레위 사람 제사장직에 대한 말라기서의 변호

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

From the founding of the cult at Sinai, Moses began to mediate between YHWH and Israel as priest. Then Moses set apart his brother Aaron as priest from the tribe of Levi. After ordaining Aaron and his sons, Moses consecrated the remainder of the tribe of Levi to be cultic servants, subject to the sons of Asron. Then in David’s reign Zadok shared the priestly office with the Levite Abiathar(II Sam 15:24-37), but in the course of events following David`s death, Abiathar was ousted, leaving the control of Jerusalemite clergy to Zadok and his descendents(I Kings 1-2). After then, Zadokites exercised control over the Jerusalemite priesthood, although menbers of the Levitical guild continued to serve local sanctuaries in the countryside(Dt 181;31:-,25: I Kings 8:4). The exilic - priest Ezekiel transformed pre exilic Zadokites priestly office into a restoration program of post exilic. But during the exile, Levitical priests serving local sanctuaries continued YHWH worship with the remnants in Judah. Thus degrading Levites as serving the people with abominations, Zadokites kept the charge of priest in Jerusalem Temple reconstructed(Ezek 44:10-13). Since then sharp division between sons of Zadok and sons of Levi began to bitter polemic with contending parties. Then Malachi indicted the priests` failure to fulfill their cultic and instructional responsibilities. The priests not only received sick, diseased, stolen, and other unacceptable offerings from the people, but they also offered these blemished gifts as sacrifices to YHWH. Indifferent professionalism of the priests meaned lack of fear YHWH, cawed to despise name of YHWH. To clean His alter and restore His name, YHWH dictated someone necessary to shut the doors between the court of the priests and the entrance to His alter(Mal 1:6-14). Thus YHWH cut off the priests failing to honor Him and remained covenant with Levi. The reference to spreading dung on the faces of the priests was a mataphorical expression of their lack of fitness to serve at YHWH`s alter. Dung was something very unclean in the cultic sense(Ex 29:14, Dt 23:12-13). Since centralization of the cult at Jerusalem, priests were sons of Zadok serving at Jerusalem officially, Levites were sons of Levi initiated Moses degrading the assistants of Aaron and his sons. Therefore the covenant with Levi in Sinai regarded the teaching of the commandment of YHWH to the people as the most important duty of priests. Present priests turned aside from the way, corrupted the covenant. And abolished the inappropriate priests, YHWH cleaned the His alter, purified the sons of Levi to make a proper offering to YHWH as it was done in the past. Levi`s cult having fear appropriate to serve YHWH could stand His Name again, restore His justice due to teach His commendment to the people.