Mark part fifteen

We are now at Mark 9:2. The text tells us that six days (Luke 9:28 says eight days) after Jesus predicted his own death, Jesus, Peter, James, and John, went up a high mountain, in an unspecified location. They were all alone. There were no other witnesses. Jesus was "transfigured" before the others. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than the whitest white. (Maybe Jesus put a lantern in his robe.) They also saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. How did they know what Moses and Elijah looked like?

Peter, being frightened, said the first thing that came into his head. He thought it might be a good idea to set up three altars, one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Then a cloud surrounded them and obscured their vision. They heard a voice in the cloud say, "This is my son whom I love, listen to him!" The presumption is that this was the voice of god. If you were on a foggy mountainside and heard a voice speaking from the fog, would that necessarily mean it was a god speaking? It very well could have been Jesus himself, for that matter, if it happened.

After the voice, Peter, James, and John,  couldn't see Elijah and Moses any more. They all went back down the mountain and Jesus told the other three not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the son of man (presumably referring to himself) had risen from the dead. The rising from the dead thing puzzled them. Plus, there Jesus goes being secretive again. He's also hedging his bets. If he never rose from the dead, these disciples would never tell the story, maybe.

The three disciples asked why the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first. First in relation to what? And why did the teachers of the law say that? It Is from Malachi 4:5-6,  " See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers ; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Jesus then tells the three that Elijah has already come and they (who?) have already done to him everything they wished, just as it was written. Elijah is assumed to be a metaphor for John the baptist, though it doesn't actually say that. Plus, there never was anything written concerning how this "Elijah" would be treated.

My study bible has an interesting note suggesting that John the baptist's life  mirrored Elijah's in that he dealt with a weak king (Ahab/ Herod Antipas) and his wicked Queen (Jezebel/ Herodias). However, John the baptist was imprisoned and beheaded. Elijah rode a chariot of fire up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Now, in verse 14, they are back with the other disciples who were arguing with the teachers of the law. Jesus wanted to know the nature of the argument. A man in the crowd said his son was possessed by a spirit which made him mute and gave him seizures. The disciples hadn't been able to drive out the spirit. (Maybe because it wasn't a spirit?) This news made Jesus exclaim that he was frustrated with that "unbelieving generation." I wonder what he would think of this generation.

The child was brought to Jesus and when "the spirit" saw him, it threw the boy on the ground in a fit. The father informed Jesus that the spirit had been in his son for quite a while and had tried to kill him by throwing him in the fire or in water. Poor kid. If he existed, it is probable that he had a neurological condition like epilepsy. Jesus tells the father, who wants his son cured that every thing is possible for him who believes. (Spoiler:no it's not.) The father says something heart-wrenching, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief." To me this shows the father had serious doubts and was trying to overcome them by sheer willpower.

Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the boy and it left with a shriek and violent convulsion. In other words, the boy shrieked and convulsed. Then he lay as still as a corpse and people thought he was dead. (He either passed out or the seizure passed and he was exhausted.) Then Jesus pulled him up to stand. The text never actually  says the child was fully cured or able to speak.
Helping someone up after a seizure does not amount to a cure.

Malachi, wrap up

After reading Malachi, we can see that it is a very general book admonishing the Israelites to keep the law of Moses and to not slack off when it comes to sacrifices and offerings. It seems to encourage them to think of themselves as specially loved by Yahweh, above the other people groups in the area. They are also told to be faithful to him. Those who get the message, will be favored in the future, when the Lord comes. Those who don't are doomed to destruction. The day of the lord's coming will be foretold by Elijah. Elijah should have been long dead at this time, so  his name must be symbolic.

This book does not specifically mention heaven, hell, angels, Satan, or demons. It does not anchor itself in time by mentioning any kings or other historic figures living at the time of the writing. It also does not mention any secular historic events. In 1:10, temple doors are mentioned, so it was most likely written after the construction of the second temple. It claims to be a message or oracle from Yahweh, yet often shifts between the first and third person points of view.

A book like this would have been applicable as a sermon across many hundreds of years, to pull the Israelites back into compliance whenever they began to look upon their neighbors, and their neighbor's gods,  as not so bad. It would also give the priests leverage when the people would loosen the standards of their sacrifices and offerings. After all, the priests relied on those for their livelihood. The oracle is telling the people to shape up.

Malachi mentions the Old testament names Jacob and Esau, Israel,  Moses, Judah, Levi, and Elijah, that's it. No specific Old Testament events are mentioned except the giving of the law to Moses. However, verse 2:11, which says Judah has desecrated the sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god, is an oblique symbolic reference to Genesis 38. There, the original Judah, son of Jacob, and who the Jews are named after, married a Canaanite woman. Malachi suggests that such a man will be excommunicated by Yahweh, even if he brings offerings to the lord.

The past portion of Malachi, verses 4:5-6, are viewed by some Christians as prophetic of John the Baptist (symbolized by Elijah) and Jesus (representing Yahweh). It is my contention that you only get there if you already believe Jesus is god in the flesh. Otherwise, it really doesn't make sense, especially since the Israelites had just been told in the verses just before to remember the laws and decrees of Moses. Elijah is there because he was the prophet who supposedly didn't die, but rode a fiery chariot up to heaven. The other prophets are probably all dead by the time of this writing. This author apparently thought a new word from Yahweh was needed to keep the Jews in the proper traditional mindset.

Malachi, part 2

Malachi 2:17 brings us to Yahweh's fourth statement: "You have wearied the lord with your words." (Yahweh's talking about himself in the third person again.) The priests ask, "How have we wearied him? Yahweh's answer is, "by saying, 'all who do evil are good in the eyes of the lord and he is pleased with them' or 'where is the god of justice?'" I have trouble believing  that the Israelites actually said the first statement. I think it is hyperbole and that what was actually said was something like "(such and such a tribe) is not evil, god loves them too."  This would not have been tolerated by the more fundamentalist Jews, just as it is not tolerated by other fundamentalists today. The question "Where is the god of Justice?" Is a valid question, especially if it is about justice for all, not just a select group.

In chapter three, the questioners are told that a messenger will prepare the way for the lord, then he will come. However, not many will be able to handle his coming. He will, cleanse, refine, and purify, bringing justice to the downtrodden, and judgement to sorcerers, adulterers, liars, the dishonest bosses, and those who take advantage of the weak.

In verse 6, Yahweh makes a statement claiming he does not change. If the Israelites turn back to him, he will return to them. This definitely sounds like a post captivity claim. The Israelites ask, "How are we to return?" There is no immediate answer.

Yahweh's next claim is that the Israelites rob him. He is asked, "How do we rob you?" They apparently rob him quite literally, by not giving him the proper tithes and offerings. This is making me suspect this book was written by a priest. Who else would benefit from the people returning to the   Law of Moses's rules of sacrifices and offerings? The priesthood. Gods certainly don't need food or money. Yahweh tells them to test him by bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in his house. Who will eat that food? The priests. Yahweh claims if they do that, he will throw open the floodgates of heaven and bless them with abundance. Give to get. The prosperity doctrine is not new.

Next Yahweh claims the people have said harsh things against him. They ask, "What have we said against you?" Apparently they said it was futile to serve god. (Amen) They got nothing from carrying out his requirements before. Plus, evildoers prosper.

Then some true believers got together and talked. Yahweh listened in on their conversation. He had a scroll of remembrance written in his presence, about those who respected him. What is a scroll of remembrance? Glad you asked. Kings would have scribes write down things they wanted to remember at a later date. It appears Yahweh does not trust his own memory. These godfearers will be saved in the future, when the day comes that the arrogant and the evildoers will be set on fire like hay stubble. At that time, those who revere Yahweh will cavort about like calves, trampling the ashes of the wicked under their feet.

Next, the Israelites are told to remember all the laws and decrees of Moses. This would fit much better after the question "How are we to return to you?" After that,  Yahweh says he will send the prophet Elijah before the dreadful day that the lord comes, which was previously mentioned. Elijah will "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers." If that doesn't happen, even though he says it will, he will come and strike the land with a curse." 'Cause that's what loving gods do.

Malachi, part 1

As I read through the first chapter of Malachi, I notice a literary pattern. First Yahweh makes a statement. Next, Israel or the priests ask a question based on the statement. Next, Yahweh elaborates. Then Israel asks another question based on what Yahweh just said, and so on.

The first statement Yahweh makes is "I have loved you." He is asked in return, "How have you loved us?" Then Yahweh talks of Jacob and Esau, when what he is actually referring to is the lands of Israel and Edom. Jacob and Esau were brothers, yet Yahweh favored Jacob. The statement "Jacob have I loved" is quite famous.  In Malachi, land of Edom is said to be a wasteland. Yahweh basically says it is cursed and under his wrath. The author of Malachi has associated Edom with Esau. Since we know Yahweh never actually spoke to anyone, the author clearly has some kind of prejudice against the land of Edom and its people that he wants to see maintained. If you read the Wikipedia article on Edom, you will see several possible reasons Israel may have had for its animosity. Plus, it is unclear if a kingdom of Edom even existed by the time of this writing. As is suspected of many prophetic writings, the prophet may have been writing about  Edom after it was already destroyed. This prophecy that is not actually prophecy is called postdiction.

Yahweh's second claim is to tell the priests that he gets no respect from them. They show contempt for his name. The priests ask, "how have we shown contempt for your name? Yahweh says, "You place defiled food on my altar." (This is his third claim) The priests ask, "How have we defiled you?" The answer to that question takes up the rest of chapters one and two.

These are the ways the priests defiled Yahweh: 1. They offered crippled and diseased animals as sacrifices. "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal." If the priests do not listen to this admonition, they will also be cursed. Yahweh demands proper reverence, as in the old days when Levi was priest. 2. They married the daughters of foreign gods. This is akin to breaking faith with Yahweh. There is this weird kind of marriage analogy that represents Israel's relationship with Yahweh. In Malachi 2:14-16 it is not clear if god is talking about a man's actual relationship with his wife or his faith in god, or both. We are told Yahweh hates divorce. Yet Yahweh also hates the Jews' marriages to foreign women. He tells them not to break faith with the wife of their youth, but we saw in Nehemiah that the Jews were told to break up their marriages with the non-Jewish women. Confusing.

More to come.

Malachi, introduction

Recently, I mentioned that James and Jude were generic New Testament letters that seemed to be addressed to people who were more Jewish than Christian. Then I discovered that the book of Malachi also seems to be a generic Jewish book, of the Old Testament. Read about the book of Malachi here and the prophet Malachi here. Note that no one actually knows who Malachi was and if he actually existed. The book had to have been written after the completion of the second temple (about 515 BCE) and before the second century. That's a span of three hundred years possibility.

The title of the book, and the supposed author's name, means messenger of Yahweh. It does not seem coincidental that the the book itself purports to be a message from god. Remember the entire bible has a pattern of using names for people and places that do double duty in meaning. These names are not necessarily the actual names attached to individuals who actually existed. The double entendre names are there to give greater substance and authority to the texts, to imbue them with symbolism, metaphor, and a poetic sense of divine inspiration. "Bob has a message for you from god" doesn't sound half as impressive as "(The man whose name is messenger from god) has received a word from the lord."

Interestingly, some early Christians believed Malachi was an angel. This is because an angel was a messenger of god and the word angel was used in the greek text (Septuagint) for the word messenger. The text is called "an oracle" in verse 1. The book is claiming to be the word of the lord. This is the first time on this blog that we have seen a bible book make this claim for its whole text.

Do you think we will find anything new and exciting in this book? We will see. Till next time.