THE BOOK OF BARUCH
LESSON 5
PART V: JEREMIAH'S LETTER TO THE EXILES (6:1-72)
You shall have no other gods to
rival me. You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of
anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth.
Exodus 20:3-4 (also Deuteronomy 6:4)
You must not make gods of silver to
rival me, nor must you make yourselves gods of gold.
Exodus 20:23
Do not turn to idols and do not
cast metal gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.
Leviticus 19:4
If,
however, from there you start searching once more for Yahweh your God, and if
you search for him honestly and sincerely, you will find him. You will suffer
everything I have said will befall you, but in the final days you will return
to Yahweh your God and listen to his voice. For Yahweh your God is a merciful
God and will not desert or destroy you or forget the covenant which he made on
oath with your ancestors.
Deuteronomy 4:29-31
Baruch 6:1-72 is a copy of Jeremiah's letter to those about to be led as captives to Babylon (Baruch 6:1) to tell them what God had commanded him. It is not the same as an earlier letter that Jeremiah sent to the exiles in Jeremiah 28:4-32, which was probably written sometime during the decade between the exile of the citizens of Judah and Jerusalem in 598 BC and the advance of the Babylonian army against a rebellious Judean King Zedekiah in 587 BC that ended in the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6 BC. The body of Jeremiah's letter in Jeremiah 29:4-23 divides into five parts:
After an introduction (verses 1-7), Jeremiah's letter in Baruch divides into ten parts with nine paragraphs concluding (with variation): "... they are not gods; do be afraid of them" (cf. verses 14, 22, 28, 64, 68), or "So how can anyone say that they are gods?" (cf. verses 39, 44, 51, 56, with slight variation) conveying that the Babylonian gods are only manmade images and have no power because they are not real. The letter's divisions after the Introduction commanding not to worship the pagan images of Babylon (6:1-6):
The entire letter is a sustained argument against the temptations to worship the pantheon of the Babylonian gods and an appeal not to be seduced into the practice. Various reasons for not worshipping the pagan gods of their captors are repeated: the Babylonian temples do not house true gods but created images by artisans. Each section ends with an appeal not to be deceived and not to fear them. The Law prohibited making images of Yahweh or any other deity (cf. the first of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3-4 and Deuteronomy 6:4, Exodus 20:23, Leviticus 19:4, and Isaiah 42:17; 44:9-20).
Baruch 6:1-6 ~ Introduction: Do Not Worship the Pagan Images of Babylon
6:1 A copy of the letter which Jeremiah sent to those about to be led captive to
Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to tell them what he had been commanded
by God:
Because of the sins which you have committed before God you are to be deported to
Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of the Babylonians. 2 Once you have reached
Babylon, you will stay there for many years, as long as seven generations;
after which I shall bring you home in peace. 3 Now in Babylon, you will see
gods made of silver, of gold, of wood, being carried shoulder-high, and filling
the gentiles with fear. 4 Be on your guard! Do not imitate the foreigners, do
not have any fear of their gods 5 as you see their worshippers prostrating
themselves before and behind them. Instead, say in your hearts, 'Master, it is
you that we must worship.' 6 For my angel is with you; your lives will be in
his care.
"Seven generations" in verse 2 is probably symbolic since seven was the number of fullness or completion (see the document "The Significance of Numbers in Scripture." The "seven generations" in verse 2 are "seventy weeks" in Daniel 9:24-25.
Question # 1:
How many years did Jeremiah prophecy the covenant people would remain in exile? See
Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10.
The answers to the questions are at the end of the lesson.
Answer to question 1
5 as you see their worshippers prostrating themselves before and behind them.
This verse alludes to Babylonian processions in which they carried images of their
gods from their temples as the crowds of people prostrated themselves as the
image passed by.
Question # 2: hat did it mean when God commanded Jeremiah to write "my angel is with you" in verse 6?
See Exodus 23:20.
Answer to question 2
Baruch 6:7-14 ~ Idols Are Worthless Human Creations
7 Overlaid with gold and silver, their tongues polished smooth by a craftsman,
they are counterfeit and have no power to speak. 8 As though for a girl fond of
finery, these people take gold and make crowns for the heads of their gods. 9
And sometimes, the priests filch (steal) gold and silver from their gods to
spend on themselves, even giving some of it to the prostitutes on the terrace.
10 They dress up these gods of silver, gold, and wood, in clothes, like human
beings; on their own they cannot protect themselves from either tarnish or
woodworm; 11 when they have been dressed in purple cloaks, their faces have to
be dusted, because of the temple dust which settles thick on them. 12 One holds
a scepter like the governor of a province, yet is powerless to put to death
anyone who offends him; 13 another holds sword and mace in his right hand, yet
is powerless to defend himself against war or thieves. 14 From this, it is
evident that they are not gods; do not be afraid of them.
Question # 3:
What command did Yahweh give concerning images in Exodus 20:4-6, Leviticus 19:4, and
Deuteronomy 4:15-20?
Answer to question 3
Question # 4:
When did the Israelites first break that command concerning creating an idol, and what was their punishment?
See Exodus 32.
Answer to question 4
Verses 9-10 refer to the cult prostitutes that served in pagan temples, an action abhorrent to worshippers of Yahweh, for which sexual intimacy was holy and only allowed under the bond of marriage.
Baruch 6:15-22 ~ Idols Are The Useless Products of Craftsmen
15 Just as a pot in common use becomes useless once it it broken, so are these
gods enshrined inside their temples. 16 Their eyes are full of dust raised by
the feet of those who enter. 17 Just as the doors are locked on all sides on
someone who has offended a king and is under sentence of death, so the priests
secure the temples of these gods with gates and bolts and bars for fear of
burglary. 18 They light more lamps for them than they do for themselves, and
the gods see none of them. 19 They are like one of the temple beams, which are
said to be gnawed away from within; the termites creep out of the ground and
eat them and their clothes too, and they feel nothing. 20 Their faces are
blackened by the smoke that rises from the temple. 21 Bats, swallows, birds of
every kind perch on their bodies and heads, and so do cats. 22 From this, you
can see for yourselves that they are not gods; do not be afraid of them.
The letter writer understood to be God using Jeremiah to convey His message often uses satire in making the case against false gods. Here, the message is that the idols are as useless as broken pots. If the gods were truly powerful, they could protect themselves, and their priests would not need to bolt the gates for fear of burglary. The false idols cannot even defend themselves against worms or animals (verses 15-23).
Baruch 6:23-28 ~ Idols Have No Feelings Or Breath Of Life
23 The gold with which they are parading their futility before the world is supposed to make them look beautiful, but if someone does not rub off the tarnish, these gods will not be shining much on their own, and even while they were being cast, they felt nothing. 24 However much was paid for them, there is still no breath of life in them. 25 Being unable to walk, they have to be carried on men's shoulders, which shows how futile they are. It is humiliating for their worshippers, too, who have to stand them up again if they fall over. 26 Once they have been stood up, they cannot move on their own; if they tilt askew, they cannot right themselves; offerings made to them might as well be made to the dead. 27 Whatever is sacrificed to them, the priests re-sell and pocket the profit; while their wives salt down part of it, but give nothing to the poor or to the helpless. As to the sacrifices themselves, why, women during their periods and women in childbed are not afraid to touch them! 28 From all this, you can tell that they are not gods; do not be afraid of them.
Verses 24-28 point out that the idols cannot feel anything and are at the mercy of corrupt priests. Minucius Felix, one of the earliest Latin apologists for Christianity (died c. AD 250), used this passage in his exposition of the Christian faith, where he argued that Roman superstitions were foolish: "Even dumb animals instinctively understand a great deal about your gods! Mice and birds of prey all know that your gods are not alive: they move and sit among them; if they are not driven away, they will make their nests in the mouths of your gods. Spiders spin webs around their faces and cover their heads with cobwebs. You wash, clean and polish and protect and fear things that you have made with your own hands, without ever thinking that you should first know God before you worship him; instead, everyone devotes themselves to their ancestors, preferring to reach out to the error outside than to look within themselves, because they know nothing of [these gods] they fear" (Octavio, 24, 9-10).
As to the sacrifices themselves, why, women during their periods and women in
childbed are not afraid to touch them! 28 From all this, you can tell that they
are not gods; do not be afraid of them.
Under Mosaic Law, women during their menstrual cycle or after childbirth were
ritually unclean and could not attend Temple worship (see Leviticus 12:1-4).
Verse 28 is the third repetition urging the exiles not to fear the idols of the
Babylonians.
Baruch 6:29-39 ~ Idols Are Powerless
29 Indeed, how can they even be called gods, when women do the offering to these
gods of silver, gold, and wood? 30 In their temples, the priests stay sitting down,
their garments torn, heads and beards shaved, and heads uncovered; 31 they roar
and shriek before their gods as people do at funeral feasts. 32 The priests
take robes from the gods to clothe their own wives and children. 33 Whether
these gods are treated badly or well, they are incapable of paying back either
treatment; as incapable too of making or unmaking kings, equally incapable of
distributing wealth or money. 34 If anyone fails to honor a vow he has made to
them, they cannot call him to account. 35 They can neither save anyone from
death nor rescue the weak from the strong, 36 nor restore sight to the blind,
nor save anyone in trouble, 37 nor take pity on a widow, not be generous to an
orphan. 38 These wooden gods overlaid with gold and silver are about as much
use as rocks but out of the mountain side. Their worshippers will be
confounded! 39 So how can anyone think or say that they are gods?
29 Indeed, how can they even be called gods, when women do the offering to these
gods of silver, gold, and wood?
Under Mosaic Law, only the male priestly descendants of Aaron, Moses's brother, and
the first High Priest, could present offerings to Yahweh on behalf of the
people (Exodus 28:1). This restriction continues in the tradition of the Roman
Catholic Mass and the Orthodox Liturgy of Divine Worship in which a male
ordained priest represents the Presence of Jesus Christ, the Divine Bridegroom,
to His Bride, the Church. A woman could not fulfill the same liturgical function.
Verse 31 refers to the cultic celebration of certain Babylonian gods' annual death and resurrection. According to Mosaic Law, the religious practices listed in verses 27-31 were grotesque and depraved (cf. Leviticus 12:2-8; 15:19-23). The unbroken cord signified that sexual "service" had not yet been rendered.
In verses 33-39, the writer asserts that all the Babylonian gods cannot do what the true God of Israel does: they have no power or desire to save anyone in need. They are unlike Yahweh, who champions the cause of the weak over the strong and defends the widow and orphan (cf. 1 Samuel 2:7; Psalm 68:6; 146:7-9; Isaiah 35:4-5; etc.).
Baruch 6:40-44 ~ Whatever is Done for Them is False
40 The Chaldeans themselves do them no honor; if they find someone who is dumb
and cannot speak, they present him to Bel, entreating him for the gift of
speech, as though he could perceive it! 41 And they are incapable of drawing
the conclusion and abandoning those gods—such is their lack of perception. 42
Women with strings round their waists sit in the streets, burning bran like
incense; 43 when one of these has been picked up by a passer-by and been to bed
with him, she then gloats over her neighbor for not having been thought as
worthy as herself and for not having had her string broken. 44 Whatever is done
for them is spurious. So how can anyone think or say that they are gods?
The idol worshippers claim that an idol that cannot hear can cure a deaf and dumb man (verses 41-42). However, every Israelite knew that only the Lord God Yahweh can make the dumb speak (Isaiah 35:6).
Bel is a title meaning "lord" or "master," applied to various pagan gods of Mesopotamia and the Levant, including Assyria, Babylonia, and Baal of the Canaanites. Bel was a title also used for the Babylonian god Marduk. Other gods called "lord" were sometimes identified totally or partly with Bel Marduk like the god Malak-bel of Palmyra, who was recognized as a messenger of Bel and also as a deity separate from Bel/Marduk.
Jeremiah 50:2 speaks of Bel being captured and Murduk being "put to shame." Bel was originally the god of the city of Nippur, the capital of the Assyrian empire, and was later associated with the chief god of Babylon, Marduk/Merodach (cf. Isaiah 46:1).
Verse 42-43 refers to a custom associated with so-called sacred prostitution, which Yahweh strictly forbids (cf. Deuteronomy 23:18-19). Burning bran seems to have been a magical practice with an aphrodisiac aspect.
Baruch 6:45-51 ~ Their Idols Are Made By Carpenters And Goldsmiths
45 Made by woodworkers and goldsmiths, they are only what those workmen decide to
make them. 46 Their makers have not long to live themselves, so how can the
things they make be gods? 47 Their legacy to their descendants is nothing but
delusion and dishonor. 48 If war or disasters befall them, the priests discuss
where best to hide themselves and these gods; 49 how can anyone fail to realize
that they are not gods, if they cannot save themselves from war or from
disasters? 50 And since they are only made of wood overlaid with gold or
silver, it will later become apparent that they are spurious; it will be
obvious to everyone, to nations as to kings, that there is no divine activity
in them. Does anyone still need convincing that they are not gods?
The argument is that since the men who made the idols only live normal human lifespans, how can what they created be gods? Idols are the product of lies; they are only human inventions and objects made by artisans.
Baruch 6:52-56 ~ They Cannot Set Up A King Or Bring Rain
52 They can neither appoint a king over a country, nor give rain to humankind, 53
nor regulate their own affairs, nor rescue anyone who suffers a wrong; they are
helpless as crows between sky and ground. 54 If fire falls on the temple of
these wooden gods overlaid with gold or silver, their priests fly to safety
while they, for their part, stay there like beams, to be burnt. 55 They cannot
put up any resistance to a king or to enemies. 56 So how can anyone think or
say that they are gods?
Unlike the God of Israel, the pagan gods of Babylon cannot establish or depose kings or provide life-giving rain when needed. They cannot rescue anyone in peril or even protect their own images from fire, much less resist a foreign king or enemies. Therefore, how can anyone think or say that they are gods? (fourth repeated phrase).
In his commentary on Baruch, Oylmpiodorus remarked on the allegorical meaning of the "crows" mentioned in verse 53. He interpreted these unclean animals as demons "who were cast down from heaven by God, and who are cast out by holy men on earth with the help of Christ" (Fragmenta in epistulam Jeremiae, 6, 53).
Baruch 6:57-64 ~ They Cannot Save Themselves From Thieves Or Robbers
57 These wooden gods overlaid with gold or silver cannot evade thieves or
marauders; strong men may rob them of their gold and silver and make off with
the robes they are dressed in; yet they are powerless to help even themselves.
58 Better to be a king displaying his prowess, a household pot of use to its
owner, than to be these counterfeit gods; or merely the door of a house,
protecting what is inside, than these counterfeit gods; or a wooden pillar in a
palace than these counterfeit gods. 59 The sun, the moon and the stars, which
shine and have been given work to do, are obedient; 60 similarly, the
lightning, as it flashes, is a fine sight; in the same way, the wind blows
across every country, 61 the clouds execute the order God gives them to pass
over the whole earth, and the fire, sent from above to consume mountain and
forest, carries out its orders. 62 Now these gods are not their equals, either
in beauty or in power. 63 So, no one can think or say that they are gods,
powerless as they are to administer justice or to do anyone any good. 64
Therefore, knowing that they are not gods, do not be afraid of them.
The false gods cannot even protect themselves from thieves. All the elements of the cosmos (sun, moon, stars) are subject to Yahweh, who created them, as well as the wind, clouds, and lightning. The false pagan gods cannot be compared with what God has created. They are powerless to do good or protect the people who worship them.
Baruch 6:65-68 ~ They Cannot Give Blessings Or Curses
65 For they can neither curse nor bless kings, 66 nor produce signs in heaven for the
nations, nor shine like the sun, nor shed light like the moon. 67 The animals
are better off than they are, being able to look after themselves by making for
cover. 68 There is not the slightest shred of evidence that they are gods; so do not be afraid of them!
The false gods have no power to either give blessings or curses to kings. They also cannot produce signs in the skies to interpret, nor can they shine like the sun or moon. Animals can at least seek cover when in danger, while false images cannot. There is no evidence that the images are gods, so do not be afraid of them! (repeated the final time).
Baruch 6:69-72 ~ Conclusion
69 Their wooden gods overlaid with gold and silver are like a scarecrow in a
field of cucumbers—protecting nothing. 70 Or again, their wooden gods overlaid
with gold and silver are like a thorn-bush in a garden—any kind of bird may
perch on it—or like a corpse thrown out into the dark. 71 From the purple and
linen rotting on their backs, you can tell that they are not gods; and in the
end, eaten away, they will be the dishonor of the country. 72 Better, then,
someone upright who has no idols; dishonor will never come near him.
The pagan images are as powerless as a scarecrow in a field, a thorn bush, or a dead body—they do not possess life. The point is made that even the Babylonian Chaldeans show disrespect to their idols because they ask them to work miracles that they cannot deliver and expose their powerlessness.
In his letter, the writer implies the sovereignty of Yahweh over the entire universe. He has created all things in the cosmos and all living things on the earth that perform their ordained functions. However, idols have no power over creation, kings, nations, people, the elements, or wild beasts (verses 66-68).
The obvious conclusion is that the righteous have no idols (verse 72). Christian scholar Origen of Alexandria (c. 185 - c. 253) wrote: "Human life finds its unity in the adoration of the one God. The commandment to worship the Lord alone integrates man and saves him from an endless disintegration. Idolatry is a perversion of man's innate religious sense. An idolater is someone who transfers his indestructible notion of God to anything other than God'" (Origen, Contra Celsum 2, 40). Also, see CCC 2114.
Question # 5:
Is there a message and warning for Christians of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus living
today in Baruch chapter 6? Are we also on an "exodus" journey, and where is our
ultimate destination?
Answer to question 5
Answers to Questions:
Answer to Question #1:
Jeremiah foretold that the exile would last seventy years. The verse has multiplied the
time for the exile by three or four since a generation was about forty years.
Answer to Question #2: In Exodus 23:20, God sent an angel to guide the Israelites on their exodus from Egypt. In the new exodus out of Babylon, the Lord assures the people that He will watch over them just as He watched over their ancestors during their journey to the Promised Land.
Answer to question #3: In the first of the Ten Commandments and other parts of Mosaic Law, the people were forbidden to create an image of Yahweh or any other god with the intent of offering worship to it.
Answer to question #4: When Moses reached Mount Sinai with the Israelites, God called him to ascend the mountain to receive the Law and covenant obligations. He was gone so long that the people thought he was dead and commanded Aaron (Moses's brother) to make them a god to lead them. Aaron collected their gold jewelry, melted it down in a mold, and made a statue of a calf, to which the people shouted, "... here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!" (Exodus 32:4), violating the first of the Ten Commandments, which they received in Exodus 20 and violating their sworn oath to obey God (Exodus 24:3, 7). This was the Israelites' first sin against their covenant with Yahweh. Moses called all those loyal to Yahweh to come to him. A battle ensured, and 3,000 of the rebellious people died (Exodus 32:25-35). Although they were punished severely for their sin, the temptation to turn to pagan gods continued and led to the punishment of the Babylonian exile. The unified people of the faithful remnant that returned from exile never again yielded to foreign gods.
Answer to question #5: There is a message and a warning for Christians today: Do not be seduced by secular society and the lie that you are a god unto yourself, capable of deciding right and wrong according to your desires. Your rejection of obedience to God, His laws, and His plan for your salvation will condemn you to destruction as completely as an idol worshiper, for you have become your own idol, worshipping your own desires and excusing wrongdoing according to God's eternal Law. Be a part of the "faithful remnant" in exile on earth and on a journey to the Promised Land of Heaven.
Thus says Yahweh, Israel's king, Yahweh Sabaoth, his redeemer:
I am the first and I am the last; there is no God except me.
Isaiah 44:6
Catechism reference
Baruch 6 (CCC 2112)
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