consoled

June 6, 2017

Pharaoh in the pit (Ezek 32:31-32:32)

“‘When Pharaoh

Sees them,

He will be consoled

For all his hordes.

Pharaoh

With all his army,

Will be killed

By the sword.’

Says Yahweh God.

‘He spread terror

In the land

Of the living.

Therefore,

He shall be laid

To rest

Among the uncircumcised.

He,

Pharaoh

With all his multitude,

Shall be laid

To rest

With those

Who are slain

By the sword.’

Says Yahweh God.”

Yahweh God was clear about Pharaoh. The king of Egypt thought that he would be consoled with all his own people. However, Pharaoh with all his army would be killed by the sword. He had spread terror in the land of the living. Thus, he with all his crowd will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised and those killed by the sword, in the dishonorable area of the pit.

June 5, 2017

All the others go into the pit (Ezek 31:16-31:17)

“‘I made

The nations quake

At the sound

Of its fall.

I cast it down

To Sheol

With those

Who go down

To the pit.

All the trees of Eden,

The choice,

The best,

Of Lebanon,

All that were

Well-watered,

Were consoled

In the world below.

They also shall go down

To Sheol

With it,

Those killed

By the sword,

Along with its allies,

Those who lived

In its shadow

Among the nations.’”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, said that he had made the other nations shake at the sound of this falling great cedar tree. Yahweh had cast it down to Sheol where others had gone into the pit also. This included the choice and best cedar trees from Lebanon and the Garden of Eden. All these well-watered trees were consoled in the world below. They all went down to Sheol with those who had been killed by the sword, as well as the allies who had lived in the shadow of this great tree.

April 18, 2017

The survivors (Ezek 14:22-14:23)

“‘Yet,

Survivors

Shall be left

In Jerusalem.

Sons,

With Daughters,

Will be brought out.

They will come out

To you.

When you see

Their ways,

When you see

Their deeds,

You will be consoled.

I have brought

Evil

Upon Jerusalem.

I have brought

All upon it.

They shall console you,

When you see

Their ways,

When you see

Their deeds.

You shall know

That it was not

Without cause

That I did

All that

I have done

In it.’

Says Yahweh God.”

Yahweh said that there would be survivors left in Jerusalem. Sons and daughters of Jerusalem would be brought out of there. They would come out to the earlier exiles. When they saw how the people of Jerusalem had acted in their ways and deeds, they would be consoled.   Jerusalem deserved the evil that came upon them. Yahweh sent it to them because he had reason to do so, since this was not a random action.

December 20, 2016

Ephraim is the first born (Jer 31:9-31:9)

“With weeping,

They shall come.

With consolations,

I will lead them back.

I will let them walk

By brooks of water.

I will let them walk

In a straight path.

They shall not stumble.

I have become

A father to Israel.

Ephraim is my first-born.”

The Israelites would return home weeping. Yahweh would lead this great group, as he consoled them. They would walk by brooks of water on a straight path. Thus, they would not stumble. Yahweh would be the father of Israel again. There his first born would be Ephraim, of the northern country, and not Judah. This seems out of character, since Judah was always favored. However, this is the northern kingdom of Israel that he is talking about.

July 4, 2015

Job responds by complaining (Job 6:1-6:7)

“Then Job answered.

‘O that my distresses were weighed.

May my entire calamity be laid in the balances!

For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea.

Therefore my words have been rash.

For the arrows of the Almighty Shaddai are planted in me.

My spirit drinks their poison.

The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

Does the wild ass bray over its grass?

Does the ox bellow over its fodder?

Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt?

Is there any flavor in egg white?

My appetite refuses to touch them.

They are like food that is loathsome to me.’”

Job was not consoled by the remarks of Eliphaz. Job felt that his calamity outweighed anything that had happened to anyone, heavier than the sands of the sea. The arrows of the Almighty Shaddai were in him. He felt like he had drunk poison. The terrors of God were against him. Just as the animals do not complain when they have food, however, all his food was tasteless. Without salt, there was no flavor in his food. He had no appetite because all food was disgusting to him. It was not that he could not eat, but everything was tasteless.