the sight of Yahweh

November 17, 2017

The near-death experience of Jonah (Jon 2:4-2:6)

“Then I said.

‘I am driven away

From your sight.

How shall I look again

Upon your holy Temple?

The waters closed in

Over me.

The deep surrounded me.

Weeds were wrapped

Around my head.

At the roots

Of the mountains,

I went down

To the land.

The bars closed

Upon me forever.

Yet you brought up

My life

From the Pit.

O Yahweh!

My God!’”

The experience of drowning or nearly drowning is like a near-death experience. Jonah had been driven away from the sight of Yahweh because he had decided to run away from the task that Yahweh had asked him to do. He would never again look at the holy Temple in Jerusalem. As the sea waters closed in on him on every side, sea weeds were wrapped around his head. He actually felt like he was buried at the bottom of a mountain with the bars closed in on forever. He had gone down to the sea. like in Davy Jones locker. However, Yahweh, his God, brought him to life. He saved him from the Pit, the shadow like afterlife.

October 4, 2017

Return to Yahweh (Hos 6:1-6:3)

“Come!

Let us return to Yahweh!

He has torn us.

He will heal us.

He has struck us down.

He will bind us up.

After two days,

He will revive us.

On the third day,

He will raise us up,

That we may live

Before him.

Let us know!

Let us press on

To know Yahweh!

His appearing is

As sure

As the dawn.

He will come to us

Like the showers,

Like the spring rains

That water the earth.”

Hosea asked his listeners to return to Yahweh. Although, Yahweh had torn them down, now he would heal them. He had struck them down. Now he would bind them up. After 2 days, he would revive them. On the 3rd day, he would raise them up, a theme of the early Christian writers. Thus, they might live in the sight of Yahweh. They would want to know Yahweh, since his appearance was as sure as the daily dawn of the sun. He would come to them, like a soft shower or spring rain that waters the earth and makes it grow. So, the same thing would happen to these Israelites.

September 11, 2016

The servant’s purpose (Isa 49:5-49:6)

“Now Yahweh says

That he formed me

From the womb

To be his servant.

I was to bring Jacob

Back to him.

Thus Israel might be gathered to him.

I am honored

In the sight of Yahweh.

My God has become my strength.

Yahweh says.

‘It is too light a thing

That you should be my servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob,

To restore the survivors of Israel.

I will give you

As a light to the nations.

Thus my salvation may reach

To the ends of the earth.’”

Second Isaiah explains why this servant was formed from the womb. He was to bring back Jacob and gather Israel. This servant would be honored in the sight of Yahweh and become his strength. It was not enough that that he would raise up the tribes of Jacob or restore the survivors of Israel. He would now become the light to all the nations. Thus Yahweh would save everyone, even those at the ends of the earth.