You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
and who falls asleep in your friendship.
If the "God of the Old Testament" has a reputation for vindictiveness, violence, and arbitrary judgment we could probably blame the Prophet Elijah. Moses set the standard for prophecy as he spoke for the Lord and spelled out the covenant. Elisha, inheriting the mantle of prophecy from Elijah, was pretty violent, while the other Hebrew prophets mostly fumed about infidelity and indifference in their preaching and writing. But Elijah was ferocious. I think especially of his calling down fire to destroy two groups of fifty soldiers, and of his cutting the throats of several hundred priests of Baal in a single day.
So I find Wisdom's expectation of Elijah fascinating, "You were destined... to put an end to wrath before the Day of the Lord." And, "Blessed are those who fall asleep in your friendship."
Wisdom was written many centuries after Elijah's disappearance. It reflects over a thousand years of knowing the Lord and being led from slavery in Egypt to the wild west era of the Judges, to the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, the Babylonian Exile, and resettlement under foreign domination. Wisdom reflects the emergence of philosophy among the Jews with its long view of history and its confidence that our God is the only God of the Universe.
When the Christian movement appeared in the Greek-speaking world of the Roman Empire, it could ground its alternate view of life in Hebrew rather than the Greek philosophy. It could insist, against those who would pick and choose from the Hebrew scriptures, that the Lord is kind and merciful. Even the return of Elijah is something to welcome rather than fear.
Jesus knew John the Baptist as a type of Elijah. He spoke truth to power and suffered for it as Elijah had suffered after the slaughter of the idolaters. The advent of Elijah would be a day of peace, rather than violence. The hearts of parents and children would be reconciled; and the twelve tribes -- descendants of Jacob's twelve sons and charter members of the Covenant -- would be reestablished. When Jesus named his Twelve Apostles he signaled the reestablishment of the Covenant.
As the world suffers a resurgence of violent tribalism, exacerbated by social media, we do well to recall this altered mission of Elijah. The sword is retooled as a plow and the spear as a pruning hook. The Word of God invites us to speak quietly to our enemies, and to listen calmly to their complaints. The long history of God's mercy reminds us we have seen worse days and enjoyed better times. We're not half so frightened as Christians were when the government arrested and slew our martyrs.
Elijah assures us, "God is still in charge," and we have nothing to fear.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.