pursuit

February 17, 2016

Agur (Prov 30:1-30:1)

“The words of Agur

Son of Jakeh

Oracle”

Who is this Agur? Agur was the compiler of this collection of proverbs that bears a great similarity to the prophet Isaiah,  chapter 40. This Agur might be another name for Solomon. Another explanation is that Agur means someone brave in the pursuit of wisdom. It is highly unlikely that these two Hebrew terms refer to personal names since the names of Agur and Jakeh are not seen anywhere else in the Bible or in any other Israelite document. The lack of parallel language elsewhere makes it difficult to settle on a particular meaning. Perhaps Agur is a foreign sage from the East since sometimes this oracle is translated as Masa, a land east and outside of Israel. Either this was a real person, or as some have suggested, it was a fanciful or symbolic name for Solomon.

January 20, 2016

The righteous (Prov 12:5-12:11)

“The thoughts of the righteous are just.

But the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush.

But the speech of the upright delivers them.

The wicked are overthrown.

They are no more.

But the house of the righteous will stand.

One is commended for good sense.

But a perverse mind is despised.           

Better to be a common despised man,

Who works for himself,

Than to be self important,

But lack food.

The righteous know the need of their animals.

But the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

Those who till their land will have plenty of food.

But those who follow worthless pursuits have no sense.”

Here we have a description of the righteous person. The thoughts of the righteous are just. On the other hand, the advice and the words of the wicked are treacherous and set an ambush. The upright speech of the righteous will help them to escape. Even though the wicked will be overthrown, the house of the righteous will continue to stand because they have good sense. The wicked are despised. It is better to work for yourself than pretend to be self important without any good. The righteous take good care of their animals. Even the mercy of the wicked is cruel. If you till the land, you will have plenty of food. However, if you pursuit worthless things, you are senseless.

May 19, 2015

Jonathan and the battle at Hazor (1 Macc 11:67-11:74)

“Jonathan and his army encamped by the waters of Gennesaret. Early in the morning they marched to the plain of Hazor. There in the plain, the army of the foreigners met him. They had set an ambush against him in the mountains, but they themselves met him face to face. Then the men in ambush emerged from their places and joined battle. All the men with Jonathan fled. Not one of them was left except Mattathias son of Absalom and Judas son of Chalphi, commanders of the forces of the army. Jonathan tore his clothes. He put dust on his head, and prayed. Then he turned back to the battle against the enemy and routed them. They fled. When his men who were fleeing saw this, they returned to him. They joined him in the pursuit as far as Kadesh, to their camp. There they encamped. As many as three thousand of the foreigners fell that day. Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.”

Jonathan and his army rested at the Sea of Galilee, Gennesaret. They went out into the plains of Hazor where they met the foreign troops who were the followers of the deposed King Demetrius II. Another set of these troops ambushed them from the hills. However, Jonathan’s troops all fled. Only two officers were left, Mattathias and Judas, not his dead father or dead brother, but people with the same name. Then Jonathan went into mourning by ripping his clothes, putting ashes on his head, and praying. Suddenly he returned to battle and defeated the foreign troops as they fled. When his own army saw the others fleeing, they rejoined the battle. They chased them as far as Kadesh as they killed 3,000 foreigners that day. Then Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.

January 29, 2014

The pursuit of the Egyptians (Ex 14:5-14:14)

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people.  They said, ‘What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?’   So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him.  He took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.  Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his chariot divers and his army.  They overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.”

The chase is on.  Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds asking what they had done.  They went after the Israelite people.  They took over 600 chariots and pursued them and caught them by the sea, at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

“As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them.  In great fear the Israelites cried out to Yahweh.  They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?   What have you done to us, in bringing us out of Egypt?  Is this not the very thing that we told you in Egypt, Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians?  For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’  But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that Yahweh will accomplish for you today.  For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  Yahweh will fight for you and you have only to keep still.’”

The Israelites saw the Egyptians coming and said to Moses that they were afraid to die in the wilderness.  They could have rather been buried in Egypt than die in the wilderness.  Moses told them to not be afraid since Yahweh would take care of things.