the whole world

January 2, 2019

Worship me (Lk 4:7-4:7)

“‘If you,

Then,

Will worship me,

It will all be yours.’”

 

σὺ οὖν ἐὰν προσκυνήσῃς ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ, ἔσται σοῦ πᾶσα.

 

Here then is the kicker.  The devil thought that he controlled the whole world.  He asked Jesus to worship him (σὺ οὖν ἐὰν προσκυνήσῃς ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ).  If Jesus did that, then the devil would give Jesus all these kingdoms (ἔσται σοῦ πᾶσα).  This is much the same as Matthew, chapter 4:9.  For many Christians, this seemed like a stupid temptation, since God, the Father and his Son, already controlled the world.  Why would Jesus worship the devil?  That made no sense.

January 28, 2018

Profanation of the name of Yahweh (Mal 1:12-1:14)

“But you profane it

When you say

That Yahweh’s table

Is polluted.

Thus,

The food for it

May be despised.

‘What a weariness this is.’

You say.

‘You sniff at me.’

Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘You bring what has been taken

By violence,

Or is lame,

Or sick.

This you bring

As your offering!

Shall I accept that

From your hand?’

Says Yahweh.

‘Cursed be the cheat,

Who has a male in his flock!

If he vows to give it,

Yet sacrifices to Yahweh

What is blemished!

I am a great King!’

Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘My name is revered

Among the nations.’”

These priests have profaned the name of Yahweh.  They have polluted Yahweh’s table.  They have brought despised food to Yahweh’s altar.  They were tired, weary, and sniffing at Yahweh.  They brought offerings that had been violated, lame, or sick.  Should Yahweh accept these blemished offerings?  No, he should curse those who vowed to bring sacrificial offerings, but instead cheated him by bringing blemished animals.  Yahweh was a great king whose name was revered throughout the whole world, among all the countries.

December 21, 2017

No more disasters (Zeph 3:18-3:19)

“I will remove disaster

From you,

So that you will not bear

Reproach for it.

I will deal

With all your oppressors

At that time.

I will save the lame.

I will gather the outcast.

I will change their shame

Into praise.

I will make them

Renown in all the earth.”

Yahweh, via Zephaniah, would remove all the disasters from the Israelites.  They would not have to bear any reproach.  Yahweh was going to deal with all their oppressors.  He was going to save the lame and gather the outcasts, so that their shame would be turned to praise.  The Israelites would be known throughout the whole world.

August 14, 2017

The king’s new decree (Dan 4:1-4:1)

“King Nebuchadnezzar

To all people,

To all nations,

To all languages,

That live

Throughout the earth!

May you have

Abundant prosperity!”

Once again, King Nebuchadnezzar issued a decree to all the people and all the nations of the world, as if he ruled the whole world. He also included various language groups on earth. He wished everyone abundant prosperity. He wanted everyone to be happy. This is actually part of chapter 3 as in the Bible of Jerusalem. However, I will follow the verse numbers of the Oxford Bible.

 

August 10, 2017

The call for deliverance (Dan 3:20-3:22)

“Deliver us

In accordance

With your marvelous works!

Bring glory

To your name!

O Lord!

Let all who do harm

To your servants

Be put to shame!

Let them be disgraced!

Let them be deprived

Of all power!

Let their strength

Be broken!

Let them know

That you alone are

The Lord God!

Glorious!

Over the whole world!”       

Finally, Azariah got to the point. He wanted to be saved from this flaming furnace. He wanted God to show his marvelous works. He wanted him to bring glory to his name. On the other hand, anyone who was trying to bring harm to his servants should be shamed, disgraced, and lose all power and strength. They should all know that the glorious God alone is the lord over the whole world.

 

December 5, 2016

The whole world (Jer 25:26-25:26)

“I went to

All the kings of the north,

Far and near,

One after another,

All the kingdoms of the world

That are on the face of the earth.”

Having mentioned all the known areas around Israel, Jeremiah now continues his world wide tour by actually going to all the kings to the north, far and near. He would go one after the other to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.   Did he go to China or Asia? Did he go to southern Africa? Did he go to northern Europe? We are pretty certain that he did not go to North and South America or the Pacific islands, including Australia. The view of Jeremiah and his contemporaries was that the flat world was limited to what they knew.

August 20, 2016

Yahweh against all nations (Isa 34:1-34:4)

“Draw near!

O nations!

Hear!

O people!

Give heed!

Let the earth hear

With all that fills it!

Let the world hear

With all that comes from it!

Yahweh is enraged

Against all the nations.

He is furious

Against all their hoards.

He has doomed them.

He has given them over for slaughter.

Their slain shall be cast out.

The stench of their corpses shall rise.

The mountains shall flow with their blood.

All the host of heaven shall rot away.

The skies shall roll up like a scroll.

All their host shall wither

Like a leaf withering on a vine,

Like fruit withering on a fig tree.”

Once again Isaiah has this important call to listen. This time it is not merely to the people of Israel who should listen, but this is a more universal call to all the nations, all the people, the whole world, and the earth itself. Yahweh is mad at the whole world, everybody, all the countries. He has destined and doomed them for slaughter. There will be so many killed that the stench of their dead bodies will rise up, while the mountains will flow with blood. This is quite a gruesome scene. On top of that, all the hosts of heaven or the false gods will dry up and wither away like a leaf on a vine or a fruit on a tree.

June 22, 2016

Praise of King Solomon (Sir 47:12-47:18)

“After David,

A wise son rose up.

Because of David,

He lived in security.

Solomon reigned

In an age of peace.

Because God

Made all his borders tranquil,

He was able

To build a house for his name.

He provided a sanctuary

To stand forever.

How wise you were

When you were young!

You overflowed

Like the Nile River

With understanding.

Your influence spread

Throughout the earth.

You filled it with proverbs

Having deep meaning.

Your fame reached

To far-off islands.

You were loved

For your peaceful reign.

Your songs,

Your proverbs,

Your parables,

With the answers you gave

Astonished the nations.

In the name of the Lord God,

Who is called the God of Israel,

You gathered gold like tin.

You amassed silver like lead.”

Sirach points out that King Solomon inherited a peaceful nation with secure borders because his father, King David had fought so many battles. Thus Solomon was able to build a Temple for the name of Yahweh and a sanctuary that would exist forever. King Solomon was wise from his youth with an understanding like that of the great Nile River. His proverbs had deep meanings, as his influence and fame spread throughout the whole world, even to far-off islands. Solomon’s songs, proverbs, and parables astonished everyone. When Solomon called upon the name of the Lord, he amassed a great fortune in gold and silver, as if they were like tin or lead.