Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il>]

The Bible most definitely does not depict a black and white world. That is
the "world" depicted by those who would wish to harmonize what cannot be
harmonized.
One cannot claim that the prophecy in 1 Samuel 15, the prophecy of Isaiah 1
and the prophecy of Jeremiah 7 are all stemming from the identical
worldview. True, all three call to heed the voice of God, But Jeremiah's
condemnation of the cultus is far more far-reaching than those of Isaiah 1
and the composer of 1 Sam. 15 (whom already Abrabanel said was not Samuel).
The immediate reason for Jeremiah's condemnation of the cult is the
hypocrisy of the Judeans, who break God's moral laws, worship idols, and
then go the Temple and say "We have been saved" (Things haven't changed much
since then). But his rejection of the cult is absolute: "Pile your
fire-offerings on top of your burnt-offerings and eat [the[ meat]"  The Lord
doesn't need any of that stuff, maybe you do. He never commanded you in any
case to sacrifice to him. That was your idea.
That's my reading of Jeremiah 7:21-23.
Yours,
Jonathan D. Safren

----- Original Message -----
From: Ruthy & Baruch <alster AT comandcom.com>
To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2001 9:04 PM
Subject: Re: Jer 7:21-23


>
>
> Peter wrote:
> > > So do we have to interpret this as Jeremiah contradicting the rest of
> > > scripture? Or can we use this as evidence that the Bible contradicts
> > > itself?
>
> to which Jonathan responded:
> > Yes on both counts. On your first question, see Amos' rhetorical
question
> > on 5:25: "Did you offer burnt-offerings and sacrifices to me 40 years in
> the desert, O
> > House of Israel?" Both prophets regard the sacrifical cult as something
> not pertaining
> > to the true worship of of the Lord, something alien, even pagan.
>
> However, in almost all cases I can remember, the prophetic call against
> sacrifices and other cultic rituals comes with a parallel call for obeying
> ethical commandments, or praying with one's heart (as in Joel 2:13, whose
> call for not tearing clothes is definitely rhetorical).  This seems to
mean
> that we are dealing with prophetic rhetoric, which shows which
commandments
> take priority over others, not with total denunciation of cultic
practices.
>
> > On your second question, compare the prophetic and Pentateuchal ideas of
> Divine reward
> > and punishment with the sentiments expressed in Job.
>
> Yes, the Bible as a whole does contradict itself here and there.  But I
> would think twice before looking for contradictions just because the text
> doesn't read smoothly.  This approach denies the Bible any possibility of
> showing anything but a black-and-white world, and I really don't think
that
> was the writers' intention.  Of course with enough apologetics _all_
> contradictions _may_ be harmonized, but I think that even without
> apologetics, _many_ so-called contradictions _should_ be harmonized.
>
> Kol Tuv,
> Baruch Alster
> Kochav Ya`akov, Israel
>
>
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