their transgressions

June 28, 2017

Yahweh and his people (Ezek 39:22-39:24)

“The house of Israel

Shall know

That I am Yahweh,

Their God,

From that day forward.

The nations

Shall know

That the house of Israel

Went into captivity

For their iniquity.

They dealt

Treacherously

With me.

So,

I hid

My face

From them.

I gave them

Into the hand

Of their adversaries.

They all fell

By the sword.

I dealt with them

According to their uncleanness.

I dealt with them

According to their transgressions.

I hid my face

From them.”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, said that the house of Israel would finally know that he was their God, from that day forward. The various countries knew that the house of Israel went into captivity, because of their iniquity in dealing treacherously with Yahweh. Thus, he hid his face from them. He gave them over to their adversaries, where they all died by the sword. Yahweh had dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions. He hid his face, until finally the Israelites recognized Yahweh as their God.

 

May 8, 2017

Open guilt (Ezek 21:24-21:24)

“Therefore

Thus says Yahweh God.

‘Because you have brought

Your guilt

To remembrance,

Your transgressions

Are uncovered.

Thus in all your deeds,

Your sins appear.

Because you have come

To remembrance,

You shall be taken

In hand.’”

Thus Yahweh said that their guilt was remembered. Their transgressions were uncovered. Their sins appeared in their deeds. They were openly guilty in remembering these things. Thus they were to be taken captive.

April 29, 2017

Repent (Ezek 18:30-18:32)

“Repent!

Turn

From all your transgressions!

Otherwise iniquity

Will be your ruin!

Cast away

From you

All the transgressions

That you have committed

Against me!

Get yourselves

A new heart!

Get yourselves

A new spirit!

Why will you die?

O house of Israel!

I have no pleasure

In the death

Of anyone.

Turn then !

Live!’

Says Yahweh God.”

Yahweh had a simple solution. They were to repent and turn away from all their transgressions. Otherwise their iniquity would be their ruin. They had to cast away all the transgressions that they had committed against Yahweh. They needed a new heart and a new spirit. Why would they want to die? Yahweh told the house of Israel that he took no pleasure in killing people. They simply had to turn away from their evil ways. Then they would live.

April 16, 2017

The deceived prophet (Ezek 14:9-14:11)

“‘If a prophet

Is deceived,

He speaks a word.

I,

Yahweh,

Have deceived

That prophet.

I will stretch out

My hand

Against him.

I will destroy him

From the midst

Of my people Israel.

They shall bear

Their punishment.

The punishment

Of the prophet

With the punishment

Of the inquirer

Shall be the same.

Thus the house of Israel

May no longer go astray

From me.

They will not

Defile themselves

Any more

With all their transgressions.

Then they shall be

My people.

I will be their God.’

Says Yahweh God.”

Yahweh said that if a prophet was deceived and spoke a wrong word, Yahweh himself had deceived him. Yahweh had stretched out his hand against him. Yahweh was going to destroy him from the midst of the people of Israel. Both those who asked about this saying and the prophet will be punished together. Thus the house of Israel may no longer go astray from Yahweh. They will not defile themselves any more with all their transgressions. Finally they shall be his people. He would be their God. Yahweh would root out all evil.

January 22, 2017

The forgotten crimes of the Judeans (Jer 44:9-44:10)

“Have you forgotten

The crimes

Of your ancestors,

Of the kings of Judah?

Have you forgotten

The crimes of their wives,

Your own crimes,

The crimes of your wives?

They committed them

In the land of Judah,

In the streets of Jerusalem.

They have shown

No contrition,

No fear,

Even to this day.

They have not walked

In my law,

In my statutes

That I set before you,

Before your ancestors.”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, wanted to know if they had amnesia. They seem to have forgotten the crimes of their ancestors, the kings of Judah. They have forgotten the crimes of the royal wives, their own crimes, and those of their wives that were committed in Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. They have never shown any kind of contrition for their transgressions. They have not feared Yahweh, since they do not walk in his law or his statutes that were given to their ancestors.

October 22, 2016

The destroying animals (Jer 5:6-5:6)

“Therefore a lion from the forest

Shall kill them.

A wolf from the desert

Shall destroy them.

A leopard is watching

Against their cities.

Everyone who goes out of them

Shall be torn to pieces.

Because their transgressions are many.

Their apostasies are great.”

Due to their transgressions and the renunciation of their religious practices, the people of Jerusalem were in danger from wild animals. The lions from the forest would kill them. A wolf from the desert would destroy them. A leopard was watching them outside their cities. All of them would be torn to pieces because of their many sins and failure to worship Yahweh.

September 28, 2016

Judgment (Isa 59:18-59:20)

“According to their deeds,

So will he repay.

Wrath will come to his adversaries.

Requital will come to his enemies.

To the coastlands,

He will render requital.

Thus those in the west

Shall fear the name of Yahweh.

Those in the east,

His glory will come.

He will come

Like a rushing pent up stream.

The wind of Yahweh will drive it.

He will come to Zion as a Redeemer

To those in Jacob,

Who turn from transgression.

Says Yahweh.”

The judgment of Yahweh is coming. Yahweh will repay people according to their deeds. He will bring wrath to his enemies and adversaries, particularly the coastlands of the Mediterranean area. The people in the west will fear the Lord. Those in the east will see his glory. Yahweh will come like a windy pent up storm. Yahweh will come to Mount Zion as the redeemer for those Israelites who turn away from their transgressions.

September 8, 2016

Oracle about the servant Israel (Isa 44:21-44:22)

“Remember these things!

O Jacob!

O Israel!

You are my servant!

I formed you!

You are my servant!

O Israel!

You will not be forgotten by me.

I have swept away your transgressions

Like a cloud.

I have swept away your sins

Like a mist.

Return to me!

I have redeemed you.”

Second Isaiah clearly indicates here that Jacob/Israel is the servant of God since it is repeated twice. They were to remember these things. Yahweh will not forget them, since he formed them. He has swept away their transgressions and sins as if they clouds or mists, here today and gone tomorrow. He wanted them to return to him since he had redeemed them.

September 5, 2016

The accusation at trial (Isa 43:25-43:28)

“I!

I am he!

I blot out your transgressions

For my own sake.

I will not remember your sins.

Accuse me!

Let us go to trial!

Set forth your case!

Thus you may be proven right.

Your first ancestor sinned.

Your interpreters transgressed against me.

Therefore I profaned

The princes of the sanctuary.

I delivered Jacob to utter destruction.

I delivered Israel to reviling.”

Second Isaiah has Yahweh continue with this first person singular diatribe against the Israelites. He wanted to put them on trial to see if they were innocent. He intended to blot out and forget their transgressions and sins. However, he expected them to present their case. Instead, he presented his case. Their first ancestor, perhaps Jacob in Genesis, chapter 27, sinned. Since then the interpreters or intermediaries have transgressed against God. Perhaps this is an allusion to the prophets or the kings. Then he talked about the sanctuary being profaned, which would be the Levitical priests in the Temple. As a result of this, he delivered Jacob and Israel to utter abusive destruction.