it over thirty years ago, but I do not recall the source), but they struggle to understand why it was inserted into the Bible in this particular place. I’m not sure that the argument concerning placement has ended.
As to paragraph three in your text: I will quote from the Interpreter’s Bible (1952), as follows, “Jephthah wanted to make sure that they would not cast him out [ref. 11.1-5] once victory had been gained, and he obtained both the promise from the delegation, the elders of Gilead, and also the acclaim of all the people who made him leader over them (v.11).” Jephthah turns from his agreement with men and then makes a vow (agreement) with God: Verse 31, “Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” Commentary: “There are lessons here for us to learn. By this story of the wrong kind of sacrifice we may be helped to discover the right kind. One lesson which we must read is that God cannot be bribed. Here is man’s pathetic attempt to guarantee God’s support. By pledging something of great value, of even greater value than he realized at the time, he thought that God would help him;” later commentary: “Jesus reminded men again and again that God cannot be bribed, that he will not enter into any bargain;” and later, “Moreover, we are reminded that the only sacrifice worthy of the name is the sacrifice of self.” Jephthah was vowing a human sacrifice for God’s favor!
Ancient history, especially if it is biblical, has to be understood in context. Jephthah is willing to offer whoever, and after a fashion, he is worse than Cain. Furthermore, vows need not be given at all, God is content enough that the chosen come forth, but if a vow is given the vow was considered sacrosanct. Even Jephthah’s daughter would know this. One could argue that they in their time would consider what we do in our time as violent beyond words; context is everything, and probably the most difficult of biblical studies. Many stories in the Bible are included due to their lessons, even though the stories may also be well-recorded and factual.
Jephthah transgressed after he was chosen, God did not require him to do so. Jephthah has a fundamental problem in his relationship to God. Yes, he was chosen because he was brave and a strong warrior, but there is not much else good to say about Jephthah. He goes far beyond himself in making this vow, and a blood-curdling vow it is. And, yes, Philip, this dish will be served.
You seem to have a lot of depth to your anger, and even though I am not your teacher, I may be able to point you in a direction. I worship my father just as Jesus prayed. In that manner, you may pray to the God Who Is A Spirit. This website is primarily focused on the Way, the central logos of which is love and forgiveness. Love fosters new creation, and forgiveness removes old obstructions. I don’t recall ever using the name Yahweh in my prayers, He is just Father, Abba. I will leave you with a comment from another commenter: “Hi, I am Ashourina Odisho, an American-born Assyrian whom speaks Aramaic with a lot of lineage to the Essenes. It has been brought to my spiritual attention that the Way is a beautiful path to follow,” commenting on the article, Essenes.
C. Ray
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