inhabit

November 10, 2017

Restoration of the people of Israel (Am 9:13-9:15)

“Says Yahweh.

‘The time is surely coming

When the one who plows

Shall overtake

The one who reaps.

When the one who treads grapes

Shall overtake

The one who sows the seed.

The mountains shall drip

Sweet wine.

All the hills

Shall flow with it.

I will restore

The fortunes

Of my people Israel.

They shall rebuild

The ruined cities.

They shall

Inhabit them.

They shall

Plant vineyards.

They shall

Drink their wine.

They shall

Make gardens.

They shall

Eat their fruit.

I will plant them

Upon their land.

They shall never again

Be plucked up

Out of the land

That I have given them.’

Says Yahweh

Your God.”

This later oracle of Yahweh assumed that the Israelites had been taken from their land in captivity.  However, in this restoration, those plowing would be greater than those reaping.  Those who treaded the grapes would be more than those sowing the seeds.  There would be abundance and hope all around.  The mountains and hills would drip and flow with abundant sweet wine.  The Israelites would have their fortunes restored, so that they would rebuild their cities and inhabit them.  They would plant vineyards and drink wine.  They would plant gardens with lots of fruit.  These Israelites would be planted on their own land, never to be plucked away again.

June 20, 2017

The new towns (Ezek 36:33-36:33)

“Thus says Yahweh God!

‘On the day

That I cleanse you

From all your iniquities,

I will cause

The towns

To be inhabited.

The wasted places

Shall be rebuilt.’”

As part of this rejuvenation of Israel, Yahweh, via Ezekiel, said that on the day that their iniquities were cleansed, the people would inhabit the Israelite towns again. All the ruined and wasted places would be rebuilt.

September 9, 2016

The Creator Yahweh (Isa 45:18-45:19)

“Thus says Yahweh.

He created the heavens!

He is God!

He formed the earth!

He made it!

He established it!

He did not create it as a chaos!

He formed it to be inhabited!

‘I am Yahweh!

There is no other!

I did not speak in secret.

I did not speak in a land of darkness.

I did not say to the offspring of Jacob.

‘Seek me in chaos.’

I Yahweh speak the truth,

I declare what is right.’”

Second Isaiah has Yahweh speak about his creative actions. However, before he utters his words, this author explains clearly who Yahweh is. He is God, who created the heavens and the earth. He created it out of the primal chaos so that people could inhabit it. Then Yahweh proclaimed that there is no person, god, or being like him. He did not speak in secret or darkness to the offspring of Jacob. He spoke only the truth and what is right, not chaos.

August 8, 2016

False childbirth (Isa 26:16-26:18)

“O Yahweh!

In distress,

They sought you.

They poured out a prayer

When your chastening way

Was on them.

Like a woman with child,

Who writhes,

Who cries out in her pangs,

When she is near her time,

So were we

Because of you!

Yahweh!

We were with child!

We writhed!

But we gave birth

Only to wind!

We have won no victories

On earth.

No one is born

To inhabit the world.”

Isaiah, once again, speaking directly to Yahweh, the Lord, sought him in his distress. He and his friends felt like they had the pains of childbirth. They felt like they were filled with labor pains, but there was no child to be born. They only passed gas, not a new born child. They had no victories on earth. There were no new children to inhabit this earth.

January 2, 2016

The upright man (Prov 2:20-2:22)

“Therefore walk in the way of good people.

Keep to the paths of the just.

The upright will inhabit the land.

The innocent ones of integrity will remain in it.

But the wicked will be cut off from the land.

The treacherous will be rooted out of it.”

The young people were to walk in the way of the good people. Thus they would become upright and righteous as they kept to the path of the just ones. The upright will then inherit, inhabit, and abide in the land. The innocent ones who live with integrity will remain on the land. However, the wicked ones will be cut off from the land. The liars and the treacherous infidels will be rooted out of the land. Notice that the big reward and punishment is the land.