children’s children

June 24, 2017

One Davidic king (Ezek 37:24-37:25)

“My servant David

Shall be king

Over them.

They shall all

Have one shepherd.

They shall follow

My ordinances.

They shall be careful

To observe

My statutes.

They shall live

In the land

That I gave to

My servant Jacob,

Where you ancestors lived.

They,

With their children,

With their children’s children

Shall live there forever.

My servant,

David,

Shall be their prince

Forever.”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, spoke lovingly about the kingship of David. However, King David lived nearly 400 years earlier than the time frame of the exile. Obviously, this is an allusion to a Davidic king, someone from his blood line. However, that would be hard to prove. The key point here was that there was going to be only one shepherd, one king, one country, not multiple kingdoms. Everyone would follow and observe Yahweh’s ordinances and statutes. They were going to live in the land that Yahweh gave to his servant Jacob, where their ancestors had lived. There they, their children, and their children’s children would live forever under the princely leader from the Davidic dynasty.

June 18, 2016

The descendants of these famous holy men (Sir 44:10-44:15)

“But these also were godly men.

Their righteous deeds

Have not been forgotten.

Their wealth will remain

With their descendants.

Their inheritance remains

To their children’s children.

Their descendants

Stand by the covenants.

Their children also

Stand by the covenants.

Their offspring

Will continue forever.

Their glory

Will never be blotted out.

Their bodies

Are buried in peace.

Their name lives on

Generation after generation.

The assembly of people

Declares their wisdom,

The congregation

Proclaims their praise.”

Sirach points out that the righteous deeds of the godly men will not be forgotten. In fact, their family will have wealth handed from generation to generation to their children and their descendents, to their children’s children. As a result the descendant children of these men stand by the covenants with God, as if there were more than one. Their offspring will continue forever. Their memory will not be lost. Although their bodies are buried in peace, their names live on for generations to come. The assembly and the congregations of the people declare their wisdom and praise from one generation to the next.

December 21, 2015

Yahweh gives prosperity (Ps 128:5-128:6)

“Yahweh blesses you from Zion!

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

All the days of your life!

May you see your children’s children!

Peace be upon Israel!”

Prosperity comes in two ways, one is in the city of Jerusalem and the other is your family. Yahweh will bless you from Mount Zion. You will see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Of course, we have the famous phrase, may you see your children’s children, and have grandchildren. This short psalm ends with the Shalom peace to all Israel. So we have Yahweh’s prosperity, peace in Israel, prosperity in Jerusalem, and a long life to see your grandchildren live.

November 27, 2015

Yahweh’s steadfast love (Ps 103:15-103:18)

“As for mortals,

Their days are like grass.

They flourish like a flower of the field.

As the wind passes over it,

It is gone.

Its place knows it no more.

But the steadfast love of Yahweh

Is from everlasting to everlasting

Upon those who fear him.

His righteousness lasts

To their children’s children.

His righteousness lasts

To those who keep his covenant.

They must remember to do his commandments.”

Yahweh loves mortals, even though they are like grass and flowers. Mortals flourish like beautiful flowers of the field, but then when a wind passes over, they are gone. They are no more. However, the steadfast love of Yahweh is everlasting. To those who fear him, his righteousness will last to their children’s children, if they keep his covenant and do his commandments.