Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/233

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The Unity of Hosea contrasts the

popular,

old,

215

the Jacob Story

idea

false

of

ritual

re-

pentance with the true repentance and spiritual regeneration,

which he was the

first

He

to proclaim.

pictures the people

as saying in their shortsightedness,

Come, and let us return unto the Lord For He hath torn, and He will heal us,

He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us. On the third day He will raise us up, that

we may

live

in

His

presence.

And

let us know, eagerly strive to know the Lord, His going forth is sure as the morning; And He shall come unto us as the rain, As the latter rain that watereth the earth.

And

to

all

God

resents

O

this

sham,

artificial

repentance the prophet rep-

as answering with infinite longing

Ephraim, what

shall I



and pathos,

do unto thee?

Judah, what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, And as the dew that early passeth away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets, 1

have

slain

them by the words of

My

And

thy judgment goeth forth as the

For

I

And

desire mercy,

and not

the knowledge of

God

mouth

light.

sacrifice.

rather than burnt-offerings.

(Hosea

VI, 1-6.)

Even more later,

drastically the prophet Micah, a generation or so

proclaimed in the southern kingdom,

shall I come before the Lord, myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings. With calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

Wherewith

And bow

With Shall

The

ten thousands of rivers of oil? I

give

fruit of

my mv

fi'rst-l:)orn

for

my

transgression,

l^odv for the sin of

mv

soul?