“‘Then all nations
Will count you happy!
You will be
A land of delight!’
Says Yahweh of hosts.”
Yahweh, via Malachi, said that all the countries of the world would consider the Israelites happy, because their land would be so delightful.
countries
Drought for the failure to worship (Zech 14:17-14:17)
“If any of the families
Of the earth
Do not go up to Jerusalem
To worship the king,
Yahweh of hosts,
There will be no rain
Upon them.”
If any of these families or countries do not go to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh of the hosts, the king, at the festival of booths, they will suffer the punishment of no rain or a drought.
The problem of Jerusalem (Zech 12:2-12:3)
“See!
I am about to make Jerusalem
A cup of trembling
For all the surrounding people.
It will be against Judah also
In the siege against Jerusalem.
On that day,
I will make Jerusalem
A heavy stone
For all the people.
Anyone who lifts it
Shall grievously hurt themselves.
All the nations of the earth
Shall come together against it.”
Zechariah pointed out that Jerusalem was going to have a special place. They were going to be like a cup of trembling or reeling, perhaps an allusion to the cup, bowl, or basin that caught the blood of the Passover lamb. The neighboring people should be aware that Jerusalem was under siege. Thus, Jerusalem was to become a heavy stone that few people could lift. Apparently, there was a practice of lifting stones to show one’s strength among young men, like weight lifting. Thus, anyone who tried to lift the heavy stone of Jerusalem would hurt themselves. All the various countries in the world would come against Jerusalem, but at their own risk.
The importance of Zerubbabel (Hag 2:21-2:23)
“‘Speak to Zerubbabel,
The governor of Judah,
Saying.
‘I am about
To shake the heavens.
I am about
To shake the earth.
I am about
To overthrow
The throne of kingdoms.
I am about
To destroy
The strength
Of the kingdoms
Of the nations.
I am about
To overthrow
The chariots,
With their riders.
The horses,
With their riders,
Shall also fall.
Everyone shall fall
By the sword of a comrade.’
‘On that day,’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
‘I will take you,
O Zerubbabel,
My servant,
The son of Shealtiel.’
Says Yahweh.
‘I will make you
Like a signet ring.
I have chosen you!’
Says Yahweh of hosts.”
Yahweh said that Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, would have a special role in the new kingdom of Israel. Yahweh was going to shake up heaven and earth. He was going to overthrow all the kingdoms and countries on the earth. All the chariots, with their riders, as well as the cavalry with their horses would all fall. Zerubbabel, the servant of Yahweh, would have a signet ring because Yahweh had chosen him. His grandfather would have been a king as part of the Davidic lineage
The splendor of the house of Yahweh (Hag 2:7-2:9)
“‘Thus,
The treasures
Of all the nations
Shall come.
I will fill this house
With splendor.’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
‘The silver is mine.
The gold is mine.’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
‘The latter splendor
Of this house
Shall be greater
Than the former.’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
‘In this place,
I will give prosperity.’
Says Yahweh of hosts.’”
These are 4 short quick sayings of Yahweh of hosts, via Haggai. First, Yahweh said that the treasures of the various countries would come to him, as he was gong to fill his new house with splendor. Secondly, the silver and gold already belonged to him. Thirdly, Yahweh of hosts said that the splendor of the new house of Yahweh would be greater than the Temple built by David and Solomon. Finally, there would be prosperity for all people around the Temple.
The first curse against their greed (Hab 2:6-2:8)
“Shall not everyone
Taunt such people,
With mocking riddles?
Let them say about them!
‘Woe to you!
You heap up
What is not your own!’
How long will you
Load yourselves
With goods
Taken in pledge?
Will not your own creditors
Suddenly rise up?
Those who make you tremble
Will wake up.
Then you will be booty
For them.
Because you have plundered
Many nations,
All that survive of the peoples
Shall plunder you.
Human bloodshed,
With the violence
To the earth,
Is in the cities,
As well as to all
Who live in them.”
Habakkuk has a series of taunts against the Chaldeans because of their behavior. These 5 woes or curses were delivered in mocking riddles. First of all, they have stored up things that were not their own. How long would they continue to take things as pledges for the future? Those creditors would rise up against them, and make them tremble and shake. Then, they would become the booty of the people whom they plundered. They have plundered so many countries, that the surviving countries would plunder them. There was so much violence and bloodshed in the cities where people lived. Does that sound familiar?
The righteous live by their faith (Hab 2:4-2:5)
“Look at the proud!
Their spirit is not right
In them.
But the righteous
Live by their faith.
Moreover,
Wealth is treacherous.
The arrogant
Do not endure.
They open
Their throats wide
As in Sheol.
Just like death,
They never have enough.
They gather all nations
For themselves.
They collect
All people
As their own.”
Yahweh warned that these proud people would have a hard time, because their spirit was not right. The main theme of this simple response was that the righteous live by their faith. This idea that the righteous live by faith was a strong part of the apostle Paul in his Christian belief. On the other hand, wealth was treacherous for the greedy. Thus, the arrogant ones would not endure, because they were more open to the shadowy afterlife of Sheol. These greedy people never had enough. Just like death itself, they were always looking for more people. They had tried to gather all people and countries to themselves as their own, but they were never satisfied.
The nets of the enemy (Hab 1:14-1:17)
“You have made people
Like the fish of the sea,
Like crawling things
That have no ruler.
The enemy brings
All of them up
With a hook.
He drags them out,
With his net.
He gathers them
In his seine.
Thus,
He rejoices.
He exults.
Therefore,
He sacrifices
To his net.
He makes sacrifices
To his seine.
His portion is lavish
By them.
His food is rich.
Is he then to keep on
Emptying his net?
Will he keep destroying nations
Without mercy?”
This enemy would keep devouring the people. Yahweh has made people like fish in the sea, since they have no ruler, much like crawling things. Thus, this enemy has a hook with a net. He has dragged the people out of the sea, as if they were fish in a net. He has gathered them in his seine, which is a great big net. Thus, this enemy is happy and exulted about his big catch of humans, much like a proud fisherman. Then, this enemy would sacrifice offerings to his big nets, because they have contributed to his lavish life style with rich food. He has become wealthy by catching all these humans in his big fish nets. Thus, he kept emptying his nets and catching more humans in them. He continued to destroy nations and countries without any mercy for anyone. His evil ways just went on and on.
The sailors pray (Jon 1:5-1:5)
“Then the mariners
Were afraid.
Each cried
To his own god.
They threw
The cargo
That was in the ship
Into the sea,
To lighten it
For them.”
The sailors on this ship were afraid during the sea storm. They each cried to their own god, since these sailors were from all different regions and countries. They also threw overboard some of the cargo on board to lighten the ship.
Drinking on the mountain (Ob 1:16-1:16)
“As you have drunk
On my holy mountain,
All the nations
Around you
Shall drink.
They shall drink.
They shall gulp it down.
They shall be
As though
They had not been.”
Just as the Israelites had drunk wine on the holy mountain, other countries would drink wine, just as they did. In fact, they would gulp down their drinks. However, they would become as if they had never existed.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 