precise

May 30, 2019

They said that the Lord needs it (Lk 19:34-19:34)

“They said.

‘The Lord needs it.’”

 

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν ὅτι Ὁ Κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει.

 

Luke indicated that their response (οἱ δὲ εἶπαν) was simple and precise.  “The Lord needs it (Ὁ Κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει).”  Was this some sort of secret password to show who they were?  This is similar to Mark, chapter 11:6, where Mark said that the response of these two disciples was what they had been prepared to say.  They told these bystanders (οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτοῖς) what Jesus had told them to say (καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς).  Thus, these people in this town allowed these unnamed disciples to take the colt with them (καὶ ἀφῆκαν αὐτούς).  Mission accomplished!  How would these bystanders know about the master?

May 6, 2017

The holy mountain (Ezek 20:40-20:40)

“Says Yahweh God.

‘On my holy mountain,

The mountain height

Of Israel,

There all the house of Israel,

All of them,

Shall serve me

In the land.

There I will accept them.

There I will require

Your contributions,

The choicest of your gifts,

With all your sacred things.’”

It was very clear that Yahweh wanted all the people of Israel to worship him on the holy high mountain and no place else. This holy mountain was the only place where they could serve him. Yahweh would accept their contributions only there. In fact, he required their choicest gifts and sacred items. Yahweh was precise. He was against all the other high places in Israel and Judah. The holy sacred mountain was the only place for sacrifices.

April 1, 2017

The three separate disasters for the people of Jerusalem (Ezek 5:11-5:12)

“Says Yahweh God!

‘Surely as I live,

Because you have defiled

My sanctuary

With all your detestable things,

With all your abominations,

Therefore I will cut you down.

My eye will not spare.

I will have no pity.

One third of you

Shall die

Of pestilence,

Or be consumed

By famine among you.

One third of you

Shall fall

By the sword

Around you.

One third of you,

I will scatter

To every wind.

I will unsheathe

The sword

After them.”

The God Yahweh was mad at the people of Jerusalem. They had defiled his sanctuary. They had brought in all those detestable abominations into the Temple. Thus Yahweh was not going to spare them, but cut them down. He was not going to show any pity. Using language similar to Jeremiah, there were three main options for dying. However, Ezekiel was more precise. One third of them would die from pestilence or famine. Another third would fall by the sword. The final third would be scattered to the winds in every direction. Yahweh was going to let his sword loose on them.

December 2, 2016

No one listens to Jeremiah (Jer 25:3-25:4)

“For twenty-three years,

From the thirteenth year

Of King Josiah,

The son of King Amon,

Of Judah,

To this day,

The word of Yahweh

Has come to me.

I have spoken persistently to you.

But you have not listened.

Although Yahweh

Persistently sent to you

All his servants

The prophets,

You have neither listened

Nor inclined your ears

To hear.”

Once again, Jeremiah is precise in his dating of this oracle. Jeremiah had been prophesying for 23 years before 605 BCE, which meant that he would have started in 628 BCE. He said that this was when King Josiah was 30 so that Josiah would have been born in 658 BCE. Thus King Josiah was 18 when he took over from his father King Amon who died in 640 BCE. For over 23 years, Jeremiah had persistently spoken to them about the word of Yahweh. However, they had not listened to him or the other servant prophets of Yahweh. They would not let their ears hear. Now we know why everyone was to hear Jeremiah because they had not been listening to him.

November 19, 2016

The rebellion (Jer 18:12-18:12)

“But they say.

‘It is no use!

We will follow our own plans.

Each of us will act

According to the stubbornness

Of our own evil way.’”

Jeremiah presents the clear and precise response of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. It was useless to talk anymore. They were going to follow their own rebellious plans. Each one would act stubbornly according to their own evil ways. There was no pretence of trying to reach an agreement. The die was cast.