the wealth

January 27, 2018

The great panic (Zech 14:13-14:14)

“On that day,

A great panic

From Yahweh

Shall fall on them.

Thus,

Each will seize

The hand of a neighbor.

The hand of the one

Will be raised

Against the hand of the other.

Even Judah

Will fight at Jerusalem.

The wealth

Of all the surrounding nations

Shall be collected,

Gold,

Silver,

Garments.

All in great abundance.”

There would be a panic on the great day of Yahweh.  Thus, they would seize their neighbors by the hand.  They would raise their hands against each other.  Even Judah would fight with Jerusalem.  All the wealth of the surrounding countries of gold, silver, and garments would be collected in large amounts.  Everything would be topsy-turvy.

December 17, 2017

The unbelieving rich (Zeph 1:12-1:13)

“At that time,

I will search Jerusalem

With lamps.

I will punish

The people

Who rest complacently

On their dregs.

I will punish

Those who say

In their hearts,

‘Yahweh will not do good.

Nor will he do harm.’

Their wealth

Shall be plundered.

Their houses laid waste.

Though they build houses,

They shall not inhabit them.

Though they plant vineyards,

They shall not drink wine

From them.”

On the day of Yahweh, Yahweh was going to search through Jerusalem with lamps.  He would punish the complacent people, those who had drunk too much of the dregs of their wine casks.  Yahweh was going to punish those who said that they didn’t care about Yahweh, because he had no effect on their lives, either for good or bad.  Yahweh was going to take the wealth of these rich people by plundering their belongings and destroying their homes.  If they were planning to build a house, they would never live in it.  If they were planting vineyards, they would never enjoy the wine from those vines.  Wealth would not save them from the Day of Yahweh.

May 31, 2017

King Nebuchadnezzar will get the spoils of Egypt (Ezek 29:19-29:20)

“Therefore,

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘I will give the land

Of Egypt

To King Nebuchadnezzar

Of Babylon.

He shall carry off

Its wealth.

He shall despoil it.

He shall plunder it.

It shall be

The wages

For his army.

I have given him

The land

Of Egypt

As his payment

For which he labored.

Because they worked

For me.’

Says Yahweh God.”

In a perverse sort of way, Yahweh was going to give King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon the land of Egypt as a compensation for not getting much from the capture of Tyre. Thus, the king of Babylon would get the wealth of Egypt. He was going to wreck and plunder Egypt to get the wages for his army. Egypt was the payment to the king of Babylon for doing the work of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

November 23, 2016

The future captivity of Pashhur and his friends (Jer 20:4-20:6)

“Thus says Yahweh.

‘I am making you a terror

To yourself,

To all your friends.

They shall fall

By the sword of their enemies

While you look on.

I will give all Judah

Into the hand

Of the king of Babylon.

He shall carry them captive

To Babylon.

He shall kill them

With the sword.

I will give

All the wealth of the city,

All its gains,

All its prized belongings,

All the treasures of the kings of Judah

Into the hand of their enemies.

They shall plunder them.

They shall seize them.

They shall carry them to Babylon.

You!

Pashhur!

With all who dwell in your house,

Shall go into captivity.

You shall go to Babylon.

There you shall die.

There you shall be buried!

You!

With all your friends,

To whom you have prophesied falsely.’”

Jeremiah then uttered a destructive oracle of Yahweh to Pashhur, his friends, as well as the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Pashhur would be a terror to himself and his friends. All his friends would die by their enemy’s swords as he looked on. Judah would be handed over to Babylon as they would be brought into captivity, where they would die. The Babylonians were going to take all the wealth from the city of Jerusalem with all its prized possessions, along with all the treasures of Judah. Their enemies would plunder them and carry them off to Babylon. Pashhur with his whole household would be brought into captivity where they would all die and be buried. All of this would take place to Pashhur, his friends, and those to whom he falsely prophesized. There would not be a happy ending to this story. He crossed Jeremiah one too many times.

November 16, 2016

The power of Yahweh’s name (Jer 17:3-17:4)

“Your wealth,

With all your treasures

I will give for spoil

As the price of your sins

Throughout all your territory.

By your own act

You shall lose the heritage

That I gave you.

I will make you

Serve your enemies

In a land that you do not know.

In my anger,

A fire is kindled

That shall burn forever.”

Here we have a repeat of what was said in chapter 15 with the last verse exactly word for word. Yahweh would not relent. He was going to give away the wealth and treasure of the whole country as plunder. This was the price they had to pay for their sins. Thus they would serve their former enemies in a foreign land. Yahweh’s anger has been kindled and would burn forever. There was no turning back.

November 14, 2016

The punishing judgment of Yahweh (Jer 15:13-15:14)

“I will give as plunder

Your wealth,

With your treasures,

Without a price,

Throughout all your territory.

For all your sins,

I will make you

Serve your enemies

In a land that you do not know.

In my anger

A fire is kindled

That shall burn forever.”

Yahweh will not relent. He was going to freely give away the wealth and treasure of the whole country as plunder. Due to their sins, they would serve their former enemies in a foreign land. Yahweh’s anger has been kindled and will burn forever. There is no turning back.

October 3, 2016

The happy reunion (Isa 60:4-60:5)

“Lift up your eyes!

Look around!

They all gather together.

They come to you.

Your sons

Shall come from far away.

Your daughters

Shall be carried on their nurse’s arms.

Then you shall see.

You shall be radiant.

Your heart shall thrill.

Your heart shall rejoice.

Because the abundance of the sea

Shall be brought to you.

The wealth of the nations

Shall come to you.”

Jerusalem should lift up its eyes. They should look around and see all the people coming together. Their sons were coming from far away. Their daughters were being carried by their nurses. There will be rejoicing because of the abundance of the sea and the wealth that they are bringing back to Jerusalem.

November 30, 2015

The possession of the Promised Land (Ps 105:42-105:45)

“Yahweh remembered his holy promise.

He remembered his servant Abraham.

He brought his people out with joy.

His chosen ones were singing.

He gave them the lands of the nations.

They took possession of the wealth of the peoples.

Thus they might keep his statutes.

Thus they might observe his laws.

Praise Yahweh!”

God remembered his holy promise to Abraham. He brought his people out of Egypt singing joyously. He gave them the land of the various countries or nations. They were able to take possession of the wealth of those people. Thus they were to keep and observe the statutes and laws of Yahweh. In this rendition of the Exodus there is no mention of the crossing of the Red Sea or the difficulties in taking possession of the Promised Land. This psalm ends with a great refrain “praise Yahweh,” which is another way of saying alleluia, the Hebrew “Hallelujah.”

April 1, 2015

The kingdom of King Artaxerxes (Esth 1:1-1:4)

“It was after this that the following things happened in the days of King Artaxerxes, the same Artaxerxes who ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. In those days, when King Artaxerxes was enthroned in the capital city of Susa, in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his friends and other persons of various nations, the Persians and the Median nobles, as well as the governors of the provinces. After this, he had displayed to them the wealth of his kingdom and the splendor of his bountiful celebration during the course of one hundred eighty days.”

Now we begin the story of Esther with the Hebrew text. This was the great King Artaxerxes (465-424 BCE) with a huge empire from India to Ethiopia. This Persian king, which is now Iran, had over 127 provinces. So that when we read about Samaria in the Province Beyond the River Euphrates in Nehemiah and Ezra, it was only 1 of 127 provinces. This was the 3rd year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, about 462 BCE. The capital city was Susa, a town that dates back to about 5,000 BCE, about 7, 000 years old. Susa was a major Persian city that went out of favor when it was captured by the Greek Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. King Artaxerxes had invited most of the 127 governors, nobles, and especially the Persian and Median nobles to see the wealth and splendor of his kingdom for about 6 months, 180 days. Persia and Media were old friendly neighboring countries.