the chosen ones

December 31, 2017

The chosen ones (Zech 6:9-6:10)

“The word of Yahweh

Came to me.

‘Collect silver!

Collect gold

From the exiles

Heldai,

Tobijah,

Jedaiah!

They have arrived

From Babylon.

Go the same day

To the house of Josiah,

The son of Zephaniah.”

Yahweh spoke to Zechariah again.  He told him to collect silver and gold from the exiles that had returned from Babylon.  There are 3 people named here who were exiles from the captivity, Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah.  However, we know nothing about them, since they only appear in this work without any kind of titles.  Apparently, they were rich.  Zechariah was also to go to Josiah, the son of Zephaniah.

October 31, 2017

The chosen ones (Am 3:1-3:2)

“Hear this word

That Yahweh has spoken

Against you!

O people of Israel!

He has spoken

Against the whole family

That I brought up

Out of the land

Of Egypt!

You only

Have I known

Of all the families

Of the earth.

Therefore,

I will punish you

For all your iniquities.”

Yahweh, via Amos, wanted the people of Israel to listen to his word. This diatribe was against the whole family of Israel. Yahweh had chosen them as the special ones from all the families on earth, when he took them out of Egypt. They were special. Nevertheless, he was still going to punish them for their iniquities.

December 1, 2015

Yahweh favors the chosen ones (Ps 106:4-106:5)

“Yahweh!

Remember me

When you show favor to your people!

Help me

When you deliver them!

Thus I may see the prosperity

Of your chosen ones.

Thus I may rejoice in the gladness

Of your nation.

Thus I may glory in your heritage.”

The psalmist wants to share in the glory of the chosen ones. He asks Yahweh to remember him personally when he thinks of his chosen people. When they are helped, he wants to see prosperity also. He wanted to rejoice in the gladness of Yahweh’s nations. He wanted to glory in the heritage of the chosen ones.

November 29, 2015

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ps 105:6-105:11)

“O offspring of his servant!

Abraham!

Children of Jacob!

His chosen ones!

He is Yahweh our God!

His judgments are over all the earth.

He is mindful of his covenant forever.

He is mindful of the word that he commanded,

For a thousand generations.

That is the covenant

That he made with Abraham.

He had a sworn promise to Isaac.

He confirmed it to Jacob as a statute.

He has an everlasting covenant with Israel.

He said.

‘To you I will give the land of Canaan.

It is as your portion for an inheritance.’”

The people of Israel are offspring of Abraham. They are the children of Jacob. They are the chosen ones. Yahweh is their God. He judges the whole earth. He has made a covenant forever that he does not forget so that it will last 1,000 generations. This is the covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a promise to Isaac and a statute to Jacob. There would be an everlasting covenant with Israel as Jacob became Israel. The land of Canaan will be their inheritance.