The Old Testament Hebrew Bible raises questions of interpretation for a Christian. To what extent am I, as a Christian, projecting Christian views and values on the children of Israel, the people of Israel, the Israelites? There are various terms that translators have used to describe the slowing forming group of Yahweh believers over three thousand years ago. Yahweh was their God and intervened in their lives. They had a special relationship or covenant with him. The Hebrew sacred writings were incorporated into Christianity because all the early Christians were Jewish. However, the writings were not originally meant for Christians, but for the Hebrew people. Can I really fully understand the Semitic thought process of three thousand years ago? Will I be able to appreciate how important the promised land of Israel was to Jewish people? What role did the exodus from Egypt, the Temple, the exile, and the various codes play in their lives? I can try, but I doubt if I will be fully successful.
the people of Israel
The useless worship of God (Mal 3:14-3:15)
“You have said.
‘It is vain
To serve God.
What do we profit
By keeping his commands?
What do we profit
By walking
As mourning
Before Yahweh of hosts?
Now we count the arrogant
Happy.
Evildoers not only prosper,
But when they put God
To the test,
They escape.’”
The people of Israel were saying that it was useless to worship God. What did they gain by keeping his commandments? How did it help them by walking around mourning before Yahweh? The arrogant ones were the happy ones. The evildoers not only prospered, but when they defied God, they escaped. What was the value of their Yahweh worship?
Do not be like your ancestors (Zech 1:4-1:6)
“Do not be like your ancestors!
The former prophets
Cried out
Against them.
Thus says Yahweh of hosts.
‘Return from your evil ways!
Return from your evil deeds!
But they did not hear.
They did not heed me.’
Says Yahweh.
‘Your ancestors,
Where are they?
The prophets,
Do they live forever?
But my words,
My statutes,
That I commanded
My servants,
The prophets,
Did they not overtake
Your ancestors?
Thus,
They repented.
They said.
‘Yahweh of hosts
Has dealt with us
According to our ways,
According to our deeds,
Just as he planned to do.’”
Yahweh, via Zechariah, wanted the people of Israel not to be like their ancestors. They should return from their evil ways and deeds. Their ancestors had not listened to the former prophets proclaiming the word of Yahweh. What happened to their ancestors? Neither they nor these prophets would live forever. However, the statutes and commands of Yahweh as pronounced by his servants, the prophets, overtook them. They repented and agreed that Yahweh had treated them fairly according to their ways and deeds.
The conclusion of Haggai (Hag 2:14-2:14)
“Then Haggai said.
‘So is it with this people,
With this nation before me.
Says Yahweh.
So is it
With every work
Of their hands.
What they offer there
Is unclean.’”
Haggai explained the situation about the people of Israel, the nation before him. He said that Yahweh felt the same way about all the work of their hands because of their uncleanness. Whatever they offered up would be unclean also.
The new ruler of Israel (Mic 5:3-5:4)
“Therefore,
He shall give them up
Until the time
When she who is in labor
Has brought forth.
Then the rest
Of his brethren
Shall return
To the people of Israel.
He shall stand.
He shall feed his flock
In the strength of Yahweh,
In the majesty
Of the name of Yahweh,
His God.
They shall live secure.
Now he shall be great
To the ends of the earth.
He shall be the one of peace.”
Next Micah gave a description of this new Israelite ruler. Apparently, this would take place after a long process of pregnancy labor. Then the new ruler would be born when the rest of the people of Israel returned. This new ruler would stand with them and feed them like his own flock. He would stand in the majesty and strength of the name of Yahweh, his God. They then would live secure. This new ruler would be great, since he would be a man of peace, known to the ends of the earth. It is easy to see why many of the early Christians applied this passage to Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem.
The response of Amos (Am 7:14-7:15)
“Then Amos answered Amaziah.
‘I am no prophet.
I am not a prophet’s son.
But I am a herdsman.
I am a dresser
Of sycamore trees.
Yahweh took me
From following the flock.
Yahweh said to me.
‘Go!
Prophesy to my people Israel!’”
Amos responded that he was not a professional prophet, nor the son of a prophet, nor part of any prophetic group. He was a simple shepherd or herdsman. He loved to take care of sycamore trees. Yahweh had taken him away from his flock and told him to prophesize to the people of Israel. Remember that King David was also a shepherd. Obviously, that was considered a badge of honor to be a lowly shepherd, something that Jesus of Nazareth would also mention.
The destruction of Israel (Am 7:8-7:9)
“Yahweh said to me.
‘Amos!
What do you see?’
I said.
‘A plumb line.’
Then Yahweh said.
‘See!
I am setting
A plumb line
In the midst
Of my people Israel.
I will never again
Pass by them.
The high places
Of Isaac
Shall be made desolate.
The sanctuaries of Israel
Shall be laid waste.
I will rise against
The house of Jeroboam
With the sword.’”
This time, Amos had no response to this vision about the plumb line. Yahweh asked Amos what he saw. Amos responded that it was a plumb line. Then Yahweh told him that he was going to place it in the middle of the people of Israel. He was not going to pass by them again. The high places and the sanctuaries of Israel would be laid waste and become desolate. Yahweh was going to rise up against the house of King Jeroboam II (783-743 BCE), meaning his son, King Zachariah, who did not last a year in 743 BCE.
Yahweh is a refuge for his people (Joel 3:16-3:16)
“Yahweh roars
From Zion.
Yahweh utters his voice
From Jerusalem.
The heavens
With the earth
Shake.
But Yahweh is a refuge
For his people.
Yahweh is a stronghold
For the people of Israel.”
Yahweh will roar and speak from Zion and Jerusalem. Both heaven and earth would shake. However, Yahweh would be a refuge and stronghold for his people, the people of Israel.
The people lack knowledge (Hos 4:6-4:6)
“My people
Are destroyed,
For lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected
Knowledge,
I reject you
From being
A priest to me.
Since you have forgotten
The law of your God,
I also will forget
Your children.”
The main objection against the priests is that they have not educated the people of Israel. The people lack knowledge because the priests and prophets have rejected knowledge themselves. These same priests had forgotten the law of God. Therefore, Yahweh was going to forget their children.
Hosea looks for an adulteress (Hos 3:1-3:1)
“Yahweh said to me.
‘Go!
Love a woman
Who has a lover!
Love an adulteress!
Just as Yahweh loves
The people of Israel,
Though they turn
To other gods.
They love raisin cakes.’”
Yahweh went to Hosea again. He told him to go love a woman who has a lover already. He was to love an adulteress. This time, there is a clear explanation of why he was doing this. He was to follow the attitude of Yahweh. Yahweh has loved the people of Israel, even though they have turned to other gods. These Israelites seemed to love the pagan raisin cakes at the religious services for these idol gods.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 