Wit and Humor of the Bible: A Literary StudyShutter, Marion D. (Marion Daniel)
Religion
Wit and Humor of the Bible: A Literary Study
Shutter, Marion D. (Marion Daniel)
Bible as literature
Isaiah satirizes the idolaters in this fashion: "They shall be turned
back, they shall be greatly ashamed that trust in graven images, they that
say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. Hear ye deaf, and look ye blind
that ye may see. Who is blind but my servant? or deaf as my messenger that
I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect (in his own estimation), and
blind as is the Lord's servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest
not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. * * * Who among you will give
ear to this and hearken and hear for time to come?"
Ezekiel declares that, on account of their idolatries, the people have
become as worthless as a withered vine. Nothing useful can be made out of
it. It is only fit for the fire. "What is the vine tree more than any
tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood
be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any
vessel thereon? Behold it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire
devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet
for any work? Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work; how much
less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it,
and it is burned? Therefore, thus saith the Lord God: As the vine tree
among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so
will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem."
There is an elaborate piece of sarcasm in the forty-fourth chapter of
Isaiah: "He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak
which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest; he
planteth an ash and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man
to burn; for he will take thereof and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it
and baketh bread." The tree which this idolater takes has grown up as any
other tree, and after it is cut down, it is devoted to the same ordinary
uses. Yet out of that very tree, "he maketh a god and worshippeth it; he
maketh a graven image, and falleth down thereto."
The prophet repeats and amplifies, "He burneth part thereof in the fire;
with part thereof he eateth flesh, he roasteth roast and is satisfied;
yea, he warmeth himself and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire;
and the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image; he falleth
down unto it and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it and saith, Deliver
me, for thou art my God."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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