Reading Report Form
: Soares-Probhu, George M. “Laughing at
Idols: The Dark Side of Biblical Monotheism (an Indian Reading of Isaiah
44:9-20),” in eds. By Fernando F. Segovia and Mary Ann Tolbert, Reading
from this Place: Social Location and Biblical Interpretation in Global
Perspective, vol. 2. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995, 109-131
Isaiah 44:9-20
can not be separated from chapter 43:22-44:23. This part of second Isaiah is
composed of Yahweh speeches. It’s form like a dialogue between Yahweh and
narator. The dialogue is about idol-makers and closed with final hymnic call to
praise. This dialogue also contains
accusastions that Israel has directly worship others god rather than
worship Yahweh.God recounts his service to Israel, including forgiveness of Israel’s
sins (v.25). The purpose of the speech is to prepare the way for the offer of
grace that is to follow.[1] Isaiah 44:9-20 is considered an imitation of
legal setting, called a taunting song even a satire against the idols. Like a
piece of drama, is provides a kind of comic interlude as two character ridicule
those who make and worship idols. The idolators are ridiculed. Not the idol but
the worshipers are the object of laughter. They are emptiness, who see nothing
and know nothing. They are shamed, less than human (v. 11), a mind decieved.[2]
In second Isaiah we can read that If Yahweh is the only God, then the idols of
the nations must profit nothing. Idols are nothing because Yahweh is the only
God. It reveals second Isaiah’s exclusive monotheism : Yahweh is a truly God,
the only God beside whom there is no other.
This exclusive
nationalistic monotheism that related to soterotical theme is main idea of
Isaiah 44:9-12 which composed during the exile time. The exile time become a
political background for second Isaiah. Second Isaiah speaks about Yahweh as
the only God and in the same time understood as the god of Jews only. There is no other gods beside Yahweh.
Yahweh is truly God. For example second Isaiah talks about Yahweh is “Jacob’s King (41:21), or the Holy One of
Israel (41:16), or Israel is His people (43:1-3, 44:21). Yahweh does not relate
to other nations as their god. The other nations do not worship Yahweh as their god. Even they
are not invited to worhship Yahweh. They only summoned to innumerable trial
scenes that attest to God incomparable supremacy. This all because the other
nations worship not to Yahweh but to idols. Idols are nothing compare to
Yahweh, and the idols’ worshiper is a false worshiper.
Still in the
exclusive nationalistic monoteheism theme during the exile time, second Isaiah
speaks about Israel’s believe to Yahweh that will save durim from exile. They
believe because Yahweh is a True God, who created the universe and control all
the event, can save them and make them return to promise land. So this believe
really emphasize the monotheism believe in second Isaiah. Only Yahwe can save
only His people, Israel not the other nations. Although there is a few text in
second Isaiah speaks about “salvation” for other nations (universalism), it is
not really salvation. Because only for Israel, second Isaiah speaks about
Yahweh’s salvation. For other nations, second
Isaiah only speaks about submission. Which means, if the other nations
want to be saved, they have to be subordinated to Israel. Here lies the core of
Yahweh’s attitude to the Gentiles in second Isaiah. They are of interest of
Yahweh as far as they can be of service of Yahweh’s people. Second Isaiah
speaks about how Yahweh is prepared to give Egypt as Israel’s ransom, Ethiopia
and Sheba in exchange, and give their people as Israel’s slave. (43:3; 45:14;
49:22-23). Even second Isaiah speaks that they will bown down before Israel
with their faces to the ground and lick the dust form Israel’s feet (49:22-23).
My
reflection :
The exclusive
nationalistic monotheism in second Isaiah emerge as a result from the people of
Israel who struggle when they were in exile. They built hope that Yahweh is a
True God that has a power to save them from exile situation. With this hope, Israel
believes that Yahweh will bring them back to Israel, even make all the nations
bow down before them. Yahwe will set them free. Because the true God, Yahweh defeated
the other nations. This hope include also the understanding that Yahweh’s power
is beyond all the idols. So like the author has wrote, “While Judah, as a
political entity, is shattered by a superpower, the idea of the only god is
born. Monotheism, then, is the answer to political emergency ....”, Israel’s nationalistic monotheism become
their fundamental reaction to their situation. That’s why this monothesim
becomes so exclusively. Israel thinks that only them will be saved by God
Yahweh.
In my own
context, may be it is not totally same with the reading, we have also two
monotheism religions, Christianity and Moslem. Both this religions believe to
One God and think that “my One God is the True God”. But the monotheism
understanding of these two religions sometime make their believers into a
tension. For moslem community.
Before 1998,
most the moslem groups specially they who belongs to fundamental ones, were
being oppressed by Soeharto’s regime. Our goverment always put them in controlled.
During that time, I believe they built their exclusive fundamentalist
monotheism which make them become fanatic. After 1998, when our country entered
the reformation era, these groups along with others kind of groups, have
freedom to express them selves. So now they practice their exclusive
fundamental monotheism as a fundamental Indonesia moslem groups (i.e FPI,
Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia, and Hizbut Tahrir). They usually commit a hate crime
againts Christian community and other religion communities. They try to close
churches in the name of their religion, in the name of Allah. They just call
the non moslem believer, including Christian and moslem people who have
different kind of thinking about their monotheism, as heathen people and deserve
to go to hell. Only them can be saved. Only them can be enter to heaven. If the
others want to be saved, they have to convert to their believe as a moslem
fundamentalist group. Even we hear that they believe our blood is kosher to be
spoiled. So for them, it is nothing wrong if they hurt and even kill people who
was diffirent with them.
So these exclusive
fanatical monothesim become problem in our context as Indonesia people. While
we are trying to spread an idea of pluralism, there are many fundamental moslem
groups practing their believe in monotheism in “destructive” way. In their
monotheism, they understand that people who worship “diffrent god” must be
bowned down before them. So they, in the name of their religion, think that
they have legitimacy to oppress others
who diffrent with them.
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