“Tophet” the low point of Israel’s spiritual life

 

People reading their Bible should shudder whenever they read of “Tophet” in the Old Testament.  It means “place of burning” and the most likely reference is to the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom, just outside of Jerusalem and forming part of the border of Judah.  During Israel’s long decline they had a civil war that split the nation into the ten tribes of Israel to the north, and then Judah (including the tribe of Benjamin) further south and including Jerusalem.  Assyria, known for their cruelty, overthrew the ten tribes and marched the populace into oblivion.  Babylon would overthrow Judah later and those Israelis would spend 70 years as part of that empire before some returned to rebuild Jerusalem.  Both nations, long before they fell, developed the habit of worshipping the gods of neighboring nations as well as the God of Israel and the ultimate end of such idolatry was Tophet. 

 

The Valley of the Sons of Hinnom had a “high place” in that narrow valley dedicated to the infamous god Moloch, who required sacrifice, including that of children, in worship.  While the good king Josiah put a stop to that awful practice (2 Kings 23:10), people of a later generation started it again, leading the Lord, through Jeremiah (7:28-34) to issue one of the strongest condemnations in all of Scripture.  Here in Isaiah, God spoke to Assyria, a nation who probably introduced such practices to Israel and tells that empire and tells them He has His own place of burning, this of judgment instead of idolatry.  Assyria seemed all-powerful at the moment, but God makes it clear that they will pay for their idolatry and their many crimes (2 Peter 3:1-9).  Much of Isaiah is of this tone, and while it is hard to read, we do well to consider that God may delay judgment (2 Peter 3:1-9), He nonetheless notes injustice, remembers names, and will avenge injustice (Romans 12:18-20).  That is why we are to try to be at peace with everyone, if possible, and if justice is denied us, to turn the matter over to the Lord and not seek revenge.  And returning to the original thought, the worship of any god other than the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ will take us down roads we never want to see.  Many people deserve honor, only One deserves worship.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion and a Great Feast yet to come.

 Isaiah 25:6  (New King James Version of the Bible)  "And in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice piece, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees."

Revelation 19:9  "Then he said to me, 'Write:  'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'  And he said to me, 'These are the true sayings of God.'"

Matthew 26:29  "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

Jesus, in Matthew 26:28 makes what I believe is a Nazaritical vow when He says that He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until He drinks it new with His disciples in His Father’s Kingdom.  When we partake of Holy Communion, we are saying that we want to be there when He does so.  I believe this is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  Perhaps the same event mentioned in Revelation 19:9, and here also in Isaiah 25.  I believe this is a real event, a great banquet with Christ and all that are His, that will take place in the future.  I don’t know the exact chronology, but we touch upon it every time we partake of the Sacrament.

Note:  A Nazaritical Vow, or the Vow of a Nazirite, was one of the most sacred of fasts.  In it the person vows to abstain from any grape products or from cutting his or her hair until the vow is complete.  Some people made this vow for a season, some-such as Samson-did so for life.

Isaiah Sees Worshippers with Dirty Hands 1:15

 

 

I've left behind the Song of Solomon and now begin the Book of Isaiah, the prince of the Old Testament prophets.  His ministry covered much of the eighth century before Christ.  The 53rd chapter of his work is considered by many to be the high point of Messianic prophecy and he is often quoted in the New Testament.  Right from the beginning, he takes aim at people who are good at an outward show of piety but keep secrets, hoping no one notices, or pay attention to religious practice without a concern for justice when the Lord expects both. Verse fifteen can give any professing Christian cause for sober reflection.

 

Isaiah 1:15  When you spread out your hands.  I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear.  Your hands are full of blood.

(According to one respected commentary, the blood mentioned here specifically refer to human blood shed by violence.) 

 

Note:  Blood, what blood?  Is this being addressed to the whole nation; if so, then what responsibility does the individual have who has not shed any blood?   Does, by virtue of corporate identity-a concept not unknown to the Bible, common in certain Asian cultures, but rare in the U.S.-does simple non-involvement in justice issues ensure that an individual will not get access to God in prayer?  Perhaps the true low in communal spiritual degeneration is confident worship combined with an unlimited ability to rationalize any sin, even murder.  The most dangerous people are not irreligious ones, but religious people with unlimited ability to rationalize.

Song of Solomon 6:13 Desperate Prayer and the Restoring Mercy of God

¹³  THE BELOVED AND HIS FRIENDS Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you! THE SHULAMITE What would you see in the Shulamite-- As it were, the dance of the two camps?

Meaning of the Two Camps

The Hebrew word for "the two camps" is transliterated into English as "Mahanaim".  It refers to a specific set of two camps.  The Song of Solomon presents a idealized vision of romance in marriage, and it is also commentary on the relationship between Israel and God.  Royalty were often depicted as "married" to their nation.  The two camps refers to Genesis 32, in which Jacob wrestles the angel the night before he returns to his homeland and meets his long-estranged brother, Esau.  There's quite a story behind this:  Esau and Jacob were twins but couldn't be more different from each other.  As the (by minutes) elder brother, Esau was first in line to gain the highly coveted blessing from their father.  He had red hair, and lots of hair, and was a good hunter who liked to be outside most of the time.  Jacob was his mother's favorite, and she helped him to deceived his father into thinking he was blessing Esau, thus stealing the blessing-and the destiny involved-from his brother.  Jacob had to leave the country and flee for his life.

 

Hard Lessons in Exile

In exile Jacob married two sisters, Rebecca and Leah, and spent years working for his father in law, Laban, who proved to be just as deceitful to Jacob as Jacob had been to his brother.  Jacob, his family and his entourage (because he became successful) decided to return home (in two caravans) and face the potential wrath of his brother, who also had an entourage that was large and armed.  The night before the fateful confrontation, Jacob wrestles with an angel until dawn.  As dawn approached, the angel prepared to leave, but Jacob held on, desperate for blessing.  The angel agreed to bless him, but then hit him in the hip, leaving him with a permanent limp.  Jacob finally meets Esau, who has managed to forgive his brother over the years, and he returns to his home in peace.  The episode with the angel serves as a vivid call to "wrestle" in prayer and seek God with urgency  bordering on desperation.  It's reference in Song of Solomon (also known as "Song of Songs") is part of a larger theme of the Lord bringing good even out of the bad in the story of His people.  He makes perfection even from the lives of very, very flawed people.