sword

January 25, 2018

Kill the shepherd (Zech 13:7-13:9)

“‘Awake!

O sword!

Against my shepherd!

Against the man

Who is my associate!’

Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘Strike the shepherd,

That the sheep

May be scattered.

I will turn my hand

Against the little ones.’

Says Yahweh.

‘In the whole land,

Two thirds shall be cut off.

They shall perish,

One third shall be left alive.

I will put this third

Into the fire.

I will refine them

As one refines silver.

I will test them

As gold is tested.

They will call

On my name.

I will answer them.

I will say.

‘They are my people.’

They will say.

‘Yahweh is my God.’”

Yahweh of hosts wanted to take away the current leaders.  The sword should rise up against them, even if they are associated with Yahweh.  The shepherd leaders should be killed, so that the flock would be scattered.  Yahweh would destroy 2/3rd of this flock of people.  The remaining 1/3rd would have to be refined by fire, just like gold and silver were tested in a furnace.  This remaining 1/3rd remnant would be Yahweh’s people.  They would have Yahweh as their God.  Yahweh would have them as his people.

January 24, 2018

The curse for the worthless shepherd (Zech 11:17-10:17)

“Cursed be my worthless shepherd!

They desert the flock!

May the sword

Strike his arm!

May the sword

Strike his right eye!

Let his arm

Be completely withered!

Let his right eye be

Utterly blinded!’”

Yahweh had a curse for the worthless shepherds, who had deserted their flocks.  Yahweh wanted the sword to strike their arms and right eyes.  Yahweh wanted their arms withered and their eyes blinded.

September 26, 2017

Pity for Judah (Hos 1:7-1:7)

“But I will have pity

On the house of Judah.

I will save them

By Yahweh,

Their God.

I will not save them

By bow,

Or by sword,

Or by war,

Or by horses,

Or by horsemen.”

Apparently, this was a later insertion that Yahweh was still going to have pity on the southern kingdom of Judah. Yahweh, their God, would save them, but this was Yahweh speaking. He was not going to save them by bow, sword, war, horses, or horsemen. In other words, he would not interfere, but at the same time still save the house of Judah, because he loved and pitied them.

June 2, 2017

The king of Babylon will scatter the Egyptians (Ezek 30:23-30:26)

“I will scatter the Egyptians

Among the nations.

I will disperse them

Throughout the lands.

I will strengthen

The arms

Of the king of Babylon.

I will put my sword

In his hand.

But I will break

The arms of Pharaoh.

He will groan

Before him

With the groans

Of one mortally wounded.

I will strengthen

The arms

Of the king of Babylon.

But the arms of Pharaoh

Shall fall.

They shall know

That I am Yahweh

When I put

My sword

Into the hand

Of the king of Babylon.

He shall stretch it out

Against the land of Egypt.

I will scatter

The Egyptians

Among the nations.

I will disperse them

Throughout the countries.

Then they will know

That I am Yahweh.”

Yahweh was going to scatter and disperse the Egyptians among the various nations. He was going to strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon with his own sword. At the same time, he was going to break the arms of the Pharaoh who would groan, as if he were mortally wounded. Then Yahweh repeated himself. He was going to strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but break the arms of Pharaoh, who would fall. Then everyone would know that Yahweh was God. The king of Babylon would stretch out his hand with the sword of Yahweh against Egypt. The king of Babylon would scatter and disperse these Egyptians among the various nations.

 

May 21, 2017

The destruction of towns around Tyre (Ezek 26:5-26:6)

“Tyre shall become

Plunder

For the nations.

Its daughter towns,

On the mainland,

Shall be killed

By the sword.

Then they shall know

That I am Yahweh.”

All the various nations would plunder Tyre. However, even the neighboring towns on the mainland around it would suffer death. The sword would kill them, so that they would eventually know that Yahweh was God.

May 18, 2017

The fall of the sanctuary and death (Ezek 24:20-24:21)

“Then I said to them.

‘The word of Yahweh

Came to me.

Say to the house of Israel!

Thus says Yahweh God!

I will profane

My sanctuary!

The pride of your power!

The delight of your eyes!

Your heart’s desire!

Your sons,

Whom you have left behind

Shall fall

By the sword.

Your daughters,

Whom you have left behind,

Shall fall

By the sword.’”

Ezekiel then told them what Yahweh had said to him, as the word of Yahweh came to him. He told the house of Israel that Yahweh was going to profane his own sanctuary. This Temple had been the pride of their power, the delight of their eyes, and their heart’s desire. However, it would be gone. Their sons and daughters, who had been left behind, would die by the sword. This was not a happy oracle.

May 7, 2017

The mourning (Ezek 21:12-21:13)

“‘Cry!

Wail!

Son of man!

It is against

My people!

It is against

All Israel’s princes!

They are thrown

To the sword,

Together with my people.

Ah!

Strike the thigh!

Consider!

What!

If you despise the rod,

Will it not happen?’

Says Yahweh God.”

Yahweh wanted Ezekiel, the son of man, to mourn, cry, and wail. The sword was going to come against the people of Yahweh, all of Israel’s princes. They were all going to be thrown to the sword. Ezekiel was to strike his thigh as a sign of mourning. They had despised the rod. Now see what was going to happen.

April 17, 2017

The four scourges (Ezek 14:21-14:21)

“Thus says Yahweh God.

‘How much more

When I send

Upon Jerusalem

My four deadly acts

Of judgment,

Sword,

Famine,

Wild animals,

Pestilence,

To cut off

Humans

With animals

From it!’”

Yahweh said that he was going to send his 4 scourges or deadly acts of judgment upon Jerusalem. Added to the traditional 3 ways of Yahweh’s violent actions of sword, famine, and pestilence was the idea of wild animals. Once again, humans and animals would be cut off from the city of Jerusalem. However, it would be worse than most places.

April 10, 2017

Yahweh will send the sword (Ezek 11:7-11:8)

“Therefore

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘The slain

Whom you have placed

Within it,

Are the meat.

The city is the pot.

But you shall be

Taken out of it.

You have feared

The sword.

I will bring the sword

Upon you!’

Says Yahweh God.”

This oracle of Yahweh continues with the theme of the dead in Jerusalem. Using the earlier proverb about the meat in the pot, Yahweh explains that the dead people are the meat and the pot is the city. They will be taken out of the pot or the city. However, the sword or death would come upon them anyway. Cleary Yahweh God has spoken.

February 2, 2017

Scatter Elam (Jer 49:36-49:38)

“‘I will bring upon Elam

The four winds,

From the four quarters

Of heaven.

I will scatter them

To all those winds.

There shall be

No nation to which

The exiles from Elam

Shall not come.

I will terrify Elam

Before their enemies,

Before those

Who seek their life.

I will bring disaster

Upon them.

With my fierce anger.’

Says Yahweh.

‘I will send the sword

After them,

Until I have consumed them.

I will set my throne

In Elam.

I will destroy their king

With their officials.’

Says Yahweh.”

Yahweh was going to cast the Elamites to the 4 winds from 4 different directions. They were going to be scattered to practically every country on the earth. They would be terrified before their enemies who wanted to kill them. There is no mention of a specific enemy, even though disaster would fall upon them. The sword would come upon them until all of them, with their king and his officials, were destroyed. Yahweh would then take their throne. This looks like a complete wipeout.