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| Kapitel 95. Melkisedeks Lærdomme I Levanten |
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Enkelt version |
Kapitel 97. Gudsbegrebets Udvikling Blandt Hebrærne |
YAHWEH—GOD OF THE HEBREWS
JAHVE - HEBRÆERNES GUD
1955 96:0.1 IN CONCEIVING of Deity, man first includes all gods, then subordinates all foreign gods to his tribal deity, and finally excludes all but the one God of final and supreme value. The Jews synthesized all gods into their more sublime concept of the Lord God of Israel. The Hindus likewise combined their multifarious deities into the “one spirituality of the gods” portrayed in the Rig-Veda, while the Mesopotamians reduced their gods to the more centralized concept of Bel-Marduk. These ideas of monotheism matured all over the world not long after the appearance of Machiventa Melchizedek at Salem in Palestine. But the Melchizedek concept of Deity was unlike that of the evolutionary philosophy of inclusion, subordination, and exclusion; it was based exclusively on creative power and very soon influenced the highest deity concepts of Mesopotamia, India, and Egypt.
2015 96:0.1 NÅR mennesket forestiller sig Guddommen, inkluderer det først alle Guder i den, derefter underordnes alle fremmede guder til den egen stamme, og i sidste ende udelukkes alle, undtagen den ene sidste Gud og højeste værdi. Jøderne forenede i en syntese alle guder i deres mere ophøjede opfattelse af Herren, Israels Gud. Hinduerne kombinerede ligeledes deres mangeartede guddomme i "en spiritualitet af guderne" portrætteret i Rig-Veda, mens Mesopotamierne indskrænkede deres guder til et mere centraliseret begreb af Bel-Marduk. Disse monoteistiske tanker modnede over hele verden et stykke tid efter, at Makiventa Melchizedek var fremkommet i Salem i Palæstina. Melkisedeks guddomsbegreb var i modsætning til det af den evolutionære filosofis opfattelse af inklusion, underordning og udstødelse; den var udelukkende baseret på skabende kraft og meget snart påvirkede den de højeste guddomsbegreber i Mesopotamien, Indien og Egypten.
1955 96:0.2 The Salem religion was revered as a tradition by the Kenites and several other Canaanite tribes. And this was one of the purposes of Melchizedek’s incarnation: That a religion of one God should be so fostered as to prepare the way for the earth bestowal of a Son of that one God. Michael could hardly come to Urantia until there existed a people believing in the Universal Father among whom he could appear.
2015 96:0.2 Salemreligionen blev æret som en tradition af Keniterne og flere andre kanaanæiske stammer. Dette var et af formålene med Melkisedeks inkarnation: at en religion med én Gud skulle fremmes for at forberede vejen for en overdragelse til jorden af en Søn, af denne ene Gud. Mikael kunne næsten ikke komme til Urantia indtil der eksisterede et folk der troede på den Universelle Fader og hvoriblandt han kunne fremtræde.
1955 96:0.3 The Salem religion persisted among the Kenites in Palestine as their creed, and this religion as it was later adopted by the Hebrews was influenced, first, by Egyptian moral teachings; later, by Babylonian theologic thought; and lastly, by Iranian conceptions of good and evil. Factually the Hebrew religion is predicated upon the covenant between Abraham and Machiventa Melchizedek, evolutionally it is the outgrowth of many unique situational circumstances, but culturally it has borrowed freely from the religion, morality, and philosophy of the entire Levant. It is through the Hebrew religion that much of the morality and religious thought of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Iran was transmitted to the Occidental peoples.
2015 96:0.3 Salemreligionen blev bevaret blandt Keniterne i Palæstina som deres trosbekendelse, og denne religion, som den senere blev vedtaget af hebræerne var påvirket, først af de egyptiske moralske belæringer; senere af den babyloniske teologiske tænkning; og endelig ved iranske opfattelser om godt og ondt[1]. Den hebraiske religion har et faktuelt grundlag baseret på pagten mellem Abraham og Makiventa Melkisedek, evolutionært er den et resultat af mange unikke situationelle omstændigheder, men kulturelt har den lånt frit fra religionen, moralen og filosofien af hele Levanten. Det er gennem den hebraiske religion, at meget af de moralske og religiøse tanker fra Egypten, Mesopotamien, og Iran blev overført til de vestlige befolkninger.
1. DEITY CONCEPTS AMONG THE SEMITES
1. GUDOMSBEGREBER BLANDT SEMITERNE
1955 96:1.1 The early Semites regarded everything as being indwelt by a spirit. There were spirits of the animal and vegetable worlds; annual spirits, the lord of progeny; spirits of fire, water, and air; a veritable pantheon of spirits to be feared and worshiped. And the teaching of Melchizedek regarding a Universal Creator never fully destroyed the belief in these subordinate spirits or nature gods.
2015 96:1.1 De ældste tiders semitter betragtede alt som værende beboet af en ånd. Der var ånder af dyre- og plante verdener; ånder for årstiderne, efterkommernes herre; ildens, vandets og luftens ånder; en veritabel gudeverden af ånder til at frygte og tilbede. Melkisedeks undervisning vedrørende en Universel Skaber ødelagde aldrig helt troen på disse underordnede ånder eller natur guder.
1955 96:1.2 The progress of the Hebrews from polytheism through henotheism to monotheism was not an unbroken and continuous conceptual development. They experienced many retrogressions in the evolution of their Deity concepts, while during any one epoch there existed varying ideas of God among different groups of Semite believers. From time to time numerous terms were applied to their concepts of God, and in order to prevent confusion these various Deity titles will be defined as they pertain to the evolution of Jewish theology:
2015 96:1.2 Forløbet af hebræerne fra polyteisme gennem henoteisme til monoteisme var ikke en ubrudt og kontinuerlig konceptuel udvikling. De oplevede mange tilbageslag i udviklingen af deres guddoms koncepter, mens der i samme periode eksisterede forskellige idéer om Gud blandt forskellige grupper af semitiske troende. Fra tid til anden blev der anvendt en række udtryk til at betegne deres begreber om Gud, og for at undgå forvirring blandt disse forskellige guddoms titler vil de blive defineret i henhold til udviklingen af den jødiske teologi:
1955 96:1.3 1. Yahweh was the god of the southern Palestinian tribes, who associated this concept of deity with Mount Horeb, the Sinai volcano. Yahweh was merely one of the hundreds and thousands of nature gods which held the attention and claimed the worship of the Semitic tribes and peoples.
1955 96:1.4 2. El Elyon. For centuries after Melchizedek’s sojourn at Salem his doctrine of Deity persisted in various versions but was generally connoted by the term El Elyon, the Most High God of heaven. Many Semites, including the immediate descendants of Abraham, at various times worshiped both Yahweh and El Elyon.
2015 96:1.4 2. El Elyon[3]. I århundreder efter Melkisedeks ophold i Salem levede hans lære om Guddommen i forskellige versioner, men var generelt betegnet ved udtrykket El Elyon, den højeste Gud af himlen. Mange semitter, herunder de umiddelbare efterkommere af Abraham, tilbad på forskellige tider både Jahve og El Elyon.
1955 96:1.5 3. El Shaddai. It is difficult to explain what El Shaddai stood for. This idea of God was a composite derived from the teachings of Amenemope’s Book of Wisdom modified by Ikhnaton’s doctrine of Aton and further influenced by Melchizedek’s teachings embodied in the concept of El Elyon. But as the concept of El Shaddai permeated the Hebrew mind, it became thoroughly colored with the Yahweh beliefs of the desert.
2015 96:1.5 3. El Shaddai[4]. Det er svært at forklare, hvad El Shaddai stod for. Denne idé om Gud var en sammensat afledt lære fra Amenemopes Visdommens bog modificeret af Ikhnatons lære om Aton og yderligere påvirket af Melkisedeks undervisning udtrykt i begrebet El Elyon. Men når begrebet El Shaddai gennemsyrede det hebraiske sind, blev det grundigt farvet med ørkenområdets trosforestillinger om Jahve.
1955 96:1.6 One of the dominant ideas of the religion of this era was the Egyptian concept of divine Providence, the teaching that material prosperity was a reward for serving El Shaddai.
2015 96:1.6 En af de dominerende forestillinger om religionen i denne æra var det egyptiske begreb om det guddommelige Forsyn, læren om at materiel velstand var en belønning til den person, der tjente El Shaddai.
1955 96:1.7 4. El. Amid all this confusion of terminology and haziness of concept, many devout believers sincerely endeavored to worship all of these evolving ideas of divinity, and there grew up the practice of referring to this composite Deity as El. And this term included still other of the Bedouin nature gods.
2015 96:1.7 4. El[5]. Midt i al denne forvirring af terminologi og uklarhed om begreber, bestræbte mange fromme troende sig oprigtigt på at tilbede alle disse skiftende idéer om guddommelighed, og der opstod den skik at anvende ordet El for denne sammensatte Guddom. Dette udtryk inkluderede yderligere andre af beduinernes naturguder.
1955 96:1.8 5. Elohim. In Kish and Ur there long persisted Sumerian-Chaldean groups who taught a three-in-one God concept founded on the traditions of the days of Adam and Melchizedek. This doctrine was carried to Egypt, where this Trinity was worshiped under the name of Elohim, or in the singular as Eloah. The philosophic circles of Egypt and later Alexandrian teachers of Hebraic extraction taught this unity of pluralistic Gods, and many of Moses’ advisers at the time of the exodus believed in this Trinity. But the concept of the trinitarian Elohim never became a real part of Hebrew theology until after they had come under the political influence of the Babylonians.
2015 96:1.8 5. Elohim[6]. I Kish og Ur havde der længe bestået sumeriske-kaldæiske grupper, der underviste et koncept af Gud, som indebar tre guder i en Gud, og som var baseret på traditionerne fra Adams og Melkisedeks dage. Denne doktrin blev overført til Egypten, hvor denne Treenighed blev tilbedt under navnet Elohim, eller i ental som Eloah. De filosofiske kredse i Egypten og de senere alexandrinske lærere af hebraisk oprindelse underviste i denne enhed af pluralistiske guder, og mange af Moses rådgivere på tidspunktet for udvandringen troede på denne Treenighed. Begrebet den Treenige Elohim blev dog aldrig en reel del af den hebraiske teologi før efter at jøderne var kommet under babylonierne politiske indflydelse.
1955 96:1.9 6. Sundry names. The Semites disliked to speak the name of their Deity, and they therefore resorted to numerous appellations from time to time, such as: The Spirit of God, The Lord, The Angel of the Lord, The Almighty, The Holy One, The Most High, Adonai, The Ancient of Days, The Lord God of Israel, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, Kyrios, Jah, The Lord of Hosts, and The Father in Heaven.
2015 96:1.9 6. Forskellige navne. Semitterne kunne ikke lide at udtale navnet på deres Guddom, og derfor tyet de fra tid til anden til mange forskellige navne såsom: Guds Ånd, Herren, Herrens Engel, den Almægtige, den Hellige, den Højeste, Adonai, Dagenes Ældste, Herren Israels Gud, Skaberen af Himmel og Jord, Kyrios, Jah, Hærskarers Herre, og Faderen i himlen[7].
1955 96:1.11 Up to about 2000 B.C., Mount Sinai was intermittently active as a volcano, occasional eruptions occurring as late as the time of the sojourn of the Israelites in this region. The fire and smoke, together with the thunderous detonations associated with the eruptions of this volcanic mountain, all impressed and awed the Bedouins of the surrounding regions and caused them greatly to fear Yahweh. This spirit of Mount Horeb later became the god of the Hebrew Semites, and they eventually believed him to be supreme over all other gods.
2015 96:1.11 Frem til omkring år 2000 f.Kr., var Sinaibjerget lejlighedsvis aktiv som en vulkan, lejlighedsvise udbrud indtræf så sent som på det tidspunkt hvor israelitterne ophold sig i denne region. Ilden og røgen, sammen med de tordnende eksplosioner, der ledsagede disse udbrud fra dette vulkanske bjerg, gjorde et stort indtryk på beduinerne i de omkringliggende regioner, skræmte dem til ærbødighed og fik dem til at frygte Jahve. Denne Horebbjergets ånd blev senere de hebraiske semitters gud, og de troede til sidst at han var bedre end alle andre guder.
1955 96:1.12 The Canaanites had long revered Yahweh, and although many of the Kenites believed more or less in El Elyon, the supergod of the Salem religion, a majority of the Canaanites held loosely to the worship of the old tribal deities. They were hardly willing to abandon their national deities in favor of an international, not to say an interplanetary, God. They were not universal-deity minded, and therefore these tribes continued to worship their tribal deities, including Yahweh and the silver and golden calves which symbolized the Bedouin herders’ concept of the spirit of the Sinai volcano.
2015 96:1.12 Kanaanæerne havde længe beundrede Jahve, og selv om mange af Keniterne troede mere eller mindre på El Elyon, Salemreligionens overgud, holdt flertallet af kanaanæerne løst til tilbedelsen af de gamle stammeguder. De var næppe villige til at opgive deres nationale guder til fordel for en international, for ikke at nævne en interplanetarisk, Gud. De havde ingen fornemmelse for en universel guddom, og derfor fortsatte disse stammer med at tilbede deres stammeguddomme, herunder Jahve og sølv og gyldne kalve, som symboliserede beduinhyrdernes opfattelse af Sinai vulkanens ånd.
1955 96:1.14 As man advances in culture, the lesser gods are subordinated to a supreme deity; the great Jove persists only as an exclamation. The monotheists keep their subordinate gods as spirits, demons, fates, Nereids, fairies, brownies, dwarfs, banshees, and the evil eye. The Hebrews passed through henotheism and long believed in the existence of gods other than Yahweh, but they increasingly held that these foreign deities were subordinate to Yahweh. They conceded the actuality of Chemosh, god of the Amorites, but maintained that he was subordinate to Yahweh.
2015 96:1.14 Efterhånden som mennesket gør fremskridt i kulturen, bliver de mindre guder underordnet en øverst guddom. Den store Jupiter fortsætter kun som et udråbstegn. Monoteisterne holder deres underordnede guder som ånder, dæmoner, skæbner, havfruer, feer, alfer, dværge, trolde og som det onde øje. Hebræerne gennemlevede henoteismen og troede længe på eksistensen af andre guder end Jahve, men var altid overbevist om, at disse udenlandske guddomme var underordnet Jahve. De indrømmede at Amoriternes gud Kemosj var virkelig, men fastholdt, at han var underordnet Jahve.
1955 96:1.15 The idea of Yahweh has undergone the most extensive development of all the mortal theories of God. Its progressive evolution can only be compared with the metamorphosis of the Buddha concept in Asia, which in the end led to the concept of the Universal Absolute even as the Yahweh concept finally led to the idea of the Universal Father. But as a matter of historic fact, it should be understood that, while the Jews thus changed their views of Deity from the tribal god of Mount Horeb to the loving and merciful Creator Father of later times, they did not change his name; they continued all the way along to call this evolving concept of Deity, Yahweh.
2015 96:1.15 Af alle de dødeliges teorier om Gud har opfattelsen om Jahve gennemgået den mest omfattende udvikling. Denne gradvise udvikling kan kun sammenlignes med forvandlingen om Buddha konceptet i Asien, som i sidste ende førte til begrebet den Universelle Absolutte selv som Jahve konceptet til sidst førte til idéen om den Universelle Fader. Det er dog en historisk kendsgerning, som bør forstås, at mens jøderne således ændrede deres syn på Guddommen fra Horebbjergets stamme gud til den kærlige og barmhjertige Skaberfader under senere tider, så ændrede de ikke hans navn. De fortsatte hele vejen med at kalde dette deres udviklede begreb om Guddommen, Jahve.
2. THE SEMITIC PEOPLES
2. DE SEMITISKE FOLK
1955 96:2.1 The Semites of the East were well-organized and well-led horsemen who invaded the eastern regions of the fertile crescent and there united with the Babylonians. The Chaldeans near Ur were among the most advanced of the eastern Semites. The Phoenicians were a superior and well-organized group of mixed Semites who held the western section of Palestine, along the Mediterranean coast. Racially the Semites were among the most blended of Urantia peoples, containing hereditary factors from almost all of the nine world races.
2015 96:2.1 Semitterne i Østen var velorganiserede og godt ledede ryttere, der invaderede de østlige regioner af den frugtbare halvmåne, og der forenede sig med babylonierne. Kaldæerne nær Ur var blandt de mest avancerede af de østlige semitter. Fønikerne var en overlegen og velorganiseret gruppe af blandede semitter, der holdt til i den vestlige del af Palæstina, langs Middelhavskysten. Racemæssigt hørte semitterne til blandt de mest blandede folk på Urantia, som indeholder arvelige faktorer fra næsten alle verdens ni racer.
1955 96:2.2 Again and again the Arabian Semites fought their way into the northern Promised Land, the land that “flowed with milk and honey,” but just as often were they ejected by the better-organized and more highly civilized northern Semites and Hittites. Later, during an unusually severe famine, these roving Bedouins entered Egypt in large numbers as contract laborers on the Egyptian public works, only to find themselves undergoing the bitter experience of enslavement at the hard daily toil of the common and downtrodden laborers of the Nile valley.
2015 96:2.2 Igen og igen kæmpede de arabiske semitter sig deres vej ind i det forjættede land mod nord, landet som "flød med mælk og honning", men lige så ofte blev de bortvist af de bedre organiseret og mere højt civiliserede nordlige semitter og hittitterne[10]. Senere under en usædvanlig alvorlig hungersnød, begav et stort antal af disse omrejsende beduiner sig til Egypten som kontrakt arbejdere ved de egyptiske offentlige arbejdsprojekter, blot for at blive udsat for den bitre erfaring, at blive slavebundet til det hårde daglige arbejde som de almindelige, undertrykte arbejdere måtte udføre i Nildalen.
1955 96:2.3 It was only after the days of Machiventa Melchizedek and Abraham that certain tribes of Semites, because of their peculiar religious beliefs, were called the children of Israel and later on Hebrews, Jews, and the “chosen people.” Abraham was not the racial father of all the Hebrews; he was not even the progenitor of all the Bedouin Semites who were held captive in Egypt. True, his offspring, coming up out of Egypt, did form the nucleus of the later Jewish people, but the vast majority of the men and women who became incorporated into the clans of Israel had never sojourned in Egypt. They were merely fellow nomads who chose to follow the leadership of Moses as the children of Abraham and their Semite associates from Egypt journeyed through northern Arabia.
2015 96:2.3 Det var først efter Makiventa Melkisedek og Abraham dage, at visse semitiske stammer, på grund af deres særegne religiøse overbevisning, blev kaldt Israels børn og senere Hebræer, jøder, og det "udvalgte folk"[11][12]. Abraham var ikke den racemæssige far til alle hebræerne; han var ikke engang stamfader til alle de beduinsemitter, der blev holdt fanget i Egypten[13]. Sandt nok, at hans efterkommere, der kom ud af Egypten, udgjorde kernen i de senere jødiske folk, men langt de fleste af de mænd og kvinder, som blev en del af klanerne i Israels havde aldrig været i Egypten[14]. De var blot ligesom de nomader, der valgte at følge Moses som leder, da Abrahams børn og deres semitiske medarbejdere fra Egypten vandrede gennem det nordlige Arabien.
1955 96:2.4 The Melchizedek teaching concerning El Elyon, the Most High, and the covenant of divine favor through faith, had been largely forgotten by the time of the Egyptian enslavement of the Semite peoples who were shortly to form the Hebrew nation. But throughout this period of captivity these Arabian nomads maintained a lingering traditional belief in Yahweh as their racial deity.
2015 96:2.4 Melkisedeks undervisning vedrørende El Elyon, den Højeste, og pagten af guddommelig fordel ved tro, havde stort set været glemt al den tid, de semitiske folkeslag havde været under egyptisk slaveri, disse folk som snart skulle danne den hebraiske nation. Under hele denne tid i fangenskab opretholdte disse arabiske nomader en vag traditionel tro på Jahve som deres racemæssige guddom.
1955 96:2.5 Yahweh was worshiped by more than one hundred separate Arabian tribes, and except for the tinge of the El Elyon concept of Melchizedek which persisted among the more educated classes of Egypt, including the mixed Hebrew and Egyptian stocks, the religion of the rank and file of the Hebrew captive slaves was a modified version of the old Yahweh ritual of magic and sacrifice.
2015 96:2.5 Jahve blev tilbedt af mere end hundrede forskellige arabiske stammer, og bortset fra varianten af Melkisedeks El Elyon begreb, som bestod blandt de mere dannede klasser i Egypten, inklusiv de blandede hebraisk og egyptiske slægter, var religionen hos de menige af de hebraiske fangenskabs slaver en modificeret udgave af det gamle Jahve ritual af magi og offer.
3. THE MATCHLESS MOSES
3. DEN UFORLIGNELIGE MOSES
1955 96:3.1 The beginning of the evolution of the Hebraic concepts and ideals of a Supreme Creator dates from the departure of the Semites from Egypt under that great leader, teacher, and organizer, Moses. His mother was of the royal family of Egypt; his father was a Semitic liaison officer between the government and the Bedouin captives. Moses thus possessed qualities derived from superior racial sources; his ancestry was so highly blended that it is impossible to classify him in any one racial group. Had he not been of this mixed type, he would never have displayed that unusual versatility and adaptability which enabled him to manage the diversified horde which eventually became associated with those Bedouin Semites who fled from Egypt to the Arabian Desert under his leadership.
2015 96:3.1 Begyndelsen af udviklingen i de hebraiske begreber og idealer om en Højeste Skaber stammer fra semitternes afrejse fra Egypten under den store leder, lærer og organisator, Moses. Hans mor tilhørte den kongelige familie i Egypten; hans far var en semitisk forbindelsesofficer mellem regeringen og beduinfangerne[15]. Moses besad således egenskaber som nedstammede fra højerestående slægtskilder. Hans herkomst var så meget blandet, at det er umuligt at klassificere ham i et hvilket som helst race gruppe. Havde han ikke været af en så blandet type, ville han aldrig have udvist en så usædvanlig alsidighed og tilpasningsevne, som gjorde ham i stand til at styre de forskellige menneskeskare, som i sidste ende tilsluttede sig de beduinsemitter, der flygtede fra Egypten til den arabiske ørken under hans ledelse.
1955 96:3.2 Despite the enticements of the culture of the Nile kingdom, Moses elected to cast his lot with the people of his father. At the time this great organizer was formulating his plans for the eventual freeing of his father’s people, the Bedouin captives hardly had a religion worthy of the name; they were virtually without a true concept of God and without hope in the world.
2015 96:3.2 Trods fristelser fra kulturen af Nilens kongerige, valgte Moses at forene sin skæbne med sin fars folk. På det tidspunkt, hvor denne store organisator formulerede sine planer for en eventuel frigivelse af sin fars folk, havde beduinfangerne næppe en religion værdig til navnet; de havde stort set ingen sand opfattelse om Gud og de var uden håb i verden.
1955 96:3.3 No leader ever undertook to reform and uplift a more forlorn, downcast, dejected, and ignorant group of human beings. But these slaves carried latent possibilities of development in their hereditary strains, and there were a sufficient number of educated leaders who had been coached by Moses in preparation for the day of revolt and the strike for liberty to constitute a corps of efficient organizers. These superior men had been employed as native overseers of their people; they had received some education because of Moses’ influence with the Egyptian rulers.
2015 96:3.3 Ingen leder har nogensinde forpligtede sig til at reformere og opløfte et mere forladt, nedslået, modløs, og uvidende gruppe af mennesker. Disse slaver bar dog på latente muligheder for udvikling i deres arvelige familietræk, og der var et tilstrækkeligt antal uddannede ledere, der var blevet uddannet af Moses som forberedelse til oprørsdagen, og løsrivelsen til friheden til at udgøre et korps af effektive organisatorer. Disse fremragende mænd havde været ansat som indfødte overvågere af deres folk; de havde fået noget uddannelse på grund af Moses indflydelse hos de egyptiske herskere.
1955 96:3.4 Moses endeavored to negotiate diplomatically for the freedom of his fellow Semites. He and his brother entered into a compact with the king of Egypt whereby they were granted permission peaceably to leave the valley of the Nile for the Arabian Desert. They were to receive a modest payment of money and goods in token of their long service in Egypt. The Hebrews for their part entered into an agreement to maintain friendly relations with the Pharaohs and not to join in any alliance against Egypt. But the king later saw fit to repudiate this treaty, giving as his reason the excuse that his spies had discovered disloyalty among the Bedouin slaves. He claimed they sought freedom for the purpose of going into the desert to organize the nomads against Egypt.
2015 96:3.4 Moses bestræbte sig på diplomatisk at forhandle om frihed for sine semitiske kolleger. Han og hans bror havde indgået en aftale med kongen af Egypten, hvorefter de blev tildelt tilladelse til fredeligt at forlade Nildalen til den arabiske ørken. De ville modtage en beskeden betaling af penge og varer som kompensation for deres lange tjeneste i Egypten. Hebræerne for deres del forpligtede sig til at opretholde venskabelige forbindelser med faraonernes og ikke at deltage i nogen alliance mod Egypten. Kongen fandt det dog senere formålstjenligt at ophæve denne aftale, og gav som grund den undskyldning, at hans spioner havde opdaget illoyalitet blandt beduinslaverne. Han hævdede de søgte frihed med henblik på at trække sig ud i ørkenen for at organisere nomaderne mod Egypten.
1955 96:3.5 But Moses was not discouraged; he bided his time, and in less than a year, when the Egyptian military forces were fully occupied in resisting the simultaneous onslaughts of a strong Libyan thrust from the south and a Greek naval invasion from the north, this intrepid organizer led his compatriots out of Egypt in a spectacular night flight. This dash for liberty was carefully planned and skillfully executed. And they were successful, notwithstanding that they were hotly pursued by Pharaoh and a small body of Egyptians, who all fell before the fugitives’ defense, yielding much booty, all of which was augmented by the loot of the advancing host of escaping slaves as they marched on toward their ancestral desert home.
2015 96:3.5 Moses tabte ikke modet; han ventede på det rette øjeblik, og på mindre end et år, hvor de egyptiske militære styrker var fuldt beskæftiget med samtidige at afværge de voldsomme angreb af en stærk libyske fremstød fra syd og en græsk flåde invasion fra nord, førte denne frygtløse organisator sine landsmænd ud af Egypten i en spektakulær flugt om natten[16]. Dette kapløb for friheden var nøje planlagt og dygtigt udført. Det lykkedes, på trods af at de var heftig forfulgt af Farao og en lille gruppe af egyptere, der alle faldt for de flygtendes forsvar og efterlod et stort bytte, som blev forværret af plyndringen fra de fremrykkende skare af undslupne slaver, under deres fortsatte march mod deres forfædres hjem i ørkenen.
4. THE PROCLAMATION OF YAHWEH
4. PROKLAMATIONEN AF JAHVE
1955 96:4.1 The evolution and elevation of the Mosaic teaching has influenced almost one half of all the world, and still does even in the twentieth century. While Moses comprehended the more advanced Egyptian religious philosophy, the Bedouin slaves knew little about such teachings, but they had never entirely forgotten the god of Mount Horeb, whom their ancestors had called Yahweh.
2015 96:4.1 Udviklingen og ophøjelse af Moses undervisning har påvirket næsten halvdelen af hele verden, og gør det stadig selv i det tyvende århundrede. Selvom Moses forstod den mere avancerede egyptiske religionsfilosofi, vidste beduinslaverne næsten intet om sådanne lærdomme, men de havde aldrig helt glemt Horebbjergets gud, som deres forfædre havde kaldt Jahve.
1955 96:4.2 Moses had heard of the teachings of Machiventa Melchizedek from both his father and his mother, their commonness of religious belief being the explanation for the unusual union between a woman of royal blood and a man from a captive race. Moses’ father-in-law was a Kenite worshiper of El Elyon, but the emancipator’s parents were believers in El Shaddai. Moses thus was educated an El Shaddaist; through the influence of his father-in-law he became an El Elyonist; and by the time of the Hebrew encampment about Mount Sinai after the flight from Egypt, he had formulated a new and enlarged concept of Deity (derived from all his former beliefs), which he wisely decided to proclaim to his people as an expanded concept of their olden tribal god, Yahweh.
2015 96:4.2 Moses havde hørt om Makiventa Melkisedeks lære fra både sin far og sin mor, og deres fælles religiøse tro var forklaringen på denne usædvanlige forening mellem en kvinde af kongeligt blod og en mand fra et folk, som blev holdt i fangenskab. Moses svigerfar var en Kenitisk tilbeder af El Elyon, men befrierens forældre troende på El Shaddai. Moses blev således uddannet til en tilhænger af El Shaddai; gennem indflydelse af sin svigerfar blev han tilhænger af El Elyon; og på tidspunktet da hebræerne havde slået lejr omkring Sinaibjerget efter flugten fra Egypten, havde han formuleret en ny og udvidet Guddomsbegreb (afledt af alle hans tidligere overbevisninger), som han klogt besluttede at proklamere til sit folk som deres tidligere stammegud, Jahve, i en udvidet form.
1955 96:4.3 Moses had endeavored to teach these Bedouins the idea of El Elyon, but before leaving Egypt, he had become convinced they would never fully comprehend this doctrine. Therefore he deliberately determined upon the compromise adoption of their tribal god of the desert as the one and only god of his followers. Moses did not specifically teach that other peoples and nations might not have other gods, but he did resolutely maintain that Yahweh was over and above all, especially to the Hebrews. But always was he plagued by the awkward predicament of trying to present his new and higher idea of Deity to these ignorant slaves under the guise of the ancient term Yahweh, which had always been symbolized by the golden calf of the Bedouin tribes.
2015 96:4.3 Moses havde forsøgt at undervise disse beduiner idéen om El Elyon, men før de forlod Egypten, var han blevet overbevist om, at de aldrig fuldt ud ville forstå denne doktrin. Derfor besluttede han bevidst at gå på kompromis ved at adoptere deres stammegud i ørkenen som den eneste gud af hans tilhængere. Moses underviste ikke specifikt, at andre folk og nationer ikke kan have andre guder, men han fastholdt resolut, at Jahve var over alt og alle, især til hebræerne. Han var altid plaget af den besværlige situation, han var i, når han overfor disse uvidende slaver forsøgte at præsentere sin nye og højere idé om Guddommen under dække i den antikke form Jahve, som altid blandt beduinstammerne havde været symboliseret ved guldkalven.
1955 96:4.4 The fact that Yahweh was the god of the fleeing Hebrews explains why they tarried so long before the holy mountain of Sinai, and why they there received the ten commandments which Moses promulgated in the name of Yahweh, the god of Horeb. During this lengthy sojourn before Sinai the religious ceremonials of the newly evolving Hebrew worship were further perfected.
2015 96:4.4 Det faktum, at Jahve var de flygtende Hebræers gud forklarer, hvorfor de tøvede så længe ved det hellige bjerg af Sinai, og hvorfor de der modtog de ti bud, som Moses proklamerede i Jahves, Horebgudens navn. I løbet af dette langvarige ophold ved Sinaibjerget blev de religiøse ceremonier i den nyligt udviklende hebraiske tilbedelse yderligere perfektioneret.
1955 96:4.5 It does not appear that Moses would ever have succeeded in the establishment of his somewhat advanced ceremonial worship and in keeping his followers intact for a quarter of a century had it not been for the violent eruption of Horeb during the third week of their worshipful sojourn at its base. “The mountain of Yahweh was consumed in fire, and the smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.” In view of this cataclysm it is not surprising that Moses could impress upon his brethren the teaching that their God was “mighty, terrible, a devouring fire, fearful, and all-powerful.”
2015 96:4.5 Det ser ikke ud som om Moses nogensinde ville have lykkedes i etableringen af hans noget avanceret ceremonielle tilbedelse og i at holde sin skare af tilhængere samlet i et kvart århundrede, havde det ikke været for det voldelige udbrud af Horeb i den tredje uge af deres ærværdige ophold ved foden af bjerget. "Jahves bjerg blev indhyllet i brand, og røgen steg op som røgen fra en smelteovn, og hele bjerget bævede meget[17]." På baggrund af denne katastrofe er det ikke overraskende, at Moses kunne indprente sine brødre læren, at deres Gud var "mægtig, frygtelige, en fortærende ild, skræmmende, og almægtig[18]."
1955 96:4.6 Moses proclaimed that Yahweh was the Lord God of Israel, who had singled out the Hebrews as his chosen people; he was building a new nation, and he wisely nationalized his religious teachings, telling his followers that Yahweh was a hard taskmaster, a “jealous God.” But nonetheless he sought to enlarge their concept of divinity when he taught them that Yahweh was the “God of the spirits of all flesh,” and when he said, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Moses taught that Yahweh was a covenant-keeping God; that he “will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers because the Lord loves you and will not forget the oath by which he swore to your fathers.”
2015 96:4.6 Moses proklamerede, at Jahve var Herren, Israels Gud, som havde udpeget hebræerne som sine udvalgte folk; han ville bygge en ny nation, og han nationaliserede klogt sin religiøse lære, og sagte til sine tilhængere, at Jahve var en krævende lærer, en "nidkær Gud[19]." Ikke desto mindre søgte han at udvide deres begreb om guddommelighed, da han lærte dem at Jahve var "Gud over ånderne i alt kød", og da han sagde, "Den evige Gud er din bolig, og under dig er hans evige arme[20][21]." Moses lærte, at Jahve var en Gud som holdt sin aftale; at han "ikke vil svigte dig, hverken ødelægge dig, heller ikke glemme den pagt han havde lavet med jeres fædre, fordi Herren elsker dig og vil ikke glemme den ed, som han tilsvor dine fædre[22]."
1955 96:4.7 Moses made a heroic effort to uplift Yahweh to the dignity of a supreme Deity when he presented him as the “God of truth and without iniquity, just and right in all his ways.” And yet, despite this exalted teaching, the limited understanding of his followers made it necessary to speak of God as being in man’s image, as being subject to fits of anger, wrath, and severity, even that he was vengeful and easily influenced by man’s conduct.
2015 96:4.7 Moses gjorde en heroisk indsats for at opløfte Jahve til værdighed af en højere guddom, når han præsenterede ham som "en Gud af sandhed og uden synd, retfærdig og retvis i alle hans gerninger[23]." Men alligevel, på trods af denne ophøjede undervisning, den begrænsede forståelse af hans tilhængere gjorde det nødvendigt at tale om Gud som værende i mandens billede, som værende underlagt anfald af ophidselse, vrede, og streng, selv, at han var hævngerrig og let påvirket af menneskets adfærd.
1955 96:4.8 Under the teachings of Moses this tribal nature god, Yahweh, became the Lord God of Israel, who followed them through the wilderness and even into exile, where he presently was conceived of as the God of all peoples. The later captivity that enslaved the Jews in Babylon finally liberated the evolving concept of Yahweh to assume the monotheistic role of the God of all nations.
2015 96:4.8 Gennem Moses undervisning blev Jahve, denne stamme- og naturgud, Herren, Israels Gud, som fulgte dem gennem ørkenen, og selv i eksil, snart opfattet som alle folkeslags Gud. Det senere fangenskab, hvor jøderne var slaver i Babylon befriede til sidst det udviklende begreb Jahve til at antage den monoteistiske rolle af alle nationers Gud.
1955 96:4.9 The most unique and amazing feature of the religious history of the Hebrews concerns this continuous evolution of the concept of Deity from the primitive god of Mount Horeb up through the teachings of their successive spiritual leaders to the high level of development depicted in the Deity doctrines of the Isaiahs, who proclaimed that magnificent concept of the loving and merciful Creator Father.
2015 96:4.9 Det mest unikke og fantastiske træk af hebræernes religiøse historie er den kontinuerlige udvikling af Guddomsbegrebet fra Horebbjergets primitive gud op gennem læren af deres successive åndelige ledere til det høje udviklingsniveau som skildres i læren om Guddommen hos profeterne Esajas, som erklærede det storslået begreb om den kærlige og barmhjertige Skaberfader.
5. THE TEACHINGS OF MOSES
5. MOSES LÆRE
1955 96:5.1 Moses was an extraordinary combination of military leader, social organizer, and religious teacher. He was the most important individual world teacher and leader between the times of Machiventa and Jesus. Moses attempted to introduce many reforms in Israel of which there is no record. In the space of one man’s life he led the polyglot horde of so-called Hebrews out of slavery and uncivilized roaming while he laid the foundation for the subsequent birth of a nation and the perpetuation of a race.
2015 96:5.1 Moses var en ekstraordinær kombination af militær leder, social organisator, og religiøs lærer. Han var den vigtigste individuelle verdenslærer og leder mellem tidspunktet for Makiventa og Jesus. Moses forsøgte at indføre mange reformer i Israel, hvoraf der ikke er nogen optegnelser. I løbet af et eneste menneskes liv førte han den flersprogede skare af såkaldte hebræere ud af slaveriet og uciviliserede strejfen omkring, samtidig som han lagde grunden til den efterfølgende fødsel af en nation og bevarelse af et folk.
1955 96:5.2 There is so little on record of the great work of Moses because the Hebrews had no written language at the time of the exodus. The record of the times and doings of Moses was derived from the traditions extant more than one thousand years after the death of the great leader.
2015 96:5.2 Der er så lidt skrevet om Moses store arbejde fordi hebræerne ikke havde noget skriftsprog på tidspunktet for udvandringen. Optegnelserne om Moses tid og gerninger stammede fra de traditioner, som har overlevet i mere end tusind år efter dødsfaldet af den store leder.
1955 96:5.3 Many of the advances which Moses made over and above the religion of the Egyptians and the surrounding Levantine tribes were due to the Kenite traditions of the time of Melchizedek. Without the teaching of Machiventa to Abraham and his contemporaries, the Hebrews would have come out of Egypt in hopeless darkness. Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro, gathered up the residue of the traditions of the days of Melchizedek, and these teachings, joined to the learning of the Egyptians, guided Moses in the creation of the improved religion and ritual of the Israelites. Moses was an organizer; he selected the best in the religion and mores of Egypt and Palestine and, associating these practices with the traditions of the Melchizedek teachings, organized the Hebrew ceremonial system of worship.
2015 96:5.3 Mange af de fremskridt, som Moses lavet over egypterne og de omkringliggende Levantine stammers religion var et resultat af Keniternes traditioner fra Melkisedeks tid. Uden Makiventas undervisning til Abraham og dennes samtidige ville hebræerne være kommet ud af Egypten i et håbløst mørke. Moses og hans svigerfar, Jethro, samlede resterne af hvad der var tilbage af traditionerne fra Melkisedeks dage og disse lærdomme, forenet med egypternes lærdomme, vejledte Moses i skabelsen af den forbedrede religion og ritual for israelitterne. Moses var en organisator; han valgte det bedste fra religionen og skikkene i Egypten og Palæstina og, ved at forene denne praksis med traditionerne fra Melkisedeks lære, organiserede han det hebraiske ceremonielle system for tilbedelse.
1955 96:5.4 Moses was a believer in Providence; he had become thoroughly tainted with the doctrines of Egypt concerning the supernatural control of the Nile and the other elements of nature. He had a great vision of God, but he was thoroughly sincere when he taught the Hebrews that, if they would obey God, “He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will multiply the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land—the corn, wine, oil, and your flocks. You shall be prospered above all people, and the Lord your God will take away from you all sickness and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt upon you.” He even said: “Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth.” “You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. You shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.”
2015 96:5.4 Moses var en troende på Forsynet; han var blevet grundigt inficeret med de egyptiske doktriner om den overnaturlige kontrol af Nilen og de andre elementer i naturen. Han havde en stor vision om Gud, men han var helt oprigtig, da han underviste hebræerne, at hvis de ville adlyde Gud, "Så ville han elske dig, velsigne dig og formere dig. Han vil mangedoble dit livs frugt og frugten af din jord - majs, vin, olie, og dine flokke. Velsignet skal du være blandt alle folkeslag, og Herren din Gud vil tage væk fra jer alt sygdom og ingen af de onde sygdomme i Egypten vil han lægge på dig[24]." Han sagde selv: "Husk Herren din Gud, for det er ham, der giver dig magt til at få rigdom[25].” ”Du skal låne ud til mange folk, men du må ikke selv låne. Du skal herske over mange nationer, men de skal ikke herske over dig[26]."
1955 96:5.5 But it was truly pitiful to watch this great mind of Moses trying to adapt his sublime concept of El Elyon, the Most High, to the comprehension of the ignorant and illiterate Hebrews. To his assembled leaders he thundered, “The Lord your God is one God; there is none beside him”; while to the mixed multitude he declared, “Who is like your God among all the gods?” Moses made a brave and partly successful stand against fetishes and idolatry, declaring, “You saw no similitude on the day that your God spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire.” He also forbade the making of images of any sort.
2015 96:5.5 Men det var virkelig trist at se, hvordan Moses med sit storslåede sind forsøger at tilpasse sin ædle begreber om El Elyon, den Højeste, til forståelsen af de uvidende og analfabetiske hebræer. Til hans forsamlede ledere tordnede han, "Herren din Gud er en Gud; der er ingen ved siden af ham "; mens til den blandede mangfoldighed erklærede han: "Hvem er ligesom din Gud blandt alle guder?” Moses tog et modigt og delvis vellykket standpunkt imod feticher og afgudsdyrkelse, og erklærede: "Du så ingen lignelse på den dag, din Gud talte til dig på Horeb ud af ilden[27][28][29]." Han forbød dem også at fremstille billeder af nogen art[30].
1955 96:5.6 Moses feared to proclaim the mercy of Yahweh, preferring to awe his people with the fear of the justice of God, saying: “The Lord your God is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty and terrible God, who regards not man.” Again he sought to control the turbulent clans when he declared that “your God kills when you disobey him; he heals and gives life when you obey him.” But Moses taught these tribes that they would become the chosen people of God only on condition that they “kept all his commandments and obeyed all his statutes.”
2015 96:5.6 Moses frygtede at forkynde Jahves nåde, men foretrak at lade sit folk skælve af frygt for Guds retfærdighed og sagde: "Herren din Gud er Gudernes Gud og Herrernes Herre, den store, den mægtige og frygtelig Gud, der ikke gør forskel på mennesker[31]." Igen forsøgte han, at styre de turbulente klaner, da han erklærede, at "jeres Gud dræber, når du ikke adlyder ham; han helbreder og giver liv, når du adlyder ham[32].” Moses lærte disse stammer, at de ville blive Guds udvalgte folk kun på betingelse af, at de "holdt alle hans befalinger og adlød alle hans vedtægter[33][34]."
1955 96:5.7 Little of the mercy of God was taught the Hebrews during these early times. They learned of God as “the Almighty; the Lord is a man of war, God of battles, glorious in power, who dashes in pieces his enemies.” “The Lord your God walks in the midst of the camp to deliver you.” The Israelites thought of their God as one who loved them, but who also “hardened Pharaoh’s heart” and “cursed their enemies.”
2015 96:5.7 Hebræerne lærte ikke meget om Guds nåde i disse tidlige tider. De lærte om Gud som "den Almægtige; Herren er en mand af krig, stridens Gud, herlig ved magten, som knuser sine fjender[35]." "Herren din Gud vandrer midt i jeres lejr for at hjælpe dig[36].” Israelitterne tænkte sig at deres Gud elskede dem, men at han også "forhærdede Faraos hjerte" og "forbandede deres fjender[37][38]."
1955 96:5.8 While Moses presented fleeting glimpses of a universal and beneficent Deity to the children of Israel, on the whole, their day-by-day concept of Yahweh was that of a God but little better than the tribal gods of the surrounding peoples. Their concept of God was primitive, crude, and anthropomorphic; when Moses passed on, these Bedouin tribes quickly reverted to the semibarbaric ideas of their olden gods of Horeb and the desert. The enlarged and more sublime vision of God which Moses every now and then presented to his leaders was soon lost to view, while most of the people turned to the worship of their fetish golden calves, the Palestinian herdsman’s symbol of Yahweh.
2015 96:5.8 Selvom Moses præsenterede flygtige glimt af en universel og velgørende Guddom til Israels børn, var deres daglige opfattelse af Jahve som helhed, en Gud, som var lidt bedre end stammeguderne blandt de omkringliggende folk. Deres koncept af Gud var primitiv, rå og antropomorfisk. Efter at Moses var gået bort vendte disse beduinstammer hurtigt tilbage til de halvbarbariske idéer om deres gamle guder fra Horeb og ørkenen. Det udvidede og mere ædle syn af Guds, som Moses nu og da præsenteret for sine ledere var snart ude at syne, mens størstedelen af folket begyndte at tilbede deres gyldne kalve fetich, det palæstinensiske hyrdefolks symbol for Jahve.
1955 96:5.9 When Moses turned over the command of the Hebrews to Joshua, he had already gathered up thousands of the collateral descendants of Abraham, Nahor, Lot, and other of the related tribes and had whipped them into a self-sustaining and partially self-regulating nation of pastoral warriors.
2015 96:5.9 Da Moses overdrog kommandoen over hebræerne til Joshua, havde han allerede indsamlet tusindvis af efterkommere på sidelinjen til Abraham, Nakor, Lot, og andre af de relaterede stammer og havde gejlet dem sammen i en selvbærende og delvist selvstyrende nation af hyrdekrigere.
6. THE GOD CONCEPT AFTER MOSES’ DEATH
6. GUDSBEGREBET EFTER MOSES DØD
1955 96:6.1 Upon the death of Moses his lofty concept of Yahweh rapidly deteriorated. Joshua and the leaders of Israel continued to harbor the Mosaic traditions of the all-wise, beneficent, and almighty God, but the common people rapidly reverted to the older desert idea of Yahweh. And this backward drift of the concept of Deity continued increasingly under the successive rule of the various tribal sheiks, the so-called Judges.
2015 96:6.1 Efter Moses død blev hans ophøjede opfattelse om Jahve hurtigt forværret. Josua og Israels ledere fortsatte med at værne om de Mosaiske traditioner om den alvidende, godgørende og almægtig Gud, men de almindelige mennesker vendte hurtigt tilbage til ørkenens ældre idé om Jahve. Denne tilbagegang af guddomsopfattelsen fortsatte i stigende grad i tiden under de efterfølgende stammesheikers styre, de såkaldte dommere.
1955 96:6.2 The spell of the extraordinary personality of Moses had kept alive in the hearts of his followers the inspiration of an increasingly enlarged concept of God; but when they once reached the fertile lands of Palestine, they quickly evolved from nomadic herders into settled and somewhat sedate farmers. And this evolution of life practices and change of religious viewpoint demanded a more or less complete change in the character of their conception of the nature of their God, Yahweh. During the times of the beginning of the transmutation of the austere, crude, exacting, and thunderous desert god of Sinai into the later appearing concept of a God of love, justice, and mercy, the Hebrews almost lost sight of Moses’ lofty teachings. They came near losing all concept of monotheism; they nearly lost their opportunity of becoming the people who would serve as a vital link in the spiritual evolution of Urantia, the group who would conserve the Melchizedek teaching of one God until the times of the incarnation of a bestowal Son of that Father of all.
2015 96:6.2 I sine tilhængeres hjerter havde Moses ekstraordinære og fængslende personlighed holdt liv i inspirationen af en stadig mere forstørret billede på Gud; men da de havde nået Palæstinas frugtbare enge, udviklede de sig på kort tid fra nomadiske hyrder til fastboende og nogenlunde temmelig rolige landmænd. Denne udvikling i livet og den ændrede religiøse tilgang krævede en mere eller mindre fuldstændig forandring i deres måde at opfatte deres Gud, Jahves, natur. I den tid, da deres strenge, rå, krævende og tordnende ørkengud fra Sinai blev omdannet til den senere fremtrædende opfattelse om en kærlighedens, retfærdighedens og barmhjertighedens Gud, mistede hebræerne næsten Moses ædle lære af syne. De var tæt på at miste alle de monoteistiske begreber. De mistede næsten deres mulighed for at blive de mennesker, der ville tjene som et afgørende led i den åndelige udvikling på Urantia, den gruppe, der skulle bevare Melkisedeks undervisning i én Gud, indtil de tider af inkarnationen af en overdragelse søn af denne Fader af alle.
1955 96:6.3 Desperately Joshua sought to hold the concept of a supreme Yahweh in the minds of the tribesmen, causing it to be proclaimed: “As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will not fail you nor forsake you.” Joshua found it necessary to preach a stern gospel to his disbelieving people, people all too willing to believe their old and native religion but unwilling to go forward in the religion of faith and righteousness. The burden of Joshua’s teaching became: “Yahweh is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.” The highest concept of this age pictured Yahweh as a “God of power, judgment, and justice.”
2015 96:6.3 Desperat forsøgte Josua at holde begrebet om den øverste Jahve levende i hovederne på sine stammefolk, og han proklamerede: "Som jeg var med Moses, så vil jeg være med dig; jeg vil ikke svigte dig og ikke forlade dig[39]." Josua fandt det nødvendigt, at forkynde et strengt evangelium til sine vantro folk, et folk der kun alt for villige troede på deres gamle og indfødte religion, men ikke ville gå fremad i troens og retfærdighedens religion. Hovedtemaet i Joshua undervisning var: "Jahve er en hellig Gud; han er en nidkær Gud; han vil ikke tilgive eders overtrædelser eller jeres synder[40]." Den højeste opfattelse for denne tidsalder beskrev Jahve som en "Gud af magt, dømmekraft og retfærdighed[41]."
1955 96:6.4 But even in this dark age, every now and then a solitary teacher would arise proclaiming the Mosaic concept of divinity: “You children of wickedness cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God.” “Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker?” “Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the Almighty to perfection? Behold, God is great and we know him not. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out.”
2015 96:6.4 Men selv i denne mørke tidsalder, fremtrådte der nu og da en ensom lærer, der proklamerede Moses opfattelse om guddommelighed: "I børn af ondskab kan ikke tjene Herren, for han er en hellig Gud[42]." "Skal det dødelige menneske være mere retfærdigt end Gud?” ”Kan mennesket være mere ren end sin Skaber?" "Kan du ved at søge finde Guds dybde? Kan du forstå den Almægtige til fuldkommenhed? Se, Gud er stor, og vi kender ham ikke[43]. Om vi så rørte den Almægtige, kunne vi ikke forstå ham."[44]
7. PSALMS AND THE BOOK OF JOB
7. SALMERNE OG JOBS BOG
1955 96:7.1 Under the leadership of their sheiks and priests the Hebrews became loosely established in Palestine. But they soon drifted back into the benighted beliefs of the desert and became contaminated with the less advanced Canaanite religious practices. They became idolatrous and licentious, and their idea of Deity fell far below the Egyptian and Mesopotamian concepts of God that were maintained by certain surviving Salem groups, and which are recorded in some of the Psalms and in the so-called Book of Job.
2015 96:7.1 Under ledelse af deres sheiker og præster blev hebræerne løst etableret i Palæstina. Snart drev de dog tilbage til ørkenens formørkede overbevisninger og blev forurenet med de mindre avancerede kanaanæiske religiøse skikke. De blev afgudsdyrkende og uhæmmet, og deres idé om Guddommen faldt langt under de egyptiske og mesopotamiske begreber om Gud, der blev opretholdt ved visse overlevende Salem grupper og som er registreret i nogle af salmerne og i den såkaldte Jobs Bog.
1955 96:7.2 The Psalms are the work of a score or more of authors; many were written by Egyptian and Mesopotamian teachers. During these times when the Levant worshiped nature gods, there were still a goodly number who believed in the supremacy of El Elyon, the Most High.
2015 96:7.2 Salmerne er skrevet af over tyve forfattere; mange blev skrevet af egyptiske og mesopotamiske lærere. Under disse tider, hvor Levanten tilbad naturguder, var der stadig et rimeligt antal, der troede på El Elyon, den Højestes overherredømme.
1955 96:7.3 No collection of religious writings gives expression to such a wealth of devotion and inspirational ideas of God as the Book of Psalms. And it would be very helpful if, in the perusal of this wonderful collection of worshipful literature, consideration could be given to the source and chronology of each separate hymn of praise and adoration, bearing in mind that no other single collection covers such a great range of time. This Book of Psalms is the record of the varying concepts of God entertained by the believers of the Salem religion throughout the Levant and embraces the entire period from Amenemope to Isaiah. In the Psalms God is depicted in all phases of conception, from the crude idea of a tribal deity to the vastly expanded ideal of the later Hebrews, wherein Yahweh is pictured as a loving ruler and merciful Father.
2015 96:7.3 Ingen samling af religiøse skrifter udtrykker en sådan mængde af hengivenhed og inspirerende idéer om Gud som Salmernes Bog. Det ville være meget nyttigt, hvis, ved gennemlæsning af denne vidunderlige samling af tilbedende litteratur, hensynet kunne gives til kilden og kronologien i hver enkelt salme af pris og tilbedelse, i betragtning af, at ingen anden enkelt samling dækker sådan en omfattende tidsperiode. Salmernes Bog er en registrering af de forskellige begreber om Gud underholdt af de troende i Salem religionen i hele Levanten og omfavner hele perioden fra Amenemope til Esajas. I Salmerne beskrives Gud i alle faser af undfangelsen, fra den primitive idé om en stammegud til det væsentligt udvidede ideal af de senere hebræere, hvor Jahve er afbilledet som en kærlig hersker og barmhjertig Fader.
1955 96:7.4 And when thus regarded, this group of Psalms constitutes the most valuable and helpful assortment of devotional sentiments ever assembled by man up to the times of the twentieth century. The worshipful spirit of this collection of hymns transcends that of all other sacred books of the world.
2015 96:7.4 Således betragtet udgør denne gruppe af Salmerne det mest værdifulde og nyttige udvalg af hengivne følelser, der nogensinde er samlet af mennesket frem til det tyvende århundrede. Den ærværdige ånd i denne samling af salmer overstiger værdien af alle andre hellige bøger i verden.
1955 96:7.5 The variegated picture of Deity presented in the Book of Job was the product of more than a score of Mesopotamian religious teachers extending over a period of almost three hundred years. And when you read the lofty concept of divinity found in this compilation of Mesopotamian beliefs, you will recognize that it was in the neighborhood of Ur of Chaldea that the idea of a real God was best preserved during the dark days in Palestine.
2015 96:7.5 Det brogede billede af guddommen som præsenteres i Jobs Bog var et produkt af mere end en snes mesopotamiske religiøse lærere strækkende sig over en periode på næsten tre hundrede år. Når I læser om de ophøjede opfattelser af guddommelighed fundet i denne samling af mesopotamiske overbevisninger, vil I bemærke, at det var i nærheden af Ur i Kaldæa, at idéen om en ægte Gud var bedst bevaret i de mørke dage i Palæstina.
1955 96:7.6 In Palestine the wisdom and all-pervasiveness of God was often grasped but seldom his love and mercy. The Yahweh of these times “sends evil spirits to dominate the souls of his enemies”; he prospers his own and obedient children, while he curses and visits dire judgments upon all others. “He disappoints the devices of the crafty; he takes the wise in their own deceit.”
2015 96:7.6 I Palæstina forstod man ofte Guds visdom og allestedsnærværelse men sjældent hans kærlighed og barmhjertighed. Disse tiders Jahve "sender onde ånder til at dominere sine fjenders sjæle"; han lader det gå godt for hans egne og lydige børn, mens han forbander alle andre og kræver frygtelige straffe over dem[45]. "Han lader de listiges påfund gå til spilde; de kloge fanger han i deres egen bedrag[46]."
1955 96:7.7 Only at Ur did a voice arise to cry out the mercy of God, saying: “He shall pray to God and shall find favor with him and shall see his face with joy, for God will give to man divine righteousness.” Thus from Ur there is preached salvation, divine favor, by faith: “He is gracious to the repentant and says, ‘Deliver him from going down in the pit, for I have found a ransom.’ If any say, ‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not,’ God will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and he shall see the light.” Not since the times of Melchizedek had the Levantine world heard such a ringing and cheering message of human salvation as this extraordinary teaching of Elihu, the prophet of Ur and priest of the Salem believers, that is, the remnant of the onetime Melchizedek colony in Mesopotamia.
2015 96:7.7 Kun ved Ur steg en røst op for at forkynde Guds nåde med ordene: "Han skal bede til Gud, og skal finde ind til ham og se hans ansigt med glæde, for Gud vil give til mennesket guddommelige retfærdighed[47]." Således blev der fra Ur prædiket frelse, guddommelig gunst, gennem tro: "Han er nådig til dem der er angrende og siger, "Frels ham fra at falde ned i graven, for jeg har fået en løsesum." Hvis nogen siger: "Jeg har syndet, og perverteret det, der var rigtigt, og det var mig, til ingen nytte" så vil Gud redde din sjæl fra at falde ned i graven, og han skal se lyset[48]." Ikke siden Melkisedeks dage havde den Levantinske verden hørt sådan en klangfuld og opmuntrende budskab om menneskets frelse, fra denne ekstraordinære undervisning af Elihu, profeten i Ur og præst for dem som var troende i følge Salems lære, dvs[49]. resten af dem som engang dannede Melkisedeks koloni i Mesopotamien.
1955 96:7.8 And thus did the remnants of the Salem missionaries in Mesopotamia maintain the light of truth during the period of the disorganization of the Hebrew peoples until the appearance of the first of that long line of the teachers of Israel who never stopped as they built, concept upon concept, until they had achieved the realization of the ideal of the Universal and Creator Father of all, the acme of the evolution of the Yahweh concept.
2015 96:7.8 Således opretholdte de resterende Salem missionærer i Mesopotamien sandhedens lys brændende i den periode de hebraiske folkestammer var uorganiseret, indtil fremkomsten af den første af en lang linje af lærerne i Israel, som aldrig standsede op mens de byggede, koncept på koncept, indtil de havde opnået realiseringen af idealet om den Universelle Skaberfader til alle, højdepunktet i udviklingen af Jahve konceptet.
1955 96:7.9 [Presented by a Melchizedek of Nebadon.]
2015 96:7.9 [Præsenteret af en Melkisedek i Nebadon.]
| Kapitel 95. Melkisedeks Lærdomme I Levanten |
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Kapitel 97. Gudsbegrebets Udvikling Blandt Hebrærne |