“Then the sailors
Feared Yahweh even more.
They offered a sacrifice
To Yahweh.
They made vows
To Yahweh.”
Thus, Jonah, despite his attempt to run away, converted these sailors to the worship of Yahweh. Once the sea was calm, they were even more fearful of Jonah’s God, Yahweh. Thus, they offered a sacrifice and made vows to Yahweh, the God who calmed the seas.
“They shall bring up
A mob
Against you.
They shall stone you.
They shall cut you
To pieces
With their swords.
They shall burn
Your houses.
They shall execute
Judgments on you
In the sight
Of many women.
I will stop you
From playing the whore.
You shall also make
No more payments.
So I will satisfy
My fury
On you.
My jealousy
Shall turn away
From you.
I will be calm.
I will be angry
No longer.”
Yahweh said that he was going to bring a mob against Jerusalem. They would follow the common practice of stoning an adulterous woman. They would cut her into pieces with their swords. They would burn down her houses. They were going to execute judgments on her in the sight of many women. Jerusalem would no longer play the whore. She would not give any gifts. Yahweh would satisfy this fury and jealousy. He would then become calm and not angry any longer.
“You who were taken up
By a whirlwind of fire.
You were taken up
In a chariot
With horses of fire.
At the appointed time,
It is written,
That you are destined
To calm the wrath of God
Before it breaks out in fury.
You are destined
To turn the hearts of parents
To their children.
You are destined
To restore the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed are those
Who saw you.
Happy are those
Who were adorned
With your love.
We also shall surely live.”
The story of the taking up of Elijah is recorded 2 Kings, chapter 2, in the so-called Elisha cycle. Elijah, like Enoch, was taken up to heaven without dying, being the only 2 in all these biblical stories. Not even Moses, Aaron, David, or any other of the patriarchs, prophets, or kings had this privilege. Thus near the Jordan River, the chariots of fire came and took Elijah away in a whirlwind of fire. Elisha took Elijah’s place, as he was able to part the waters of the Jordan River. Other prophets went looking for Elijah, but to no avail. However, it is not clear where the idea of the second coming of Elijah comes from at some appointed hour. For many Christians, Jesus was the Messiah of the Second Coming. However, some believe it was John the Baptist, or as the Mormons believe with Joseph Smith in 1836. At the appointed hour, Elijah will calm the wrath of God, turn parents to their children, and restore the tribes of Jacob. Happy and blessed are those who saw and loved Elijah for they will live on.
“There are winds.
They have been created
For vengeance.
In their anger,
They can dislodge mountains.
On the day of reckoning,
They will pour out their strength.
They will calm
The anger of their Maker.
Fire has been created
For vengeance.
Hail has been created
For vengeance.
Famine has been created
For vengeance.
Pestilence has been created
For vengeance.
The following delight in doing his bidding.
The fangs of wild animals,
Scorpions,
Vipers,
And the sword that punishes
The ungodly with destruction.
They are always ready
For his service on earth.
When their time comes,
They never disobey his command.”
Sirach says that the environmental follows the command of the Lord. The winds can dislodge mountains with their strength in order to calm the Lord’s wrath. Fire, hail, famine, and pestilence show the vengeance of the Lord. Wild animal fangs, scorpions, vipers, and swords will punish the ungodly. All these things are ready to obey the command of the Lord here on earth when the time comes for destruction, since they never disobey the Lord.
“Unjust anger cannot be justified.
Anger tips the scale to one’s ruin.
Those who are patient
Stay calm
Until the right moment.
Then cheerfulness comes back to them.
They hold back their words
Until the right moment.
The lips of many tell of their good sense.”
There is no justification for unjust anger. If fact, getting angry may tip the scales to your ruin. The patient ones stay calm until the right moment, until their anger calms down. Then they are cheerful again. They hold back their words until the right moment. Many people will talk about their good sense.
“Those who are hot-tempered
Stir up strife.
But those who are slow to anger
Calm contention.
The way of the lazy
Is overgrown with thorns.
But the path of the upright
Is a level highway.”
The hot tempered angry people stir up strife. If you are slow to anger, you can calm contentious situations. The way of the lazy people is overgrown with thorns, but the upright have a nice level highway. Watch your temper! Do not be lazy!
“Now, day by day, Tobit kept counting how many days Tobias would need for going and returning. When the days had expired and his son did not appear, he said.
‘Is it possible that he has been detained?
Or is it possible that Gabael has died?
Perhaps there is no one to give him the money?’
He began to worry. His wife Anna said.
‘My child has perished.
He is no longer among the living.’
She began to weep and mourn for her son.
‘Woe to me!
My child,
The light of my eyes,
That I let you make the journey!’
But Tobit kept saying to her.
‘Be quiet and stop worrying, my dear.
He is all right.
Probably something unexpected has happened to him.
The man who went with him is trustworthy.
He is one of our own kin.
Do not grieve for him, my dear, he will soon be here.’
She answered him.
‘Be quiet yourself!
Stop trying to deceive me.
My child has perished.’
She would rush out every day. She would watch the road her son had taken. She would heed no one. When the sun had set, she would go in and mourn and weep all night long, getting no sleep at all.”
Tobit and his wife Anna were getting anxious about their son Tobias. Tobit was counting the days and how long it would take to go to Rages and return. Now by his calculations, the time for his return had passed. He thought that it was possible that he had been detained. Maybe Gabael had died and there was no one who knew about the money. He was worried, but Anna his wife was grief stricken. She kept weeping and mourning. She believed that Tobias was dead. She was mad that he even let him go on this journey. Tobit, although worried, tried to calm her down. He said that maybe something unexpected had happened. He certainly was with a trustworthy person, who was related to them. He turned optimistic and said that Tobias would soon be home. She got upset at Tobit and told him to be quiet. She felt that he was deceiving her and that Tobias was already dead. She would sit outside every day and look at the road that Tobias had taken. Then at night, she would go inside, weep, and mourn all night long. She was not getting any sleep.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 