Have you ever been ashamed?

February 4, 2017

The taunt against Babylon (Jer 50:11-50:13)

“‘Though you rejoice,

Though you exult,

O plunderers of my heritage,

Though you frisk about

Like a heifer

On the grass,

Though you neigh

Like stallions,

Your mother

Shall be utterly shamed.

She who bore you

Shall be disgraced.

O!

She shall be

The last of the nations,

A wilderness,

A dry land,

A desert.

Because of the wrath

Of Yahweh,

She shall not be inhabited.

But she shall be

An utter desolation.

Everyone who passes

By Babylon

Shall be appalled.

They will hiss

Because of all her wounds.”

Then Yahweh via Jeremiah taunted Babylon, by indicating how they thought that they were superior with their plundering and rejoicing. They were like young heifers and stallions doing whatever they wanted to do. Now their mothers will be shamed and disgraced. They will become the last of the countries, as their land will become a wilderness, a dry land, like a desert. The wrath of Yahweh will not be held back. Babylon will be deserted and become an utter desolation. Everyone who passes by her will be appalled. They will hiss at all the wounds that they would see.

October 15, 2016

The shame of Israel (Jer 2:26-2:28)

“As a thief is shamed when caught,

So the house of Israel shall be shamed.

Their kings shall be shamed.

Their princes shall be shamed.

Their priests shall be shamed.

Their prophets shall be shamed.

Who says to a tree?

‘You are my father.’

Who says to a stone?

‘You gave me birth.’

They have turned their backs to me.

They have not turned their faces to me.

But in the time of their trouble,

They say.

‘Arise!

Save us!’

But where are your gods

That you made for yourself?

Let them come!

See if they can save you

In your time of trouble.

You have as many gods

As you have towns!

O Judah!”

Jeremiah says that the house of Israel should be shamed like a thief who gets caught. This shame includes their kings, officials, priests, and prophets. Think of this, these people were saying to a tree, you are my father. They were saying to a stone that they were born from a stone. They turned their backs on Yahweh, since they would not show their face to him. However, whenever there was a problem, they would come running to Yahweh, asking him to come and save them. Where were their gods that they had made? Let them come and save them. However, they had as many gods as there were towns. Each town in Judah had their own little god image for protection.

September 6, 2016

Against idol makers (Isa 44:9-44:11)

“All who make idols

Are nothing.

The things they delight in

Do not profit.

Their witnesses neither see

Nor know.

Thus they will be put to shame.

Who fashions a god?

Who casts an image?

Can they do any good?

Look!

All its devotees shall be put to shame.

The artisans are merely human.

Let them all assemble!

Let them stand up!

They shall be terrified.

They shall all be put to shame.”

Second Isaiah has a strong condemnation of those who make false idols. They are nothing. They delight in things that bring them no good. They and their devotees will be put to shame, which is repeated again twice. Who fashions these gods and casts their images? Can they do any good? They are just mere humans. Let them stand up together and be shamed. In fact, the biggest punishment for these idol makers was their own shame.

September 27, 2015

They live in shame (Ps 44:13-44:16)

“You have made us the taunt of our neighbors.

You have made us the derision and scorn of those about us.

You have made us a byword among the nations.

You have made us a laughing stock among the peoples.

All day long my disgrace is before me.

Shame has covered my face,

At the words of the taunters

At the words of the revilers,

At the sight of the enemy,

At the sight of the avenger.”

Their neighbors were taunting them. Obviously this psalm was written after the captivity, not at the time of David. They were scorned as they became a byword among the various nations. They were a laughing stock among the various peoples. They were ashamed at the words of the taunters and revilers. They were shamed in the sight of their enemies and avengers.