1.- After the novelty of the kings, the schism of the two kingdoms and a period of the history (centuries IX and VIII) marked by the separation of Israel and Judah appear. It is a period that suffers strong experiences and counts on great prophets: Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah. Let us see which yesterday lessons we find and which today experiences we may learn.
The bull, symbol of Baal.
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2.- When Salomon died year 931, his son Roboam succeeds him. In Judah he is accepted without any problem. Nevertheless, in Israel a condition is requested: to alleviate the yoke imposed by his father. The condition is rejected and the schism is produced. Then Jeroboam is proclaimed king of Israel (1K 12,20). Accused of rebelliousness and menaced to death by Salomon, he had taken refuge in Egypt. He is extremely well received when he comes back from his exile. The new king breaks the ties with Judah. Israel is not
obliged to go to the temple of Jerusalem to venerate the arc of the covenant. He adopts the bull and places one in Betel and other in Dan, like symbol of the religious unity. (1K 12,26-33). The bull had an idolatric meaning. The bull appears like an important symbol of Baal, god of the fertility, in the arquelogical discoveries.
Wake with moon |
3. – From David´s times, the Canaanites are integrated in the local population, but they continue with their habits. They pay cult to the fecundity gods: Baal and Asherah. Their cult places admit the sacred prostitution. The Canaanite temptation lurks the Israelites, to whom being like gods is promised (Gen 3,5). Nevertheless, the pagan way of life is incompatible with Israel´s God. Rather shall you knock down their altars and smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles (Ex 34,13). Upon the altars animals are sacrificed and offerings are burnt. The wakes (or mile-stones) are considered a masculine divinity representation (2K 10, 20-26). The sacred trees are life strength symbol. It is believed that sexual relations under those trees transmit the goddess vitality. (Os 4,13 –14). Sacred prostitution is associated to the goddess Asherah´s cult (2 K 23,7).
Amulet with tree
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4.- Like farmers, the Canaanites celebrate the spring feast (azymous), the recollection feast (five weeks later), the feast of the tents (in autumn). Under the sacred trees, in the branches huts, male and female Canaanites update Baal and Asherah union. To ensure the fields fruit, the Israelites look at the bull, Baal’s image. The Lord is the dessert´s Lord, they say, but he does not understand the field business.
5.- The conflict is unavoidable. About year 860, Baal´s prophets enjoy king Ahab and his wife Jezebel protection: Then came the prophet Elijah like a fire, his words a burning torch (Sir 48,1). Elijah puts out the dilemma: How long will you follow two ways at the same time? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal is God then follow him. (1K 18,21). The imparity is total. Elijah rests like the only prophet of Yahweh left here to face Baal´s four hundred and fifty prophets (1K 18,22). After a persistent drought, Elijah proclaims that the Lord of history is also the Lord of the nature and the rain. Covenant witness, he peregrinates to the Horeb, God´s mount, and exposes him his critical situation: I am burning with jealous love for Yahweh, because the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars and slain your prophets with the sword. No one is left but myself and they are still trying to kill me as well. (1K 19,10). Finally, Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, and Elisha picked up his mantle (2K2, 11-13).
6.- Under Levites and prophets’ influence, pagan feasts become believers’ celebrations. On the spring feast they celebrate the exit from Egypt, the Pasch. On the recollection feast Sinai´s covenant and the gift of the Law are celebrated. On the feast of the tents the crossing of the dessert is celebrated.
7.- In the VIII century, Assyria is the empire that dominates the Middle East. One after the other, the bordering kingdoms fall under the yoke of the Assyrians kings, who impose their servitude treaties. The vassals compromise to love their sovereign and to follow only to him. The Israel´s Levites proclaim the great commandment: You shall love Yahweh your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Dt 6,5), you will not have other gods before me (5,7), your God, who is in the midst of you, is a jealous God (6,15). God´s blessing will be the reward to the fidelity to the covenant (11,14). The anger will be the punishment to the infidelity.
8.- In this context Prophet Amos appears. He comes from Tekoa, a village of Judah´s kingdom. He is a dresser of sycamore trees (Am 7,14), but one day, about year 750, he receives Lord´s word: Go, and from me, prophesise to my people Israel (7, 15). Amos prophesise against a corrupted citizenship (3,10), against the oppressors (2, 13), against the religious formalism (5,21). The final confrontation takes place in Bethlehem, the national temple. The priest Amaziah does not tolerate the prophet´s denouncement and accuses him before the king: Amos is conspiring amongst Israel against you; the country cannot support his words anymore (7,10).
9.- Then the elohistic writing appears too, so called by the name that God receives. In Hebrew, Elohim is the plural of He, God´s name that the patriarchs receive from the neighbouring circle. The writing recalls the large Israel´s history steps. Moses is the very special prophet: No prophet like Moses has appeared again. Yahweh conversed with him face to face (Dt 34,10). Israel is next to disappearing before the Canaanite cults (and the Assyrian power). In this critical situation the cult tradition of Isaac´s sacrifice is assumed (Gen 22). The boy next to be sacrifice is the believers’s community, directed to disappearance. Abraham God´s carry out, in a humanly unforeseen way, the salvation of that rest, Joseph´s rest, that Amos had announced (Am 5, 15).
10.- Later on appears the prophet Hosea. Conspiracy and assassination time is running. The throne of Israel sits six kings in twenty years. The Lord is venerated, but people insist that he does not know anything about agricultural labour. Baal´s cult continues convincing the Israelites. Hosea suffers the religious drama of his time in his marriage. The prophet loves his wife, from whom three children are born, but then she returns to her old occupation, the sacred prostitution. Hosea continues loving her, looks for her, meets her and again opens her his home (Os 1-3). The conjugal drama is Israel´s alive history (4- 14), an impressive history of God´s love to his people, which behaves like an unfaithful wife: The more I have called, the further from me they have gone (11,2).
11.- Assyrian king Sargon the 2nd intents to seize Samaria, Israel´s capital. The city resists three years (2 K 17, 1-6), but it surrenders about year 721. Part of the population is assassinated, and about 27.290 israelites are exiled. This is the end of the kingdom of Israel. A century later, prophet Jeremy evokes the terrible killing with these words: In Ramah I heard a voice of mourning and great weeping. It is Rachel wailing for her children and refusing to be consoled, for her children are no more (Jer 31,15).
12.- Samaria surrender initiates the exit of fugitives from the kingdom of Israel to Jerusalem. Levites come between them, with their collection of mosaic tradition inspired homilies, the sacred treasure of Israel´s living tradition, Elijah and Elisha narrations, Amos and Josiah prophecies and the elohistic writing. In this manner, Israel catechises Judah
13. – The kingdom of Judah lives its own history. With king Uzziah (781-740), it runs a prosperity epoch (2 Chr 26), but it does not last too much. About year 750, leprosy broke out on the king. When he died, year 740, black clouds appear in the horizon. The Assyrian king follows on with his conquers. Then prophet Isaiah surges. He was born in 765, of an aristocratic family. He is living in Jerusalem, and he heralds both holy city traditions: the Lord makes covenant with David and his descendents, and he elects Zion like his home. The year 745 is current. The Assyrian king Tiglathpileser the 3rd initiates the conquering of a vast part of the world. And the question raises: will the Lord keep silence looking at this crazy adventure?
14.- Isaiah contemplates Lord´s majesty in the temple, judging history: Seated on a throne, high and exalted, the train of hid robe filled the Temple. (Is 6,1) Faith experience purifies the prophet who listens this word from the Lord: Whom shall I send? Isaiah answers: Here I am. Send me! The Lord assigns him an apparently impossible mission and that only serves to harden the addressee’s heart: Go and tell this people: Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive. Let their hearts be hardened, make their eyes blind for fear of hearing and seeing with understanding heart. (Is 6, 8 – 10).
15.- King Ahaz (736 – 716) seems hard of hearing, resistant to God´s word. The kings of Syria and Israel try to draw Judah to a coalition against the Assyrian empire. Ahaz does not know what to do. Desperate, sacrifices his son in the fire (2 K 16,3), like the pagans do, trying to force the divine help. Without waiting anymore, the two allied kings prepare to besiege Jerusalem. Ahaz, frightened, examines the walls and the water provisioning. Isaiah tells him: Stay calm and fear not; do not lose courage before these two stumps of smouldering firebrands. (Is 7,4). The prophet foretells the surrender of Samaria, Israel´s capital, and indicates the conditions in which Jerusalem can be saved. It is word of the Lord: If you do not stand firm in faith, you will not stand at all. (Is 7,9).
16.- Ahaz remains in doubt. Isaiah suggests him to ask for a signal. Seeing the negative of the king to ask for it, the Lord offers one to him: The Virgin is with child and bears a son and calls his name Immanuel, which means God with us (Is 7, 14). Ahaz will not be the king who return Jerusalem to its primitive glory, but his son. Ahaz does not follow Isaiah´s words and accepts to be servant of the king of Assyria (2 K 16,7). Disappointed, the prophet does not count on him anymore and places his hope on the successor.
17.- Assyrian king Tiglathpileser invades Syria and takes a large portion of Israel (2 K 15,29; 16,9). Ahaz runs to meet the powerful sovereign (2 K 16,10). Like an obedient servant, he opens his temples to the Assyrian king gods and pleases his vanity with scandalous changes in the temple (2K 16, 10-18) Angered, Isaiah temporally retires of public life and dedicates to the formation of a small group of disciples. Bind this testimony and seal it in the midst of my disciples. So I will wait for Yahweh who hides his face from the people of Jacob. I will hope in him. Here am I and the children he has given me. We are signs and portents in Israel. (Is 8, 16-18). Ahaz dies in 716 and his son Hezekiah succeeds him (716-687).
18.- Revolts break out everywhere in the immense Assyrian empire. About year 713, the philistine city of Asdod raises with Egypt´s support. An Egyptian embassy pretends Hezekiah’s adhesion. Isaiah advises neutrality and invites the messengers to go back to their land (Is 18, 1-2). The Assyrian king destroys the city of Asdod. Some years later, the king of Babylon sends messengers to Jerusalem. Hezekiah receives them gracefully (Is 39, 1-8), but Isaiah advises prudence: Days will arrive in which all you have in your home… they will take it to Babylon. Hezekiah repairs the walls, raises a fortification rampart, builds Silo´s tunnel to ensure water provisioning, suspends the annual tribute payment, takes out the pagan symbols from the temple and fights against the philistines cities submitted to the assyrians. (2 K 18,8).
19.- Assyrian king Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem (Is 36-37), but Isaiah proclaims this Lord´s word: He shall leave by the way he came. He shall not enter the city… for my own sake and for the sake of David, my servant (Is 37, 34-35). The assyrian king did not enter in the city. An epidemic in his encampment obliged him to raise the siege (2 Chr 32,21). The miraculous liberation of Jerusalem in the year 701 signals a decisive turn in Hezekiah religious reform history. He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, like David his ancestor. He demolished the standing stones and cut down the sacred pillars… He trusted in Yahweh and he never departed from Him; he kept the commandments Yahweh had given through Moses (2K 18,3-6). In this manner Hezekiah becomes the man whose birth Isaiah had announced like a signal. He fell mortally ill and he was cured like a Lord´s present. (Is 38, 1-20).
20.- April 2003. Iraq´s war has created a deep division in the society, in Spain, in Europe and in the world. According to some counts, more than five thousand civilians have been massacred in this unjust and criminal war. Like bishop Pedro Casaldáliga says: “It is indignant to see the prepotency of the empire and the impotence (or omission) of the international institutions. We need others, very different. It is time to join around a Human International”.
* Dialogue: Yesterday´s lessons and today´s experiences.