It also shows that all those who do not love the Light, because by it all wicked works done "in secret" are manifested, cannot tolerate the pure and illumined message of love proclaimed by the prophets of all ages. This is why they fight against all those who "rightly teach the word of truth", and in various ways they try to silence and eliminate it. Yet there is the "chosen word", the "new Israel", the "holy people of God", who are, as Saint Symeon the New Theologian says, "those who have been baptized and those confirmed in the faith".
In other words, all those who have been baptized and struggle in the Church to live justly, compassionately and apply willingly the commandments of Christ. They consist of the "little leaven" which leavens the "whole lump", as well as the spiritual salt that keeps society from rotting and decaying.
Second, in the Old Testament the Prophet Micah urges the people to be just, to love and to live according to the will of God. And in the New Testament Christ blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, and He even taught that perfect love embraces ones enemies. Indeed, He identified this with the keeping of His commandments, saying: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, loves Me". Justice, compassion and the keeping of the commandments of God are tied together, because he who loves God and keeps His commandments, loves others, as well as all of creation, and struggles to be just.
Besides, the justice of God is identical with His love, and when we say that God is just, we mean that God is love. If God was just in the legal sense of the term, then all of us would be punished daily, since we continuously sin and none would remain alive on earth.
Where there is true love, which is identical with sacrifice, justification is exceeded. Conversely, when love is reduced or lost then each of us tries to find our justification. For example, a mother that loves her child does not seek her own justification, but she sacrifices herself for the child, even though she has become embittered by the child in one way or another, because true love covers all things and endures forever.
Also between spouses, when love ceases to exist, then they resort to justice and each tries to find their own justification. The preaching of justice, love and obedience to the Triune God, the Church and the ecclesiastical institution, in a society dominated by machinations, scheming, dishonesty and self-interest certainly provokes reactions. But it takes root, blooms and bears fruit where there is a good disposition, humility and sincerity.
Translated by John Sanidopoulos. Labels: Divine Justice , God , O. Newer Post Older Post Home. We are wounded and we all need healing? We all need peace…. Northern Ireland is a good study specimen for this stuff. Make sure the Holy Spirit is with you. Your email address will not be published. Background The prophet Micah was born in the town of Moresheth-Gath, an agricultural town in southern Judah.
Quickly See Over Years of Bible and World History Together Unique circular format - over 1, references at your fingertips on this wonderful study companion Discover interesting facts - Biblical events with scripture references plotted alongside world history showcase fun chronological relationships Attractive, easy to use design - People will stop to look at and talk about this beautifully laid out Jesus history timeline poster ideal for your home, office, church Click here to find out more about this unique and fun Bible study tool!
Gift yourself, your family and Bible studying friends this amazing study companion for an exciting journey of discovery. Micah saw his prophecy against Samaria come true when, in B. The Israelites were settled in a place near Haran where Abraham had lived and also in modern-day Iran 2 Kings This group formed the nucleus of what would become the Samaritans. The Jews came to hate and reject the Samaritans as pagans even though they had assimilated a form of Yahweh worship. However, we do not know how quickly he made these changes.
To renounce the Assyrian gods publicly would have been the first step in rebellion. His reforms probably came incrementally at first, in order to test the waters with his Assyrian overlords. The successful rebellion by the Babylonian prince Merodach-Baladan lasting from B. In B. In the following years Egypt promised aid to the cities and peoples of Palestine against the Assyrians cf.
Isaiah Hezekiah apparently did not join this rebellion and the Assyrian general Tartan crushed it. Egyptian aid never materialized and the Ashdod region became an Assyrian province. After the death of Sargon II in battle B. See also Ussishkin, Lachish, Hezekiah prepared well for a strong Assyrian response.
Hezekiah accomplished this by tunneling through from the base of the Gihon outside the city wall winding under the city and inward to the south inside the walls to the pool of Siloam. It states,. The day the breach was made, the stonecutters hacked toward each other, pick against pick, and the water flowed from the source to the pool [twel]ve hundred cubits, even though the height of the rock above the heads of the stone cutte[rs] was a hundred cubits!
Perhaps to bring the other Philistine cities in line with the rebellious coalition, Hezekiah attacked the Philistines and took back the areas that the Philistines had taken from Ahaz 2 Kings In response to the rebellion, Sennacherib marched to Tyre, then southward down the highway on the coastal plain to Ashkelon. Tirhakah, an Ethiopian who later became Pharaoh of Egypt, marched against Sennacherib and they joined battle at Eltekeh.
It was at this time that Sennacherib besieged and conquered the fortress city of Lachish south of Moresheth. Describing the reliefs, Walter Kaiser states,. There Sennacherib is presented as sitting on his throne nimedu while the people of Lachish pass in front of him with their carts and belongings. The scene is filled with pathos, for the people are leaving the city as a spoil for the Assyrians as the populace heads out for deportation.
Likewise, the graphic depiction of the capture of the city itself is one filled with violence and enormous energy as the walls are breached and many lives are lost. It is the closest that we come to a photograph of a historical event from antiquity. Ussishkin, Lachish. This depiction of defeat and deportation is often missed as one reads the biblical text since Jerusalem is eventually spared.
However, this is just as Micah predicted. Those from his home area would be taken into captivity. Sennacherib imposed a fine of talents 19, There is a discrepancy between the biblical text and the text on the Sennacherib prism. It is mere speculation to guess the reason for the discrepancy because we are not sure of the Assyrian method of accounting.
The talents could include other payments or perhaps some of what Assyria took away from the conquered cities of Judah. Hezekiah took all the silver in the Temple and stripped the gold from the Temple doors and doorposts to pay this tribute. An Assyrian royal inscription confirms that Hezekiah gave tribute to Sennacherib. Sennacherib states,. Hezekiah himself, whom the terror-inspiring splendour of my lordship had overwhelmed and whose irregular and elite troops which he had brought into Jerusalem, his royal residence, in order to strengthen it , had deserted him, did send me, later, to Nineveh, my lordly city, together with 30 talents of gold, talents of silver, precious stones, antimony, large cuts of red stone, couches inlaid with ivory, nimedu-chairs inlaid with ivory, elephant hides, ebony-wood, boxwood and all kinds of valuable treasures, his own daughters, concubines, male and female musicians.
In order to deliver the tribute and do obeisance as a slave he sent his personal messenger. John H. Hayes and J. Sennacherib had his camp placed upon Mt. Scopus just northeast of Jerusalem. William Whiston Grand Rapids: Kregel, , , , According to 2 Kings , Sennacherib laid siege to and conquered all the cities of Judah — only Jerusalem and a remnant with Hezekiah survived.
Soon after this B. Isaiah told him that he would die, but Hezekiah cried out to God for healing. However, in the next fifteen years two significantly negative events took place: 1 Hezekiah had a son named Manasseh who grew up to be the most wicked pagan king of the Davidic line 2 Kings , and 2 Hezekiah revealed all of his treasures to ambassadors from the rebellious Babylonian prince Merodach-Baladan.
Isaiah denounced this act, stating that all that the Babylonians had seen they would one day carry off Isaiah He was not disturbed so long as it would not happen in his day. A close trading partner, Israel, had been destroyed immediately to the north.
This combined to result in a loss of goods, stored grain, trade and revenue. Added to this downturn was an imposition of taxes and tribute by the Assyrians that was ruinous. Ahaz had to empty the temple and treasury to pay it. John Bright suggests that despite this there was a common prosperity with few extremes of wealth and poverty-perhaps due to the agricultural economy.
According to Micah, the greatest economic tension was between the wealthy and the poor. When Sennacherib seized the cities of Judah and took captives, the economy was severely damaged. However, with the yoke of Assyria thrown off, the remnant left in Jerusalem and Judah quickly sprang back and prospered. However, it may be that Hezekiah had much more than the required tribute on hand 2 Chron. Micah uses the imagery of: 1 the planting place for a vineyard as an open hilltop Mic.
A metal covering at the tip would improve the efficiency of the plow James D. Micah also uses the imagery of meat being cut for the cooking pot, where the meat cut, cooked and eaten by the leaders is the people themselves Mic. Micah may also have been an elder of the people of Moresheth. Again, Micah is distinguished not by the name of his father but by the name of his hometown perhaps as an elder would have been distinguished when gathered among other elders.
First, elders sat in judgment within their city at the city gate Deut. In the previous century, king Jehoshaphat had set up judges in all the towns of Judah 2 Chron.
0コメント