advice

March 24, 2019

The attack (Lk 11:22-11:22)

“But when one

Stronger than he

Attacks him,

And overpowers him,

He takes away

His trusted armor.

He then divides

His plunder.”

 

ἐπὰν δὲ ἰσχυρότερος αὐτοῦ ἐπελθὼν νικήσῃ αὐτόν, τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ αἴρει ἐφ’ ᾗ ἐπεποίθει, καὶ τὰ σκῦλα αὐτοῦ διαδίδωσιν.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said that someone stronger than the armed strongman protecting his castle attacked him (πὰν δὲ ἰσχυρότερος αὐτοῦ ἐπελθὼν).  This attacker overpowered this strong man (νικήσῃ αὐτόν).  He would take away his trusted armor (τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ αἴρει ἐφ’ ᾗ ἐπεποίθει).  The new stronger one would then divide (διαδίδωσιν) and plunder (καὶ τὰ σκῦλα αὐτοῦ) this so-called original strong man.  There is something similar to this in Mark, chapter 3:27, and Matthew, chapter 12:29.  Mark had a reference to a strong man, probably Satan, who was overcome by another strong man, probably Jesus.  The strong man must be tied up before anyone could plunder his house.  Jesus, appeared to be giving advice on how to rob a house.  No one would go into the house of a strong man to plunder, seize, snatch, or rob his property or goods without first tying up the strong man.  Then one would indeed be able to plunder or totally rob his whole house.   Matthew has a vague reference to Satan, the strong man, who was overcome by another strong man.  Matthew seems to indicate that the strong man or Satan must be tied up, like in Mark, before anyone can plunder his house.  How could you get into a strong man’s house?  How could you rob his property?  First, you had to tie up the strong man, before you could plunder or rob his house.  Thus, Satan would have to be bound up before you could enter his house to rob him.  Luke was a little vague on how this plunder was all going to come about, but it would happen.  Has anybody ever tried to rob your house?

August 28, 2018

The thief binds up people (Mk 3:27-3:27)

“But no one can enter

A strong man’s house

And plunder

His property,

Without first tying up

The strong man.

Then indeed,

He may plunder

His house.”

 

ἀλλ’ οὐ δύναται οὐδεὶς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ εἰσελθὼν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ, καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει.

 

There is something similar to this in Luke, chapter 11:21-22, and Matthew, chapter 12:29.  Here there is a reference to a strong man, probably Satan, who was overcome by another strong man, probably Jesus.  The strong man must be tied up before anyone can plunder his house.  Jesus, via Mark, appeared to be giving advice on how to rob a house.  No one would go into the house of a strong man (ἀλλ’ οὐ δύναται οὐδεὶς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ) to plunder seize, snatch, or rob his property or goods (εἰσελθὼν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι) without first tying up the strong man (ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρόν δήσῃ).  Then you would indeed be able to plunder or totally rob his whole house (καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει).  Thus, Satan would have to be bound up before you could enter his house to rob him.

April 24, 2018

Tie up someone before stealing from them (Mt 12:29-12:29)

“How can one enter

A strong man’s house?

How can one plunder

His property?

Does he not first tie up

The strong man?

Then indeed the house

Can be plundered.”

 

ἢ πῶς δύναταί τις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρόν, καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει;

 

There is something similar to this in Luke, chapter 11:21-22, but there it is a strong man guarding his castle.  Here there is a vague reference to Satan, the strong man, who was overcome by another strong man.  Here Matthew seems to indicate that the strong man or Satan must be tied up before anyone can plunder his house.  Jesus, via Matthew, appears to be giving advice on how to rob a house.  How could you get into a strong man’s house (ἢ πῶς δύναταί τις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ)?  How could you plunder, seize, snatch, or rob his property (καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι)?  First, you had to tie up the strong man (ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρόν), before you could plunder or totally rob his house (καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει).  Thus, Satan would have to be bound up before you could enter his house to rob him.

August 18, 2017

The call for the king to repent (Dan 4:26-4:27)

“As it was commanded

To leave the stump,

As well as the roots

Of the tree,

Your kingdom

Shall be reestablished

For you,

From the time

That you learn

That Heaven is sovereign.

Therefore,

O king!

May my counsel

Be acceptable to you!

Atone

For your sins

With righteousness!

Atone

For your iniquities

By showing mercy

To the oppressed!

Thus,

Your prosperity

May be prolonged!”

Daniel continued with the interpretation of the dream. Just as the stump and the roots of the tree remained, so too the king would be restored or reestablished in his kingdom, as soon as he recognized the heavenly control of all kingdoms. Daniel gave him some more advice. The king was to atone for sins by doing right and good things. He was to atone for his iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. If he did this, his prosperity would be prolonged.

January 5, 2017

King Zedekiah will spare Jeremiah (Jer 38:15-38:16)

“Jeremiah said

To King Zedekiah.

‘If I tell you,

You will put me

To death.

Will you not?

If I give you advice,

You will not listen to me!’

Then King Zedekiah

Swore an oath

In secret

To Jeremiah.

‘As Yahweh lives!

He gave us our lives!

I will not put you

To death.

I will not hand you over

To these men

Who seek your life.’”

Jeremiah was cautious with King Zedekiah. He was afraid that he would be put to death. So Jeremiah told the king that if he told him anything, the king would kill him anyway. If he gave him any advice, the king was not going to listen to him, no matter what. However, the king tried to reassure Jeremiah. He swore to the living God Yahweh that he was not going to kill him or turn him over to those who wanted to kill him.

September 2, 2016

Yahweh predicts the invader from the north (Isa 41:25-41:29)

“I stirred up one from the north.

He has come.

From the rising of the sun,

He was summoned by name.

He shall trample on rulers

Like on mortar,

Like the potter treads clay.

Who declared it from the beginning?

We might know before time.

We might say.

‘He is right!’

There was none

Who declared it.

None who proclaimed it.

None who heard your words.

I first have declared it to Zion.

I give to Jerusalem

A herald of good tidings.

But when I look

There is no one.

Among these,

There is no counselor.

When I ask,

Who gives an answer?

No!

They are all a delusion.

Their works are nothing.

Their images are empty wind.”

Although most interpret this passage as the predicting the victory of King Cyrus of Persia, his name is never explicitly mentioned. He is an invader from the northeast, which could be Persia. Second Isaiah says that he was summoned by name, but no name is mentioned. This invader was going to trample underfoot the rulers, as if they were like mortar or potter’s clay. This was an indication of things to come. No one else is talking about the future. However, Second Isaiah and Yahweh had declared this herald of good tidings in Jerusalem. There was no one with advice, no one to give an answer. Their works were all an empty delusion because all their false image idols were like an empty wind.

August 2, 2016

The weakness of the Egyptian wise sages (Isa 19:11-19:15)

“The princes of Zoan

Are utterly foolish.

The wise counselors of Pharaoh

Give stupid counsel.

How can you say to Pharaoh?

‘I am one of the sages.

I am a descendant of the ancient kings.’

Where now are your sages?

Let them tell you!

Let them make known!

What has Yahweh of hosts

Planned against Egypt?

The princes of Zoan

Have become fools.

The princes of Memphis

Are deluded.

Those who are the cornerstones

Of its tribes

Have led Egypt astray.

Yahweh has poured into them

A spirit of confusion.

They have made Egypt

Stagger in all its doings.

They are as a drunken man

Staggers around in vomit.

Neither head nor tail,

Palm branch or reed,

Will be able to do

Something for Egypt.”

Now Isaiah attacks the wise sages of Egypt since he calls them stupid. Isaiah mentions the capital cities of Egypt, Zoan in the north and Memphis in the south. The princes and the wise men in these places were giving stupid advice. These wise sages had no idea what Yahweh was planning for them since they were like deluded fools. They were supposed to be the cornerstones of their tribes, but they were really in confusion. In colorful language, Isaiah says that they were like drunkards staggering around in their own vomit. Nobody could do anything for Egypt, head, tail, palm branch, or reed. The rulers were the head and palm trees, while the tail and the reed represented the ordinary people. They were all getting foolish stupid advice from their so-called wise sages.

June 24, 2016

King Hezekiah (Sir 48:17-48:22)

“King Hezekiah fortified his city.

He brought water into its midst.

He tunneled the sheer rock

With iron tools.

He built cisterns for the water.

In his days,

Sennacherib invaded the country.

He sent his commander from Lachish.

He departed.

He shook his fist against Zion.

He made great boasts in his arrogance.

Then their hearts were shaken.

Their hands trembled.

They were in anguish,

Like women in labor.

But they called upon the Lord

Who is merciful.

They spread out their hands

Toward him.

The Holy One quickly heard them

From heaven.

He delivered them

Through Isaiah.

The Lord struck down

The camp of the Assyrians.

His angel wiped them out.

King Hezekiah did

What was pleasing to the Lord.

He kept firmly to the ways

Of his ancestor King David.”

Of all the kings from King Solomon to the captivity, Sirach singled out King Hezekiah (716-687 BCE) of Judah, based on the stories in 2 Kings, chapters 18-20, and 2 Chronicles, chapters 29-32. He was the king who followed Yahweh’s commandments, during the time of the prophet Isaiah. Just before his reign, the northern kingdom of Israel at Samaria fell to the Assyrians. During his reign the population grew from 5,000 at the time of King Solomon to about 25,000 people because of the many migrant Israelites from the north. Thus King Hezekiah fortified Jerusalem by building walls around it with tunnels to get water that has been verified by archeological discoveries. Ten years later, King Sennacherib decided to invade Judah. He sent his general Rabshakeh from Lachish to negotiate a deal, but King Hezekiah went to the prophet Isaiah for advice. Despite the fears of the folks in Jerusalem, Isaiah said not to yield. King Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh. King Sennacherib of Assyria decided not to invade the city, but 185,000 of his troops were wiped out by an angel of the Lord. Thus King Hezekiah was pleasing to the Lord like King David.

June 4, 2016

The useless tongue (Sir 37:16-37:21)

“Discussion

Is at the beginning of every work.

Counsel precedes every undertaking.

The mind

Is the root of all conduct.

It sprouts four branches,

Good and evil,

Life and death.

The tongue continually rules them.

Some people may be

Clever enough to teach many.

Yet they may be

Useless to themselves.

A skilful speaker may be hated.

He will be destitute of all food.

The Lord has withheld

The gift of charm.

He is lacking in all wisdom.”

Sirach points out that some discussion precedes all actions. Thus counsel and advice precede any undertaking. The mind is the source of all conduct. There are 4 branches to the mind, good, evil, life, and death. This is hard to figure out. I am not sure how the mind controls life and death, except spiritually. Good and evil are easy to see. The tongue rules over all 4 branches. Once again, it is hard to see how the tongue controls life and death other than in a spiritual way. Some people are clever enough to teach others, but not worth much to themselves. You can be a skilled but hated speaker, so that you might end up with not much food. The Lord may have withheld charm from this speaker, since he is lacking in wisdom.

June 4, 2016

Stay away from these consultants (Sir 37:10-37:11)

“Do not consult anyone

Who regards you with suspicion!

Hide your intentions

From those who are jealous of you!

Do not consult with

A woman about her rival!

Do not consult with

A coward about war!

Do not consult with

A merchant about business!

Do not consult with

A buyer about selling!

Do not consult with

A miser about generosity!

Do not consult with

A merciless person about kindness!

Do not consult with

An idler about any work!

Do not consult with

A seasonal laborer about completing his work!

Do not consult with

A lazy servant about a big task!

Pay no attention

To any advice they give!”

Now Sirach is specific about whom you should avoid as counselors. Avoid anyone who is suspicious or jealous of you. Don’t consult with a woman about her rivals, a coward about war, a merchant or a buyer about business selling, a miser about generosity, a merciless person about kindness, an idler, seasonal laborers, or lazy servants about completing big work tasks. Pay no attention to any of these people and their advice.