longing

April 29, 2019

Nothing to eat (Lk 15:16-15:16)

“He would gladly

Have filled himself

With the pods

That the pigs

Were eating.

However,

No one gave him

Anything to eat.”

 

καὶ ἐπεθύμει γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν κερατίων ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδίδου αὐτῷ.

 

This long parable story about the prodigal son can only be found in Luke, not in any of the other gospel stories.  Luke indicated that Jesus said that this prodigal son was longing to fill his belly or would have gladly filled himself (καὶ ἐπεθύμει γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ) with the pods (ἐκ τῶν κερατίων) that the pigs were eating (ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι).  Once again, this is a unique word of Luke, κερατίων that does not appear in any of the other biblical literature writings that means a dark brown pea pod of the carob tree.  However, no one gave him anything to eat (καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδίδου αὐτῷ).  This prodigal son was forced to feed the unclean pigs, while he himself was still hungry.  I wonder why he did not eat some of these brown pea pods.  Perhaps, it may have been culturally inappropriate.  Have you ever been really so hungry that you would eat anything?

September 24, 2015

Longing for God (Ps 42:1-42:3)

To the choirmaster leader, a Maskil of the Korahites

“As a deer longs

For flowing streams,

So my soul longs

For you,

O God!

My soul thirsts for God,

For the living God!

When shall I come,

When shall I behold,

The face of God?

My tears have been my food,

Day and night,

While people say to me continually,

‘Where is your God?’”

There is a problem is this one psalm or 2 psalms of 42 and 43. There is no heading for Psalm 43, so that it probably was together with Psalm 42. For clarity purposes, I have decided to use the Oxford Bible division of 2 psalms rather than one. The title no longer has David, but this is a Maskil of the sons of Korah, who were first mentioned in 1 Chronicles, chapter 9. There name appears on 11 psalms. This is a maskil or psalm that has the plea of someone longing for God. He was like a deer looking for flowing water. His soul longed for God. His soul thirsted for the living God. Notice that is not the Lord or Yahweh, but the more generic God. However, like many others, he wanted to see the face of God. His tears had become his sustenance day and night. People kept asking him where his God was.

September 21, 2015

The plea to God (Ps 38:9-38:11)

“Lord!

All my longing is known to you.

My sighing is not hidden from you.

My heart throbs.

My strength fails me.

The light of my eyes has gone from me.

My friends and companions

Stand aloof from my affliction.

My neighbors stand far off.”

David made a plea to the Lord, God, who knew his situation. He was aware of his longing and sighing that was not hidden from him. His heart throbbed. His strength failed. His eyesight was growing dim. His friends, companions, and neighbors were standing aloof from him and his afflictions. Only God could help him.