Episode:Melchizedek Gospel—Response Among the Hebrews (Part 5)
A great step in the evolution of the tribal god of the Hebrews was taken by Amos, who was not merely a restorer or reformer; he was a discoverer of new concepts of Deity. Hosea followed Amos and proclaimed a gospel of loving-kindness, though he faithfully continued with moral warnings to the Israelites. The first Isaiah went on to preach the eternal nature of God, his infinite wisdom, his unchanging perfection of reliability.
Keywords: Urantia, Melchizedek of Salem, Yahweh, Isaiah, Jeremiah
Note: Ann joined the episode late at minute 53.
Summary by Kermit
We discussed the importance of grasping the difference between morality and other related concepts. In response to man’s superconscious spirit ministry and his vague awareness of the higher facts of personality, he tends is to elevate and exalt the evolutionary mores to ideas of actual right and wrong (morality) in a bottom up process. Even the prophet Elijah promoted this bottom up process as an evolutional step forward. But with the fifth epochal revelation (5th ER) we are being asked to turn our perspective to top down. Thus we encounter morality in the upper domains of consciousness (top) and bring it down into daily experience as ethics. Morality (right and wrong) in this upper domain has a relationship to eternity, while ethics and mores are in relation to time.
In reference to the historical timeline, Elijah and Elisha were in the 9th century B.C., and Amos and Hosea were in the 8th century B.C.
97:4. Amos and Hosea
Amos not only vigorously attempted the reform of the criminal and moral degeneracy of the northern tribes, but he also discovered and advanced new concepts of Deity. For the first time since the days of Melchizedek, a prophet denounced the double standard of God punishing the crimes and sins of all save the “chosen people.” As to be expected, this did not go down well with many of the Hebrews of those days. As previously mentioned, these historical narrations are not presented to simply set the record straight, rather are we to find the truths of eternity in the revelation for our edification today.
The necessary egoistic beginnings of an individual or a people must give way to progressive evolutionary growth. So it is today, and only a greater recognition of the evolutionary nature of Deity will enable God to grow us as we recognize and release our preconceived opinions, settled ideas, and long standing prejudices.
In their references to the constellations of the Pleiades and Orion, the revelation shows Amos as having a more universal and even a cosmic aspect to his gospel. He further foreshadowed the impending captivities of the Hebrews, which as we will see were essential to showcasing the love and mercy of God. Amos insured the further evolution of the Melchizedek tradition, leaving behind enough truth to save the doctrine of the supreme Yahweh.
Hosea added to Amos’ vision of Yahweh as universal with his proclamation of God’s mercy, obtained through repentance in distinction to sacrifice. As our author states, “Hosea struck the opening notes in the later merciful chords of divine compassion and loving-kindness which were so exquisitely sung by Isaiah and his associates.
97:5. The First Isaiah
With the first Isaiah, we are moving into the 7th century B.C. Old Testament scholars allow for multiple authorship of the Book of Isaiah, but here we are told there were really two Isaiahs, separated in time. Of the three major blocks of the Book of Isaiah, chapters 1-39 are attributed the first Isaiah, chapters 40-55 are revealed as being written by the second Isaiah.
It was in the wake of the threatenings of punishment against personal and national transgressions and the arousal of the conscience and consciousness of the Hebrew nations that this Isaiah made his appearance. In the shadow of the impending captivities, this Isaiah preached of the eternal nature of God, his infinite wisdom, and his unchanging perfection of reliability. Isaiah’s gospel was followed by Micah and Obadiah who confirmed and embellished it. In addition, these two denounced the priest-ridden ritual of the Hebrews and attacked the whole sacrificial system. This was a great age and but for the stubborn resistance of the priests these teachers would have overthrown the whole bloody ceremonial of the Hebrew ritual of worship.
The words of these prophet have been given to us for reflection. These are the fundamental truths of evolutionary religion. A more complete grasp of divine truth requires that we combine evolutionary truths, with revelation. Revelation divorced from evolutionary truth is incomplete and of limited value to the progressing and growing pilgrim.
We commented upon how in order for the inner life to awaken and grow, the outer life must be challenging. In the Morontia Mota section, [48:7.14] we are reminded that mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation.
97:6. Jeremiah the Fearless
As teachers continued to present the gospel of the first Isaiah, Jeremiah took steps to internationalize Yahweh, asserting that Yahweh was God of all the earth and as such did not take the side of the Hebrews in military struggles with other nations. He asserted that the parochial names for the supreme gods of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Philistines were in reality referring to Yahweh. And so during this 6th century B.C., the time of spiritual awakening throughout the world, the concept of Yahweh at last had ascended to a Deity level of planetary and even cosmic dignity. Yet, many of Jeremiah’s associates were not so international-minded and had a hard time conceiving of Yahweh apart from the Hebrew nation.
Jeremiah went so far as to counsel the surrender of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, which was considered blasphemous treason.
We made note on the use of terms by the revelators, blasphemous AND treason and the difference between them. Blasphemy being in the realm of sin, violation of taboo, and treason in the domain of criminal violation of mores.
The revelators’ choice of the utterances of the prophets cited here shows their subtle efforts to restore important bits of lost knowledge concerning epochal transactions in the distant past, in clarifying correct authorship of scripture. This is illustrated in Jeremiah’s words, which turn out to be in the Old Testament Book of Lamentations, thus giving certainty to the opinion of scholars that Jeremiah in deed wrote the Book of Lamentations.
