the land of Israel

September 25, 2017

Take a prostituting wife (Hos 1:2-1:2)

“When Yahweh

First spoke

Through Hosea,

Yahweh said to Hosea.

‘Go!

Take for yourself

A wife of prostitution!

Have children

Of prostitution!

The land commits

Great prostitution

By forsaking Yahweh.’”

The command of Yahweh to Hosea is a little strange at first sight. Yahweh God wants Hosea to take a wife, which is not odd. However, she should be a prostitute or whore. He should have children with this prostitute. Thus, the life of Hosea the prophet became symbolic in itself. The reason for the emphasis on prostitution was that the land of Israel had prostituted itself by giving up on Yahweh. The great theme of the infidelity of the Israelites was lived out by Hosea in a real symbolic way. The later prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel would mention this infidelity of Israel also.

September 1, 2017

The little horn grew strong (Dan 8:9-8:10)

“Out of one of them

Came another horn,

A little one.

It grew exceedingly great,

Toward the south,

Toward the east,

Toward the beautiful land.

It grew as high,

As the host

Of heaven.

It threw down

To earth

Some of the host,

Some of the stars.

It cast them down

To the ground.

It trampled on them.”

Once again, the little horn is the big problem, as in the last vision. This little horn is a reference to a member of the Seleucids branch, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This little horn grew great towards the south, the east, and into the beautiful land, the land of Israel. This little horn also grew tall to the heavens. It threw down some of the hosts of heaven and the stars of the sky. It cast them down to the ground and trampled on them.

June 27, 2017

The seven-month search and burial (Ezek 39:12-39:16)

“‘The house of Israel

Shall spend

Seven months

Burying them,

In order to cleanse

The land.

All the people

Of the land

Shall bury them.

It will bring them honor

On the day

That I show my glory.’

Says Yahweh God.

‘They will set apart men

To pass through

The land continually.

They will bury

Any invaders who remain

On the face of the land.

It will then be cleansed.

They will make their search.

For seven months.

As the searchers

Pass through the land,

Anyone who sees

A human bone

Shall set up

A sign by it,

Until the buriers

Have buried it

In the Valley of Hamon-gog.

A city Hamonah

Is there also.

Thus,

They shall cleanse

The land.”

The house of Israel was to spend 7 months burying the men with Gog, so that they could cleanse the land of Israel and its people. These grave diggers would gain honor on the day when Yahweh was going to show his glory. These body searchers would be set apart to pass through the land continually. They would bury any remains they found. Anyone who saw a human bone was to set up a sign by it, until these buriers buried them in the Valley of Hamon-gog or the city Hamonah, next to it. Thus, the land would be cleansed by removing these dead bodies in 7 months.

June 24, 2017

The eternal covenant of peace (Ezek 37:26-37:28)

“I will make

A covenant

Of peace

With the Israelites.

It shall be

An everlasting covenant

With them.

I will bless them.

I will multiply them.

I will set my sanctuary

Among them

Forever.

My dwelling place

Shall be with them.

I will be their God.

They shall be my people.

Then the nations

Shall know

That I,

Yahweh,

Sanctify Israel,

When my sanctuary is

Among them

Forever.”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, was going to make an eternal covenant of peace with the Israelites. He was going to bless and multiply them. He was going to set his sanctuary among them, living with them forever. He was going to be their God. Thus, they would be his people. All the various countries would know that Yahweh had personally sanctified the land of Israel forever. There was a major emphasis on forever, which is a very long time.

June 17, 2017

The jealous God (Ezek 36:5-36:7)

“Therefore,

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘I am speaking

In my hot jealousy

Against the rest

Of the nations.

I am speaking

Against all Edom.

They took my land

As their possession

With wholehearted joy,

With utter contempt.

They wanted

To plunder it

Because of its pasture.

Therefore,

Prophesy

Concerning the land

Of Israel.

Say to the mountains,

To the hills,

To the water streams,

To the valleys!’

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘I am speaking

In my jealous wrath!

You have suffered

The insults

Of the nations.’

Therefore,

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘I swear

That the nations

That are all around you

Shall themselves

Suffer insults.’”

Yahweh God, via Ezekiel, was speaking in his hot jealousy against all the other countries. However, there was an explicit remark about all of Edom, since they had taken possession and plundered the land of Israel with great joy and utter contempt, because of its good pastures. Thus, Ezekiel was to prophesy about the land of Israel, including its mountains, hills, water streams, and valleys. Yahweh God was full of his jealous wrath. Israel had suffered the insults of these other countries. Now Yahweh said that all these other countries around Israel would suffer these insults themselves.

June 14, 2017

A covenant of peace (Ezek 34:25-34:25)

“I will make

With them

A covenant

Of peace.

I will

Banish wild animals

From the land.

Therefore,

They may live

In the wild

Securely.

They may sleep

In the woods,

Securely.”

Yahweh was going to make a new covenant of peace with the Israelites. They would be secure wherever they went. Yahweh was going to banish all the wild animals from the land of Israel. Then they could live and even sleep in the wild woods without any concern. This time of peace was upon them.

May 16, 2017

The assembly stoning and death (Ezek 23:46-23:49)

“Thus says Yahweh God.

‘Bring up an assembly

Against them!

Make them

An object of terror!

Make them

An object of plunder!

The assembly

Shall stone them!

They shall cut them down

With their swords!

They shall kill their sons!

They shall kill their daughters!

They shall burn up

Their houses!

Thus will I put an end

To lewdness

In the land!

Thus all women

May take warning!

Do not commit lewdness

As you have done!

They shall repay you

For your lewdness.

You shall bear

The penalty

For your sinful idolatry!

You shall know

That I am Yahweh God!’”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, was clear that the punishment for this lewd behavior was death. They were to gather an assembly against these wanton women, who were an object of terror and plunder. The assembly was to stone them and cut them down with swords. They were to kill their sons and daughters, as well as burn up their houses. Yahweh was going to put an end to all this lewdness in the land of Israel. This was a very severe punishment. All the women were put on warning. In other words, there was a jump from the bad behavior of the feminine cities of Samaria and Jerusalem to all the Israelite women. They were not to commit lewd acts. If they did, they would be repaid for their bad behavior. They would bear the penalty for their sinful idolatry. Everyone should know that Yahweh was God.

May 6, 2017

The drawn sword (Ezek 21:3-21:5)

“Say to the land of Israel!

Thus says Yahweh!

‘I am coming

Against you!

I will draw

My sword

Out of its sheath!

I will cut off

From you

Both the righteous

With the wicked!

Because I will cut off

From you

Both the righteous

With the wicked,

Therefore my sword

Shall go

Out of its sheath

Against all flesh,

From south to north.

All flesh

Shall know

That I,

Yahweh,

Have drawn my sword

Out of its sheath.

It shall not be

Sheathed again.”

Yahweh told Ezekiel to tell the land of Israel that he was going to go against them with a drawn sword. He was going to take his sword out of its sheath or holder against both the righteous and the wicked. His sword was not going to go back into that sheath or holder. He was going to raise his sword against everyone from south to north. They all would know that Yahweh had drawn his sword from his sheath. Thus it would not be returned to its sheath again.

May 6, 2017

Oracle against Jerusalem (Ezek 21:1-21:2)

“The word of Yahweh

Came to me.

‘Son of man!

Set your face

Toward Jerusalem!

Preach

Against the sanctuaries!

Prophesy

Against the land of Israel!’”

Once again, in the first person, Ezekiel explained that the word of Yahweh came to him, the son of man. He was to set his face against Jerusalem. He was to preach against their sanctuaries. He was to prophesy against the land of Israel. These verses are verses 7 and on in the Jerusalem Bible, so that the verses for this chapter will be different in the two Bibles. I will follow the New Oxford Bible verse numbers.

April 14, 2017

Yahweh is against the false prophets (Ezek 13:8-13:9)

“Therefore

Thus says Yahweh God.

‘Because you have uttered

Falsehood

With envisioned lies,

I am against you.’

Says Yahweh God.

‘My hand

Will be against

The prophets

Who see false visions.

My hand

Will be against

The prophets

Who utter lying divinations.

They shall not be

In the council

Of my people.

They shall not be

Enrolled

In the register

Of the house of Israel.

They shall not

Enter

The land of Israel.

You shall know

That I am Yahweh God.’”

Yahweh was clearly against these false prophets who had uttered falsehoods and lying visions. His hand was going to be against these prophets with their false visions and lying sayings. Yahweh was not going to allow them into the council of his people. They would not be allowed to be enrolled or registered in the house of Israel. In fact, they would not be allowed to enter the land of Israel. Everyone should know that Yahweh was their God. No one else or no false prophets would have the final say.