counted

April 1, 2019

The hairs of your head (Lk 12:7-12:7)

“But even the hairs

Of your head

Are all counted.

Do not be afraid!

You are of more value

Than many sparrows.”

 

ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν πᾶσαι ἠρίθμηνται. μὴ φοβεῖσθε· πολλῶν στρουθίων διαφέρετε.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus continued to talk about sparrows and humans.  Jesus said that even the hairs of their heads (ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν) were all counted (πᾶσαι ἠρίθμηνται).  They were not to be afraid (μὴ φοβεῖσθε), since they were of more value than many sparrows (πολλῶν στρουθίων διαφέρετε).  This verse is similar to Matthew, chapter 10:30-31, indicating a Q source.  Jesus, via Matthew, said that God, the Father, could number all the hairs on their head (μῶν δὲ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς πᾶσαι ἠριθμημέναι εἰσίν).  They should not be afraid (μὴ οὖν φοβεῖσθε), because they are more valuable than many sparrows (πολλῶν στρουθίων διαφέρετε ὑμεῖς).  If God the Father cared for these insignificant birds, how much more was he concerned about humans.  There was a continual theme about not being afraid.  Do you think that you are more valuable than a few stray birds?

November 27, 2018

Scripture fulfilled (Mk 15:28-15:28)

“The Scripture

Was fulfilled

That says.

‘He was counted

Among the lawless.’”

 

Καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη

 

This verse is only in a few Orthodox manuscripts.  This points to the role of the 2 bandits to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 53:12, about the suffering servant.  Mark said that scripture was fulfilled (Καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ) that said (ἡ λέγουσα) that the suffering servant Messiah would be counted among the lawless (Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη).

December 29, 2016

The covenant about future kings and Levites (Jer 33:19-33:22)

“The word of Yahweh

Came to Jeremiah.

Thus says Yahweh.

‘If any of you could break

My covenant with the day,

If any of you could break

My covenant with the night,

So that day and night

Would not come

At their appointed time,

Only then could

My covenant

With my servant David

Be broken.

Thus he would not

Have a son

To reign on his throne.

My covenant is

With my ministers,

The Levites.

Just as the host of heaven

Cannot be numbered,

Just as the sands of the sea

Cannot be measured,

So I will increase

The offspring

Of my servant David.

I will increase

The Levites

Who minister to me.’”

Once again this is an oracle of Yahweh to Jeremiah. Yahweh seems to say that if you can make day and night not appear at the correct time, then he would break his covenant with David. Otherwise, David would have a son to reign on his throne. It was very clear that no one could become king without a Davidic background. He also includes the Levite ministers, when he compares the numerous heavenly hosts and the immeasurable sands of the sea that cannot be measured or counted. Thus there would be offspring of David and Levites to minister to him.

August 19, 2016

The coming glorious king (Isa 33:17-33:20)

“Your eyes will see

The king in his beauty.

They will behold

A land that stretches far away.

Your mind will muse on the terror.

‘Where is the one who counted?

Where is the one who weighed the tribute?

Where is the one who counted the towers?’

No longer will you see the insolent people,

The people of an obscure speech,

That you cannot comprehend.

They were stammering

In a tongue

That you cannot understand.

Look upon Zion!

The city of our appointed feasts!

Your eyes will see Jerusalem!

A quiet habitation!

There is an immovable tent

Whose stakes will never be plucked up.

None of its ropes will be broken.”

This is definitely an oracle from the Exile talking about the return to Jerusalem, Mount Zion. This future king will be in his glory in a great expansive land. Then they would remember the terror that they went through. They were counted and had to pay tribute. They had towers to watch over them. Those insolent people spoke to them in an obscure language that they did not understand. They were stammering away, so that no one could comprehend what they were talking about. Now, however, they could look to Mount Zion in Jerusalem where they could have festivals. There they could live in a quiet place with an immovable tent that had good stakes and strong ropes.

June 14, 2016

Things not to ashamed of (Sir 42:1-42:8)

“You should not be ashamed of the following things.

Do not sin to save face!

Do not be ashamed of the law of the Most High!

Do not be ashamed of his covenant!

Do not be ashamed of rendering judgment to acquit the ungodly!

Do not be ashamed of keeping accounts with a partner!

Do not be ashamed of keeping accounts with traveling companions!

Do not be ashamed of dividing the inheritance of friends!

Do not be ashamed of accuracy with scales!

Do not be ashamed of accuracy with weights!

Do not be ashamed of acquiring much!

Do not be ashamed of acquiring little!

Do not be ashamed of profit from dealing with merchants!

Do not be ashamed of frequent disciplining of children!

Do not be ashamed of drawing blood

From the back of a wicked servant!

Where there is an untrustworthy wife,

A seal is a good thing.

Where there are many hands,

Lock things up!

When you make a deposit,

Be sure it is counted!

Be sure it is weighed!

When you give put it all in a written record!

When you receive put it all in a written record!

Do not be ashamed to instruct the stupid!

Do not be ashamed to instruct the foolish!

Do not be ashamed to instruct the aged

Who are guilty of sexual immorality!

Then you will show your sound training.

You will be approved by all.”

Here Sirach points out the things that you should not be ashamed to do. However, in this listing, he shows his prejudice against strangers, slaves, women, and children. He has kind but cautious words for commerce and profit. You should not sin to save face. Obviously, you should not be ashamed of the law of the Most High God and his covenant. You should render judgment against the ungodly. You can keep accounts with your partners and traveling companions. You can divide the inheritance of your friends. You should not be ashamed of your balanced scales or making money with merchants. You should not be afraid to discipline your children, your wicked slaves, and your untrustworthy wife. Be careful when many people are around. When you make a deposit, make sure that everything is counted and weighed. Keep a written record of your dealings. Do not be ashamed to correct the stupid, foolish, or the immoral old guys. Thus you will show your good training. You will get approval from everyone.

December 26, 2015

My time in the womb (Ps 139:13-139:18)

“You formed my inward parts.

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you!

I am fearfully made.

I am wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works!

I know them very well.

My frame was not hidden from you.

I was being made in secret.

I was intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.

In your book were written

All the days that was formed for me,

When none of them as yet existed.

How weighty to me are your thoughts!

O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them,

They are more than the sand.

I come to the end.

I am still with you.”

In beautiful colorful language, David, the psalmist, describes his life in the womb, and how he came to be. He was knit together in the womb of his mother by Yahweh. Thus pregnancy is time of knitting. He was made in secret as Yahweh intricately wove him in the depths of the womb. Earth was like the womb. He praised Yahweh for the wonderful work he had become, even as an unformed substance in the womb of his mother. Yahweh had this book of life where he kept track of his future days here on earth. The thoughts of Yahweh are so vast and deep that they cannot be counted because they are like the sands of the seashore. Even now, that his life is now ending, he still was with Yahweh. This is a masterful section about the womb as a place where Yahweh was knitting and weaving the human before his birth. What a powerful argument against abortion.

December 5, 2015

The trial (Ps 109:6-109:7)

“They say.

‘Appoint a wicked man against him.

Let an accuser stand on his right.

When he is tried,

Let him be found guilty.

Let his prayer be counted as sin!’”

They wanted to put David on trial. They wanted a wicked man to stand up against him. When he would be tried, he was expected to be found guilty. Even his prayer would be counted as a sin for him. This would seem to indicate that his foes were fellow Israelites who were wicked.

November 12, 2015

At the doorstep of death (Ps 88:3-88:7)

“My soul is full of troubles.

My life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted

Among those who go down to the Pit.

I am like

Those who have no strength.

I am like

Those forsaken among the dead.

I am like

Those slain that lie in the grave.

I am like

Those whom you remember no more.

Thus they are cut off from your hand.

You have put me

In the depths of the Pit.

You have put me

In the regions dark and deep.

Your wrath lies heavy upon me.

You overwhelm me with all your waves.”

Selah

This psalmist is in bad shape, near death. He was full of troubles. He was counted as dead already. He was like a dead man with no one to help him. He was like a forsaken dead person that nobody cared about. No one remembered him. He sounds a little like Job. He was cut off from the hand of God as if he were already in the deepest pit in some dark area. God’s wrath had come upon him as he was overwhelmed with the waves. This section ends with the musical interlude meditative pause of Selah.

February 3, 2015

The final stop in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:31-8:34)

“Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was upon us. He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes along the way. We came to Jerusalem. There we remained three days. On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed into the hands of the priest Meremoth son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. The total was counted and weighed. The weight of everything was recorded.”

Once again, notice the first person plural “we.” This group of about 5,000 with Ezra left on the 12th day of the 1st month. They were protected by God so that no enemy attacked them. They were lucky since they had a huge fortune with them. It does say how long it took them to make this journey, but the first group, some 80 years earlier, took about 5 months. However, the Temple was built by the time Ezra and his group arrived. They stayed 3 days before they presented their great treasures to the Temple priests. They then counted and weighed everything so that it could be recorded. Meremoth will play an important role in the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. This Eleazar is obviously not the son of Aaron, but a common name for priests. There were other people name Jozabad, but this is the only Noadiah.