vengeful

May 20, 2017

The punishment of the Philistines (Ezek 25:16-25:17)

“Therefore,

Thus says Yahweh God!

‘I will stretch out

My hand

Against the Philistines.

I will cut off

The Cherethites.

I will destroy

The rest of the seacoast.

I will execute

Great vengeance

Upon them

With wrathful punishments.

Then they will know

That I am Yahweh,

When I lay

My vengeance

Upon them.’”

There will be no intermediary to punish the Philistines. Yahweh was going to stretch out his hand against the Philistines. He was going to cut down these Cherethites, another name for the Philistines. The use of this term has led to the supposition that the Philistines may have been from Crete. Yahweh was going to destroy the whole seacoast, since that is where the Philistines lived. Yahweh, himself, was going to bring these vengeful punishments without any outside help. Once again, the hope was that these Philistines would recognize that Yahweh was God.

March 20, 2015

Let us thank God (Jdt 8:25-8:27)

“In spite of everything,

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

He is putting us to the test as he did our ancestors.

Remember what he did with Abraham,

How he tested Isaac,

What happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia,

While he was tending the sheep of Laban,

His mother’s brother.

He has not tried us with fire,

As he did them,

To search their hearts.

Nor has he taken vengeance upon us.

But the Lord scourges those who are close to him,

In order to admonish them.”

Despite everything, Judith wants them to give thanks to the Lord, our God. This is a test like he gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is not trying us with fire nor is he vengeful. He scourges those that are close to him to help them learn by admonishment. This was a stirring speech by Judith as she wanted to give courage to the elders. She wanted to remind them that God had sustained their ancestors in times of trial.