high mountains

November 27, 2016

The Lebanon lamentation (Jer 22:20-22:23)

“Go up to Lebanon!

Cry out!

Lift up your voice

On Bashan!

Cry out

From Abarim!

All your lovers

Are crushed!

I spoke to you

In your prosperity.

But you said.

‘I will not listen.’

This has been your way

From your youth.

You have not obeyed

My voice.

The wind shall shepherd

All your shepherds.

Your lovers shall go

Into captivity.

Then you will be ashamed.

You will be dismayed

Because of all your wickedness.

O inhabitant of Lebanon!

Nested among the cedars!

How you will groan

When pangs come upon you!

You will have the pain

Of a woman in labor!”

Apparently, Jeremiah wanted the people in the high mountains of Lebanon, on the Bashan mountains in the south, as well as on the Abarim mountains in the north to cry out for their lost lovers. These would have been the various allies that they thought that they had, but were now all crushed. The prosperous people had not listened or obeyed Yahweh from their youth. Their shepherd leaders and their lover friends will all be sent into captivity, ashamed and dismayed because of their wickedness. The people of Lebanon, those living among the built cedars in the palace, will feel the pain of a woman in labor about to give birth.

November 26, 2016

The destruction of the royal palace (Jer 22:6-22:7)

“Thus says Yahweh

Concerning

The house

Of the king of Judah.

‘You are

Like Gilead to me.

You are

Like the summit of Lebanon.

But I swear

That I will make you a desert,

An uninhabited city.

I will prepare destroyers

Against you.

All will have weapons.

They shall cut down

Your choicest cedars.

They will cast them

Into the fire.”

Just like in the preceding chapter, Yahweh promises to burn down the royal palace. The royal palace had become like Gilead to Yahweh, a pleasant mountainous area was on the eastern side of the Jordan River that originally belonged to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, present day Jordan. The summits of Lebanon refer to the high mountains with their wonderful trees in present day Lebanon. However, Yahweh was going to make the beautiful royal palace become a desert or an uninhabited city. The destroyers or invaders were going to come and cut down their choicest wood cedar building. They would all be set on fire as this beauty would be destroyed.

July 5, 2016

Against human pride (Isa 2:12-2:17)

“Yahweh of hosts has a day.

He is against all that is proud.

He is against all this is lofty.

He is against all that is lifted up.

He is against all that is high.

He is against all the cedars of Lebanon.

He is against all that is lofty.

He is against all that is lifted up.

He is against all the oaks of Bashan.

He is against all the high mountains.

He is against all the lofty hills.

He is against every high tower.

He is against every fortified wall.

He is against all the ships of Tarshish.

He is against all the beautiful crafts.

The haughtiness of people

Shall be humbled.

The pride of everyone

Shall be brought low.

Yahweh alone

Will be exalted

On that day.”

Once again, there will come a day when Yahweh, the Lord, alone will be exalted as in the preceding section. Here Isaiah points out that Yahweh is against the prideful people. In fact, he turns out to be against practically anything that is tall, lofty, or lifted up. He is against the tall cedars of northern Lebanon and the tall oaks of eastern Bashan. Of course, Yahweh was against all the tall places, like high mountains, lofty hills, high towers, and fortified walls. He also was against the ships of Tarshish, the fleet that brought gold and metals to the coastal cities. Yahweh was also against beautiful craft work and haughty people. Everyone would be brought low when Yahweh alone would be exalted on that day to come.

August 2, 2015

Yahweh questions Job about hawks (Job 39:26-39:30)

“Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars?

Is it by your wisdom that it spreads its wings toward the south?

Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up?

Is it your command that makes its nest on high?

It lives on the rock.

It makes its home in the fastness of the rocky crag.

From there it spies the prey.

Its eyes see it from far away.

Its young ones suck up blood.

Where the slain are,

There it is.”

Yahweh asked Job if his wisdom made the hawks soar. Did he guide them south for winter hibernation? Did he make the eagle nests on the high mountains? The eagle hawks live in the rocky crags of the mountains so that they can spy on their prey from a long distance. Their young suck up blood. They are the first to arrive when anyone is killed. So we end these questions to Job about the heaven, the earth, and the animals that live in it. These must have been the most important animals and stars at the time of this biblical writing.