his presence

August 10, 2018

The disciples worship and doubt Jesus (Mt 28:17-28:17)

“When they saw him,

They worshiped him.

But some doubted.”

 

καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν προσεκύνησαν, οἱ δὲ ἐδίστασαν.

 

This is unique to Matthew.  While most of these 11 disciples worshiped him (προσεκύνησαν) when they saw him (καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν), Matthew remarked that there may have been a few who hesitated, wavered or doubted his presence (οἱ δὲ ἐδίστασαν).  This is interesting because ir indicates that some of the 11 apostles doubted the appearance of the post-resurrection Jesus, perhaps Thomas and a few others.

April 5, 2018

The healing of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:13-8:13)

“Jesus said

To the centurion.

‘Go!

Let it be done

For you

According to your faith.’

The servant

Was healed

At that very hour.”

 

καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ Ὕπαγε, ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι. καὶ ἰάθη ὁ παῖς ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.

 

There is a slightly different ending to this healing of the centurion’s servant in Luke, chapter 7:10.  Here there is an emphasis on the faith of the centurion.  Jesus told the centurion (καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ) to go home (Ὕπαγε), because the healing was going to take place as he had believed that it would (ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι.).  Simply the word of Jesus, not his presence would cure his servant.  Then Matthew indicated that at that very moment, at that very hour (ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ), the servant was healed (καὶ ἰάθη ὁ παῖς), without the presence of Jesus.

January 28, 2018

The curse (Mal 2:2-2:3)

“Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘If you will not listen,

If you will not lay it to heart

To give glory

To my name,

Then I will send

The curse

On you.

I will curse your blessings.

Indeed,

I have already cursed them.

Because you do not lay it to heart.

I will rebuke your offspring.

I will spread dung

On your faces,

The dung of your offerings.

I will put you

Out of my presence.’”

Yahweh, via Malachi, said that if they did not listen and take to heart his words by giving glory to Yahweh’s name, he was going to send a curse on them.  In fact, he had already cursed their blessings.  They had not taken their worship of Yahweh to heart.  Thus, they would have the dung of their offerings spread out over their faces.  He was going to put them and their offspring out of his presence.

August 10, 2017

The call for mercy (Dan 3:18-3:19)

“Now with all our heart,

We follow you!

We fear you!

We seek your presence!

Do not put us to shame!

Deal with us

In your patience!

Deal with us

In your abundant mercy!”

Azariah pointed out that they were going to follow God with all their heart. They feared him and were seeking his presence. However, they did not want to be put to shame. They wanted God’s patience and mercy to come to them.

April 11, 2017

The glory of Yahweh leaves Jerusalem (Ezek 11:22-11:23)

“Then the cherubim

Lifted up

Their wings,

With the wheels

Beside them.

The glory

Of the God of Israel

Was above them.

The glory of Yahweh

Ascended

From the middle of the city.

The glory of Yahweh

Stopped on the mountain

East of the city.”

Now we return to Ezekiel, the cherubim, and the glory of Yahweh. The cherubim have their wings and wheels as before. However, the glory of God or his presence left Jerusalem. The glory of the God of Israel stopped on a mountain east of the city, probably the Mount of Olives. Yahweh was no longer in his beloved city of Jerusalem.

April 9, 2017

The glory of Yahweh exits his house (Ezek 10:18-10:19)

“Then the glory

Of Yahweh

Went out

From the threshold

Of the house.

He stopped

Over the cherubim.

The cherubim

Lifted up

Their wings.

They rose up

From the earth.

In my sight.

They went out

With the wheels

Beside them.

They stood

At the entrance

Of the east gate

Of the house

Of Yahweh.

The glory

Of the God of Israel

Was over them.”

The glory of Yahweh or his presence was leaving the Temple, his house. The glory of Yahweh stopped at the threshold of the house over the cherubim. The cherubim then lifted up their wings and rose up from the earth. Ezekiel saw them with their wheels beside them. They left via the east gate of the Temple. The glory of the God of Israel went with the cherubim.

March 27, 2017

The splendor of Yahweh (Ezek 1:28-1:28)

“Like the bow

In a cloud

On a rainy day,

Such was the appearance

Of all the splendor

All around.

There was the appearance

Of the likeness

Of the glory

Of Yahweh.

When I saw it,

I fell upon my face.

I heard the voice

Of someone speaking.”

Ezekiel seemed to think that this vision was like a rainbow in the sky on a rainy day. With such great splendor all around him, there appeared to be the glory of Yahweh. This glory of Yahweh referred to his presence, but outside the Temple of Jerusalem. When Ezekiel saw all this, he fell upon his face to the ground. Then, finally, after all this description of the vision, he heard the voice of someone speaking. Now this colorful vision of Ezekiel will have the traditional oral communication, as opposed to this visual delight.

December 1, 2016

The punishment by Yahweh (Jer 23:39-23:40)

“Therefore,

I will surely lift you up.

I will cast you away

From my presence.

You!

The city

That I gave to you!

The city

That I gave to your ancestors!

I will bring upon you

Everlasting disgrace.

I will bring upon you

Perpetual shame

That shall not be forgotten.”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, was clear. He was going to take them out of the city that he had given to them and their ancestors. He was casting them out of his presence. He was going to bring an everlasting disgrace upon them. There would be a perpetual shame upon them that would not be forgotten.

October 18, 2016

The return to Yahweh (Jer 4:1-4:2)

“‘If you return!

O Israel!’

Says Yahweh.

‘If you return to me!

If you remove your abominations

From my presence!

If you do not waver!

If you swear!

‘As Yahweh lives!’

In truth,

In justice,

In uprightness,

Then nations shall be blessed

By him.

They shall boast

By him.’”

Would Israel return to Yahweh? Yahweh sets down some conditions. They would have to remove their abomination idol statues from his presence. They would have to not waver. They had to swear that Yahweh lives. If this was done in truth, justice, and uprightness, then the nations would be blessed by him. Then they could boast in Yahweh.

November 25, 2015

Downfall of the wicked (Ps 101:7-101:8)

“No one who practices deceit

Shall remain in my house.

No one who utters lies

Shall continue in my presence.

Morning by morning

I will destroy

All the wicked in the land.

I will cut off

All evildoers

From the city of Yahweh.”

This psalm ends with the downfall of the wicked ones. Anyone who practiced deceit would not remain in his house. Anyone who lied would no longer continue in his presence. Each morning he would destroy the wicked in the land. He would cut off all the evildoers from the city of Yahweh. Jerusalem, the city of David would be free from wicked evildoers.