Edom as instrumentum paedagogicum of the Divine Teacher in the Old Testament

Abstract

The analysis of the prophetical oracles against Edom shows that this nation plays very important role in the God’s plan of the salvation. A punishment of the nation, which is always shown as sinful, should have to influence on betterment of behaviour of Israel – the God’s people. A diachronic approach (it means the development of prophets’ oracles dating from before to after the Babylonian captivity), which is proposed in the article, permits to observe the development unusually rich theological teaching of the Old Testament. The chronological sequence seems almost indispensable as it allows reading the prophets’ statements against Edom in the context of the development of a given religious notion. In the other words it shows God as the unusual Teacher. The first oracles (Amos, Proto-Isa, Jer) show that a punishment has to come because of breaking of the covenant, both in secular as and religious meaning. In more far order prophets (Ezek, Obad) announce retaliation for armed riots against God’s People (attacks with strange invaders, plunders, kidnapping in captivity). In this case the tool of punishment can be Israel. In the last oracles (Trito-Isa, Joel, Mal) announce an eschatological punishment and they confirm the God’s choice of Israel. The Chosen People, showing on this whole unusually educational way of punishing, had to inform themselves, that if they do the same evil they will receive worse punishment. Therefore the title of this article instrumentum paedagogicum fully applies to Edom in educational process of God-Teacher.