Reflections
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 23
H A B A K K U K
Habbakkuk appears to have had a bit of a change. In last week’s ‘reflection’ he was in some kind of dialogue with the LORD as he came to grips with the enormity of what God had planned by way of judgement. Both for his own people, Judah, because of their unfaithfulness, and for the terrifying invasion forces of Babylon. In this last part of his ‘burden’, he turned to prayer before the LORD. He had been asking the LORD to intervene in the transgressions of Judah. Now the message is one of pleading for the mercy of God, accepting that judgment was coming. He is no less distressed. The ‘burden’ remained. He opened with a confession of his own. “O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of years! In the midst of years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.” The LORD’s words were not un-noticed. He, at least, had clearly understood the gravity of the LORD’s displeasure. He also had knowledge of the mercy of God. So then he thought of Teman (an Edomite city named after a grandson of Esau) and Mount Paran, places where on their journey from Egypt, the Israelites had witnessed the LORD work with great might and power to their advantage. Both Amos and Obadiah had also used this as an example of God’s mercy to the Israelites. It was obviously an important milestone to them. In my imagination, I see that Habakkuk was wondering what he could possibly do or say to avert the calamity which was about to fall on Judah.
Habakkuk described what we would call “The Shekinah Glory” of the LORD. That is, the manifestation, on earth, of the glory of God. (Note that the word “shekinah” itself does not appear in our Bible) He describes it in terms of light and brightness and power. It was the manifest love, goodness, caring, mercy and protection of God among them. Unseen but present, experienced, and appreciated. The radiance of God’s presence, Habakkuk discerned, was about to depart from them. “In wrath, remember mercy”, was his plea. This was not an argument against God’s judgement. Habakkuk knew that God was right, and just. It was a ‘give us another chance’ moment. But it was too late.
There follows a recall of the might and power of the LORD in creation. All things covered in the glory of God. “And the earth was full of His praise”. The mountains, the hills, the rivers, the sea. Habakkuk poses the rhetorical question “O LORD, were You displeased with the rivers, was Your anger against the rivers, was Your wrath against the sea, that you rode Your horses, Your chariots of salvation?” This all symbolic of the might and power of the LORD to defeat His enemies, which Habakkuk raises again just a few verses later. “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your anointed”. Here a reference to the great salvation of the LORD in bringing His people out of Egypt, with Moses being “His anointed” on that occasion. Habakkuk knew that with God nothing is impossible. What God had accomplished in the defeat and humiliation of Egypt’s Pharaoh, He could do again with the king of the Chaldeans.
This is all framed as a song before the LORD. That is evident from the final words of Habakkuk’s pleading. It is sung with his ‘stringed instruments’. It may be that he remembered the song Moses had sung, after the LORD had miraculously accomplished their salvation in the parting of the Red Sea. “I will sing unto the LORD for He has triumphed gloriously” (pure speculation on my part). In any event, it is obvious that the ‘escape’ from Egypt was very much in his thoughts. And it seemed that he was looking for such a miracle again. “When I heard, (of the crossing of the Red Sea) my body trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; decay entered my bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble.” Well, the day of trouble was close at hand, again! Can you picture, as I can, the Israelites seeing the water of the Red Sea ahead of them, and the army of the Pharaoh behind them. Impossible situation. Then the LORD intervened. That is what Habakkuk could see. And he composed, and sang, his own song to the LORD.
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls”. Just read that list carefully. Habakkuk described a scene of utter hopelessness. The blossom of the fig tree is the fruit itself, but lack of water will inhibit that growth, or even prevent that growth altogether. No grapes means no wine, No olives mean no oil for light, for seasoning, for cooking. No crops means no bread, no vegetables, nothing to eat. The flock outside the fold is vulnerable to predators. No herd in the stall means no milk. It is a description of great hardship, hunger, famine. A dire situation, hopelessness, which Habakkuk is comparing to the situation the people of Judah were now facing. And in this perilous situation he proclaims “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.”
So the ‘burden’ which the LORD showed Habakkuk is lifted. As we look around our world, our country, our town, our church, our family, what do we see? Certainly there is much to be concerned about. It can be overwhelming. So God has provided this example of the faithful Habakkuk. Thankyou LORD. He has shown us that there is only One in whom we may be assured of safety in a world of woes. That being our trust in Him. He who has called us to Himself is trustworthy. And there is no other.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 22
H A B A K K U K
The very first impression of this prophetic book is that it might well have been written for today! And one is tempted to feel quite sorry for Habakkuk. The very opening words convey that. “The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw”. This was not a visionary experience alone. Habakkuk actually described the situation in which he lived in Judah. “Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble?” Is the question Habakkuk asked of the LORD. But before we get to the answer he received from the LORD, Habakkuk had much more to tell us about the condition of that nation of Judah and its people. In the prophetic books on which we have ‘reflected’ in the past weeks, we noted that God had given Judah many warnings about His displeasure at the way of life they had adopted, or perhaps more accurately, ‘slid into’. In terms of history, the northern kingdom of Israel had been judged by God, and taken into captivity by the Assyrians over 120 years earlier. The prophet Nahum was sent by God to pronounce God’s judgement on the Assyrians. Just a few years before this prophecy of Habakkuk, those Assyrians had been routed by the Babylonians. Now those same Babylonians were harassing Judah, and poor Habakkuk was living there to witness it. And it was ‘burdensome’ to him. He could not be silent, and he called out to the LORD.
Habakkuk lamented that the Torah, such an important part of the life of the people of God, seemed no longer to have any influence among them. “For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgement proceeds”. Of course, we know that this was precisely why God was so angry with them. Torah observance was part and parcel of the covenant the LORD had made with them and their forefathers. And as Habakkuk communed with God, he heard the LORD say to him “Look among the nations and watch - be utterly astounded! (as He knew Habakkuk would be) For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans (Babylonians), a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful”. These invaders were fresh from their conquest of Assyria. But they were not finished. God was using them as His agent of discipline. The rest of the first chapter of our text has more commentary on the worst aspects of the character of these Babylonians. And Habakkuk could see that there was little or no hope left for the people of Judah. He seemed to sum up the situation as he decided to ‘watch and pray’. In the manner of the ‘watchman’ described by the prophet Ezekiel (Ch,3 and 33) he said “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected”.
And so it is that we come to the answer God gave to the question Habakkuk posed earlier. HE said “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” But there was much more to it, and this situation has many lessons for all who read it today. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. It is not unlike the prophetic word given to Daniel (Dan 12) in which the LORD told him to ‘seal it up until the time of the end’ (which will happen when God’s appointed time comes). This is worthy of our close attention. There is a time of reckoning for everyone. For the people of Judah, it was close at hand. But as we read on we see that the Babylonian invaders have an appointment with the LORD as well! There are 5 ‘woes’ mentioned here which are charged against the Babylonians. The wise among us will be doing a personal check to discover if there is some mending to be done in our “own house”. There is judgment ahead.
“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith”. Remember the words of the Apostle Paul? “In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3) The neglect of this is perhaps the beginning of many injustices. So much intolerance of others can be found right here. But the LORD has some more charges to lay.
“Woe to him who increases what’s not his …. And to him who loads himself up with many pledges”.
“Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high”.
“Woe to him who builds his house on bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity”.
“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbour; .. even to make him drunk that you may look on his nakedness!’
“”Woe to him who says to wood ‘Awake’! To silent stone ‘Arise! It shall teach”.
All of this speaks of the depravity of the people. And each of these ‘woes’ are in our society today, albeit in various modern guises. And the final word here belongs to Habakkuk. He stood, and watched. He looked at the behaviour of his fellow Judeans. He saw the activity of the invading Chaldeans. He heard the voice of the LORD. He saw the might and majesty of God. He remembered what the LORD had accomplished in bringing His people to the land. And he spoke.
“But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him”. May that be our experience as we ponder the coming judgement of God. It is, after all “an appointed time” ahead for everyone.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 21
Z E P H A N I A H
The prophecy of Zephaniah continues where it left off last week with the list of complaints mounting up. “Woe to her (the nation) who is rebellious and polluted …. etc.”. Disobedience to the voice of God, lack of trust in His words conveyed through Moses, and then agreed by their forefathers. Their leaders, judges, prophets, priests and their kings, had all failed to live up to the promises made in covenant with God, in regard to the righteous living which that covenant required. Even worse, perhaps, they had succumbed to idol worship of the Canaanite gods they had been told to destroy. Then another reminder, driving home the differences between the parties to the covenant. “The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust know no shame”. The case against the people of Judah was building up. The warnings cannot continue for ever. We know the history. God would not wait much longer, just a few decades, before His judgment visited them in the form of captivity at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, followed by their removal from the land and taken to Babylon.
As Zephaniah continued, the scope of the prophecy expanded to situations way beyond the immediate plight of the Judeans of that day. “‘Therefore wait for Me’ says the LORD, ‘until the day I rise up for plunder’, My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy”.
In Deuteronomy 28, 29 God had told the people the blessings which would be theirs when they lived as He commanded them. They were not ‘suggestions’. He also told them what would happen if they chose not to live that way. One of the major consequences of such disobedience … expulsion from the land. Now a question for our consideration. God does not change. He is consistent in nature and character, and not a ‘respecter of persons’. Does God have any such requirement of those who are His today, as He obviously did for those who were His in the days of Zephaniah? It certainly does not involve gentile expulsion from the land. But obedience to Him is evidently key to relationship with Him. Whatever the LORD says to an individual in regard to His requirement, the wise among us will DO! The reference to His gathering of nations, “My assembly of kingdoms” is quite clear. It is an event still future to us today. And it will be inescapable for those living in that day, as was God’s judgement on the people of Zephaniah’s day. But God’s “fierce anger” of that coming day will herald the beginning of a quite different day.
“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord”. Commentators are divided on what this “pure language” might mean. Some suggest a return to the language prior to the “confusion of language” at the time of the tower of Babel. Others think it may be a new language altogether. There are no clues in the text other than the word “restore”. I offer what the LORD has shown me. I see it as the language of the New Covenant. It will be pure in that everyone will understand it and will be able to call on the LORD in unity of heart and mind. It will be a time when the Torah of God will be put in the mind, and written on the heart of man. No-one will be able to teach it, because “it will be known by everyone, from the least to the greatest”. A time when everyone will serve the LORD with ONE accord. That must surely be the millennial kingdom in which Yeshua will rule and reign from Jerusalem. “Sing O daughter of Zion! Shout O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgements, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more”. That cannot refer to the first coming of Messiah, because Israel certainly has seen disaster since that time. Regrettably, the christian church, down through the ages since then, has been quite prominent in bringing such disaster on the “people of the Book” for centuries.
But there is so much more. “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak, the LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing”. Has there ever been uttered such an expression of God’s love for His people Israel. We do well to remember that these words were spoken at a time when God was greatly angered by their behaviour, by their wanton disregard for the covenant which God had made with their forefathers. He made a covenant with Abram, with Isaac, and with Jacob. He is a covenant keeping God. What He says He will DO! Nations of this earth seem blithely unaware of God’s heart for Israel. Many of our churches, and those who lead them, seem ignorant of the relationship which God forged with Israel centuries ago. And it is ALL written in our Bible. Every believer SHOULD be aware of it.
Finally, a promise which as nations, and as individuals, we ignore at our peril. “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly (note here that during their captivity, the Israelites were unable to attend the Temple for these ‘mo’edim’ of the LORD) Who (note the capital indicating God’s presence on those occasions) to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold at that time I will deal with all who afflict you”. Selah!
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 20
Z E P H A N I A H
Zephaniah was a contemporary of Jeremiah. “The word of the LORD came to Zephaniah … in the days of Josiah, king of Judah”. His lineage through Cushi, Gedaliah and Amariah, tells us that he was a descendant of king Hezekiah. Interestingly, Hezekiah was the last “good king” (three kings earlier) to sit on the throne of Judah, before king Josiah, (the final ‘good king’ of this southern kingdom). He sat on the throne at the time of Zephaniah’s prophecy. Josiah broke down the altars of worship to Baal in about 628 BCE., and it was about 6 years later that the Book of the Law (Torah) was found during the repair of the Temple (2 Chronicles 34:14). When that book was read to him by Shaphan the scribe, Josiah’s reaction was immediate. “Go inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do all that is written in this book”. And we know that it was this failure of the forefathers which, out of concern for them, caused God to send these prophets to speak, in His name, to the people of Israel and Judah.
“I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land.” Says the LORD. Zephaniah brought a prophecy of profound proportion. It is evident that no longer is the LORD talking only of the people of that time, for which this prophecy would have a degree of immediacy, and be of relative temporary duration. The prophet is talking about events which are even future to us living today. It is both future in regard to the time of Messiah’s return (bear in mind He had not at that stage visited the earth in person the first time), but further still beyond the timing of Messiah’s reign on this earth during His Millennial Kingdom. Much of this destruction is referred to in the vision given to the Apostle John in Revelation. In regard to the immediacy, the prophet writes “I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem”. This is much closer to home for them.
For their idolatrous worship of Baal (the Canaanite god of fertility), the northern kingdom, Israel, had already been judged, and taken captive by the Assyrians about 100 years earlier. Now this southern kingdom was tainted by the same idolatry. God is promising that He will “cut off every trace of Baal from this place”. In effect, God is saying to them, (and it is hard to consider those words not also being directed at all who are His), in my paraphrase, ‘I have given you plenty of warning that I will not be worshipped by those who worship Baal (or any other idol). Either you cut it out yourself, or I will do it for you.’ In His words, “Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; For the day of the LORD is at hand, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests”. Speaking directly to the Judeans here, He says ‘don’t try to justify yourselves’. It is now My turn to act. The sacrifice which has been prepared is that of these rebellious people themselves. The guests invited are the Babylonians who will act like ‘priests’ in killing that sacrifice. Because we are privileged to know the whole story, we know that not many years later, king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and started to carry people into captivity in Babylon.
The words of this prophecy are clear and direct. Complacency has become entrenched in their minds. “I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘the LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil. Therefore ….”. Do you sense, as I do, that such a situation seems to be present in our churches today? We appear to have lost the sense of the might and awesome power of our God. It is called ‘complacency’. It is complacency which deludes one into thinking all is well when it is not. Complacency causes one to miss clear signs of trouble. The prophet continues “The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers”. It seems as though the prophet could not find enough words to describe the horror.
But there remains hope for the people of the southern kingdom. In His grace and love for these people, the LORD tells Zephaniah to deliver a kind of final warning. In the midst of this outcry against their rebellious behaviour he says “Gather yourselves together, yes gather together, O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you” (it’s like asking them to call a meeting to discuss the issues). It reminds me of another warning brought by Isaiah. “Come let his reason together, says the LORD”. The wise among us see this as a message for today. As God also told Isaiah that “His word would not return to Him void but would accomplish the purpose for which it was sent”.
The focus of Zephaniah turns onto the surrounding territories of the enemies of Israel. They have modern names now, but the geography and hostility remains. Gaza, Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia, Assyria, all get a dishonourable mention. Read the account of their future in Chapter 2 of our text. Nations that arrogantly “said in her heart, ‘I am it, and there is none besides me’”. To “become desolate”so that those who pass by will “hiss and shake his fist”. God will not be mocked. He cares about those who are His. But He warns again and again against complacency.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 19
N A H U M
The prophecy against Nineveh continued. The events described are worded in the present tense, but we need to keep in mind that they are future to the time of this proclamation, as one might expect of a prophetic message! “He who scatters has come before your face” describes a pattern of behaviour the Assyrians regularly adopted in their many conflicts. Destroying and scattering the vanquished. But the prophecy is that they themselves will suffer the same fate at the hands of their own conquerors. This was fulfilled in 612 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated them. Furthermore, what follows about “the LORD restoring the excellency of Jacob like the excellency of Israel” is a historical reference to the time when Jacob found blessing as he wrestled with the angel at Peniel. His name was changed as a result. This is prophetic of a renewal for the house of Judah. It is prophetic of the restoration of Israel as a single nation, remembering that at the time of this prophecy, the northern kingdom had been taken captive at the hand of the Assyrians over 100 years earlier. It speaks of the uniqueness of the relationship God had, and still has, with His covenant people. Such relationship does not exist with any other nation. A relationship “min olam v’ad olam” (for ever and ever). Chastised, expelled from the land, corrected? YES. But never abandoned. But for the Assyrians, the “emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches.” is another reference to the destructiveness of the Assyrian method of cruelty in victory over others. A fate which will shortly be their own.
The language is descriptive. Every verse of our text references some aspect of the way in which the downfall of Nineveh will impact that nation. Confusion as they seek to defend themselves from the invader (v.4). The defence preparations of military leaders (v.5). Situated on the east bank of the River Tigris, (where modern day Mosul is today) floods will enter the city gates and bring down the palaces (v.6). The goddess of Nineveh (possibly the fertility goddess Ishtar) taken away by the captors in demonstration of the superiority of their own gods. The ‘maidservants’ (temple prostitutes) mourning their loss of income (v.7). And the total destruction likened to the way a lioness tears its prey apart to feed the cubs (vv. 11-13). On and on it goes. And the final condemnation “‘Behold, I am against you’ says the LORD of hosts”. There can be no greater condemnation. From this comes the knowledge of the utter hopelessness of their situation. A situation brought about by their total abandonment of the salvation offered to them when the LORD sent Jonah on his mission to preach to them more than 100 years earlier. There are lessons for all to learn here. This is the word of the LORD. It is recorded in our Bible for a purpose, and it not just for historical information. It will accomplish the purposes for which God sent it, to me, and to you! (Isaiah 55:11). Selah!
Nineveh is about to be shamefully and humiliatingly exposed for the ways in which it had treated others. And not least because they had turned their back on the offer of salvation set before them (Ch3 v 5). Furthermore, the prophet said, instead of mourning their demise, there will be rejoicing. The misery of their defeat is to be theirs alone (v.7). And we get a bit of a history lesson here in the reference to “No Amon”. A magnificent city in southern Egypt which was destroyed by the Assyrian leader Asburnipal in 663 BCE. The humiliating defeat of ‘NO Amon’ was to be replicated in Nineveh by the Babylonians. (v.8). The prophet reminded the people of Nineveh that ‘No Amon’, in all its glory, had some very powerful defenders. Egypt and Ethiopia. In the same way that Nineveh considered her defensive allies to be strong. Put and Lubim are identified by the Jewish historian Josephus as being in what we today know as Libya (v.9). And in a manner of mockery, the prophet describes the defences of Nineveh in disparaging terms. “All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs; if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. Surely your people in your midst are women! (how politically incorrect today) The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire shall devour the bars of your gates” (vv.12,13). Enough to make a proud people bristle with anger. But that is just vanity against the proclamation of the LORD.
There are two ways in which this prophetic word may be seen. Maybe it is the LORD’s intent that we see, and take heed to both. The first, and most obvious, is in practical terms applying, as it does, to the fate which is about to fall on the hapless citizens of Nineveh. As we have commented earlier, it became their experience just a few short years later. It was a time of God’s judgement. The second way we may see this is also prophetic, but in the manner in which it speaks into our lives today. Certainly, we may not behave in the cruel manner of which these folk of Nineveh are accused. But if we honestly judge ourselves according to the principles of behaviour commanded by God, we would all assuredly fall well short. And that is part of the prophetic message, a time of accounting, a time of warning, and a time for readjustment to align ourselves with God’s will while we still have time to make such change. Let it not be said of us, as it was for these people of Nineveh, “Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains. Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?”
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it”. (Isaiah 55:11).
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 18
N A H U M
We know very little personal detail about Nahum. He is described as an Elkoshite, but that reveals nothing that is positively identifiable about him. Was it his birthplace? His family affiliation? We simply do not know. It is thought that his name is a shortened version of ‘Nehemiah’. It matters little. The important thing about all the prophets is the message with which they were entrusted by God. And Nahum had a very important message indeed, from which we ourselves have much to learn.
God had given Nahum a vision regarding the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The same city which had caused Jonah so much grief, anger and even disappointment about 100 years earlier. It was a city of gentiles. They had repented of their sin as Jonah preached to them at that time, and God had stayed His judgement on them. But in this vision, Nahum first saw the might, the compassion, and the love, of the LORD. “God is jealous, and the LORD avenges (but not without warning); … The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not acquit the wicked”. We do well to consider that carefully ourselves. It is a timely message. Nahum is reminding us that God has a good memory! He has set standards for His people. He has reminded us in the Scriptures many times, through the prophets and the apostles, of His commandments and statutes. That word “acquit” (Heb ‘naqah’) literally means ‘to make clean’. There will be nothing ‘unclean’ in the heavenly realm.
“Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?” These are rhetorical questions to which no-one has an answer. We know that there are none, and there is nothing, that can withstand the wrath of God. And we also know that “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him”. We have been ‘reflecting’ in recent weeks about the Israelites. The prophets were sent to warn them about the consequences of their idolatrous practises. They thought that God would not do what He was warning them He would. They had become complacent in their attitudes towards Him. And that was NOT because they were trusting Him, it was because they had moved away from Him. They treated their relationship with God and the covenant promises of both themselves and their forefathers with utter contempt. Very dangerous. A lesson for the wise among us today. However, this prophetic message is full of interest in that it seems to interweave both the pronouncements of doom upon the wickedness of Nineveh, and the counter expressions of blessing and hope for Israel. God not only judges, but He also saves.
“What do you conspire against the LORD?” Echoes of Psalm 2 here. Such conspirators are doomed to failure. Just 40 years after Jonah’s ministry to Nineveh, and their repentance, the Assyrians had invaded the northern kingdom of Israel and taken the principal citizens captive. Were these cruel Assyrians plotting another attack, this time on Judah? “From you comes forth one who plots evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor”. The word translated ‘wicked’ is the Hebrew word “belial”. That has connotations of satanic influence over the leadership of Assyria. It is similar to the word God gave to Isaiah regarding these Assyrians (Isaiah 10: 5-7). They had numerical superiority, and had a perception of safety as a result. But in verse 12, the only time in this prophetic book that the words “Thus says the LORD” are used, God’s words are to His chosen. “Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; for now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart.”
Then he switched back to address the Assyrians again. “The LORD has given a command concerning you: ‘Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the moulded image. I will dig your grave, for you are vile’.” A very strong pronouncement indeed.
And immediately back to His own. Now with the proclamation of salvation, similar to words spoken by another prophet. (Isaiah 52:7) A proclamation of the coming Messiah. “Behold on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace!” The Assyrians had been a disruptive and cruel enemy on their borders for centuries. God now declared the end of that terror (Nineveh fell to the Babylonians in 612 BCE and their king was put to death). But in making that declaration, there is yet another plea from God for the people of Judah to remain faithful to their covenant promises. “O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off”. Surely an amazing example of words used by the prophet right at the beginning of this word. “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power.” He provided a release from the torment of an aggressor, displaying great power. At the same time, regardless of their continuing waywardness pleaded that they remember their commitments to Himself.
Because we know the rest of the story, we know that God’s patience with them also had limits. That has to be the greatest lesson for us to learn here. God has provided us with all the information we need about Himself, His ways, His character, His consistency, His love, His mercy, and His wonderful gift of eternal life. Take time to read Matthew 24. It includes the words of Yeshua “He that endures to the end shall be saved”. In athletic jargon, we are not in a sprint but in a marathon. It requires endurance and dedication. That’s what God was saying to these citizens of Judah.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 17
H O S E A
Ephraim, as the strongest tribe, held a position of some respect. That tribe was exalted in Israel (the northern kingdom). But they died (no longer had that respect) when they not only joined in, but maybe even encouraged, the idolatry of Baal worship. Further, possibly compounding that error by making a business out of idolatry. They produced images of wood and silver as objects of idolatrous worship. So the prophet Hosea spoke to them “Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passes away, like chaff blown off the threshing floor and like smoke from a chimney”. Isn’t that a scathing and demeaning comment? Removed from sight, of no further value. So, exalted as they had been, they were to now be consigned to irrelevance. They had started out with such promise. God had blessed them with His care, and early provision, all the way from Egypt, and right up to their settlement in the land. “They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me.” How sad. In modern parlance, it’s akin to “biting the hand that feeds them”. The lesson that we may learn here is to always remember, with gratitude and thankfulness, all the blessings with which we have been showered at the hand of Almighty God. Most of us are good at seeking and requesting God’s blessing, but not quite so ready to offer thanks after the event. And what thanks was God was looking for? That they would live, as they had promised, according to His commandments. We might consider if that is what He expects from us too.
“The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; His sin is stored up”. That’s a worry don’t you think? We often fail to consider the fact that all our actions, yes, all of them, are ‘written in God’s books’. Revelation 20: 12 tells us “And I saw the dead, small and great standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books”. And as that sinks in, read Matthew 7:21 -23. It is inescapable that because God is no respecter of persons, the rules which were applied to these dear folk to whom God sent Hosea, are the same rules universally applied to all men. It is the immense value of God’s written word that allows us to gain adequate warning of what God expects of those who are His. “Samaria is held guilty, for she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child ripped open”. This shocking statement describes the fate which was to befall these rebellious Israelites when, just a few short years later they would be overthrown and taken captive by the cruel Assyrian invaders. What a terrible price to pay for rebellion! That is NOT what God had planned for them, it was what He warned them would happen as a result of their rebellion. A careful reading of Revelation will not provide much comfort to any who may be alive in the days of the ‘great tribulation’ either.
“O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; Take words (of repentance) with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips’.”
The message which concludes this prophetic word of Hosea is timeless. It may be properly applied to all ages. God offers His hand of reconciliation. Hosea was a man who clearly understood the heartache of a husband married to an unfaithful wife. He could equate that to the heartache of God for His beloved Israel. For everyone who take the words of repentance to the LORD He says “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon”. Complete forgiveness. In the fulness of time God made that universal in the sacrificial death of Yeshua. And all that is required is to “take the words of repentance” to Him. It is personal. Hosea’s words are profound. They are words of great promise. Taking him at his word, and doing as he has said, will have life changing effect. “His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon”.
The change in a person’s lifestyle habits will be evident. Ephraim shall say “What have I to do anymore with idols?” There comes the realisation of the futility and emptiness in idols of wood, stone, silver or anything else which man may allow to be an idol. Much of the prophetic word which Hosea was called on to deliver has dwelt on the consequences of idolatry. Now, focus is turned to the positive consequence of heeding those warnings and returning to a right relationship with God.
“Who is wise? Let him understand these things”. Who is prudent? Let him know them”. They are presented as a challenge to our perception of all that has gone before. Human nature is such that the vast majority of us have a propensity to judge ourselves kindly … in a good light. Well on this occasion, the questions are answered for us to make judgment according to God’s way. We are asked to carefully consider the words of this prophecy of Hosea. It is presented so that we may each measure our own wisdom and prudence.
“For the ways of the LORD are right; The righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them”. Selah!
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 16
H O S E A
The heartache of the LORD is palpable in the opening words of our reading this week. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son”. Keeping in mind the interchangeability of the words Israel, Ephraim Samaria and Jacob, as descriptors for these people, He goes on “I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them in My arms*(Septuagint), but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them”. And more sorrowful words followed as God considered what was to become of these wayward, unrepentant, people that He still loved. They would not be going back to Egypt, but to Assyria, and that after suffering much turmoil and deprivation.
The reflective sentiments of the LORD are so genuinely expressed here. “How can I give you up Ephraim? How can I hand you over Israel?” The LORD remembers the fate of Admah and Zeboiim. They were two of the cities that perished, to be seen no more, in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. To this very day, archeologists are attempting to discover the whereabouts and remnants of those places. The anguish of the LORD, in even thinking that such an end could possibly be chosen by His own people, instead of returning to Himself, retaining the relationship as Father and son, is heartbreaking. Then almost as a solution, certainly as a resolution, to that dilemma, the LORD makes His declaration. “My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst; and I will not come with terror”. The present judgement on these people is not the end of the story. God sees that there will be a reconciliation at some future date.
Does that mean that the LORD will withhold judgement? No it does not. The choices of the people are theirs to make. God does not interfere with that. The alternatives were clearly expressed (Deuteronomy 28,29). It’s the same today. The options before us are clearly spelled out. God’s way, which is the purpose and intent of the written word of our Bible, or our own way, which is decided by rejecting, or ignoring, that word. NO middle ground available. No ‘sitting on the fence’. What about those who haven’t heard? Is an often posed question. Well, that is for God to decide isn’t it? Completely beyond our control and influence. But we know that He is a just and righteous Judge. The position of the people of the northern kingdom IS known, as is our own situation. And that is the issue before us in this reading.
There is a warning here too for the southern kingdom, Judah. They are not without fault. For the benefit of this nation, God recalled a brief history of their journey by referring to their forefather Jacob. He recalled how Jacob prevailed against his brother Esau in respect of the blessing of the ‘birthright’. How Jacob wrestled with the Angel of God at Bethel, and prevailed. In so doing received the blessing of God too. That blessing was not for Jacob alone, but for his progeny in future generations. However, God said, the judgement, shortly to fall on the northern kingdom, would also fall on the southern kingdom if they continued on the same destructive path of neglect of their covenant obligations as their northern brothers were doing. Then God got specific. What was it that caused Him such grief? “A cunning Canaanite! Deceitful scales are in his hand. He loves to oppress. And Ephraim said ‘Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; In all my labours they shall find in me no iniquity that is sin’.”
God had called Moses to lead them out of Egypt. He had provided Moses with His Torah. It was for their benefit and enlightenment. It showed them a clear path, with ‘instruction for living righteously’ together, and with nations around them. They had willingly agreed to live that way, in part as an example to the nation’s around them. And now God charged them with the adoption of the practises of the Canaanites. Deceitful scales. Short changing their own. Bad enough eh? But even worse, they did not see any wrong in that. They thought it was good because they were becoming wealthy as a result! But God will not be mocked by such deviant behaviour. Consider our own ‘deviances’ today. They are just as condemning, but possibly less obvious. Cheating ones neighbour is very bad. Cheating the government is equally bad. “Chata”, the Hebrew word translated ‘sin’ in our Bible, is derived from an archery term meaning ‘to miss the mark’. Missing the mark is ‘missing the mark’. One inch or one mile, it’s still ‘missing the mark’. And this passage of Scripture shows us that ‘missing the mark’ has consequences, for everyone who does so. That is what God commissioned Hosea, and other prophets, to tell the people, and us. “I have spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols throughout the witness of the prophets”.
“It is not the will of God that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). That is why God is so long-suffering in regard to the waywardness of the peoples being addressed by these prophets. We would be unwise to not apply that to ourselves. And so the final word for this week’s ‘reflection’ focusses on our responsibility. The warning bells have sounded. “Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly; Therefore his LORD will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him, and return his reproach upon him.”
May God give us wisdom to take stock of where we stand before Him. He has already done all He can to show us the way. The rest is up to us.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 15
H O S E A
“Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples”. That is suggestive of the fact that there may well have been ‘mirth’, but it was not joyful. No real satisfaction to be gained. Why? Because there was no future benefit or purpose to be seen. Only more of the same, and at great cost. Both personal and corporate. Our text this week continues in the theme of reminding the people what they had done to incur the wrath of God. It is of great regret that, because we know the end of this story, we have to acknowledge the futility of appeals and warnings which were given to this northern kingdom. It would be uplifting if everything was put right and they all lived “happily ever after” wouldn’t it? So why are we given this account of God’s dealings with them, which, on the face of it, ended in failure. Well, there are at least two reasons. The first is to show that God is a promise keeper. The people were left in no doubt what the outcome would be if they did not heed the warnings. The second reason is that all who read this account will have no doubt about God’s character, and His requirement of those with whom He makes a covenant. What He opens, no-one shuts, and what He shuts no-one opens.
So we are the beneficiaries of Hosea’s prophetic pronouncements, and there is much for us to learn as a result. Whereas Hosea made a statement “You have played the harlot against your God”. We might read it as a negative commandment, as in “Do not play the harlot with your God”. Because the results of so doing are catastrophic. For these Israelites the pronouncement was “They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and shall eat unclean things in Assyria”. There are three important observations to be made here. We do well to note them. First the designation that the ‘land’ is the LORD’s. It was then, it is today. That land was designated, by the LORD, to be inhabited by a people who would be ‘different’ to the inhabitants of the nations around them. When the “spirit of harlotry’' took hold of the people, they were behaving no differently to the nations around them, and lost their privilege of occupancy. Second the return to Egypt, is a not a geographical relocation, but a reference to a return to slavery from which God had rescued their forefathers centuries earlier. Third the eating of unclean things in Assyria relates to a very different lifestyle change. God had specified, among other things, the dietary ‘laws’ applying to Jews. The literal meaning of ‘unclean’ is (phonetic Heb ‘Tawmay’ ‘foul’ or ‘disgusting’) But with that also is the estrangement from the familiar rituals which were part and parcel of their daily living. The ‘religious’ elements of worship they had already abandoned anyway. So their lifestyle choice came at a very high cost, physically and socially.
Almost like ‘rubbing salt into the wound’ the question is posed “What will you do in the appointed day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?” In our ‘christian mindset’, that may not register as important. But to the Israelites, even in their idolatry, and syncretism, the observance of the Sabbaths and Feast days was still part of their religious ritual. The same applies today even in the midst of a largely secular society which is Israel. The rituals of observance are important links to their heritage and culture. What did they say, or by their actions, think? “The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane”. It is a truth that very often one does not appreciate what one has until it is lost, or taken away. The true value of their relationship with YHWH Elohim was unappreciated. May God grant that we do not take His presence among us so lightly.
There are so many lessons for us to learn from the attitudes of these people of the northern kingdom. We have the insight of history, which they did not have to the same degree. In spite of that, many of us still fail to grasp the message so clearly presented. God is not to be trifled with. “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house”. Gilgal was a worship centre of their idolatry. (Note for today:- Not all idols are made of wood and stone. Selah! An “Idol” is defined as ‘an object of extreme devotion’, ‘ a representation or symbol of an object of worship’, ‘a false conception’, or ‘a false god’.) And God has the same attitude and reaction to idolatry today as He did in the days of Hosea.
Look at some more of the similes God used to show them what was before them as a result of their idolatrous ways.
Chapter 10:3,4. “We have no king because we did not fear the LORD”. All of their kings were ‘bad kings’. When the blind lead the blind, they all end up in the ditch Yeshua said in Mathew 15.
Chapter 10: 5,6. “because of the calf of Beth Aven”. Right at the beginning of their ‘independence’, they had worshipped the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Take them with you into the coming Assyrian captivity as a gift to their king. Do not leave your emblems of idolatry in My land.
Chapter 10: 11. “Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh grain”. Then “I will make Ephraim pull a plow”. The first was unmuzzled and was free to eat while it worked. The second was harnessed and had to wait to be fed.
Chapter 10:13,14. “Because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men. Therefore tumult shall arise among your people”.
The descriptions in the text of our Bible are not recognised today because times and methods have changed. The message has not.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
REFLECTIONS ON THE WRITING PROPHETS
‘Reflections’ on the Writing Prophets 14
H O S E A
A note of explanation will be helpful here. The northern kingdom, Israel, was established by Jereboam 1, who became its first king, when the Nation was divided after the death of Solomon. Its capital city was called Samaria. The strongest tribe was Ephraim. The whole territory was, sometimes confusingly, variously, and interchangeably, called Israel, Ephraim, and Samaria. As we look at the text this week keep in mind that they are names for the same place.
Hosea, speaking the words of the LORD said “When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. For they have committed fraud; A thief comes in; A band of robbers takes spoil outside”. Those are words which initially indicate a comforting intent at reconciliation. The LORD was ready and able to bring them back to Himself. But reconciliation required a co-operative willingness to be helped. They had already commenced a journey on the downward path. Then “a thief” arrived on the scene. I believe that thief to be the “spirit of harlotry” of which we spoke last week. Think of how a thief operates. Quietly, unnoticed, when least expected, without disturbance. The ‘modus operandi’ of thieves is well known. And yet they still succeed, unless there are effective detection methods in place to provide warning. Then Hosea continued “They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness”. In the analogy of ‘the thief’, that means God, the householder, knows what has been taken. The lesson for us here is that ‘the thief’’ is still alive and well. And in the context of this passage of Scripture we ‘instal adequate detection’ by understanding what God requires of us when we put our trust in Him. YES, we do have a part to play, and God has provided all means to keep us safe.
But Israel had made wrong choices. Hosea cites a number of similes to describe their state of woe. Laziness of attitude by comparison to the baker’s oven. Heated to a fierce heat so that there was no need to attend to it by night, as a diligent baker would have done. Uneven heat indicating inattention. The way of a ‘cake unturned’. Burned on one side, undone on the other. There was an inconsistency about them. “Ephraim is also like a silly dove, without sense”. Matthew 10:16 describes the dove as harmless, but here the contrast is of ‘silliness' as in ‘unthinking’. Seemingly they had consulted with Egypt and Assyria to advance themselves, whereas their correct course was to be found in their relationship with the LORD. “Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them because they have transgressed against Me! Though I redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against Me. They did not cry out to Me with their heart when they wailed upon their bed”. The LORD was ready and waiting to welcome them to Himself. And YES, He heard their ‘wails’ of complaint, even distress. But He did not hear their call for help in the manner of ‘LORD, we have sinned, help us, what should we do?’ Followed by an earnest waiting for an answer from Him. In a sense, it was a sorrow in being found out! But not in wanting to change.
“Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My Torah”. Time is short now. The prophet Ezekiel gives us the framework. Twice (Chapters 3 and 33) he talks about watchmen, whose duty was to sound the ‘shofar’ of warning when danger approached their camp. The diligent watchman would sound a timely warning and absolve himself of guilt if an enemy overtook them. The delinquent watchman would have “blood on his hands” for failing to sound the warning. The enemy comes silently, swiftly, like an eagle stalking its prey. In this instance, we may assume that the enemy is “the spirit of harlotry”, because if the people had NOT “transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My Torah” they would not have fallen prey to idolatry. It is another timely lesson. We need to hear. We need to ensure that the sound of the watchman’s warning is sounded in our day. We are inundated with exhortations to worldliness. Our voice of protest is weak. Because we expect others to sound the trumpet of warning, often, the result is ‘silence’.
“They set up kings, but not by Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them”. These words were written when such offices were the norm in that society. Every city, it seemed, had its king. The record shows that in that northern kingdom, Israel, after the nation was divided, they had a succession of 19 kings. Not one of them chosen by God. Every one of them described as a ‘bad king’. That description denotes that they did not follow the commands and precepts of the LORD, other than by mere lip service. In the southern kingdom, Judah, over a longer period of time, they had 20 kings. Only 8 of them were described as ‘good kings’.
As we ‘reflect’ on their patterns of behaviour. The ways in which they failed to worship God as He intended. There must be a moment of quiet contemplation in which we try to discover if their mistakes, their contempt, their hardness of heart, is found in us today. That can be on two levels. Private and corporate. I have many times thought about the hierarchical (Nicolaitan) structures of worship we seem to readily embrace today. Care must be taken to ensure that we do not allow a ‘spirit of harlotry’ to surreptitiously invade that worship. God will not stop it. He didn’t stop the people of the northern kingdom. But He did judge them harshly.
Hosea sounded the ‘shofar’ of warning. It was a warning for them. And it is a warning for us.
Shabbat Shalom
RS