{"id":6254,"date":"2015-11-29T05:43:02","date_gmt":"2015-11-28T23:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/?p=6254"},"modified":"2024-10-29T06:22:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T11:22:06","slug":"romans-part-65","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/?p=6254","title":{"rendered":"Romans, Part 65"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m still considering Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer<\/em>[1]<\/sup><\/a> as a description of love rather than as rules to obey.\u00a0 I\u2019m focusing now on the aftermath of the death<\/a> of the Levite\u2019s concubine.\u00a0 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, \u201cHow could such a wicked thing take place? \u00a0Now, hand over the good-for-nothings<\/em> (be<\/sup>l\u0131\u0302ya\u02bdal<\/a><\/em>, \u05d1\u05dc\u05d9\u05e2\u05dc) in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.\u201d<\/em>[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

On the surface of it this sounds like a thoughtful and lawful way to proceed.\u00a0 But I note that the Levite had not called the perpetrators of the crime in Gibeah good-for-nothings<\/em> (KJV: children of Belial<\/a><\/em>) but ba\u02bdal<\/a><\/em>.[3]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0Perhaps ba\u02bdal<\/em> in this context communicated children of<\/em> be<\/sup>l\u0131\u0302ya\u02bdal<\/em> to the Levite\u2019s contemporaries, but I suspect that it carried a more technical legal weight in this particular accusation (Deuteronomy 13:12-18 NET).<\/p>\n

Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live, that some evil (<\/em>be<\/sup>l\u0131\u0302ya\u02bdal, \u05d1\u05dc\u05d9\u05e2\u05dc; KJV: <\/em>children of Belial<\/a>)<\/em> people have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, saying, \u201cLet\u2019s go and serve other gods\u201d (whom you have not known before). \u00a0You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. \u00a0If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you, you must by all means slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock. \u00a0You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It will be an abandoned ruin forever \u2013 it must never be rebuilt again. \u00a0You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment. \u00a0Then the Lord will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors. \u00a0Thus you must obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commandments that I am giving you today and doing what is right before him.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not only that, but purge Israel of wickedness<\/em> was a familiar theme from the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Reference<\/td>\nNET<\/td>\nHebrew<\/td>\nSeptuagint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 13:5<\/td>\npurge out evil from within<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da<\/td>\n\u1f00\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b9\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 17:7<\/td>\npurge evil from among you<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da \u05e3<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 17:12<\/td>\npurge evil from Israel<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u0399\u03c3\u03c1\u03b1\u03b7\u03bb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 19:13<\/td>\npurge out the blood of the innocent from Israel<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d3\u05dd \u05d4\u05e0\u05e7\u05d9 \u05de\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc<\/td>\n\u03ba\u03b1\u03b8\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b1\u1f37\u03bc\u03b1 \u03c4\u1f78 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u1f77\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u0399\u03c3\u03c1\u03b1\u03b7\u03bb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 19:19<\/td>\npurge[4]<\/sup><\/a> evil from among you<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 21:9<\/td>\npurge out the guilt of innocent blood from among you<\/td>\n\u05ea\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d3\u05dd \u05d4\u05e0\u05e7\u05d9 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da \u05db\u05d9<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b1\u1f37\u03bc\u03b1 \u03c4\u1f78 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u1f77\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 21:21<\/td>\npurge out wickedness from among you<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 22:21<\/td>\npurge evil from among you<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da \u05e1<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 22:22<\/td>\npurge evil from Israel<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \u05e1<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u0399\u03c3\u03c1\u03b1\u03b7\u03bb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 22:24<\/td>\npurge evil from among you<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da \u05e1<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deuteronomy 24:7<\/td>\npurge evil from among you<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2 \u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d1\u05da<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Judges 20:13<\/td>\npurge Israel of wickedness<\/td>\n\u05d5\u05e0\u05d1\u05e2\u05e8\u05d4 [5]<\/sup><\/a>\u05e8\u05e2\u05d4 \u05de\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc<\/td>\n\u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03b1\u03b8\u03b1\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f77\u03b1\u03bd \u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u0399\u03c3\u03c1\u03b1\u03b7\u03bb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

I went to bed meditating on these details with a line from Quentin Tarantino\u2019s<\/a> \u201cKill Bill, Volume 1<\/a>\u201d flitting around in my memory: \u201cWhen fortune smiles on something as violent and ugly as revenge, it seems proof like no other that not only does God exist, you\u2019re doing his will.\u201d[6]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 I awoke the next morning with the fresh insight that ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em> had this law (Deuteronomy 13:12-18<\/a>) at his disposal throughout the period covered by the book of Judges.<\/p>\n

The Israelites did evil<\/em> (ra\u02bd<\/a><\/em>, \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2) in the Lord\u2019s<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/a><\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4) sight. \u00a0They forgot the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4)<\/em> their God<\/em> (\u02bc\u0115l\u00f4h\u0131\u0302ym<\/a><\/em>, \u05d0\u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05d4\u05dd) and worshiped the Baals<\/em> (ba\u02bdal<\/a><\/em>, \u05d4\u05d1\u05e2\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd) and the Asherahs<\/em>.[7]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0They had become the children of Belial<\/em> by definition.\u00a0 The Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4)<\/em> was furious with Israel<\/em>,[8]<\/sup><\/a> but he did not invoke this law.\u00a0 He turned them over to King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram-Naharaim<\/em>[9]<\/sup><\/a> instead.\u00a0 They were Cushan-Rishathaim\u2019s subjects for eight years<\/em>.[10]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 And I was reminded of Moses\u2019 intercession with<\/em> ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

When the first forty day covenant ended<\/a> ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em> had Israel dead to rights.\u00a0 They had despised that covenant,[11]<\/sup><\/a> but ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em> intended to honor it: Whoever sacrifices to a god other than the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05dc\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4) alone must be utterly destroyed<\/em>.[12]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

So now, leave me alone<\/em>, He said to Moses, so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation<\/em>.[13]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Turn from your burning anger<\/em>, Moses interceded,<\/em> and relent<\/em> (n\u00e2cham<\/a><\/em>, \u05d5\u05d4\u05e0\u05d7\u05dd) of this evil <\/em>(ra\u02bd<\/em>, \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2\u05d4) against your people<\/em>.[14]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Then the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4) <\/em>relented <\/em>(n\u00e2cham<\/em>, \u05d5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d7\u05dd) over the evil<\/em> (ra\u02bd<\/em>, \u05d4\u05e8\u05e2\u05d4) that he had said he would do to his people<\/em>,[15]<\/sup><\/a> though they had made themselves children of Belial<\/em>. \u00a0The prophet Samuel, the last of the judges, defined children of Belial<\/em> as those who knew not<\/em> ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>: Now the sons of Eli<\/em>\u00a0[the priest] were<\/em> sons of Belial<\/em> (be<\/sup>l\u0131\u0302ya\u02bdal<\/em>,\u05d1\u05dc\u05d9\u05e2\u05dc ); they knew<\/em> (y\u00e2da\u02bd<\/a><\/em> \u05d9\u05d3\u05e2\u05d5) not the LORD<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>)<\/em>.[16]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Do not become partners with those who do not believe<\/em>, Paul wrote the Corinthians, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? \u00a0And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar<\/em> (\u0392\u03b5\u03bb\u03b9\u1f71\u03c1, a form of \u0392\u03b5\u03bb\u03af\u03b1\u03bb<\/a>)?\u00a0 Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? \u00a0And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols?\u00a0 For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said,<\/em> \u201cI will live in them<\/em><\/strong> and will walk among them<\/em><\/strong>, and I will be their God<\/strong>, and they will be my people<\/strong><\/em>.\u201d \u00a0Therefore<\/em> \u201ccome out from their midst<\/em><\/strong>, and be separate<\/strong><\/em>,\u201d says the Lord,<\/em> \u201cand touch no unclean thing<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> and I will welcome<\/em> you<\/em>, and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters<\/em>,\u201d says the All-Powerful Lord<\/em>.[17]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4)<\/em>, the passage in Judges continued, he <\/em>(ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4) raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued them. \u00a0His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb\u2019s younger brother <\/em>[Table<\/a>]. \u00a0The Lord\u2019s<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4) spirit empowered him and he led<\/em> (sh\u00e2pha\u1e6d<\/a><\/em>, \u05d5\u05d9\u05e9\u05e4\u05d8) Israel<\/em>.[18]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>I feel more than a little awkward about it, but I\u2019ll quote from a website on Satanism, not to establish some identity for Belial.\u00a0 The witch<\/a> I worked for in school told me with a straight face that he worshiped Celtic Baal but did not believe that Celtic Baal existed in any other sense than as a personification of natural forces.\u00a0 Though he would cringe at being compared to a Satanist (he perceived Satanism as a Christian heresy), I think one would find the same range from true believers to those who only believe in personifications of natural forces among Satanists. \u00a0I quote the following merely to hear Belial<\/em> as what Paul called the flesh<\/em>, speaking honestly, audaciously and uncensored by law or religion.<\/p>\n

Belial is the carnal side of man, the lust, sex, pleasure and therefore the principal drives that make living worthwhile. People derive all the principal emotions of the higher ego from Belial: Pride comes from self control and suppression of the Belial, strength, pleasure and independence come from embracing it. Belial is the Master of the Earth, the force that holds Humankind by its balls, any security or stability are results of lessons learnt from dealing with this Crown Prince.<\/em><\/p>\n

Belial is the champion of simply being human, for the flesh, the material and the carnal. In essence, a reverence for Belial affirms how “good” the flesh\/humanity is. Unrestrained by law or morality; lawless; immoral; dissolute; lewd; lascivious, Unrestrained; uncurbed; uncontrolled; unruly; riotous; ungovernable; wanton; profligate; dissolute; lax; loose; sensual; impure; unchaste; lascivious; immoral, dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure.[19]<\/sup><\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We salt this flesh<\/em> with law and spread religious jelly on it to alter its flavor somewhat, but can\u2019t change its essence.\u00a0 Do not be amazed that I said to you, \u2018You must all be born from above,\u2019<\/em>[20]<\/sup><\/a> ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em> in human flesh as Jesus said.\u00a0 And Paul wrote to believers in Rome (Romans 6:3-7 NET):\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? \u00a0Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.<\/p>\n

For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. \u00a0We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. \u00a0(For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And again, Paul wrote to believers in Galatia (Galatians 2:20, 21 NET):<\/p>\n

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. \u00a0So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. \u00a0I do not set aside God\u2019s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>The essence of Wiccan morality<\/a> (as well as many American teenagers, among others) is stated, \u201cas long as you aren’t harming anyone, do as you wish.\u201d\u00a0 But when we do as we wish in our flesh<\/em>, we children of Belial<\/em>, we inevitably and without fail do harm to someone. \u00a0And that brought me back to the Kill Bill quotation: \u201cWhen fortune smiles on something as violent and ugly as revenge, it seems proof like no other that not only does God exist, you\u2019re doing his will.\u201d<\/p>\n

These lines, spoken by a character known as the Bride in Volume 1 (aka Black Mamba), was played and partially created by Uma Thurman<\/a>.\u00a0 The Bride was a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, a kind of Manson family<\/a> with style, not political revolutionaries but contract killers.\u00a0 We\u2019re deep in Belial<\/em> territory here, and the god to which the Bride referred (and personified for two films) was \u03b4\u1f77\u03ba\u03b7<\/a>\u2014Vengeance.\u00a0 Here is an exchange between Black Mamba (the Bride) and Copperhead (Vivica A. Fox<\/a>) from Kill Bill, Volume 1:<\/p>\n

Black Mamba: I\u2019m not gonna murder you in front of your [four-year-old] child, okay?<\/p>\n

Copperhead: That\u2019s being more rational than Bill led me to believe you were capable of.<\/p>\n

Black Mamba: It\u2019s mercy, compassion and forgiveness I lack\u2014not rationality.<\/p>\n

Copperhead: Look, I know I fucked you over.\u00a0 I fucked you over bad.\u00a0 I wish to God I hadn\u2019t, but I did.\u00a0 You have every right to want to get even.<\/p>\n

Black Mamba (chuckling): No, to get even, even Stephen, I would have to kill you, go up to Nikki\u2019s room, kill her, then wait for your husband to come home and kill him.\u00a0 That\u2019d be even, Vernita.\u00a0 That\u2019d be about square.<\/p>\n

Copperhead: Look, if I could go back in a machine, I would.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t.\u00a0 All I can tell you is that I\u2019m a different person now.<\/p>\n

Black Mamba: Oh, great.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n

Copperhead: Be that as it may, I know I don\u2019t deserve your mercy or your forgiveness.\u00a0 However, I beseech you for both on behalf of my daughter.<\/p>\n

Black Mamba: Bitch, you can stop right there.\u00a0 Just because I have no wish to murder you before the eyes of your daughter does not mean parading her around in front of me is gonna inspire sympathy.\u00a0 You and I have unfinished business.\u00a0 And not a goddam fucking thing you\u2019ve done in the subsequent four years, including getting knocked up, is gonna change that.<\/p>\n

It hit home hard since I had thought that ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>\/Jesus was <\/em>\u03b4\u1f77\u03ba\u03b7, and had mistaken his patience and mercy for proof of his nonexistence when I turned to atheism<\/a>.\u00a0 The word of the Lord<\/em> (ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em>, <\/em>\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4)<\/em> came to<\/em>[21]<\/sup><\/a> Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:21-29 NET):<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if the wicked person turns from all the sin he has committed and observes all my statutes and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. \u00a0None of the sins he has committed will be held against him; because of the righteousness he has done, he will live. \u00a0Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign (<\/em>\u02bc\u0103d\u00f4n\u00e2y<\/a>, \u05d0\u05d3\u05e0\u05d9)<\/em> Lord (<\/em>ye<\/sup>h\u00f4vih<\/a>, \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4)<\/em>? \u00a0Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live?<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing according to all the abominable practices the wicked carry out, will he live? \u00a0All his righteous acts will not be remembered; because of the unfaithful acts he has done and the sin he has committed, he will die.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet you say, \u2018The Lord\u2019s (<\/em>\u02bc\u0103d\u00f4n\u00e2y, \u05d0\u05d3\u05e0\u05d9)<\/em> conduct is unjust!\u2019 \u00a0Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? \u00a0Is it not your conduct that is unjust? \u00a0When a righteous person turns back from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing, he will die for it; because of the wrongdoing he has done, he will die. \u00a0When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. \u00a0Because he considered and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die. \u00a0Yet the house of Israel says, \u2018The Lord\u2019s (<\/em>\u02bc\u0103d\u00f4n\u00e2y, \u05d0\u05d3\u05e0\u05d9)<\/em> conduct is unjust!\u2019 \u00a0Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? \u00a0Is it not your conduct that is unjust?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This exercise altered my superficial observation that the brotherhood<\/a> acted thoughtfully and lawfully.\u00a0 I began to see four hundred thousand armed men, as likely as not to be sons of Belial<\/em> themselves, rushing in where ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/em> had not tread.<\/p>\n

But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. \u00a0The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah to make war against the Israelites<\/em>.[22]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Why?\u00a0 Was it because the Benjaminites<\/em> wholeheartedly supported the children of Belial\u2019s<\/em> right to know<\/em> any strange man who wandered into town or to gang-rape young women?\u00a0 Or was it because their Israelite brothers<\/em> came at them in battle array, four hundred thousand strong, armed with an implacable law that condemned them already?<\/p>\n

\n
Romans, Part 66<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to Romans, Part 68<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 4<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to Introduction-Section Seven<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/a>[1]<\/sup> Romans 12:12 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[2]<\/sup> Judges 20:12, 13a (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[3]<\/sup> Judges 20:5 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[4]<\/sup> NET note 37<\/a>: \u201cHeb<\/em> \u2018you will burn out\u2019 (\u05d1\u05bc\u05b4\u05e2\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05b8, bi\u2019arta). Like a cancer, unavenged sin would infect the whole community. It must, therefore, be excised by the purging out of its perpetrators who, presumably, remained unrepentant (cf. Deut 13:6; 17:7, 12; 21:21; 22:21-22, 24; 24:7).\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>[5]<\/sup> I thought this was a typo since \u05e8\u05e2\u05d4 has he<\/em> \u05d4 at the end rather than at the beginning (\u05d4\u05e8\u05e2) like the other occurrences, but the letters are in the same order in the Hebrew OT online at ericlevy.com<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[6]<\/sup> \u201cKill Bill, Volume 1\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>[7]<\/sup> Judges 3:7 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[8]<\/sup> Judges 3:8a (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[9]<\/sup> Judges 3:8b (NET) Also: Judges 3:12<\/a>; 4:1-2<\/a>; 6:1<\/a>; 10:6-7<\/a>; 13:1 (NET)<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[10]<\/sup> Judges 3:8c (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[11]<\/sup> Exodus 32:1-6 (NET)<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[12]<\/sup> Exodus 22:20 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[13]<\/sup> Exodus 32:10 (NET) Table<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[14]<\/sup> Exodus 32:12b (NET) Table<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[15]<\/sup> Exodus 32:14 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[16]<\/sup> 1 Samuel 2:12 (KJV)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[17]<\/sup> 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[18]<\/sup> Judges 3:9, 10a (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[19]<\/sup> \u201cBelial, the Northern Crown Prince of Satanism<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>[20]<\/sup> John 3:7 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[21]<\/sup> Ezekiel 18:1 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[22]<\/sup> Judges 20:13b, 14 (NET)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m still considering Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer[1] as a description of love rather than as rules to obey.\u00a0 I\u2019m focusing now on the aftermath of the death of the Levite\u2019s concubine.\u00a0 The tribes of Israel … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1736,3116,3118,20,2719],"tags":[3023,3024,3019,1793,3022,1820,1824,3028,3029,760,3026,3018,3030,3020,3021,3025,3502,2914,3027],"class_list":["post-6254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-12","category-love","category-rejoice-in-hope","category-romans","category-section-three","tag-1-samuel-212","tag-2-corinthians-614-18","tag-deuteronomy-1312-18","tag-exodus-2220","tag-exodus-3210","tag-exodus-3212","tag-exodus-3214","tag-ezekiel-181","tag-ezekiel-1821-29","tag-galatians-220-21","tag-john-37","tag-judges-2012-13","tag-judges-2013-14","tag-judges-37","tag-judges-38","tag-judges-39-10","tag-movies-kill-bill","tag-romans-1212","tag-romans-63-7"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6254"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25300,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6254\/revisions\/25300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}