the size

May 6, 2018

Jesus heals the sick (Mt 14:14-14:14)

“When Jesus went ashore,

He saw a great crowd.

He had compassion

For them.

He cured their sick.”

 

Καὶ ἐξελθὼν εἶδεν πολὺν ὄχλον, καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν.

 

A similar statement can be found in all four gospels, Mark, chapter 6:34, Luke, chapter 9:11, and John, chapter 6:2, plus here.  Jesus continued his mission of compassion and curing the ill and the sick.  When Jesus went ashore (Καὶ ἐξελθὼν), he saw a great crowd (εἶδεν πολὺν ὄχλον).  There is no indication of the size of this crowd.  He then had compassion for them (καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς), so that he cured the feeble and sick people (καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν).  One of the great acts of kindness of Jesus was curing people of their illnesses or sicknesses.

July 10, 2017

The altar base (Ezek 43:13-43:14)

“These are the dimensions

Of the altar

By cubits.

The cubit is a cubit

With a handbreadth.

Its base shall be

One cubit high,

One cubit broad,

With a rim

Of one span

Around its edge.

This shall be

The height of the altar.

From the base

On the ground

To the lower ledge,

Two cubits,

With a width

Of one cubit.

From the smaller ledge

To the larger ledge,

Four cubits,

With a width

Of one cubit.”

Ezekiel continued with his detailed explanation about the size of the altar. First, he started with the altar base that was relatively small. His measurement was the larger cubit that also included a hand size or another 5 inches to the already normal 18-inch cubit. Thus, the altar base was one cubit, only 23 inches high, or just less than 2 feet high and wide. However, it had a rim around its edge. Apparently, there were 2 ledges, a small ledge and a larger ledge. The smaller lower ledge was only 2 cubits high and 1 cubit wide. The larger ledge was 4 cubits high and 1 cubit wide.

July 4, 2017

The raised platform foundations (Ezek 41:8-41:11)

“I saw also

That the temple had

A raised platform

All around.

The foundations

Of the side chambers

Measured a full reed

Of six long cubits.

The thickness

Of the outer wall

Of the side chambers was

Five cubits.

The free space

Between the side chambers

Of the temple

With the chambers

Of the court

Was a width

Of twenty cubits

All around the temple

On every side.

The side chambers opened

Into the area left free.

One door was

Toward the north.

Another door was

Toward the south.

The width

Of the part

That was left free

Was five cubits all around.”

Then Ezekiel explained that he saw a raised platform all around the base or the foundations of these side rooms or chambers. Once again, he went into detail about the size of these items. This platform foundation measured 6 cubits or about 10 feet. The outer walls of these chambers were fairly thick, 5 cubits or about 8 feet wide. There was a free space between these Temple small rooms and the chambers in the court of 20 cubits, or about 35 feet, all around the Temple. There also was an open space in front of the small chamber doors on the north side and the south side of 5 cubits or 8 feet wide.

July 1, 2017

Ezekiel is brought to a high mountain in Israel (Ezek 40:1-40:2)

“In the twenty-fifth year

Of our exile,

At the beginning

Of the year,

On the tenth day

Of the month,

In the fourteenth year

After the city

Was struck down,

On that very day,

The hand of Yahweh

Was upon me.

He brought me there.

He brought me,

In visions of God,

To the land of Israel.

He set me down

On a very high mountain.

There was a structure,

Like a city,

To the south.”

This is the last section of the Book of Ezekiel. This is sometimes called the Torah of Ezekiel, because he sets out the size and rules for the Temple, after the exile. Like Moses, many centuries earlier, Ezekiel has his own very specific descriptions about how this Second Temple should be constructed. Once again, Ezekiel has a vision on a precise date, on the 10th day of the 1st month, the 25th year since the beginning of the exile, the 14th year after the destruction of Jerusalem, 573 BCE. Continuing with his first-person singular narrative, he said that he was brought to a high mountain in Israel with a great city to the south.

November 10, 2016

They will be ashamed (Jer 13:25-13:27)

“Says Yahweh.

‘This is your lot.

This is the portion

I have measured out to you.

Because you have forgotten me.

You trusted in lies.

I myself will lift up your skirts

Over your face.

Your shame will be seen.

I have seen your abominations.

I have seen your adulteries.

I have seen your neighing.

I have seen your shameless prostitution

On the hills of the countryside.

Woe to you!

O Jerusalem!

How long will it be

Before you are made clean?’”

Yahweh was really upset, as Jeremiah indicates. Yahweh has chosen their lot and measured the size of it. They had forgotten Yahweh, but trusted in lies. Thus Yahweh was going to violate them by lifting up their skirts over their face, so that everyone could see the shame of their nakedness. Yahweh had seen enough of their abominations that included adultery, complaining, and senseless prostitution on the hills in the countryside. Thus Yahweh issued his curse on them. He had no idea how long it would take to make them clean.