his oracles

December 24, 2017

Take courage because Yahweh was with them (Hag 2:4-2:5)

“Says Yahweh!

‘Yet now take courage!

O Zerubbabel!

Take courage!

O Joshua!

Son of Jehozadak!

The high priest!

Take courage!

All you people

Of the land!’

Says Yahweh.

‘Work!

I am with you!’

Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘According to the promise

That I made you

When you came

Out of Egypt.

My Spirit abides

Among you!

Fear not.’”

Haggai used the same formula titles for all his oracles.  Everyone was to have courage, including Governor Zerubbabel, the high priest Joshua, and all the people of the land.  They were to get to work.  Yahweh was going to be with them, just as he helped them to come out of Egypt.  They were not to be afraid, because he had promised that his Holy Spirit would abide with them.

January 22, 2017

The negative response of the Judean refugees (Jer 44:15-44:16)

“Then all the men

Who were aware

That their wives

Had been making offerings

To other gods,

Stood by

With their women.

This was a great assembly.

All the people

Who lived in Pathros

In the land of Egypt,

Answered Jeremiah.

‘As for the word

That you have spoken

To us

In the name of Yahweh,

We are not going

To listen to you.’”

There is an admission at the beginning of this response to Jeremiah that the wives of these men had been offering sacrifices to other gods. There is no attempt to hide this fact. All the people tried to respond, which is a euphemism for a spokesman, at least. They are quite concise and to the point. They are not going to listen to Jeremiah and his oracles about Yahweh. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that these are the people who live in Parthos, the southern part of Egypt, near Nubia, not the northern area around Memphis and the upper Nile of Tahpanhes, where the first refugees stopped at. This might indicate that there were other Israelites or Judeans in Egypt.

January 2, 2017

The house of Judah might learn something (Jer 36:3-36:3)

“It may be that

When the house of Judah

Hears of all the disasters

That I intend

To do to them,

All of them

May turn

From their evil ways.

Then I may forgive

Their iniquity.

I may forgive

Their sins.”

Yahweh was hoping that when the people of Judah heard all his oracles to Jeremiah about the many impending disasters that he was intending for them, they might turn away from their evil ways. If they did that, then Yahweh would forgive their iniquity and their sins. Good luck!

December 17, 2016

The book of Jeremiah (Jer 30:1-30:2)

“The word that came

To Jeremiah

From Yahweh.

‘Thus says Yahweh!

The God of Israel!

Write in a book

All the words

That I have spoken

To you!”

Yahweh told Jeremiah to write his oracles down in a book. Thus we have the book of Jeremiah, the prophet. These writings are a series of oracles addressed to those in captivity about a future return. Some of the early ones are even addressed to the Northern Israelites who were in Assyrian captivity from 721 BCE. This was to give consolation to the people in exile. Like the preceding chapter, this is a different numbered chapter in the Greek translation of the Septuagint, chapter 37, not chapter 30 as here.

April 15, 2016

The serpents (Wis 16:10-16:12)

“But your children were not conquered

Even by the fangs of venomous serpents.

Your mercy came to their help.

You healed them.

To remind them of your oracles

They were bitten.

But then they were quickly delivered.

Thus they would not fall into deep forgetfulness.

They would not become unresponsive to your kindness.

Herbs did not cure them.

Poultice did not cure them.

But it was your word,

O Lord!

That heals all people.”

This author continued with the comparison of the Israelites in the wilderness with the deadly serpents the Egyptians endured. In a simplification of the story in Numbers, chapter 21, the children or sons of God (δὲ υἱούς σου) were not conquered by the serpents. God’s mercy came to help them. He healed them. He reminded them of his oracles and words (λογίων σου). Although bitten, they were healed so that they would not fall into a deep forgetfulness. It was not herbs or suave lotions applied to the bite that cured them. It was only the word of the Lord (ὁ σός, Κύριε, λόγος) that healed them.