various countries

June 14, 2019

Many fights (Lk 21:10-21:10)

“Then Jesus said

To them.

‘Gentile nations will rise

Against gentile nations.

Kingdoms will rise

Against kingdoms.”

 

Τότε ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς Ἐγερθήσεται ἔθνος ἐπ’ ἔθνος καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν,

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said to them (Τότε ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς) that gentile nations would rise against other gentile nations (Ἐγερθήσεται ἔθνος ἐπ’ ἔθνος).  Kingdoms would rise against other kingdoms (καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν).  There was something similar in Matthew, chapter 24:7, and in Mark, chapter 13:8, word for word at times.  Mark indicated that Jesus said that the gentile nations would rise up against other gentile nations (ἐγερθήσεται γὰρ ἔθνος ἐπ’ ἔθνος).  Kingdoms would rise up against other kingdoms (καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν).  Matthew was the same.  He indicated that Jesus said that the gentile nations would rise up against other gentile nations (ἐγερθήσεται γὰρ ἔθνος ἐπὶ ἔθνος).  Kingdoms would rise up against other kingdoms (καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν).  In other words, there would be general strife among various countries.  Do you know of countries against each other?

November 11, 2017

Oracle of Yahweh (Ob 1:1-1:1)

“Thus says Yahweh

Concerning Edom.

We have heard a report

From Yahweh.

A messenger has been sent

Among my nations.

‘Rise up!

Let us rise against it

For battle.’”

The Israelites had a long history with Edom because they believed that Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, had founded this country.  The Book of Genesis listed the kings of Edom in chapter 36.  The country of Edom was south of the Dead Sea, south of Moab and south of Judah.  It eventually stopped being a country with most of the people drifting into southern Judah.  Many of the prophets had spoken against the Edomites, including Jeremiah, chapter 49, Isaiah, chapter 34, Ezekiel, chapter 25, Amos, chapter 1, and Joel, chapter 3.  This was a report from Yahweh, since he had sent his messengers to the various countries.  They were to rise up and get ready for the battle.

October 13, 2017

The call to God (Joel 2:17-2:17)

“Between the vestibule

And the altar,

Let the priests,

The ministers of Yahweh,

Weep!

Let them say!

‘Spare your people!

O Yahweh!

Do not make your heritage

A mockery!

Do not let it be

A byword among the nations!

Why should it be said

Among the people?

‘Where is their God?’”

Joel wanted the temple priests, the minister of Yahweh, to deliver a prayer to Yahweh between the altar and the vestibule, in the open court. They were to weep and ask God to spare them. They did not want the heritage of Yahweh to be a mockery or a byword among the various countries. There should never be a question about their God. Yahweh should show himself during this time of the locust plagues.

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.

 

June 17, 2017

The desolate mountains of Israel (Ezek 36:2-36:3)

“Thus says Yahweh God!

The enemy

Has said of you.

‘Aha!

The ancient heights

Have become

Our possession.’

Therefore,

Prophesy!

Say!

‘Thus says Yahweh God!

They made you desolate!

Indeed,

They crushed you

From all sides.

Thus,

You became

The possession

Of the rest

Of the nations.

You became

An object

Of gossip.

You became

An object

Of slander

Among the people.’”

Yahweh God, via Ezekiel, reminded the Israelites that their enemies had laughed at them because their ancient high mountains had become their own possessions. Thus, Ezekiel was to prophesy about these mountains, since they were truly desolate and crushed from all sides. They had become the possession of various countries. They had become an object of gossip and slander to all the people.

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).

April 11, 2017

The future return to Israel (Ezek 11:16-11:17)

“Therefore say!

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘Even though I removed them

Far away

Among the nations,

Even though I scattered them

Among the countries,

Yet I have been a sanctuary

To them

For a little while

In the countries

Where they have gone.’

Therefore say!

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘I will gather you

From the various people.

I will assemble you

Out of the various countries

Where you have been scattered.

I will give you

The land of Israel.’”

Yahweh told Ezekiel what to say. Yahweh had scattered his people among various countries and nations. However, he remained a sanctuary for them for a little while, no matter where they went. However, he was going to gather them and assemble them from these various countries that they had been scattered into. Once again, he was going to give them the land of Israel.

March 30, 2017

Food and drink (Ezek 4:11-4:13)

“‘You shall drink

Water

By measure,

One-sixth of a hin.

You shall drink

At fixed times.

You shall eat it

As a barley cake.

You will bake it

In their sight

On human dung.’

Yahweh said.

‘Thus shall

The people of Israel

Eat their bread unclean,

Among the nations

To which I will drive them.’”

Yahweh clearly gave orders about food and drink. Ezekiel had to measure his water.   A hin is about 5 quarts, so that 1/6th of a hin would be a little less than a quart of water, which is a reasonable amount of water. Once again, Ezekiel was to drink it at fixed times. Then he was to eat barley cakes that were baked on human dung. This seems odd. Here, Yahweh seems to say that the people of Israel should eat unclean bread, as long as they were living among strangers in various countries.

December 3, 2016

The cup of wrath (Jer 25:15-25:17)

“Thus Yahweh,

The God of Israel,

Said to me.

‘Take from my hand

This cup

Of the wine of wrath!

Make all the nations

To whom I send you,

Drink it!

They shall drink.

They shall stagger.

They shall go out of their minds

Because of the sword

That I am sending among them.’

So I took the cup

From Yahweh’s hand.

I made all the nations,

To whom Yahweh

Sent me,

Drink it.”

This is sort of an introduction to Jeremiah’s oracles against the various nations. However, there will be more to come later in this work. Yahweh wanted Jeremiah to take a cup of wine that was the cup of wrath from his hand. Yahweh then told Jeremiah to make all the countries that he would send him to, drink from this cup. After they drank from it, they would stagger and go out of their minds. He then would send a sword to them. Thus Jeremiah, as usual, did what Yahweh had asked him to do. He took the cup to the various countries that Yahweh sent him. Then he made them drink from this cup of wrath. This sounds like a difficult task to carry around this wine cup of wrath.

November 4, 2016

Yahweh is the true God (Jer 10:10-10:10)

“But Yahweh is the true God.

He is the living God.

He is the everlasting king.

At his wrath,

The earth quakes.

At his wrath,

The nations cannot endure

His indignation.”

Jeremiah quickly points out the difference between Yahweh, his God, and all these other false wooden idol gods. Yahweh is the only true living God, an everlasting all powerful king. When he gets angry, the earth quakes. All the various countries could not endure this indignation. Yahweh is clearly not a useless piece of wood like the other idol gods.