flowing water

June 13, 2017

Yahweh returns them to the good pastures of Israel (Ezek 34:13-34:15)

“‘I will bring them

Out from the various people.

I will gather them

From the various countries.

I will bring them

Into their own land.

I will feed them

On the mountains

Of Israel.

They will be

By the water fountains,

In all the inhabited places

Of the country.

I will feed them

With good pasture.

The mountain heights

Of Israel

Shall be their pasture.

They shall lie down there

In good grazing land.

They shall feed

On rich pasture

On the mountains

Of Israel.

I myself

Will be the shepherd

Of my sheep.

I will make them

Lie down.’

Says Yahweh God.”

Somewhat reminiscent of Psalm 23 about the good shepherd, Yahweh, their God, said that he was going to bring all his lost sheep together from the various countries where they had been. They were going to go back to their own land. Yahweh was going to feed them on the mountains of Israel with flowing water in all the inhabited places of their country. He was going to feed them from the good pastures in the mountain heights of Israel. There they would lie down in this good grazing land. They would eat from the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. Yahweh was going to be their shepherd, the good shepherd of his sheep. He was going to make them lie down in great green pastures.

January 4, 2016

The water fountain (Prov 5:15-5:18)

“Drink water from your own cistern.

This is flowing water from your own well.

Should your springs be scattered abroad?

Should there be streams of water in the streets?

Let them be for yourself alone.

These are not for sharing with strangers.

Let your fountain be blessed!”

Next we have a little interlude about drinking water. However, this might be a metaphor for sexual semen. You were not to let the water from your well be drunk by others. In other words, your sexual semen, like your drinking water, should stay at home. This is the flowing water from your own well that should not be scattered abroad or in the streets. They are for you alone, and not for sharing with strangers. However, your fountain should be blessed.

September 24, 2015

Longing for God (Ps 42:1-42:3)

To the choirmaster leader, a Maskil of the Korahites

“As a deer longs

For flowing streams,

So my soul longs

For you,

O God!

My soul thirsts for God,

For the living God!

When shall I come,

When shall I behold,

The face of God?

My tears have been my food,

Day and night,

While people say to me continually,

‘Where is your God?’”

There is a problem is this one psalm or 2 psalms of 42 and 43. There is no heading for Psalm 43, so that it probably was together with Psalm 42. For clarity purposes, I have decided to use the Oxford Bible division of 2 psalms rather than one. The title no longer has David, but this is a Maskil of the sons of Korah, who were first mentioned in 1 Chronicles, chapter 9. There name appears on 11 psalms. This is a maskil or psalm that has the plea of someone longing for God. He was like a deer looking for flowing water. His soul longed for God. His soul thirsted for the living God. Notice that is not the Lord or Yahweh, but the more generic God. However, like many others, he wanted to see the face of God. His tears had become his sustenance day and night. People kept asking him where his God was.