flowers

July 26, 2016

Forgetfulness and no harvest (Isa 17:10-17:11)

“You have forgotten

The God of your salvation.

You have not remembered

The rock of your refuge.

Though you plant pleasant plants,

The harvest will flee away.

Even though you set out slips

Of an alien god,

The harvest will flee away.

Although you make them grow

On the day that you plant them,

The harvest will flee away.

Even though you make them blossom

In the morning that you sow them,

The harvest will flee away.

In a day of grief,

In a day of incurable pain,

The harvest will flee away.”

Yahweh, via Isaiah, reminds the northern Israelites that they have forgotten about their saving God, the rock of their lives. Thus when they plant pleasant plants, they will not come to harvest them because they put in the seeds of foreign gods. They make them grow on the day that they planted them, but they will see them harvested. These flowers seem to blossom in the morning. However, in the day of grief and incurable pain there will be no harvest. In other words, their forgetfulness of God has led to this planting that will not have any good result.

May 22, 2016

Expanding instructions (Sir 24:30-24:34)

“As for me,

I was like

A canal from a river.

I was like

A water channel into a garden.

I said.

‘I will water my garden.

I will drench my flower-beds.’

Behold!

My canal became a river.

My river became a sea.

I will again

Make instruction

Shine forth

Like the dawn.

I will make it clear

From far away.

I will again

Pour out teaching

Like prophecy.

I will leave it

To all future generations.

Observe!

I have not labored

For myself alone.

I have labored

For all who seek instruction.”

Sirach says that he was like a little channel from a river. He used that water to irrigate his garden and flowers. Then the channel became a river and the river became a sea. His instructions shined forth like the dawn of a new day. The brightness could be seen from a long distance away. His teaching was like prophecy for all future generations. He was not working for himself, but to give instructions to all seeking it.

March 16, 2016

Springtime (Song 2:10-2:14)

Male lover

“My beloved speaks.

He says to me.

‘Arise!

My love!

My fair one!

Come away!

Now the winter is past.

The rain is over.

The rain is gone.

The flowers appear on the earth.

The time of singing has come.

The voice of the turtledove

Is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs.

The vines are in blossom.

They give forth fragrance.

Arise!

My love!

My fair one!

Come away!

O my dove!

In the clefts of the rock,

In the covert of the cliff,

Let me see your face.

Let me hear your voice.

Your voice is sweet.

Your face is lovely.’”

This female lover recounts the words of her male lover. In a phrase that is repeated twice within a couple of verses, we have that wonderful love request.   Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away with me! Will she go? Was this request enough to make her leave her home? He tells her why she should do this now. It is springtime. The winter has gone. The rains are gone. The flowers are appearing. The turtledove birds are singing. The fig trees have figs. The vines are blossoming with a sweet smell. It was time to go with him as he repeated the phrases from above. This turtledove lives in the rocks and the cliffs. He wanted to see her lovely face and to hear her sweet voice, a clear presentation of springtime romantic love.

March 7, 2016

Lilly of the valleys (Song 2:1-2:1)

Female lover

“I am a rose of Sharon.

I am a lily of the valleys.”

The dialogue continues as the female lover calls herself a rose and a lily. There is a biblical dispute about what kind of flowers these are. This rose could be a crocus or a tulip. Anyway, this female lover calls herself some kind of flower. The phrase ‘rose of Sharon’ has been used in many modern songs. Some even have indicated this might be an allegorical term for Jesus or the springtime.

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.

December 14, 2014

The golden works (2 Chr 4:19-4:22)

“King Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God. He made the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, the lamp stands, and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed. He made the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of purest gold. He made the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans of pure gold. As for the entrance to the temple, the inner doors to the most holy place and the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.”

As in 1 Kings, chapter 7, almost word for word, King Solomon made all the golden vessels. This is very reminiscent of Exodus, chapter 25, when they got ready the sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant. Everything had to be gold plated, the altars, the lamp stands, and all the small utensils. He made the golden altar for the bread as well as the golden lamp stands. All the utensils were gold. Everything was gold plated including the doors.