The Lost Book of Moses
Why do the prophets so often portray Yahweh as being upset with his people? [1] Is it the case that Yahweh is simply an emotionally unstable divinity who takes advantage of any pretext to smite his people in anger? Many of us probably know people like this, and we (rightly) shudder to think that God should have such a volatile personality. As we shall see, when it comes to Jeremiah, Yahweh’s “wrath” is that of a wounded lover, a passionate lover who has shown unfathomable love and generosity to a people who have spurned him, betrayed him and indeed, prostituted herself with other gods. The “wrath of Yahweh” is the anguish of a betrayed husband, a spouse who had staked his reputation on his relationship with this people who was cursed with a wandering eye. A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP There are many familial images for Yahweh’s relationship with his people. Israel is called Yahweh’s: “firstborn son” (Ex. 4.22) and “treasured possession” (Ex. 19.5; cf. Dt. 7.7-10) – the