Bible

 

Shmuel A 8

Studie

   

1 ויהי כאשר זקן שמואל וישם את־בניו שפטים לישראל׃

2 ויהי שם־בנו הבכור יואל ושם משנהו אביה שפטים בבאר שבע׃

3 ולא־הלכו בניו [כ= בדרכו] [ק= בדרכיו] ויטו אחרי הבצע ויקחו־שחד ויטו משפט׃ ף

4 ויתקבצו כל זקני ישראל ויבאו אל־שמואל הרמתה׃

5 ויאמרו אליו הנה אתה זקנת ובניך לא הלכו בדרכיך עתה שימה־לנו מלך לשפטנו ככל־הגוים׃

6 וירע הדבר בעיני שמואל כאשר אמרו תנה־לנו מלך לשפטנו ויתפלל שמואל אל־יהוה׃ ף

7 ויאמר יהוה אל־שמואל שמע בקול העם לכל אשר־יאמרו אליך כי לא אתך מאסו כי־אתי מאסו ממלך עליהם׃

8 ככל־המעשים אשר־עשו מיום העלתי אתם ממצרים ועד־היום הזה ויעזבני ויעבדו אלהים אחרים כן המה עשים גם־לך׃

9 ועתה שמע בקולם אך כי־העד תעיד בהם והגדת להם משפט המלך אשר ימלך עליהם׃ ס

10 ויאמר שמואל את כל־דברי יהוה אל־העם השאלים מאתו מלך׃ ס

11 ויאמר זה יהיה משפט המלך אשר ימלך עליכם את־בניכם יקח ושם לו במרכבתו ובפרשיו ורצו לפני מרכבתו׃

12 ולשום לו שרי אלפים ושרי חמשים ולחרש חרישו ולקצר קצירו ולעשות כלי־מלחמתו וכלי רכבו׃

13 ואת־בנותיכם יקח לרקחות ולטבחות ולאפות׃

14 ואת־שדותיכם ואת־כרמיכם וזיתיכם הטובים יקח ונתן לעבדיו׃

15 וזרעיכם וכרמיכם יעשר ונתן לסריסיו ולעבדיו׃

16 ואת־עבדיכם ואת־שפחותיכם ואת־בחוריכם הטובים ואת־חמוריכם יקח ועשה למלאכתו׃

17 צאנכם יעשר ואתם תהיו־לו לעבדים׃

18 וזעקתם ביום ההוא מלפני מלככם אשר בחרתם לכם ולא־יענה יהוה אתכם ביום ההוא׃

19 וימאנו העם לשמע בקול שמואל ויאמרו לא כי אם־מלך יהיה עלינו׃

20 והיינו גם־אנחנו ככל־הגוים ושפטנו מלכנו ויצא לפנינו ונלחם את־מלחמתנו׃

21 וישמע שמואל את כל־דברי העם וידברם באזני יהוה׃ ף

22 ויאמר יהוה אל־שמואל שמע בקולם והמלכת להם מלך ויאמר שמואל אל־אנשי ישראל לכו איש לעירו׃ ף

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of 1 Samuel 8

Napsal(a) Garry Walsh

This chapter marks a historic turning point for the Children of Israel. Since their escape from Egypt some four hundred years earlier, the Lord Jehovah, through Moses, and Joshua, and then a series of judges, had directly ruled the people. Now, though, the people pleaded that they might instead have a king like other nations. In a sense, they wanted to be led by human nature, not by God's law and the prophets.

Samuel had grown old, and his sons, Joel and Abiah, had become judges over Israel. However, they took bribes and this influenced their judgments. This is like the corruption of the High Priest Eli’s sons, described in 1 Samuel 2, and also similar to the misbehavior of two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, in Leviticus 10. The corruption of Samuel’s sons, as judges over Israel, was what spurred the Israelites to ask for a king.

Samuel prayed to the Lord, asking what he should do about the people’s demand for a king. The Lord assured him that the request came not because he, Samuel, had been rejected. Instead, it was the Lord Himself whom the people of Israel had rejected. The Lord sent a warning through Samuel to the people about what a king would be like. Samuel told them of the personal and financial cost that would come with having a king. The king would use a substantial portion of the land’s resources, and take the best for himself. Having a king would also mean that they were rejecting the Lord’s direct leadership, so they would be unable to call on His help in the way that they had in the past. The people heard the warning, but still did not change their minds.

There are two ways the Lord judges us. One way is through love or goodness. The other is through truth. In other words, our lives can be judged according to the type of love that exists in our hearts and that we show to others. We will make mistakes, but it is our intent that matters most. Judgment according to truth, by comparison, is somewhat cold. We either obey the law or we don’t. The two, love and truth, should exist together. Intentions should be considered together with what we actually do. From this time in Israelite history, the role of priest, representing judgment from goodness or love, was separated from the role of king, representing judgment by truth. They denied themselves the opportunity to be ruled by love and left themselves to be ruled by the cold letter of the law. (See Arcana Coelestia 6148 [3, 5, 6].)

Swedenborg also discusses this concept as follows:

"In the Word a careful distinction is made between people and nation, 'people' meaning truths, 'nation' goods, as shown already in 1259, 1260. Kings have reference to peoples, and not so much to nations. The children of Israel, before they sought to have kings, were 'a nation' and represented good, or that which is celestial; but after they desired a king and received one, they became 'a people' and represented not good or that which is celestial, but truth or that which is spiritual...." (Arcana Coelestia 1672)

This further supports the idea that they began to separate judgement by truth and judgement by love, choosing only truth, or the law, as represented by a king.

Bible

 

Leviticus 10

Studie

   

1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

7 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

8 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,

9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:

13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded.

14 And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.

16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,

17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.

19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?

20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.