Micah 6: Not accepting that a born child is a god facing death

Michoh 6 OJB (Micah in NIV)

 

Not accepting that a born child is a god facing death

Guide: CJB New Testament emphasis in bold (CJB online) or OJB Old Testament, text I emphasize in green; NIV in magenta; footnotes to CJB in superscript sky blue and OJB; Nomads* discussion in yellow; and my comments in gray. I may use endnotes to cite outside literature or extensive comment.  

*Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC led by Ken Tipton. Ken seems to consider answers in a continuous search for ineluctable truth. My evolving statement about Genesis 1:26-28, now from OJB, is at the end of this post.

Note: This discussion was to celebrate the life of long-cherished Nomads class and UBC member, Bubba Henry.

Chief concerns and possible insights:

1.     My learning curve with OJB is steep.

a.      Genesis 1 cites Elohim then G-d.

b.     Micah cites Hashem then G-d.

c.      Micah of Benjamin rather than Judah (tree to Yeshua)

2.     The earth itself is awesome to humankind, including Israel.

3.     “Burnt offerings” is followed by a list

a.      It ends with the person’s firstborn, implying human burnt-sacrifice

b.     In Israeli culture, only qualified Levites could serve the church.

                                                              i.      The Catholic Church 1600 years ago disagreed with Israel’s 3400 year-old Torah.

                                                            ii.      Priests still abuse children.

c.      Children are gods facing death (Psalm 82:6-7)

                                                              i.      Parents have no right to assign their children to Church, or to sports, or to opera, or to STEM, or to anything.

                                                            ii.      I perceive a reason for John 10:34 not affirming Psalm 82:7:  the NT claims Yeshua defeats death.

1.     I think Yeshua influences civic integrity, seen or unseen.

2.     Civic integrity empowers mutual appreciation.

                                                          iii.      It is difficult to imagine the horror Isaac experienced at the moment “[Abraham] reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his [bound] son.” Genesis 22:10 NIV.

1.     No god facing death imparts everlasting psychological pain.

2.     I do not trust the Genesis-22 writer.

4.     The offensive practices seem to be getting-rich-by-cheating fellow citizens.

5.     “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” leaves choice to the reader.

a.      It’s a no brainer if your God is political power.

                                                              i.      Consider Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter XI. https://www.online-literature.com/machiavelli/prince/11/ , addressing the state-church competitive collaboration.

b.     It becomes more death-godly if “your God” is necessary goodness or The God.

                                                              i.      The gods facing death naturally pursue necessary goodness.

                                                            ii.      Yeshua’s civic influence is perhaps humankind’s best aid to goodness.

1.     Yeshua’s influence cannot be pursued via “Jesus”, “Christ”, “Messiah,” Church, and other hopeful institutions.

2.     I speak and write to collaborate rather than to destroy.

3.     Perhaps second best to Yeshua are the ancient Greeks

a.      Socrates Euthyphro Dilemma: is The God the good? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthyphro_dilemma .

b.     Clytemnestra’s objections to the plan to sacrifice Iphigenia, in order to aid the Greek fleet; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphigenia_in_Aulis .

6.     I do not know the ineluctable truth and share my opinion hoping to learn from considerate fellow citizens.

What the text seems to say:

1.     Micah is a descendant of King Saul and of Benjamin.

2.     Micah thinks Hashem furthers complaints against Israel’s behavior

a.      The earth is witness to Israel’s offenses

b.     Why does Israel offend Hashem? Do you claim Hashem wronged you?

c.      Hashem delivered you from Egypt

                                                              i.      Gave you Levites Moses, Miriam, and Aaron

                                                            ii.      Kept Balaam from helping Balak against you

                                                          iii.      Miraculous crossing of the Jordan recalling the Red Sea crossing

1.     Hashem’s righteousness was expressed a second time.

2.     This crossing was south of the Red Sea.

3.     Micah asks how to appear before Hashem to be humble before G-d. [NIV cannot erase OJB’s differing entities – e.g., in Genesis 1, Elohim vs G-d.]

a.      Will Hashem accept burnt offerings on behalf of the G-d?

                                                              i.      Heifers? Rams? Olive oil? My firstborn?

                                                            ii.      Life-accomplishments for “the sin of my soul”?

b.     He has shown you what is good and required of you.

                                                              i.      Justness, mercy, and humility. (V 8)

                                                            ii.      Nicholas Wolterstorff objects to NT translators changing “justness” to “righteousness”, which can be egotistic. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdcIkbAMWKA .

4.     Micah reviews Israel’s offenses so the wise may consider Hashem’s wrath.

a.      Short baskets, dishonest scales, violence of the wealthy, liars, idol worshipers.

b.     Expect destruction, ruin, famine, disgrace.

The OJB text follows:

^6:1 Hear ye now what Hashem the Lord saith: Arise, contend thou before heharim (the mountains), and let the hills hear thy voice.

² Hear ye, O harim (mountains), the riv Hashem (dispute, case, lawsuit of Hashem); listen, ye enduring mosedei eretz (foundations of the earth); for Hashem hath a case against His people, and He will contend with Yisroel.

³ O Ami (My people), what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I been a burden to thee? Testify against Me.

⁴ For I brought thee up out of Eretz Mitzrayim Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the bais avadim (house of slaves); and sent before thee Moshe, Aharon, and Miryam [descendants of Levi].

⁵ O Ami (My people), remember now what Balak Melech Moav did plot, and what Bala’am ben Beor answered him from Sheetim to Gilgal [See Yehoshua chps 3-4]; that ye may have da’as of the tzidkot (righteous acts of) Hashem.

⁶ With what shall I come before Hashem the Lord, and bow myself before Elohei Marom (G-d on High) the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with olot (burnt offerings), with calves a year old?

⁷ Will Hashem be pleased with thousands of eilim (rams), or with ten thousand rivers of shemen (olive oil)? Shall I give my bechor (firstborn) for my peysha transgression, the p’ri (fruit) of my beten for the chattat (sin) of my nefesh the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? [Do a person’s accomplishments in life only gain compensation in the afterdeath?]

⁸ He hath showed thee, O adam (man) O mortal, what is tov good. And what doth Hashem require of thee, but to do mishpat, and ahavat chesed, and to walk humbly with Eloheicha your God?

⁹ Hashem’s voice crieth unto the ir (city): To fear Thy Shem (Name) is wisdom; heed the rod and the One who appointed it. [Since it’s Hashem’s voice, G-d seems the One.]

¹⁰ Are there yet the otzerot (treasures) of wickedness in the bais rasha (the house of the wicked), and the scant measure, the too small eifah (bushel) which is accursed?

¹¹ Shall I acquit the one with dishonest scales, and with the bag of mirmah (deceitful) weights? [T.N. see Moshiach without mirmah, Yeshayah 53:9]

¹² For the oisher (the wealthy) thereof are full of chamas (violence), and the inhabitants thereof have spoken sheker, and their leshon (tongue) is remiyah (guile) in their mouth. [see Moshiach without chamas, Yeshayah 53:9 Isaiah 53:9]

¹³ Therefore also will I make thee sick in striking thee, in making thee desolate because of chattotecha.

¹⁴ Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy emptiness remains in thee; and thou shalt put away but not save; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the cherev (sword).

¹⁵ Thou shalt sow the zera, but thou shalt not reap the katzir (harvest); thou shalt tread the zayit (olives), but thou shalt not anoint thee with shemen (olive oil); and yayin shalt thou not drink.

¹⁶ For the chukkot Omri (statutes of Omri) are kept, and kol ma’aseh Bais Ach’av (all the works of the House of Ahab); and ye walk in their mo’atzot (advise, counsel); therefore, I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an object of hissing; therefore ye shall bear the cherpah (scorn, abuse, disgrace) of Ami (My people) the nations.

[Genesis 1:26-28, changing to OJB:

I read to consider and apply perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy, religiously referenced by Semite scribes of 3900 years ago, in Genesis 1:26-28; in my paraphrase:  

Female-and-male-human-being may and can choose to practice the power, authority, and responsibility to pursue necessary goodness and constrain evil. Civic citizens may and can use the rule of law to develop statutory justice. 

Political and religious philosopher Yeshua affirmed Genesis 1:26-28, contributing ideas in each Matthew 18:18 (no peace-power above humankind), Matthew 19:3-8 (mutual spousal loyalty), Matthew 5:48 (pursue your personal perfection, which also affirms Deuteronomy 18:13), 19:4-6 (don’t divide/lessen goodness), John 10:34-36 (non-evil humans are gods facing death as in Psalm 82:6-7), and in other direct dialogue, such as “go and sin no more”.

Discussion

I think Genesis 1:26-28 informs humankind to flourish in necessary goodness rather than accommodate badness and allow evil. Quoting OJB below,

And G-d said, Let Us make man in Our tzelem, after Our demut: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon ha’aretz (the earth).

²⁷ So G-d created humankind in His own tzelem, in the tzelem Elohim (image of G-d) created He him; zachar (male) and nekevah (female) created He them.

²⁸ And G-d blessed them, and G-d said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. See note, below.

Accepting the power, authority, and responsibility to rule on earth is human being (verb). Reliable human-beings pursue necessary goodness to actual reality.

Note: OJB uses “Elohim” in Genesis 1 and 2, excepting “G-d” in 1:24-31. V 27 seems to equate the two entities. Septuagint uses “ὁ θεὸς”, or God throughout Genesis 1.

Since monotheism is a human construct, I use the phrase, “The God, whatever it may be”, to express objection to any doctrinal God yet reserve humility to ineluctable evidence and remaining unknowns about what constrains human choices.]