How does the call to sow justice contrast with Israel’s harvest?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Abundance multiplies idols before shame, chastisement and the call to break fallow ground.

Chapter breakdown

Israel is a branching vine whose abundant fruit and land accompany multiplied altars and idols. A divided heart brings destruction of idols and altars. The people say they have no king because they do not fear the Lord, and ask what a king could do. Unprofitable vision and covenant-making bring judgment like bitterness in field furrows. Samaria's people and temple wardens mourn Bethaven's calf and departed glory. The edition identifies the kine as Jeroboam's golden calves. The calf is carried as a gift to Assyria's avenging king; the note says Manahem gave one calf to Phul to secure his support.

Samaria's king passes like froth on water. Idol high places are destroyed and burs and thistles cover altars; people ask mountains to cover them and hills to fall on them. Israel has sinned since Gabaa; its battle against children of iniquity will not overtake them. God will chastise, gathering nations for their two iniquities, which the edition explains as the two calves. Ephraim is a trained heifer loving to tread corn; God passes over her beautiful neck and will ride her. Juda ploughs and Jacob breaks his own furrows.

They are called to sow in justice, reap in mercy's mouth and break fallow ground; the time to seek the Lord is when he comes to teach justice. Instead they have ploughed wickedness, reaped iniquity and eaten lies, trusting their ways and strong ones. Tumult will destroy fortresses as Salmana was destroyed by the house of the one who judged Baal, with the mother dashed upon her children. The edition identifies Salmana as Midian's king and his destroyers as Gideon's followers, explaining Jerubaal and referring to Judges 6 and 8. Bethel has done this through their iniquities. This chapter supplies no chariots or dawn death of Israel's king; that morning image opens the following chapter.

The story inside

The note describes one calf given by Manahem to Phul for support. The two iniquities are explained as the two calves. The final comparison names Salmana and Gideon’s followers in the edition.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The note describes one calf given by Manahem to Phul for support.
2
The two iniquities are explained as the two calves.
3
The final comparison names Salmana and Gideon’s followers in the edition.

Test your recall

Where does the king’s morning passage belong in the chapter sequence?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 99813–99818
10:1. Israel a vine full of branches, the fruit is agreeable to it: according to the multitude of his fruit, he hath multiplied altars, according to the plenty of his land he hath abounded with idols. 10:2. Their heart is divided: now they shall perish: he shall break down their idols, he shall destroy their altars.
Lines 99827–99832
10:5. The inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the kine of Bethaven: for the people thereof have mourned over it, and the wardens of its temple that rejoiced over it in its glory because it is departed from it. The kine of Bethaven.... The golden calves of Jeroboam.
Lines 99845–99848
10:8. And the high places of the idol, the sin of Israel shall be destroyed: the bur and the thistle shall grow up over their altars: and they shall say to the mountains Cover us; and to the hills: Fall upon us.
Lines 99864–99866
10:12. Sow for yourselves in justice, and reap in the mouth of mercy, break up your fallow ground: but the time to seek the Lord is, when he shall come that shall teach you justice.