the crops

April 15, 2016

The food of angels (Wis 16:20-16:23)

“Instead of these things,

You gave your people

The food of angels.

Without their toil,

You supplied them

From heaven

With bread ready to eat.

It provided every pleasure.

It suited every taste.

Your sustenance manifested

Your sweetness

Toward your children.

The bread,

Ministering to the desire of the one who took it,

Was changed to suit everyone’s liking.

Snow withstood fire without melting.

Ice withstood fire without melting.

Thus they might know

That the crops of their enemies

Were being destroyed

By the fire that blazed in the hail.

The fire flashed in the showers of rain.

Whereas the fire,

In order that the righteous might be fed,

Even forgot its native power.”

God gave his people (τὸν λαόν σου) the food of angels (ἀγγέλων τροφὴν). This bread from heaven came ready to eat, as it provided every pleasure to every taste. Obviously, this is a reference to the manna in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land as in Exodus, chapter 16. What is unique here is that the taste of it was pleasing to each person even if they had other tastes. This food of snow and ice did not melt. However, the crops of their enemies were destroyed. They, however, the righteous were able to feed themselves with the heavenly tasty food.

April 15, 2016

The power of fire (Wis 16:15-16:19)

“To escape from your hand

Is impossible.

The ungodly,

Refusing to know you,

Were flogged

By the strength of your arm.

They were pursued

By unusual rains.

They were pursued

By hail.

They were pursued

By relentless storms.

They were utterly consumed

By fire.

Most incredible of all,

In water,

Which quenches all things,

The fire had still greater effect.

The universe defends the righteous.

At one time,

The flame was restrained.

Thus it might not consume the creatures

Sent against the ungodly.

But seeing this,

They might know

That they were being pursued

By the judgment of God.

At another time,

Even in the midst of water

It burned more intensely than fire.

Thus they destroyed the crops

Of the unrighteous land.”

It is impossible to escape from the hand of God (σὴν χεῖρα), so that the ungodly (ἀσεβεῖς) were flogged with his hands. God pursued them with unusual rains, hail, and storms. However, they were consumed by fire. The water was not able to put out the powerful fire (δύναμιν φλέγει). In fact, the righteous and the creatures against the ungodly were saved. The ungodly, however, were to learn that they were pursued by the judgment of God (Θεοῦ κρίσει). Even in the middle of water the fires destroyed the crops of the unrighteous.

October 17, 2015

Thanksgiving for the harvest (Ps 65:9-65:13)

“You visit the earth!

You water it!

You greatly enrich it!

The river of God is full of water.

You provide the people with grain.

You have prepared it.

You water its furrows abundantly.

You settle its ridges.

You soften it with showers.

You bless its growth.

You crown the year with your bounty.

Your wagon tracks overflow with richness.

The pastures of the wilderness overflow.

The hills gird themselves with joy.

The meadows clothe themselves with flocks.

The valleys deck themselves with grain.

They shout.

They sing together for joy.”

This psalm ends with a thanksgiving to God for the great harvest. There was a profound sense of God as the grand gardener who made the crops grow. A good example of this basic belief is how God watered the earth and enriched it.  God’s river was full of water. God also provided the grain, but how was not exactly clear. There was just the right amount of rain from the showers to make the crops grow. There was a great bounty or harvest as the heavy wagons made deep tracks. Also the pastures were rich for the various animal flocks. The grain and the grass were growing at a good rate in the valleys. Thus the land and the people all shouted together. They sang with joy in thanksgiving for the great harvest time.

February 13, 2015

The Sabbath (Neh 10:31-10:31)

“If the peoples of the land bring in merchandise or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. We will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.”

They would do no business on the Sabbath. They would keep holy the Sabbath, which was Saturday. They would not buy from the peoples of the land any grain or merchandise on the Sabbath or holy days. They would forgo crops on the 7th year, the Sabbath year. Finally, they would forgive debts. This was based on Leviticus, chapter 25. This was the beginning of the new Sabbath day regulations.