Ken Carman

I'm sure many here can offer addition information and biblical insight that I don't have regarding this topic...

We are all familiar with "You shall have no other Gods before me." The phrasing of this interests me. If God is the one and only, then why phrase it this way? I am willing to admit that if I were to consider more of the text this may be a strawman argument, but I don't believe so: but feel free to offer such. If you believe in God, why would God make this demand unless there actual were other Gods? Wouldn't it be like "there are no other Gods," and "you shall not have other Gods before me because they do not exist?" If you're not a theist then why would the writers phrase it that way? Is it a poor translation? One group of ignorant believers attempting to convince anther set of ignorant believers?

I understand the standard interpretation is that you are not allowed to worship false; imaginary, Gods: as in any other than "the" God; but it's not phrased that way. God is a jealous God? Jealous of what? Is God portrayed here as one obsessed with imaginary lovers others may have? How sick is that?

semiopen

The most rational explanation is that the early Israelites were not strictly montheistic, and statements like this are evidence of that.

In Canaan El, Yahweh, Baal, etc were Gods. Eventually Yahweh became predominant. Dr. Mark S. Smith of NYU is a major expert in this area and he has published several excellent boooks.

Believers will often explain this with a song and dance, but this is one case where the plain interpretation is quite probably the correct one.

andrewcriddle

Maybe one should distinguish between monolatry (practical monotheism, the belief that there is only one God worth worshipping) and abstract monotheism (the belief that there is only one God full stop.)

The earlier portions of the Hebrew Bible are monolatrous, but not monotheistic in the strict and narrow sense.

Andrew Criddle

storytime

The prophets compared the situation as Israel being the whore in adultery to her husband[God]. God was jealous of her male companions - other gods in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, etc.. So He would punish her in her whoredom. He'd slap her around for not even have sense enough to act like a prostitute and charge for her services; instead she gave herself away as a worthless whore, and she'd be punished and made to return to Him begging forgiveness. He would then lavish her with costly apparel, diamonds, gold, pearls, and put a ring in her nose and lead her around, because she belonged to him and no others. But He would not ever put her away from him completely as she was His property, His wife, even His inheritance. So He would fight for her and keep glory in His own honor[name]. And if she didn't conform, He would kill her children and destroy her wealth, put her on welfare and foodstamps and force her to acknowledge Him as her only husband[God]. And when she began begging for assistance and pity, He would ask her "Where are your lovers now? Why are they not here to assist you and support you and lavish on you costly apparel?"

This was one mean ass abusive husband who didn't believe in divorce and a wife who could never find a safe enough place to hid from him.

Clivedurdle

At least three nations mentioned in posts above - Canaan, Israel, Judah. As gods were very local - family, village, tribe - surely any big god must belong to a politically powerful nation?

And I'm not sure non pork eaters were ever politically powerful in this region!

Baal for example was far more important for far longer? El is a canaanite god. Why do we assume some writings from particular groups reflect the reality?

Why do the controlling empire gods at the relevant time get no real discussion?

As I understand it flavours of monotheism are clear in the Egyptian, Persian and Greek empires, all of whom ran this area. Why is one god thought to be a Jewish idea?

And what about Mrs God?

Ken Carman

Very interesting. Perhaps, much like the New Testament, they were battling rhetorically with other faiths and realized just denying the existence of their deities would get them no where? Or were they unwilling to totally offend other possible Gods by being more monotheistic in their writings? We're dealing with times when people were far less "sensitive" to the feelings of others and more superstitious, so maybe the last one?

Ken Carman

She has to stay at home; especially Christmas time, when he and his reindeer: Gabriel, Hadraniel, Haniel, St. Peter and all his little Peter-etes, St. Rudolf with the red nose, and Raziel, pull him around the sky in his Satan red sleigh: taking him from chimney to chimney shoving theologically correct versions of the Bible up our chimneys? All signed, "Believe: or else?"

Does she get lonely?

Does she call Joe the Celestial plumber over occasionally to lay some heavenly pipe?><

Sorry couldn't resist.:devil1:

semiopen

The Shechina is an aspect of God that is considered feminine. This is the presence that resided in the first temple and travelled with Israel in the wilderness. This is Kaballistic in nature and I'm not sure what part it played in the ancient Israelite religion... maybe none.

A major Canaanite female God is Asherah, who was variously paired with Baal and Yahweh. The Asherah is a forbidden symbol that appears from Judges through Kings. Loosely quoted from The Early History of God by Mark S. Smith.