a remnant

November 26, 2017

The gathering of the lame people (Mic 4:6-4:7)

“Yahweh says.

‘In that day,

I will assemble the lame.

I will gather

Those who have been driven away.

I will gather

Those whom I have afflicted.

The lame,

I will make the remnant.

Those who were cast off,

I will make a strong nation.

Yahweh will reign over them

In Mount Zion,

Now and forever.”

In some future day, Yahweh, via Micah, was going to assemble the lame and the afflicted.  This also included those who had been driven away.  He was going to make the lame a remnant of the good people.  He was going to make them all a strong nation, where Yahweh would rule over them from Mount Zion, both now and forever.

November 10, 2017

The Israelites are not privileged (Am 9:7-9:8)

“‘Are you not

Like the Ethiopians

To me?

O people of Israel!’

Says Yahweh.

‘Did I not bring up

Israel

From the land of Egypt?

Did I not bring up

The Philistines

From Caphtor?

Did I not bring up

The Arameans

From Kir?

The eyes

Of Yahweh God

Are upon

The sinful kingdom.

I will destroy it

From the face

Of the earth.

However,

I will not utterly destroy

The house of Jacob.’

Says Yahweh.”

In this oracle of Yahweh, Amos pointed out that the Israelites were not privileged, since Yahweh had brought other countries from one place to another like Israel came from Egypt.  He had helped the Philistines come from Caphtor, also a part of Egypt.  Yahweh also helped the Arameans from Kir, an area in Mesopotamia.  The Israelites were no better than the Ethiopians.  They had become a sinful nation.  Thus, he was going to destroy them from the face of the earth.  However, Yahweh would not utterly destroy the house of Jacob.  He would leave a remnant.

July 18, 2016

The announcement of the ruin (Isa 10:22-10:23)

“Though your people Israel were

Like the sand of the sea,

Only a remnant of them

Will return.

Destruction is decreed,

overflowing with righteousness.

Yahweh,

God of hosts,

Will make a full end,

As decreed,

In all the earth.”

The answer is simple. Although Israel would have been as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return from the Exile. Yahweh has decreed destruction in his righteousness. The God of many armies will put an end here on earth. The ruin of Israel is coming. Perhaps it already had come by the time of this writing. In fact, the Israelites were never a large amount of people like the sands of the seas.

July 13, 2016

Yahweh sends Isaiah to King Ahaz (Isa 7:3-7:3)

“Yahweh said to Isaiah.

‘Go out!

Meet King Ahaz!

You!

And your son,

Shear-Jashub!

A remnant shall remain.

You will meet

At the end of the conduit

Of the upper pool

On the highway

To the Fuller’s Field.’”

The story of King Ahaz (736-716 BCE) can be found in 2 Kings, chapter 16 and 2 Chronicles, chapter 28. However, there was no mention of the prophet Isaiah in any of the stories about King Ahaz. Here, Yahweh told Isaiah to go with his son, whose name Shear-Jashub meant a remnant shall remain. They were to meet King Ahaz at the end of the upper pool on the highway to Fuller’s Field. This seems odd. Why not go to his palace or the king’s home in Jerusalem? Fuller’s Field was west of the walls of Jerusalem, where apparently some kind of soap was made. There is something symbolic going on.

June 18, 2016

Noah (Sir 44:17-44:18)

“Noah was found perfect.

Noah was righteous.

In the time of wrath,

He kept the human race alive.

Therefore a remnant

Was left on the earth

When the flood came.

Everlasting covenants

Were made with him.

Thus all flesh should never again

Be blotted out by a flood.”

Now Sirach praises Noah, a more popular hero today, with his famous ark as in Genesis, chapters 6-10. In fact, there was a feature movie called Noah released in 2014. Noah was found to be perfect as a righteous man. Obviously then he was considered an ideal famous holy man. He kept humans going with the second creation after the flood. Here there is a mention of a remnant, those few who were loyal to God. Noah formed a series of covenants with God that there would never be another flood to blot out humankind. As part of these rainbow agreements, humans would not eat meat with the blood in it. They also should not kill each other. Humans, as the image of God, would then dominate the earth with all its creatures.