Reflection on the Word for the Sunday of September 18, 2022
BLESSED BE THE LORD’S NAME ! PSALM 113:1-4
“ Praise the Lord! Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the Lord’s name. Blessed be the Lord’s name, from this time forward and forever more. From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.”
There is a great difference between the Creator of the Universe, and the so called pagan gods. Not only that the pagan gods do not exist, but in the minds of the people the pagan gods were very demanding. The relationship of the ancient pagan world to their gods was based on the system of the so called DO UT DES.
It is a Latin term which means in English that I give that you may give. It was true in many secular relationships as well in the form of civil contracts or laws in general, or bribery as a criminal activity, but it was like a principle theory of defining the relationship to the gods, who were often whimsical, threatening, horrifying and so on.
Actually, so horrifying as the issue of the human sacrifice.
The Do Ut Des, I give that You may give, principle was intertwined with the sacrifices to the gods. “ The ancient temples in Mesopotamia and Assyria and Egypt were dark places of bloodthirsty gods and human sacrifices, including children sacrifices, where black magic thrived and sanctified orgies were listed among the regular business ours. And overarching slavery penetrated everything and hovered everywhere around these temples." According to the Bible there was only one man who withstood this wicked ancient flow. It was Abraham.
We can judge now, that not only that God does not want human sacrifices, but he hates it, as it is clear from the Old Testament that the human sacrifice is a detestable abomination in the eyes of God. It should be also clear even from the old tradition, that howsoever it was practiced and regulated and demanded in the Temple of Jerusalem for long centuries, still God does not want the animal sacrifices, as it is written by Hoseah that the Lord says that “For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
It was well understood by the prophet, that sacrifices can not be traded for the forgiveness of sins. He amazingly instructed the people, that “ Israel, return to Yahweh your God; for you have fallen because of your sin. Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Tell him, "Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good: so we offer our lips like bulls.”
This excerpt from Hoseah helped the Jews for millennia, that although the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed, and it is still not rebuilt, the offering of the lips, aka the prayers substitute the sacrifices, which also means that the sacrifices an the altar were and are NOT necessary to keep the commandments of God, who wants mercy, compassion, justice and righteousness from us rather then anything else.
However, it went for a millenium, like as an example, depicted in the second Book of the Chronicles, chapter 30 that “ The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord. (…)
Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors. (…)
Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. ”
It is also clear from the old tradition, that the sacrificial system was established in order to not anger the surrounding foreign nations, and as a permanent remuneration and maintenance of the priesthood.
Nonetheless, we have to go further with the understanding that God does not need any of the sacrifices, as it is claimed in the Book of Isaiah, in a form of a divine ranting, as it is written in the very first chapter, that :
“What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?, says the Lord. I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats.”
However we have to go even further, that God does not need our worship services, as well, though we need them, but God does not, as Isaiah continues, that the Lord says, that :
“ Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can't bear with evil assemblies. My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”
It means that the Do Ut Des, I give that you may give principle, does not work at all, and it never worked, it is a pagan system and a misconception. God does not need our prayers as well, even to substitute the old sacrifices, and God does not need our worshiping at all.
It might be harsh sounding but the Almighty God does not lack anything, does not need anything, God is not in need at all, ergo God does not need us at all, especially God does not need servants to serve God.
Nonetheless and However, we are the very ones who need God absolutely, for we are completely and ultimately dependent on God in every single moment. Just to function, we must bread. Imagine just a minute without air, and it should be clear to all, even to the most wicked God denying ones, that we are all fragile, no one should boast with anything, and all should fear the true judge, who is the Holy One. The breath, the heartbeat, the strength to walk, the eyesight, the senses we often take them granted, but they are not owned. They are privileges, which can be revoked anytime. Even we take sunrise as granted, but it is also a privilege.
On the top of everything, although the Almighty does not owe us anything, as we know it exactly from the Scriptures, still God gives everything freely, provides all to all, as Jesus said “For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”
We desperately need God. We need to petition God, not because the omniscient Holy One does not know what we need before asking, but the prayer makes us receptive for the free gifts of God. We desperately need the rituals and the services, as crutches for the crippled, to help us walk, especially when the burdens in the heart feels unbearable.
The servants of God does not serve God directly, but they serve the people, helping them walk on the narrow path Jesus talked about. They can rejoice, because God makes them a part of the divine providence.
The old tradition has a mandatory prayer which says that ‘May the Lord God be blessed, for he created people with tubes and cavities in his ultimate wisdom. If any one of the tubes becomes ruptured or one of the cavities in the becomes blocked, we can not live even for an hour. May the Lord God be blessed, who is the healer of all, and who makes all wonders alone.’
Because we are needy, we built monumental cathedrals and small chapels, however God is everywhere, being omnipresent, so we have to build the profound sanctuary in our hearts where the Lord’s presence and name are to be celebrated by the Holy Spirit. May the name of the Lord be blessed, always, Amen.
