supplications

May 16, 2019

Wear the bad judge out (Lk 18:5-18:5)

“Yet because this widow

Keeps bothering me,

I will grant her justice.

Thus,

She may not

Wear me out

By her continual harassment.”

 

διά γε τὸ παρέχειν μοι κόπον τὴν χήραν ταύτην ἐκδικήσω αὐτήν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς τέλος ἐρχομένη ὑπωπιάζῃ με.

 

Luke is the only synoptic writer with this parable about the widow and the bad judge.  Luke indicated that Jesus said that because this widow (τὴν χήραν ταύτην) kept bothering or causing trouble (διά γε τὸ παρέχειν μοι κόπον) to this bad judge, he was going to grant her justice (ἐκδικήσω αὐτήν).  Thus, she would not wear him out by her continual exhausting harassment (ἵνα μὴ εἰς τέλος ἐρχομένη ὑπωπιάζῃ με) anymore.  In other words, this bad judge just wanted to get rid of this widow, because she was exhausting him with all her supplications and demands.  Thus, he granted her a verdict of vengeance against her enemy.  Have you ever had a favorable court ruling?

September 5, 2017

Gabriel speaks to Daniel (Dan 9:22-9:23)

“Gabriel came.

He said to me.

‘Daniel!

I have now come out

To give you wisdom,

To give you understanding.

At the beginning

Of your supplications,

A word went out.

I have come

To declare it.

You are greatly beloved.

Thus,

Consider the word!

Understand the vision!”

Gabriel had heard the prayer and supplications that Daniel had made to God. Thus, that this was the Angel Gabriel is not out of place, especially based on the last chapter. This Gabriel said to Daniel that he had come to give him wisdom and understanding. Something that he had said at the beginning of his prayers and supplications needed a further explanation. There was no doubt that Daniel was greatly loved. However, he had to consider the words and vision that was about to take place.

September 5, 2017

Gabriel comes (Dan 9:20-9:21)

“I was speaking.

I was praying,

I was confessing my sins,

As well as the sins

Of my people Israel.

I was presenting

My supplication

Before Yahweh

My God,

On behalf

Of the holy mountain

Of my God.

While I was speaking

In prayer,

The man Gabriel,

Whom I had seen before

In the vision,

Came to me

In swift flight,

At the time

Of the evening sacrifice.”

Daniel was continuing with his prayers and supplications to Yahweh. He was confessing his sins and the sins of his people Israel. He was praying for the holy mountain of God that had been desolated. Then a man called Gabriel came flying in. Daniel said that he was the same Gabriel that was in the preceding chapter that helped Daniel interpret his vision before. There, he had the appearance of a man. Here, he is referred to as a flying man who arrived at the time of the evening sacrifice. Was this the angel Gabriel?

September 5, 2017

Do not delay (Dan 9:17-9:19)

“Now therefore!

O our God!

Listen to the prayer

Of your servant!

Listen to his supplications!

For your own sake!

O Lord!

Let your face

Shine upon

Your desolated sanctuary!

O my God!

Incline your ear!

Hear!

Open your eyes!

Look at our desolation!

Look at the city

That bears your name!

We do not present

Our supplications

Before you

On the ground

Of our righteousness,

But on the ground

Of your great mercies.

O Lord!

Hear!

O Lord!

Forgive!

O Lord!

Listen!

Act!

Do not delay!

For your own sake,

O my God,

Because your city,

Your people,

Bear your name.”

Daniel finished up this prayer with a demand that the Lord God act right away and not delay. He wanted God to see and listen to his prayers and supplications, not because of their righteousness, but for the sake of his name and his great mercy. He wanted God to see their desolated sanctuary. He wanted God to see what was happening to the city that bore his name. He wanted God to see, hear, listen, forgive, act, and not delay.

September 4, 2017

Daniel does penance (Dan 9:3-9:3)

“Then I turned

To Yahweh

To seek

An answer,

By prayer,

By supplications,

With fasting,

With sackcloth,

With ashes.”

Daniel, in the first-person singular, turned to Yahweh, and not the God of heaven or the Most High God, as earlier in this book. This was the traditional Hebrew name of Yahweh. Daniel assumed the traditional role of a penitent with prayers and supplications while fasting, and wearing sackcloth with ashes on him.

December 27, 2015

Personal prayer to Yahweh (Ps 142:1-142:3)

A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave, a prayer

“With my voice

I cry to Yahweh!

With my voice

I make supplication to Yahweh!

I pour out my complaint before him.

I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit is faint,           

You know my way!”

Psalm 142 is a maskil or wisdom song of David, when he was in the cave. There is no explicit mention of an incident in the life of David where he was being persecuted in a cave. He may have been hiding out when he was trying to escape from King Saul. There is no doubt that it is a personal lament to Yahweh. David cries with his voice to Yahweh as he makes his supplications or complaints. He was telling Yahweh his troubles because his spirit was weak or faint. Yahweh knew David so that made him hopeful.

December 11, 2015

Yahweh has been good to me (Ps 116:1-116:4)

“I love Yahweh

Because he has heard my voice.

He has heard my supplications.

Therefore I will call on him

As long as I live,

Because he inclined his ear to me.

The snares of death encompassed me.

The pangs of Sheol laid hold of me.

I suffered distress.

I suffered anguish.

Then I called on the name of Yahweh.

‘Yahweh!’

I pray!

Save my life!’”

Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving psalm without any titles. This psalm begins with the psalmist talking about how he loves Yahweh because Yahweh has heard his voice. Unlike the psalms that ask God to listen, this psalmist has already had his prayers answered. Yahweh heard his voice and supplications because he inclined his ear to him. The result is that he will always call upon Yahweh as long as he lives. He apparently was near his death in great distress and anguish almost near Sheol. Then he called out the name of Yahweh and he was saved. This is like a call to prayer for the others in the congregation.

September 7, 2015

The plea to Yahweh (Ps 30:8-30:10)

“To you!

Yahweh!

I cried!

To Yahweh!

I made supplication!

‘What profit is there in my death?

What good is it if I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it tell of your faithfulness?

Hear!

Yahweh!

Be gracious to me!

Yahweh!

Be my helper!’”

David pleaded with Yahweh. He cried out to him. He made supplications. He said what good would come from his death. If he was dead in the pit or the underworld, would his dust praise Yahweh. Who would tell of the faithfulness of Yahweh? He wanted Yahweh to hear his prayer, be gracious to him, and be his helper.

August 11, 2015

Yahweh has heard my lament (Ps 6:8-6:10)

“Depart from me!

All you workers of evil,

Yahweh has heard the sound of my weeping.

Yahweh has heard my supplication.

Yahweh accepts my prayer.

All my enemies shall be ashamed.

They shall be struck with terror.

They shall turn back.

In a moment,

They shall be put to shame.”

Finally David can say to the evildoers, be gone. Yahweh has heard his weeping, his prayers, and supplications. Yahweh has accepted his prayers. Now his enemies were ashamed because they were struck with terror. They were turning back and being put to flight in shame.