“The one on the housetop
Must not go down
To take
What is in his house.”
ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος μὴ καταβάτω ἆραι τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ,
This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 13:15, but not in Luke. During this end times, the people on the housetop or roofs of their houses (ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος) should not go down (μὴ καταβάτω) to take things out of their houses (ἆραι τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ). It would be useless to do so, as the world was coming to an end.
“Do horses run
On rocks?
Does one plow the sea
With oxen?
But you have turned
Justice
Into poison.
You have turned
The fruit of righteousness
Into wormwood.
You who rejoice
In Lo-debar!
You who say,
‘Have we not
By our own strength
Taken Karnaim
For ourselves?’
Indeed,
I am raising up
Against you
A nation.
O house of Israel!’
Says Yahweh!
The God of hosts!
They shall oppress you
From Lebo-Hamath
To the Wadi Arabah.”
Amos asked whether horses could run on rocks? Do you send oxen to plow the sea? While this may seem stupid, it is not sillier than turning justice into poison or the sweetness of righteousness into the bitterness of wormwood, which the Israelites had done. While the Israelite King Jeroboam II (783-743 BCE) had captured Lo-debar and Karnaim on the west side of the Jordan, that happiness would come to an end. They thought that they had done it by themselves. Now Yahweh, the God of heavenly armies, was going to send the Assyrians to wipe out the northern kingdom of the house of Israel, from its northern border in Syria at Lebo-Hamath to the southern border of the Wadi Arabah. Yahweh, the God of heavenly hosts, would put an end to the northern kingdom of Israel.
“Now I will uncover
Her shame
In the sight
Of her lovers.
No one shall rescue her
Out of my hand.
I will put an end
To all her mirth,
Her festivals,
Her new moons,
Her sabbaths,
All her appointed festivals.
I will lay waste
Her vines
With her fig trees.
She said.
‘These are my pay.
My lovers
Have given me
These vines,
These fig trees.’
I will make them
A forest.
The wild animals
Shall devour them.”
Hosea was going to shame Gomer. He was going to uncover her nakedness in the sight of her lovers. Nudity was considered shameful, not glorified. No one would be able to save her from his hands. He was going to put an end to all her merry ways. Strangely enough, this included the various Israelite religious holidays, such as the festivals, the new moon observance, the Sabbath observance, as well as the other religious appointed festival days. Hosea was also going to destroy the vines and the trees that her lovers had given her as payment for her various sexual activities. Hosea was going to make them like a overgrown forest, so that the wild animals would devour and destroy them. Gomer was then a symbol of what was going to happen to Israel.
“This is the interpretation
Of the matter.
‘Mene means
God has numbered
The days
Of your kingdom.
It will be brought
To an end.’”
Daniel then gave his official interpretation of the Arabic Mene. This meant that God had numbered the days King Belshazzar’s kingdom, because it would come to an end. This should not be shocking, since all things come to an end.
“Thus says Yahweh God!
‘Say this to them!
As I live!
Surely those who are
In the waste places
Shall fall
By the sword.
Those who are
In the open fields,
I will give
To the wild animals
To be devoured.
Those who are
In the strongholds,
In the caves,
Shall die
By pestilence.
I will make the land
A desolation.
I will make it
A waste.
Its proud might
Shall come to an end.
The mountains of Israel
Shall be so desolate
That no one
Will pass through.
Then they shall know
That I am Yahweh,
When I have made
The land
A desolation,
A waste,
Because of all
The abominations
That they have committed.’”
Yahweh God told Ezekiel to tell the Israelites that the land of Israel was going to become a wasteland. People would die by the sword. Wild animals would devour people in the open fields. People in the strongholds and caves would die from pestilence. The land would become desolate. The proud ones would come to an end. The mountains of Israel would be so desolate that no one would pass through them. Finally, they would know that Yahweh had made the land a desolation and a waste, because of all the abominations that they had committed.
“Nevertheless my eye
Spared them.
I did not
Destroy them.
I did not
Make an end
Of them
In the wilderness.”
However, Yahweh had pity on them. He spared these rebellious people. He did not destroy them. He did not bring them to an end out there in the wilderness.
“I will avert
My face
From them.
Thus they may profane
My treasured place.
The violent ones
Shall enter it.
They shall profane it.
Make a chain!
The land is
Full of bloody crimes.
The city is
Full of violence.
I will bring
The worst
Of the nations
To take possession
Of their houses.
I will put an end
To the arrogance
Of the strong.
Their holy places
Shall be profaned.”
Outsiders will occupy Jerusalem. Yahweh was going to turn his face away from the inhabitants of the holy city. Thus these outsiders would profane the treasured places of Jerusalem. Violent wicked people would enter the holy city and desecrate it. The people of Jerusalem would be captured. They would be forced to make a chain, and to be put in chains. The land would be full of bloody crimes. The city would be full of violence. Yahweh was going to bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. Yahweh was going to put an end to the arrogant and strong ones of the city, while their holy places would be profaned.
Taw
“Let all their evil doing
Come before you!
Deal with them,
As you have dealt
With me,
Because of all my transgressions.
My groans are many.
My heart is faint.”
A final personal lament from Jerusalem brings this poem to an end. Jerusalem admitted that she had transgressed the law. She spoke with many groans and a faint heart. However, she wanted all the evil doings of others to also come before Yahweh, so that he could deal with them as he had dealt with Jerusalem. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Taw, the last consonant letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.
“‘As for you!
Have no fear!
My servant Jacob!
Do not be dismayed!
O Israel!
I am going to save you
From far away.
I will save your offspring
From the land
Of their captivity.
Jacob shall return.
They shall have quiet.
They shall have ease.
No one shall make them afraid.
As for you!
Have no fear!
My servant Jacob!
I am with you!
I will save you!’
Says Yahweh.
‘I will make an end
Of all the nations
Among whom
I have banished you.
But I will not make
An end of you.
I will chastise you
In just measure.
I will by no means
Leave you unpunished.’”
This passage is almost word for word like chapter 30: 11-12. Yahweh, via Jeremiah, said that Israel or Jacob did not have to fear or be dismayed. Yahweh was going to save them and their offspring from their captivity, even though he was far away. They would return and have peace and quiet. No one would make them afraid, because Yahweh was with them. He was going to bring an end to all the nations where the Israelites had been scattered. These countries would come to an end, but the Israelites would not come to an end. The Israelites were going to be chastised, but in a just measure, since they would not escape unpunished.
“Yahweh says.
‘As for you!
Have no fear!
My servant Jacob!
Do not be dismayed!
O Israel!
I am going to save you
From far away.
I will save your offspring
From the land
Of their captivity.
Jacob shall return.
They shall have quiet.
They shall have ease.
No one shall make them afraid.
I am with you!
I will save you!’
Says Yahweh.
‘I will make an end
Of all the nations
Among whom
I have scattered you.
But of you,
I will not make an end.
I will chastise you
In just measure.
I will by no means
Leave you unpunished.’”
Yahweh, via Jeremiah, said that Israel or Jacob did not have to fear or be dismayed. Yahweh was going to save them and their offspring from their captivity, even though he was far away. They would return and have peace and quiet. No one would make them afraid, because Yahweh was with them. He was going to bring an end to all the nations where the Israelites had been scattered. These countries would come to an end, but the Israelites would not come to an end. The Israelites were going to be chastised, but in a just measure, since they would not escape unpunished.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 