these gods

October 1, 2017

Both men and women are guilty of adultery (Hos 4:14-4:14)

“I will not punish

Your daughters,

When they play the prostitute.

I will not punish

Your daughter-in-law,

When they commit adultery.

The men themselves

Go aside with prostitutes.

They sacrifice

With temple prostitutes.

Thus,

A people

Without understanding

Comes to ruin.”

Yahweh, via Hosea, was not going to punish their daughters or daughters-in-law for their prostitution and adultery. The main reason was that the men themselves were committing adultery with prostitutes. They were going to the temple prostitutes of these gods. These Israelites had become a people without any understanding.

March 21, 2017

Females touching these idol gods (Bar 6:29-6:30)

“Sacrifices to these idol gods

May even be touched

By women

In their period

Or at childbirth.

Since you know

By these things

That they are not gods,

Do not fear them!

How can they

Be called gods?

Women serve meals

For these gods

Of silver,

Of gold,

Of wood.”

This author points out his anti-feminism by saying that these cannot be true gods if women are involved with them. The sacrifices to these gods were being touched by women, even those in their period or childbirth, which was considered to be unclean from the Hebrew perspective. After all, only men were able to be priests at the Temple in Jerusalem of the true God. These are not true gods because women would serve meals for these gods of silver, gold, and wood. How can you call them gods? Do not be afraid of them!

September 26, 2016

Against fertility cults (Isa 57:5-57:6)

“You burn with lust

Among the oak trees,

Under every green tree.

You slaughter your children

In the valleys

Under the clefts of the rocks.

Among the smooth stones of the valley

Is your portion.

They are your lot.

You have poured out a drink offering

To them.

You have brought a cereal offering

To them.

Shall I be appeased for these things?”

Third Isaiah strongly speaks out against the persistent fertility cults among the Israelites. They lusted among the green oak trees that were considered fertility oak trees. They killed their children among the valley gods under the caves in the rocks. They brought drink offerings and cereal offerings to the altar of these gods of the hills and the valleys. What was Yahweh to do with them? How would he be appeased?

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.