the people of Jerusalem

May 7, 2020

The people of Jerusalem (Acts 13:27)

“The residents

Of Jerusalem,

And their leaders,

Did not recognize

Jesus.

They fulfilled

The voices

Of the prophets

That are read

Every Sabbath,

By condemning him.”

οἱ γὰρ κατοικοῦντες ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῶν τοῦτον ἀγνοήσαντες καὶ τὰς φωνὰς τῶν προφητῶν τὰς κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον ἀναγινωσκομένας κρίναντες ἐπλήρωσαν,

The author of Acts indicated that Paul said that the residents (οἱ γὰρ κατοικοῦντες) of Jerusalem (ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ), and their leaders (καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῶν), did not recognize Jesus (τοῦτον ἀγνοήσαντες).  They fulfilled (ἐπλήρωσαν) the voices (καὶ τὰς φωνὰς) of the prophets (τῶν προφητῶν) that are read (ἀναγινωσκομένας) every Sabbath (κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον) by condemning or judging (κρίναντες) him.  Paul said that the people in Jerusalem with their leaders were ignorant about Jesus.  They actually fulfilled the words of the prophets that were read at every Sabbath service, by they themselves condemning Jesus.  With this condemnation, they were fulfilling the prophetic sayings of the Israelite prophets.  Would you have condemned Jesus?

January 25, 2018

The cleansing fountain (Zech 13:1-13:1)

“On that day,

A fountain

Shall be opened

For the house of David,

For the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

To cleanse them

From sin,

From impurity.”

On that special day, there was the wish to have an open fountain for the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, so that they would be able to cleanse their sins and impurities.  This is a rare mention of a cleansing fountain that would become a mainstay of Christianity.

December 24, 2017

Who saw the original Temple? (Hag 2:2-2:3)

“Haggai said.

‘Speak now to Zerubbabel,

The son of Shealtiel,

The governor of Judah.

Speak now

To Joshua,

The son of Jehozadak,

The high priest.

Speak now

To all the remnant

Of the people.’

Say.

‘Who is left among you

That saw this house

In its former glory?

How does it look to you now?

Is it not in your sight

As nothing?’”

Haggai once again spoke to the people of Jerusalem with the same enumeration as in the preceding chapter, Governor Zerubbabel, the high priest Joshua, and the remnant of the people.  Haggai wanted to know who was there who remembered the old Temple, since they would have to be then 70 or 80 years old.  Who remembered the former glory?  How did it look now in ruins, as if it was nothing?

November 24, 2016

The choice of life or death (Jer 21:8-21:9)

“To this people

You shall say.

‘Thus says Yahweh.

‘See!

I am setting before you

The way of life

Or the way of death.

Those who stay in this city

Shall die by the sword,

By famine,

Or by pestilence.

But those who go out,

Those who surrender to the Chaldeans,

Who are besieging you,

Shall live.

They shall have their lives

As a prize of war.’”

Yahweh told Jeremiah to tell the people of Jerusalem that they had a choice of life or death. If they stayed in the city, they would die by the sword, famine, or pestilence. However, if they surrendered to the Chaldeans, who had surrounded the city, they would live. They should consider their lives a prize of war.

November 24, 2016

After the pestilence (Jer 21:7-21:7)

“Says Yahweh.

‘Afterward,

I will give King Zedekiah

Of Judah,

With his servants,

As well as the people in this city,

Those who survived

The pestilence,

The sword,

The famine,

Into the hands

Of King Nebuchadnezzar

Of Babylon.

They will be given

Into the hands

Of their enemies,

Into the hands

Of those who seek their lives.

He shall strike them down

With the edge of the sword.

He shall not pity them.

He shall not spare them.

He shall not have compassion.’”

Jeremiah has Yahweh speak to them with this oracle. If the king and his servants, as well as the people of Jerusalem survived the pestilence, the famine, and the sword, then they would be given into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar and their enemies. They would be stricken down with the edge of a sword. There would be no pity, no sparing them, and no compassion.

October 22, 2016

How could God pardon them? (Jer 5:7-5:9)

“How can I pardon you?

Your children have forsaken me.

They have sworn by those

Who are not gods.

When I fed them to the full,

They committed adultery.

They trooped to the houses of prostitutes.

They were well-fed lusty stallions.

Each was neighing for his neighbor’s wife.

Shall I not punish them for these things?

Shall I not bring retribution

On a nation such as this?’

Says Yahweh.”

Yahweh wanted to know from Jeremiah how he could pardon the people of Jerusalem. Their children had given up on Yahweh. They were swearing to things that were not gods at all. Even after he had fed them to the full, they went and committed adultery. They ran off to the houses of prostitution with their full bellies, like lusty stallions. They were always seeking their neighbor’s wife, like a horse neighing after them. Should they not be punished for such things? This nation deserves retribution.

October 22, 2016

The destroying animals (Jer 5:6-5:6)

“Therefore a lion from the forest

Shall kill them.

A wolf from the desert

Shall destroy them.

A leopard is watching

Against their cities.

Everyone who goes out of them

Shall be torn to pieces.

Because their transgressions are many.

Their apostasies are great.”

Due to their transgressions and the renunciation of their religious practices, the people of Jerusalem were in danger from wild animals. The lions from the forest would kill them. A wolf from the desert would destroy them. A leopard was watching them outside their cities. All of them would be torn to pieces because of their many sins and failure to worship Yahweh.