all countries

January 27, 2018

The survivors worship Yahweh (Zech 14:16-14:16)

“Then all who survive

Of the nations

That have come

Against Jerusalem

Shall go up,

Year after year,

To worship the king,

Yahweh of hosts.

They will keep

The festival of booths.”

This is a universal appeal to all countries to come to worship Yahweh, with a particular remark about those who had fought against Jerusalem.  Yahweh wanted them to come every year to worship him, the king, Yahweh of hosts, for the festival of Booths, Tabernacles, or Tents.  This was usually in the fall, when there was a renewal of the covenant.  There was no mention of any other Israelite religious festivals.

December 6, 2016

The universal judgment (Jer 25:30-25:31)

“You!

Therefore,

Shall prophesy

Against them

All these words.

Say to them.

‘Yahweh will roar

From on high.

He will roar

From his holy habitation.

He will utter his voice.

He will roar mightily

Against his fold.

He will shout,

Like those who tread grapes,

Against all the inhabitants

Of the earth.

The clamor will resound

To the ends of the earth.

Yahweh has an indictment

Against the nations.

He is entering into judgment

With all flesh.

He will put the guilty

To the sword.’

Says Yahweh.”

Yahweh told Jeremiah that he was to prophesy against all these people. He even told him what to say. He was to tell them that Yahweh roars from on high from his holy dwelling. He was going to shout, like those who are threading grapes, against all the people on earth. They would be able to hear him from the ends of the flat earth. Yahweh had an indictment and a judgment against all countries. He was going to put to death with the sword those who were guilty.

November 12, 2016

The four destroyers (Jer 15:3-15:4)

“‘I will appoint over them

Four kinds of destroyers.’

Says Yahweh.

‘The sword is to kill.

The dogs are to drag away.

The birds of the air are to devour.

The animals of the earth are to destroy.

I will make them a horror

To all the kingdoms of the earth,

Because of what King Manasseh,

Son of King Hezekiah of Judah,

Did in Jerusalem.’”

Yahweh once again spoke about 4 different ways that he would destroy the people. While the sword was the only common one from the preceding verses, famine, pestilence, and captivity have given way to dogs, birds, and animals. The sword would kill. The dogs would drag them away. The birds of the air would devour them, while the other earth animals would destroy them. They would become a horror to the all countries on earth. This was all done because of what King Manasseh (687-642 BCE), the son of King Hezekiah (716-687 BCE) had done in Judah and Jerusalem. However, this captivity was nearly a century later in 587 BCE. Why did Yahweh wait so long? The son of King Manasseh was the good king Josiah (640-609 BCE) who led a religious reform. All this is based on 2 Kings, chapters 21-23.

December 8, 2015

Praise to Yahweh’s name (Ps 113:2-113:6)

“Blessed be the name of Yahweh

From this time on and forevermore!

From the rising of the sun to its setting

The name of Yahweh is to be praised!

Yahweh is high above all nations.

His glory is above the heavens!

Who is like Yahweh?

Our God is seated on high.

He looks far down

On the heavens and the earth.”

This appears to be the choral response of the people. The name of Yahweh is to be blessed from now and forever. From the rising to the setting of the sun, the name of Yahweh was to be praised, all day long. Yahweh was above all countries as his glory was also above the heavens. No one was like Yahweh. He is seated on high and looks down on us in the heavens and on earth.