the King of Israel

October 3, 2017

The false alliance with Assyria (Hos 5:13-5:14)

“Ephraim saw

His sickness.

Judah saw

His wound.

Then Ephraim

Went to Assyria.

He sent

To the great king.

But he is not able

To cure you.

He was not able

To heal your wound.

I will be

Like a lion

To Ephraim.

I will be

Like a young lion

To the house of Judah.

I myself

Will tear.

I will go away.

I will carry off.

None shall rescue.”

Ephraim and Judah saw that they were not in a good place, since they were sick and wounded. King Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria had taken over the northern half of Israel. Then the king of Israel, King Pekah (737-732 BCE) made an alliance with the king of Aram, the area around Damascus, or southern Syria. However, this did not help. Therefore, Yahweh was going to be a lion against Ephraim, and a young lion against Judah. Meanwhile, Yahweh was going to tear himself away. He was not going to rescue them.

December 29, 2016

The future righteousness king (Jer 33:15-33:17)

“In those days,

At that time,

I will cause

A righteous branch

To spring up

For David.

He shall execute justice

In the land.

He shall execute righteousness

In the land.

In those days,

Judah will be saved.

Jerusalem will live in safety.

This is the name

It will be called.

‘Yahweh is our righteousness.’

Thus says Yahweh.

‘David shall never lack

A man to sit

On the throne

Of the house of Israel.’”

This is almost word for word from chapter 23 of this work. Yahweh indicates that a future Davidic king would rule in both Judah and Jerusalem, not Israel as in chapter 23. This king would come from David’s righteous branch. He would rule wisely with justice and righteousness. Judah would be saved and Jerusalem, not Israel, would live in safety. The name of Jerusalem would be called “Yahweh of our righteousness.” However, Yahweh said that they would never lack a descendant of David to sit on the throne as the king of Israel.

July 12, 2016

The alliances (Isa 7:2-7:2)

“When the house of David heard

That Aram had allied itself

With Ephraim,

The heart of King Ahaz shook.

The heart of his people shook,

As the trees of the forest

Shake before the wind.”

King Ahaz had barely become king of Judah when this news that the King of Aram and Syria had joined with the King of Israel at Ephraim to come against him. Both he and his people of Judah were afraid. They were like shaking trees in a forest all shook up by the wind.