Jeremiah Chapter 22; A vessel no one wants.

                                                                Chapter 22

 

God directs Jeremiah to pay a visit to King Jehoiachim/Eliakim to emphatically remind him to heed the covenant; refusal to do so, will result in the end of the Davidic line. It is unclear whether this is a foregone conclusion regardless of the king’s actions. Adherence to this divine mandate seems like an improbability as Jehoahaz has already aligned with the Egyptians. The Egyptians have placed Jehoahaz on the king’s throne after taking Jehoahaz/ Shallum, Josiah’s younger son, the rightful ruler, to Egypt in Chains.  

 

Ellen: Referring to 22:5 “But if you do not heed these commands, I swear by Myself – declares the LORD – that this place shall become a ruin.”

I think it means that if bad things happen it is because you bowed to other gods – idolatry is the actual reason why they will be punished.

Jane:  Many reasons have been cited for the punishment. If you look at 22:9 “Because they forsook the covenant with the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.”  They call this an executive summary in legal terms. In one sentence its all broken down very clearly.

Ceil: I think the message is to follow the covenant and do not follow other gods. It’s both.

Joel: The idea that we only pray to our god who is the tribal god of the Jews but also happens to be the universal god of all things. Then it is also linked to an idea of universal morality. So it’s primed on tribal specificity, but it is couched on this God actually being the only viable game concerning worship in town.

Rabbi: An individual who does good may not be protected because the community as a whole is held accountable. Jeremiah has addressed the last four kings of Israel.

Ellen: People often say “trust in the lord” or “it’s God’s will.” Is God in the wings and then steps in when things are really awful?

Rabbi: I think God is saying that it is in our hands.

Julie: God provided the laws/ a code to live by which is the divine presence. If people adhered to it they would not require God’s punishment.

Ellen: Well, this implies that it is not always God’s will directing events and outcomes.

Rabbi: Both the bad and the good is attributed to God. The Babylonians came in because of our misdeeds.

Joel: If you continue the moral logic of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, there is a line of Ultra- religious reactionary thinking that attributes the Shoah to the secularization of the German Jews. I have heard it. God came in and used the Nazis as punishment because Jews stopped being observant.

Rabbi: My idea about God and my own personal theology is more like George Burns in the movie “Oh God”. When asked what happened and why did God create the catastrophes of history, he says” What do you mean why did I allow this? I gave you this world to take care of. I gave you each other to take care of. Why did you do this?

Joel: You have to ask yourself then, if God controls and is the motivating force behind history and did not intervene, then is he morally culpable for the Shoah? It’s a complicated issue, but if he is in charge, then he is bound by what happens too.

Rabbi: As hard as it is, we can’t have free will and then expect God to step in to change history.

Ellen: In the scheme of eternity I believe we are on the path to morality. We will develop, but it’s not all about us.

Julie: Wow Ellen I didn’t realize you were such an optimist. I can’t say that I agree with you about human nature.

 

Although we think we have mentally evolved so much compared to the religious "primitives" of times past, in fact a Police Officer was convicted this week for scheming to kidnap and cannibalize his wife.  If our presumptions are correct and the Tribal God of the Jews is the universal God of morality and history, there continues to be thorny issues concerning the nature of tragedy and how the innocent continue to suffer. The Prophets articulate a moral compass for why historical tragedy occurs. It is up to us to apply it for its best possible outcome.  We learn about and practise our culture’s morality so that in times of crisis our default is set to the highest good. For some this may allow them to feel the divine’s presence and for others it may reinforce a sense of hope that can carry us through to our next mitzvah.