Relación entre la gestión pedagógica y el clima de aula

The Yahweh who entered into the history of the Israelites did not remain inactive in the wilderness period and in Religious leadership resided in priests who were associated with sanctuaries, and also in Prophets, who were bearers of divine oracles. In the political sphere the king was understood as the appointee and agent of Yahweh.⁶¹ It seems that during the earlier ages of the world, every man was allowed to offer up sacrifices for himself. It was clearer that at inception among the Semites, there were no developed personnel; religion partook of the general simplicity of desert life.⁶² Before Aaron and his descendants were chosen as priests, family heads carried on priestly functions like offering sacrifices. Moses had some young men to make the sacrifices to confirm the covenant (Ex.24:5). May be these

59 A. S. Herbert, 1959. Worship in Ancient Israel, Richmond: John Knox Press,

60 Moshe Greenberg, 1960. The Religion of Israel, trans. and abridged, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, Franklin M. Segler, 1967. Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice, Nashville: Broadman Press. H.

Strathmann, "Latreuo, etc.," TDNT, IV, 58-65.

61 Patrick D Miller, 2000. The Religion of Ancient Israel, Westminster John Knox Press. pp.50-51.

62 S. J. Rui De Menezes, 2009. The Old Testament for Our Times Mumbai: St Pauls Press p.186.

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were the firstborn who had been redeemed at Passover, and for whom the Levites later became the substitute.⁶³

There used to be private worship of household gods and the oblations and salutations offered at the graves of the departed kinsmen, visits to the tribal sanctuary to salute to worship with a gift of first-fruits or the occasional pilgrimage to discharge a vow at the annual feast and fair of one of the more distant holy places. These acts required no priestly aid; each man slew his own victim and divided the sacrifice in his own circle. The share of the god was the blood which was smeared upon or poured out beside the stone set up as an altar or perhaps as a symbol of the deity. The sacrifices and offerings were acknowledgments of divine bounty and means used to ensure its continuance. The sanctuary later became a seat of judgement, and there compacts were sealed by oaths and sacrificial ceremonies. During the Patriarchal period, there had been only a few people, and the head of family or clan could easily serve as a priestly type of mediator.⁶⁴ Israel was chosen to be God‟s peculiar people. She was given obligation through opportunities God gave them to fulfil their covenant obligations. However, their sinful and disobedience life prevented its realization. When brought before Jehovah God at Sinai, they could not endure the immediate presence of God, and there arose the need for a special divinely chosen person to be a mediator. This need arose in order to maintain fellowship between the Holy God and the sinful nation.

It was then the religious personnel were instituted for Israel.⁶⁵ Looking at the practice of theocracy it would have been impossible without human agents acting for the LORD, in this sense He appointed three sets of people who have different functions to play in Israel. The priests were chosen to officiate at the Holy Place of the tabernacle temple.

Because of their function as intermediaries between God and Israel and because of their proximity to the temple, they were dedicated by God to the office of priest (Lev 21:6-8).

Aaron as the high priest was "the holy one of the Lord (Ps 106:16). The priests were to offer

63 Lois Fuller, 2008. The Pentateuch Foundation of God‘s Message to the World, Bukuru: Africa Christian Textbooks p.89.

64 Tremper Longman III., 2005.Making Sense of the Old Testament 3 Crucial Questions, Baker Books, Grand Rapids Michigan. pp. 90 -91.

65 Merrill F. Unger, 1961. Unger‘s Bi le Dictionary; Moody Press, Chicago, p. 886.

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sacrifice in the altar, the king to be on the throne and prophets are to declare the Word of the LORD as His oracle.

The Levites were set apart for priestly service, surrounded the tabernacle, creating a buffer against anybody who might intentionally or unintentionally profane the holy sacred place. While Aaron‟s priestly descendants could go only into the tabernacle area, it was only the High priest who could enter only on the Day of Atonement the Most Holy Place.⁶⁶ In the Book of Exodus we read of the Priests who came near the Lord and of young men of the children of Israel who offered burnt –offerings and sacrificed peace offerings to the Lord at a period prior to the choice of the tribe of Levi, or the consecration of Aaron and his family.

(Ex. 28, Heb. 5, Jn. 10:11; Phil.).⁶⁷ The earliest forms of Hebrew priesthood were not Canaanites in character.⁶⁸ It was God Himself that initiated a change when at Sinai He made formal the transition of God‟s people from a family to a nation (Ex 19- 24).⁶⁹ He revealed His intention to Moses on Mount Sinai at that time a single open altar like that used by the patriarchs would no longer suffice for so numerous a people. God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle where He could make His presence known in a special way (Ex 25:9;

26:30). Now that the people of God were numerous, He established a larger corporate place of worship and used the occasion to institute the priesthood when a whole tribe (The Levites) was established.⁷⁰ No longer could the head of the clan handle the responsibilities required.⁷¹

This shows that at the commencement of the Mosaic dispensation, the priesthood was appropriated to Aaron and his family. The dignity of the priesthood centred on Aaron, he being constituted, and the high-priesthood made hereditary in his family. Owing to developments there was” the need for the appointment of a particular class of men by God to manage the concerns of their brethren with the Divinity by means of vicarious atonement and intercession; to avert God‟s displeasure, propitiate His favour, and secure friendly

66 Tremper Longman III, 2005. Making sense of the Old Testament. Michigan: Baker Book House Co.p.94.

67 John Brown. 1994, A Geneva series commentary, The Bath Press Ltd, Bath, Avon, Great Britain, p. 238.

68 Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol.18 Plants to Raymond of Tripoli, Hazells offset Limited, Slough, England 1964 p.480ff.

69Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol.18 Plants to Raymond of Tripoli, Hazells offset Limited, Slough, England 1964 p. 480ff.

70 John Brown, 1964. A Geneva series commentary, Avon, Great Britain :The Bath Press Ltd, Bath, , p. 238.

71 Tremper Longman III, 2005.Making Sense of The Old Testament 3 Crucial Questions, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Books. p. 92.

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intercourse with Him in the acceptance of services from them and the communication of blessings to them. These personnel, especially the High-priest, were appointed to be the substitute of his fellow men and do for them what is necessary to be done but which the emblematical nature of the Jewish economy required should be done by another standing in their place.⁷²

They were as mediators for the benefit of their fellow-men in things pertaining to God, offering both gifts and sacrifices for sin, to manage the people‟s religious interests, to do for them what must be done with God, to expiate their sins, and to secure the acceptance of their religious services.⁷³ The High Priest had the supervision of the rest of the priests and of the entire worship and was at liberty to exercise all the other sacerdotal functions as well.

The High Priest also in addition to his strictly religious duties was the supreme civil head of the people, the supreme head of the state, in so far the state was not under the sway of foreign rulers. Likewise in the days of national independence the hereditary Asmonean High Priests were priests and kings at the same time a later period again, the High Priests were the presidents of the people in their relations with the Romans. The High Priest presented the sin offering for himself (Lev. 4:3), and the congregation. On the great Day of Atonement, he must present sacrifice and burnt offering for himself and the people and consult God by means of the Urim and Thumim in regard to important matters affecting the theocracy and gave necessary information to people afterwards.⁷⁴ God entered into a relationship with ancient Israel through the terms of the old covenant. The Tabernacle and Temple became the chief representation of the relationship, so that man will know that God loves to dwell among them or else, to their minds, God would always have seemed distant and unapproachable –Ex. 24.

Since the Rabbinic period duties (motzvot) have been classified as those between man and God (ben adam le-makom) and those between man and his neighbours (ben adam le- havero). It should be noted that the obligation with regard to both groupings is a religious one that are being carried out by the priests.⁷⁵ Even some prophets like Jeremiah, Ezekiel

72 John Brown, 1994. A Geneva Series Commentary, Hebrews, Bath, Avon Great Britain: The Bath Press Ltd, p. 237-239.

73 John Brown, 1994. A Geneva Series Commentary, Hebrews, Bath, Avon Great Britain: The Bath Press Ltd, p. 240.

74 Merrill F. Unger, Unger‘s Bi le Dictionary; Chicago , Moody Press, p. 887- 888.

75 Jacobs Louis, 1992. Religion and the individual: A Jewish perspective, Cambridge University press p.42.

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and others were very closely associated with the cult. Though prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Micah in their messages was against this practice (Isa. 1:10-17, Jer. 6:16-21, 7 :1-26, Amos 5 :21-27 and Mic. 6 :6-8) but one must be careful to interprete these highly exaggerated passages against their proper background and in the right context. What they are castigating is not the cult as such but the hypocrisy of the cult, warning the Israelites against seeking false security in the Temple and cult. They insist that the lives of the Israelites must correspond to the cult, to brand the cult as material would be quite foreign to Hebrew mentality, thought and their conception of the human being which is holistic.⁷⁶

The priests and Levites carried out duties such as to pronounce blessings on people, offer prayers and sacrifices ( Lev. 1-7 :16, teach the law( Lev.10 :10-11, to judge difficult cases, such as accusation of adultery,(Num 5 : 11-31, unsolved murder and final decisions on cases referred to them by the lower courts (Deut 17: 8-9).⁷⁷