Yahweh’s name

January 29, 2018

The covenant with Levi (Mal 2:4-2:5)

“Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘Know!

That I have sent this command

To you.

My covenant with Levi

May hold.

My covenant with him

Was a covenant

Of life,

Of well-being.

I gave him

This covenant.

This called for reverence.

He revered me.

He stood in awe of my name.’”

Yahweh had a special covenant with the tribe of Levi, the priests.  Yahweh had set up his life-long covenant with a command to Levi that he would bring well-being to the Levites.  Yahweh had called for reverence.  Thus, the Levies had revered and stood in awe of Yahweh’s name.

January 28, 2018

The curse (Mal 2:2-2:3)

“Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘If you will not listen,

If you will not lay it to heart

To give glory

To my name,

Then I will send

The curse

On you.

I will curse your blessings.

Indeed,

I have already cursed them.

Because you do not lay it to heart.

I will rebuke your offspring.

I will spread dung

On your faces,

The dung of your offerings.

I will put you

Out of my presence.’”

Yahweh, via Malachi, said that if they did not listen and take to heart his words by giving glory to Yahweh’s name, he was going to send a curse on them.  In fact, he had already cursed their blessings.  They had not taken their worship of Yahweh to heart.  Thus, they would have the dung of their offerings spread out over their faces.  He was going to put them and their offspring out of his presence.

December 30, 2017

The interpretation of this flying scroll (Zech 5:3-5:4)

“Then the angel said to me.

‘This is the curse

That goes out

Over the face

Of the whole land.

Everyone who steals

Shall be cut off

According to the writing

On one side.

Everyone who swears falsely

Shall be cut off

According to the writing

On the other side.’

Says Yahweh of hosts.

‘I have sent it out.

It shall enter

The house of the thief.

It shall enter

The house of anyone

Who swears falsely

By my name.

It shall abide

In that house.

It shall consume it,

Both timber

With stones.’”

The angel who had been talking to Zechariah interpreted this vision for him.  This flying scroll was a curse that went out over the face of the earth.  On one side of this scroll, it said that everyone who had stolen anything would be cut off, while the other side of the scroll said that anyone who swore falsely in Yahweh’s name would be cut off also.  Thus, this flying scroll would enter the houses of those robbers and perjurers, so that their houses would be destroyed, including all the timber and stones in them.

August 7, 2016

The waiting prayer (Isa 26:7-26:9)

“The way of the righteous

Is level.

O just one!

You make smooth

The path of the righteous.

Yahweh!

In the path of your judgments,

We wait for you.

Your name

Is the soul’s desire!

Your renown

Is the soul’s desire!

My soul yearns for you

In the night!

My spirit within me

Earnestly seeks you!

When your judgments

Are in the earth,

The inhabitants of the world

Will learn righteousness.”

This prayer of Isaiah is waiting on Yahweh to come. Yahweh has made a smooth paved path for the righteous. Following the judgments of Yahweh, he is waiting for him. He knows that Yahweh’s name is great. His soul desires and yearns for Yahweh at night. His spirit is with him. Thus he earnestly seeks Yahweh. He wanted God’s judgments to be known among all the inhabitants of the world, so that they might learn righteousness.