multiplied

September 22, 2018

Remember the multiplication of the loaves (Mk 8:19-8:19)

“‘When I broke

The five loaves

For the five thousand,

How many baskets

Full of broken pieces

Did you collect’”

They said to him.

‘Twelve.’”

 

ὅτε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους ἔκλασα εἰς τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις ἤρατε; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Δώδεκα.

 

This is similar to Matthew, chapter 16:9, as Jesus clearly reminded them of the two times that he had multiplied the loaves of bread.  Was that not good enough for them?  Did they not remember that first he broke the 5 loaves of bread for the 5,000 people (ὅτε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους ἔκλασα εἰς τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους)?  Then he asked them how many fragments of the broken pieces had they gathered in the hand baskets (πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις ἤρατε).  They responded to him that there were 12 baskets left over (λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Δώδεκα), after everyone had eaten.  All this had taken place recently as recorded in chapter 6:30-44.

October 6, 2017

Against the false exterior cult (Hos 8:11-8:13)

“When Ephraim

Multiplied altars

To expiate sin,

They became to him

Altars for sinning.

Although I write

For him

The multitude

Of my instructions,

They are regarded

As a strange thing.

Although they offer

Choice sacrifices,

Yahweh does not accept them.

Although they eat

Sacrificed offerings,

Yahweh does not accept them.

Now he will remember

Their iniquity.

He will punish

Their sins.

They shall return

To Egypt.”

The territory of Ephraim, in the northern Israelite kingdom, multiplied the number of altars to ask for forgiveness of sins. In the eyes of Yahweh, they were actually altars of sinning. Yahweh had given them plenty of instructions, but they regarded them as strange sayings, ignoring them. They tried to offer choice sacrifice offerings and eat them. However, Yahweh would not accept them. Instead, he remembered their iniquity. He wanted to punish them for their sins. One of the punishments was to send them back to Egypt.

June 16, 2017

Yahweh was going to deal with Edom (Ezek 35:11-35:13)

“Says Yahweh God!

‘Therefore,

As I live,

I will deal

With you

According to the anger,

According to the envy

That you showed

Because of your hatred

Against them.

I will make myself

Known among you,

When I judge you.

You shall know

That I,

Yahweh,

Have heard

All the abusive speech

That you uttered

Against the mountains

Of Israel.

Saying.

‘They are laid desolate.

They are given us

To devour.’

You magnified yourselves

Against me

With your mouth.

You multiplied

Your words

Against me.

I heard it.”

Yahweh God, via Ezekiel, said that he was going to deal with Edom, Mount Seir. The Edomites, with their anger and envy. had showed their hatred against Israel. Now Yahweh was going to judge the Edomites. They would soon learn who Yahweh was. He had heard all their abusive speech against the mountains of Israel. They had said that Israel was desolate and ready to be devoured. They magnified themselves against Yahweh with their mouths. They multiplied their words against Yahweh, but he had heard them.

 

April 21, 2017

Prostitution with the Chaldeans (Ezek 16:29-16:29)

“You multiplied

Your prostitute ways

With Chaldea,

The land or merchants.

Even with this

You were not satisfied.”

Yahweh said that they multiplied their prostituting ways with the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, who would later take them over. However, they were originally attracted to them by their merchandise, since the Chaldeans were good merchants. Even this mercantile arrangement was not enough. Jerusalem was never satisfied.

April 21, 2017

Prostitution with the Egyptians (Ezek 16:26-16:26)

“You also played

The whore

With the Egyptians,

Your lustful neighbors.

You multiplied

Your prostitution

To provoke me

To anger.”

Yahweh said that Jerusalem played the whore with her lustful neighbors, the Egyptians. He felt that she multiplied her prostitute ways in order to provoke Yahweh to anger.  This was an indication about the intention of the king of Judah to form a foreign alliance with Egypt against the Babylonians.

April 20, 2017

Jerusalem as a street prostitute (Ezek 16:23-16:25)

“After all your wickedness,

‘Woe!

Woe to you!’

Says Yahweh God.

You built yourself

A platform.

You made yourself

A lofty place

In every square.

At the head

Of every street,

You built your

Lofty place.

You prostituted

Your beauty.

You offered yourself

To every passer-by.

You multiplied

Your prostitution.”

Yahweh said that things were not going to go well for Jerusalem with all her wickedness. She had built a lofty platform for herself in every major square and at the street corners. There she prostituted her beauty. She offered herself to every passer-by. She exponentially multiplied her prostitution ways.

September 23, 2015

Trust in Yahweh (Ps 40:4-40:5)

“Happy are those

Who make Yahweh their trust!

Happy are those

Who do not turn to the proud!

Happy are those

Who do not go astray after false gods!

Yahweh!

My God,

You have multiplied

Your wondrous deeds.

You have multiplied

Your thoughts toward us.

None can compare with you!

Were I to proclaim,

Were I to tell of them,

They would be more than can be counted.”

The happy or blessed people trust in Yahweh. They are not proud. They do not go after false gods. Yahweh has multiplied them with his wondrous deeds. What he has done cannot be compared to anyone else. It would be impossible to count all of the things that Yahweh has done for his happy and blessed people who have faith in him.