flourish

January 22, 2018

Yahweh’s people (Zech 9:16-9:17)

“On that day,

Yahweh their God

Will save them.

They are the flock

Of his people.

Like the jewels

Of a crown,

They shall shine

On his land.

What great goodness is his!

What great beauty is his!

Grain shall make

The young men flourish.

New wine shall make

The maidens flourish.”

There was no doubt that Yahweh, their God, would save the Israelites.  They were his flock.  They would shine like jewels on a crown in his land.  There was no limit to the goodness and beauty of God.  Grain and new wine would help the young men and the young maidens to flourish.

October 10, 2017

The shadow of Yahweh (Hos 14:7-14:7)

“They shall again

Live beneath

My shadow.

They shall flourish

Life a garden.

They shall blossom

Like the vine.

Their fragrance shall be

Like the wine of Lebanon.”

The Israelites will once again live in the shadow of Yahweh. They would flourish like a lush garden. They would blossom like a wonderful vineyard. They would have the fragrance of Lebanese wine.

October 10, 2017

The punishment for Samaria (Hos 13:15-13:16)

“Although he may flourish

Among the rushes of reed plants,

The east wind shall come,

A blast from Yahweh.

It will rise

From the wilderness.

His fountain

Shall dry up.

His spring

Shall be parched.

It shall strip

His treasury

Of every precious thing.

Samaria shall bear

Her guilt.

Because she has rebelled

Against her God.

They shall fall

By the sword.

Their little ones

Shall be dashed

In pieces.

Their pregnant women

Shall be ripped open.”

This is very strong criticism of Samaria, the capital city of the northern Israelite kingdom. It might flourish now, but the deadly east wind of Yahweh will come from the wilderness. Its fountains and springs will dry up and be parched. It will lose all the precious things of its treasury. Samaria will have to carry the guilt, because it rebelled against God. It will fall by the sword or die. Its little children will be broken into little pieces. Its pregnant women will have their pregnancies terminated by ripping open their wombs. This will be a bad time for Samaria.

April 26, 2017

The Lord of the trees (Ezek 17:24-17:24)

“All the trees

Of the field

Shall know

That I am Yahweh.

I bring low

The high tree.

I make high

The low tree.

I dry up

The green tree.

I make the dry tree

Flourish.

I,

Yahweh,

Have spoken.

I will accomplish it.”

This chapter ends with Yahweh clearly showing that he was in charge of trees. They should know that he made high trees low and low trees high. He dried up green trees and made dry trees flourish. He was Yahweh. He had spoken. It was going to happen.

December 18, 2016

The restoration of fortunes (Jer 30:18-30:21)

“Thus says Yahweh.

‘I going to restore the fortunes

Of the tents of Jacob.

I have compassion

On their dwellings.

The city shall be rebuilt

Upon its mound.

The citadel shall set on

Its rightful site.

Out of them shall come

Songs of thanksgiving,

With the sound of merrymakers.

I will multiply them.

They shall not be few.

I will make them honored.

They shall not be disdained.

Their children shall be as of old.

Their congregation

Shall be established before me.

I will punish all

Who oppress them.

Their prince

Shall be one of their own.

Their ruler

Shall come from their own midst.

I will make him draw near.

They shall approach me.

Who would otherwise dare

To approach me?’

Says Yahweh.”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, says that he will restore the fortunes of the Israelites, the tents of Jacob. He was going to have compassion on their buildings and their cities. Thus, they would rebuild over the original rubble, which was the custom at that time. Then they would be able to come with songs of thanksgiving and voices of merrymakers. The Israelites would flourish. They would become numerous and honored, not disdained. Their children would be like in the good old days. Their congregation would hold Yahweh as special. Thus, anyone who oppressed them, Yahweh would punish. They would have their own princes and rulers from their own groups, not outsiders or foreigners telling them what to do. They would be near and approach Yahweh. Let the good times roll!

October 10, 2016

Prosperity (Isa 66:12-66:14)

“Thus says Yahweh.

‘I will extend prosperity to her

Like a river.

The wealth of the nations shall be

Like an overflowing stream.

You shall nurse.

You shall be carried on her arm.

You shall be dandled on her knees.

As a mother comforts her child,

So I will comfort you.

You shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

You shall see.

Your heart shall rejoice.

Your bones shall flourish

Like the grass.

It shall be known

That the hand of Yahweh is

With his servants.

His indignation is

Against his enemies.’”

The prophet proclaims that Yahweh, in the first person singular, will bring prosperity to Jerusalem like an overflowing river. Yahweh will nurse and carry them in his arms. He will rock them on his knees, as Yahweh assumes the anthropomorphic feminine role of a nurturing mother. He will be like a comforting mother as he comforts Jerusalem. They will see and rejoice as their bodies flourish like wild grass. Yahweh’s hand is with his servants, but his indignation is against his enemies.

September 9, 2016

Yahweh is the creator (Isa 45:7-45:8)

“I form light.

I create darkness.

I make well being.

I create woe.

I am Yahweh.

I do all these things.

Shower!

O heavens!

From above!

Let the skies rain down righteousness!

Let the earth open!

Thus salvation may spring up.

Let it cause righteousness

To spring up also!

I!

Yahweh!

Have created it.”

Yahweh, in the first person singular, maintains his creative power here in Second Isaiah. He has created light and darkness. He has created good things and bad things. He is Yahweh. He sends showers and rain upon the righteous ones. He wants the earth to open up and let salvation spring forth. The righteous ones should flourish because Yahweh has created all things.

May 4, 2016

Trust in the Lord (Sir 11:20-11:22)

“Stand by your agreement!

Attend to it! Grow old in your work! Do not wonder

At the works of a sinner! Trust in the Lord!

Keep at your job!

It is easy in the sight of the Lord

To suddenly make

The poor become rich,

In an instant.

The blessing of the Lord

Is the reward of the pious.

Quickly God causes his blessings to flourish.”

You should trust in the Lord. Keep and attend to your agreements. Grow old at your work. Stay at your job. Do not wonder about the works of sinners. The Lord can make a poor man rich instantaneously. The blessing of the Lord is the reward for the pious ones. He can make his blessings flourish.

January 8, 2016

Generosity (Prov 11:24-11:28)

“Some give freely.

Yet they grow all the richer.

Others withhold what is due.

But they only suffer want.

A generous person will be enriched.

One who gives water will get water.

The people curse those who hold back grain.

But a blessing is on the head of those who sell it.

Whoever diligently seeks good things seeks favor.

But evil comes to the one who searches for it.

Those who trust in their riches will wither.

But the righteous will flourish like green leaves.”

There is a need for generosity. Those people who give freely usually grow richer. Those who withhold what is due only suffer more wanting of things. A generous person will be enriched. If you give water, you will get water. If you hold back your grain, hoping for a higher price, you will be cursed. However, you will be blessed if you sell it to others in the normal course of the harvest. If you are seeking good things, you will be favored. If you are looking for evil, you will find it. If you trust in your wealth, it will wither away on you. However, if you are righteous, you will flourish like green leaves on a tree.

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.