Thus says the Lord:
"For three transgressions of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke the punishment;
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of shoes--
they that trample the head of the poor
into the dust of the earth,
and turn aside the way of the afflicted.
A man and his father go into the same maiden,
so that my holy name is profaned;
they lay themselves down upon every altar
upon garments taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who've been fined.
Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them,
whose height was like the height of the cedars,
and who was as strong as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above,
and his roots beneath.
Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt,
and led you forty years in the wilderness
to possess the land of the Amorite.
And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,
and some of your young men for Nazirites.
Is it not so, oh people of Israel?" says the Lord.
"But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
and commanded the prophets,
saying 'You shall not prophesy.'
Behold, I will press you down in your place,
as a cart full of sheaves presses down.
Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong shall not regain his strength,
nor shall the mighty save his life;
he who handles the bow shall not stand,
and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself,
nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;
and he who is stout of heart among the mighty
shall flee away naked in that day," says the Lord.
2 comments:
White hot words.
Wherever Deuteronomy was found-- whether in the Temple, or in the inspiration of some prophetic priest-- it evidently was not how Torah was practiced in the northern kingdom.
I don't entirely see the point of "a man and his father" with the same woman... not good for family cohesion, of course, but most of these charges here are about socio-economic misconduct. Perhaps the vulnerability of women, that they're having to make themselves available more from necessity from choice? The old man for security, the young because he's the one she would have preferred otherwise?
And corruption... government and religion in the hands of the wealthy, trying to silence criticism of the system.
And all of this sapping people's strength, diverting them from the true security that would otherwise come from righteous adherence to God.
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