The way of imagination

  “[Josiah] commanded the high priest Hilkiah…to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.  He deposed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who made offerings to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and all the host of the heavens.  He brought out the image of Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the Wadi Kidron, burned it…beat it to dust and threw the dust of it upon the graves of the common people.  He broke down the houses of the male temple prostitutes that were in the house of the Lord, where the women did weaving for Asherah…   He defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, so that no one would make a son or a daughter pass through fire as an offe

  “Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels ; they had no regard for the Lord or for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there…   Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord; for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt… Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.  He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people… But they would not listen to the voice of their father…”   (1 Sm. 2.12-17, 22-25) “The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when t

  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;  1.       You shall have no other gods before me. 2.       You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth… 3.       You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 4.       Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy… 5.       Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 6.       You shall not murder. 7.       You shall not commit adultery. 8.       You shall not steal. 9.       You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 10.   You shall not covet …anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Ex. 20.2-17; cf. Dt. 5.6-21) “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make o