“Thus says Yahweh of hosts.
‘Consider how you have fared.
Go up to the hills!
Bring wood!
Build the house!
Thus,
I may take pleasure
In it.
I will be honored.’
Says Yahweh.”
Once again there was an oracle of Yahweh, via Haggai. This time there were suggestions on what to do. They were to go up into the hills or mountains around Jerusalem. There, they would get some wood to build the house that Yahweh wanted. Then, Yahweh would take pleasure in it by being honored and glorified.
“‘You!
His son!
King Belshazzar!
Have not humbled
Your heart,
Even though
You knew all this!
You have exalted yourself
Against the Lord of heaven!
The vessels
Of his temple
Have been brought in
Before you.
You,
Your lords,
Your wives,
Your concubines,
Have been drinking wine
From them.
You have praised
The gods
Of silver
Of gold,
Of bronze,
Of iron,
Of wood,
Of stone.
They do not
See,
Hear,
Or know.
You have not honored
The God
In whose power
Is your very breath,
To whom belong
All your ways.’”
Daniel then turned to King Belshazzar himself, because he had not humbled his heart, even though he knew all about his father or grandfather. He too exalted himself against the Lord of heaven. He even took the vessels from his holy temple for his feast or party to drink wine with his lords, wives, and concubines. He even praised the false idol gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone who could not see, hear, or know anything. He did not honor the true God, who controls his life and his actions.
“So,
They brought in
The vessels
Of gold,
The vessels
Of silver,
That had been taken
Out of the temple,
The house of God,
In Jerusalem.
The king,
His lords,
His wives,
His concubines,
Drank from them.
They drank
The wine.
They praised
The gods
Of gold,
The gods
Of silver,
The gods
Of bronze,
The gods
Of iron,
The gods
Of wood,
The gods
Of stone.”
So, the feast or party rolled on. The servants brought in these silver and gold vessels from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. Then the king, his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank wine from them. They praised the various idols or pagan gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone that were common in Babylon.
“The doorposts
Of the nave
Were square.
In front of the holy place
Was something resembling
An altar of wood.
It was
Three cubits high,
Two cubits long,
Two cubits wide.
Its corners,
Its base,
Its walls were
Of wood.
He said to me.
‘This is the table
That stands
Before Yahweh.’”
Next Ezekiel explained the wooden altar. There were square doorposts in the nave in front of the holy place. Ezekiel seemed vague as he said that he saw something resembling an altar of wood that was 3 cubits high or 5 feet high. However, the top was a small square, 2 cubits long and wide, about 3 feet square. All its corners, base, and walls were made of wood. Then the bronze man explicitly told Ezekiel that this was the table that stood before Yahweh.
“‘Then those who live
In the towns
Of Israel
Will go out.
They will make fires
Of the weapons.
They will burn them,
Shields
Bucklers,
Bows
Arrows,
Hand pikes,
Spears.
They will make fires
Of them
For seven years.
They will not need
To take wood
Out of the field
Or cut down
Any tree
In the forests.
They will make
Their fires
Of the weapons.
They will despoil
Those who despoiled them.
They will plunder
Those who plundered them.’
Says Yahweh God.”
Yahweh God, via Ezekiel, said that the Israelites in the various towns would gather all the weapons from the army of Gog. They would use weapons in place of wood to keep their fires going for 7 years. They were going to burn all the equipment that they found, whether it was shields, hand bucklers, bows, arrows, pikes, or spears. Thus, they would not have to go out and collect wood for their fires. They would not have to cut down trees in the forest for their house fires. This was a form or recycling by saving the trees, since they used war weapons as fuel for your home. They would get the spoils and plunder of those who had tried to do the same to them.
“When war
Or calamity
Comes upon them,
The priests consult together
As to where
They can
Hide themselves
With their gods.
How then can anyone
Fail to see
That these are not gods?
They cannot save themselves
From war
Or calamity.
They are made of wood,
Overlaid
With gold
Or silver.
It will afterward
Be known
That they are false.
It will be manifest
To all the nations,
To all the kings,
That they are not gods
But the work of human hands.
There is no work
Of God
In them.
Who then can fail
To know
That they are not gods?”
What happens when war or calamity comes to these priests and their idol gods? The priests consult together on where they can hide themselves with their gods. All can see that these are not gods. They cannot save themselves from either war or calamity, since they are made of wood, overlaid with gold or silver. Afterwards, everyone will know that these were false gods. It is will be clear to all the nations and all the kings that they are not gods. As they were the work of human hands, there is no work of God in them. This author asked the question, who would not recognize that these idols are not gods?
“These gods cannot
Save anyone
From death.
They cannot rescue
The weak
From the strong.
They cannot
Restore sight
To the blind.
They cannot
Rescue anyone
Who is in distress.
They cannot
Take pity
On a widow.
They cannot
Do good
To an orphan.
These things
Made of wood,
Overlaid with gold
Or silver,
Are like stones
From the mountain.
Those who serve them
Will be put to shame.
Why then must
Anyone think
That they are gods?
Why call them gods?”
This diatribe against false gods continued with an attempt to show how impotent these gods are, since they cannot save anyone from death. They cannot rescue the weak from the strong. They cannot restore sight to the blind. They cannot rescue anyone in distress. They cannot take pity on a widow nor do any good for an orphan. They are made of wood, covered with gold or silver, like stones from a mountain. They cannot help those who worship them. They will be put to shame. How can anyone think that they are gods or call them gods? They are useless.
“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!
“The god’s tongues
Are smoothed
By the carpenter.
They themselves
Are overlaid
With gold
Or silver.
But they are false.
They cannot speak.
People take gold.
They make crowns
For the heads
Of their gods,
As they would
For a girl
Who loves ornaments.
Sometimes the priests
Secretly take gold
Or silver
From their gods.
They spend it
On themselves.
They even give
Some of it
To the prostitutes
On the terrace.
They deck
Their gods out
With garments
Like human beings.
These are gods of silver.
These are gods of gold.
These are gods of wood.”
These colorful gods have carpenters who smooth out their tongues. These gods are overlaid with gold or silver, but they are still false since they cannot speak. They even have golden crowns on their heads. These gods are like young girls who love pretty ornaments. Sometimes, their priests secretly take the gold or silver from their gods to spend it on themselves. They may even give some of it to the local street or temple prostitutes. They dress up their gods with various garments to make them look more human. Thus they have gods made of silver, gold, or wood that are colorful but useless.
“Now in Babylon
You will see gods
Made of silver,
Or made of gold,
Or made of wood.
People carry them
On their shoulders.
This inspires fear
Among the heathens.
Take care!
Beware of becoming at all
Like the foreigners!
Do not let fear
Of these gods
Possess you,
When you see the multitude
Before and behind them
Worshiping them!
But say in your heart!
‘It is you!
O Lord!
Whom we must worship!’
My angel
Is with you!
He is watching
Over your lives.”
The author of this letter has a warning for the exiles while they are in Babylon. They will see gods made of silver, gold, and wood that will be carried on people’s shoulders to inspire fear. They should be careful to not become like these foreigners. They should not fear these gods. Even when they see the multitudes before and behind these gods in possessions or parades, they should not be intimidated. They were to remember in their hearts that they were to only worship the Lord. To help them out, an angel would be watching over their lives.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 