its foundations

December 14, 2017

The salvation of Yahweh (Hab 3:12-3:13)

“In fury,

You trod the earth.

In anger,

You trampled nations.

You came forth

To save your people.

You came forth

To save your anointed.

You crushed

The head

Of the wicked house.

You laid it bare

From its foundation

To its roof.”

Selah

Yahweh in his fury and anger would trample the various countries on earth.  Yahweh was going to come forward to save his people and their anointed one, the king.  He was going to crush the head of the wicked house, destroying it completely from its foundations to its roof.  Yahweh would save his people and their king by destroying their enemies.  Once again, we have a meditative pause in this canticle with a Selah.

April 14, 2017

Yahweh will destroy the wall (Ezek 13:13-13:14)

“Therefore

Thus says Yahweh God.

‘In my wrath,

I will make

A stormy wind

Break out.

In my anger,

There will be

A deluge of rain.

In my wrath,

There will be

Hailstones

To destroy it.

I will break down

The wall

That you have smeared

With whitewash.

I will

Bring it

To the ground,

So that its foundation

Will be laid bare.

When it falls,

You shall perish

Within it.

You shall know

That I am Yahweh.’”

Yahweh said that he was angry about the whitewashed wall. He was going to send stormy wind, pouring rain, and hailstones to destroy this smeared whitewashed wall. He was going to bring it to the ground and bare its foundations. In fact, the people would perish inside the walls. They all would learn that he, Yahweh, was God.

March 1, 2017

The fire of Yahweh (Lam 4:11-4:11)

Kaph

“Yahweh gave

Full vent

To his wrath.

He poured out

His hot anger.

He kindled

A fire

In Zion,

That consumed

Its foundations.”

Yahweh was angry at Jerusalem. Thus he vented his anger when he started a fire in Zion that consumed it down to its foundations. Yahweh, not the Babylonians, set the city on fire. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Kaph in this acrostic poem.