his voice

November 17, 2017

Jonah was in the sea (Jon 2:2-2:3)

“Jonah said.

‘I called

To Yahweh,

Out of my distress.

He answered me.

Out of the belly

Of Sheol,

I cried.

You heard

My voice.

You cast me

Into the deep,

Into the heart

Of the seas.

The flood

Surrounded me.

All your waves

Passed over me.

All your billows

Passed over me.’”

Jonah said that he called out to Yahweh when he was distressed. The good thing was that Yahweh responded to Jonah. Thus, Jonah cried out from the belly of Sheol, the shadowy afterlife. Once again, Yahweh heard his voice. Jonah had been cast into the deep sea surrounded by water. As the waves were all around him, he nearly drowned.

September 6, 2017

The description of the man on the banks of the Great River (Dan 10:4-10:6)

“On the twenty-fourth day

Of the first month,

As I was standing

On the bank

Of the great river,

That is the Tigris,

I looked up.

I saw

A man clothed

In linen,

With a belt

Of gold,

From Uphaz,

Around his waist.

His body was

Like beryl.

His face was

Like lightning.

His eyes were

Like flaming torches.

His arms,

As well as his legs,

Were

Like the gleam

Of burnished bronze.

The sound

Of his words were

Like the noise

Of a multitude.”

On the 24th of the 1st month, Daniel was on the banks of the great river, the Euphrates, not the Tigris, since the Tigris does not go through Babylon. Then Daniel looked up. He saw a man dressed in linen clothes with a Uphaz gold belt. Uphaz was another name for Ophir, a large gold mining area. Daniel then described this man’s body as like beryl or emerald looking. His face was like lightning. His eyes were like flaming torches. He almost sounded like Santa Claus. His arms and legs were like burnished bronze, similar to the bronze man at the end of the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 40-47. The sound of his voice was like a large group of people. He was quite unique.

September 4, 2017

The great calamity (Dan 9:12-9:14)

“He has confirmed

His words,

That he spoke

Against us,

Against our rulers.

He brought upon us

A great calamity.

This was so great

That what has been done

Against Jerusalem

Has never before been done,

Under the whole heaven.

Just as it is written

In the law of Moses,

All this calamity

Has come upon us.

We did not entreat

The favor of Yahweh,

Our God.

We did not turn

From our iniquities.

We did not reflect

On his fidelity.

Thus,

Yahweh kept watch

Over this calamity,

Until he brought it

Upon us.

Indeed,

Yahweh,

Our God,

Is right

In all that he has done.

We have disobeyed

His voice.”

Daniel said that Yahweh only confirmed what he had said against them and their rulers. He brought this calamity to Jerusalem that was so great that there never had been anything like it before. This was all based on what was written in the law of Moses. They had not requested the favor of Yahweh, their God. Finally, God brought this calamity upon them, because Yahweh was right in everything that he has done. They had disobeyed his voice, so that they deserved this calamity in Jerusalem.

April 30, 2017

The second young lion was captured (Ezek 19:7-19:9)

“The second young lion

Ravaged

Their strongholds.

He laid waste

To their towns.

The land

Was appalled.

All who were in it

Were appalled

At the sound

Of his roaring.

The nations

Set upon him

From the provinces

All around.

They spread

Their net

Over him.

He was caught

In their pit.

With hooks,

They put him

In a cage.

They brought him

To the king of Babylon.

They brought him

Into custody.

Thus his voice

Would be heard

No more

On the mountains

Of Israel.”

This second young lion ravaged the strongholds and towns around there. The land and everybody in it were appalled at the sound of his roaring. Thus various countries from around the area set upon him. They spread out their nets over him. They caught him in a pit. They hooked him and put him into a cage. They brought him to the king of Babylon. He was now in custody so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel. This sounds a lot like a reference to King Zedekiah (598-587).

February 8, 2017

The God of creation (Jer 51:15-51:16)

“He made

The earth

By his power.

He established

The world

By his wisdom.

By his understanding,

He stretched out the heavens.

When he utters

His voice

There is a tumult of waters

In the heavens.

He makes the mist rise

From the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning

For the rain.

He brings forth

The wind

From his storehouses.”

This is exactly the same, word for word from chapter 10 about the power of Yahweh. Jeremiah proclaimed that Yahweh was all powerful. He made the earth by his power. Thus he established the world by his wisdom. He stretched out the heavens by his understanding, so that when he uttered his voice, the waters in the heaven could create a mist from the ends of the earth. He made lightning in the rain. He also brought wind from his various wind storehouses. Thus you can see this author’s cosmology about the powerful God, Yahweh, who has control of the world and its climate.

 

November 4, 2016

The power of Yahweh (Jer 10:12-10:13)

“It is he who made the earth

By his power.

He established the world

By his wisdom.

By his understanding,

He stretched out the heavens.

When he utters his voice

There is a tumult of waters

In the heavens.

He makes the mist rise

From the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain.

He brings forth the wind

From his storehouses.”

Jeremiah proclaims that Yahweh is all powerful. He made the earth by his power and thus established the world by his wisdom. He stretched out the heavens by his understanding, so that when he utters his voice, the waters in the heaven can create a mist from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning in the rain. He also brings wind from his various wind storehouses. Thus you can see this author’s cosmology about the powerful God, Yahweh, who has control of the world and its climate.

October 31, 2016

Yahweh explains why he is doing this (Jer 9:13-9:14)

“Yahweh says.

‘They have forsaken my law

That I set before them.

They have not obeyed my voice.

They have not walked in accordance with it.

But they have stubbornly followed

Their own hearts.

They have gone after the Baals,

As their ancestors taught them.”

Yahweh explains why this punishment was about to take place. They simply have forsaken the law of Yahweh that he set before them. They have not obeyed his voice. They have not walked according to his ways. They have stubbornly followed their own hearts. They went to the pagan idol gods of Baal, like their ancestors. Yahweh clearly explained his reasoning.

October 28, 2016

The command to their ancestors (Jer 7:21-7:23)

“Thus says Yahweh of hosts!

The God of Israel!

‘Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices!

Eat the flesh!

In the day that I brought your ancestors

Out of the land of Egypt,

I did not speak to them

Concerning burnt offerings

With sacrifices.

But this command

I gave them.

‘Obey my voice!

I will be your God!

You shall be my people!

Walk only in the ways

That I command you!

Thus it may be well with you.’”

Yahweh, the God of Israel, via Jeremiah, reminded the Israelites of the original command that he gave to their ancestors. Although now they were making burnt offerings and sacrifices, he had not said anything to their ancestors about these sacrifices. However, the Torah has many sayings about burnt offerings. He had commanded their ancestors to obey his voice. He would be their God and they would be his people. However, they had to walk in the ways that he commanded them to do so. If they did this, everything would be all right with them.

September 2, 2016

Description of the servant of Yahweh (Isa 42:2-42:4)

“The servant will not cry.

He will not lift up his voice.

He will not make it heard in the street.

He will not break a bruised reed.

He will not quench a dimly burning wick.

He will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint.

He will not be crushed,

Until he has established justice on the earth.

The coastlands wait for his teaching.”

Second Isaiah describes this servant of Yahweh. He will not cry. He will not lift up his voice or cry in the streets. He will not break the bruised reeds nor put out a dimly burning wick on a candle. In other words, he will be a very quiet person. However, he will fight for justice. He will not faint or be crushed until he has established justice on the whole earth. Apparently the Mediterranean cities were waiting for this just teaching.