the sound

September 7, 2017

Daniel alone saw the vision (Dan 10:7-10:9)

“I,

Daniel,

Alone,

Saw the vision.

The people,

Who were with me,

Did not see the vision.

But a great trembling

Fell upon them.

They fled.

They hid themselves.

I was left alone

To see this great vision.

My strength

Left me.

My complexion

Grew deathly pale.

I retained no strength.

Then I heard

The sound

Of his words.

When I heard

The sound

Of his words,

I fell into a trance,

Face to the ground.”

Daniel explained in the first-person singular what happened to him when he saw this grand vision. Although there were other people there with him, he was the only one who saw the man clothed in linen. They did not see anything, but they began to tremble and then hid themselves. Thus, Daniel was left alone to see this vision by himself. He, too, had a problem. His strength left me. His complexion turned pale. When he heard the sound of this bronze man’s voice, he fell into a trance, face to the ground.

August 7, 2017

The accusations against the Jews (Dan 3:8-3:11)

“Therefore,

At this time,

Certain Chaldeans

Came forward.

They denounced

The Jews.

They said

To King Nebuchadnezzar.

‘O king!

Live forever!

You!

O king!

Have made a decree

That everyone

Who hears

The sound of the horn,

The pipe,

The lyre,

The trigon,

The harp,

The drum,

The entire musical ensemble,

Shall fall down!

They shall worship

The golden statue.

Whoever does not

Fall down,

Who does not

Worship,

Shall be thrown

Into a furnace

Of a blazing fire.’”

Certain Chaldeans went to King Nebuchadnezzar to denounce the Jews. They reminded him that he had sent out a decree that everyone who heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the trigon, the harp, the drum, or any musical instrument should fall down and worship this golden statue. Anyone who failed to do so, would be thrown into a fiery furnace.

June 5, 2017

All the others go into the pit (Ezek 31:16-31:17)

“‘I made

The nations quake

At the sound

Of its fall.

I cast it down

To Sheol

With those

Who go down

To the pit.

All the trees of Eden,

The choice,

The best,

Of Lebanon,

All that were

Well-watered,

Were consoled

In the world below.

They also shall go down

To Sheol

With it,

Those killed

By the sword,

Along with its allies,

Those who lived

In its shadow

Among the nations.’”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, said that he had made the other nations shake at the sound of this falling great cedar tree. Yahweh had cast it down to Sheol where others had gone into the pit also. This included the choice and best cedar trees from Lebanon and the Garden of Eden. All these well-watered trees were consoled in the world below. They all went down to Sheol with those who had been killed by the sword, as well as the allies who had lived in the shadow of this great tree.

April 30, 2017

The second young lion was captured (Ezek 19:7-19:9)

“The second young lion

Ravaged

Their strongholds.

He laid waste

To their towns.

The land

Was appalled.

All who were in it

Were appalled

At the sound

Of his roaring.

The nations

Set upon him

From the provinces

All around.

They spread

Their net

Over him.

He was caught

In their pit.

With hooks,

They put him

In a cage.

They brought him

To the king of Babylon.

They brought him

Into custody.

Thus his voice

Would be heard

No more

On the mountains

Of Israel.”

This second young lion ravaged the strongholds and towns around there. The land and everybody in it were appalled at the sound of his roaring. Thus various countries from around the area set upon him. They spread out their nets over him. They caught him in a pit. They hooked him and put him into a cage. They brought him to the king of Babylon. He was now in custody so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel. This sounds a lot like a reference to King Zedekiah (598-587).

January 21, 2017

The Egyptian choice (Jer 42:13-42:14)

“But if you continue to say.

‘We will not stay

In this land.’

You are disobeying

The voice

Of Yahweh,

Your God.

If you say.

‘No!

We will go

To the land of Egypt,

Where we shall not see war.

We shall not hear

The sound of the trumpet.

We shall not be hungry

For bread.

There we will stay.’”

Jeremiah warned against those who did not want to stay in the land of Judah. Instead, they wanted to go to Egypt. Jeremiah told them that they were not obeying the voice of Yahweh, their God if they went to Egypt. They believed that they would not see any war in Egypt. There they would not hear the sound of the war trumpet. They also would not be hungry because they would have enough bread for food in Egypt. Thus they would prefer to live and stay in Egypt.

October 20, 2016

The lamentation over this sudden disaster (Jer 4:19-4:22)

“My anguish!

My anguish!

I writhe in pain!

O!

The walls of my heart!

My heart is beating wildly!

I cannot keep silent!

I hear the sound of the trumpet.

I hear the alarm of war.

Disaster overtakes disaster.

The whole land is laid waste.

Suddenly my tents are destroyed.

My curtains are destroyed in a moment.

How long must

I see the standard?

How long must

I hear the sound of the trumpet?

‘My people are foolish.

They do not know me.

They are stupid children.

They have no understanding.

They are skilled in doing evil.

But they do not know

How to do good.’”

Jeremiah laments the actions that are taking place. He is pained and in anguish. His heart is beating wildly as he hears the sound of the war trumpet. There was disaster after disaster in the land, as their tents and curtains were also destroyed quickly. He wondered how long this was going to last. He realized that his people were foolish, acting like stupid children, not listening to him. They had no understanding of what was happening. The only thing that they knew was evil, since they did not know how to do good things.