a foundation

February 9, 2017

The mountain will be destroyed (Jer 51:25-51:26)

“‘I am against you!

O destroying mountain!’

Says Yahweh.

‘You destroy

The whole earth!

I will stretch out

My hand

Against you!

I will roll you down

From the crags!

I will make you

A burned out mountain!

No stone shall be taken

From you

for a corner.

No stone

Shall be taken

From you

For a foundation.

But you shall be

A perpetual waste.’

Says Yahweh.”

Yahweh via Jeremiah assumes the first person singular in this oracle against the mountain of Babylon that may be the great temple tower of Babylon. This destroying mountain will itself be destroyed. Yahweh was going to stretch out his hand against this temple mountain, so that it will become a burned out temple. No one will be able to take a corner from it to make a cornerstone for another temple. No one will be able to set up a foundation on this rubble, because it will be a perpetual waste. This was a strong condemnation of the huge Babylonian temple.

July 30, 2015

Yahweh questions Job about creation (Job 38:4-38:7)

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me!

Do you have understanding?

Who determined its measurements?

Surely you know!

Who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk?

Who laid its cornerstone?

When the morning stars sang together,

All the heavenly beings shouted for joy.”

Clearly this is an enclosed finished creation. This is not an expanding concept of creation. There was a foundation, a cornerstone, measurements, and bases. The earthly creation was like a large building, like a temple. God was the master contractor builder. God asked Job where he was when creation was happening. He probably has no response. Who did all the measurements? Certainly not Job. Who laid the brick lines, the bases, or cornerstones. It certainly was not Job. However, all the heavenly beings sang and shouted for joy. Job was not among them.