Isaiah 57:1 - The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.
I wonder how many attendees at a Christian's funeral realize they should only be sad or cry for themselves and others who are still alive. The dead "righteous" person, the Christian, is having a grand time in the afterlife. Survivors who can mange it ought to be shouting, "Yes! Woohoo! Way to go! Congratulations!" as if the deceased had just won the lottery.
Do you think that's insensitive? Stop reading this for a few moments and think about it. Stop reading! Close your eyes and think. Resume with the next paragraph after some thoughts of your own.
Then think again.
The dead Christian just got what he's been "working" for his whole life (possibly). He got what the rest of us can only look forward to. Should that make us sad? If it were any other good thing that he got, we wouldn't be. So we shouldn't be sad for his sake now that he's dead either.
I can still recall being sad, watery-eyed, at my 20-something cousin's funeral. She had had cancer for about 6 months. I was fine until I saw her little sister crying. See, I wasn't sad for my older cousin. She was fine now! I was sad for the family who would miss her. I don't think that family has been the same (with one exception) since.
Proper perspective = peace.
4/18/2007
4/16/2007
Free lunch
Isaiah 55:1 - "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost."
I wonder if there was a common saying like, "There's no such thing as a free lunch" in Isaiah's day. In this verse, God is offering a "free lunch" to everyone. It's free to us because the price was paid in full by someone else. Jesus paid the fare, the tab, the bill because there's no way we could. No amount of dish washing could ever have covered the cost. But since Jesus did step in, we can "delight in the richest of fare" -- heaven -- forever.
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost."
I wonder if there was a common saying like, "There's no such thing as a free lunch" in Isaiah's day. In this verse, God is offering a "free lunch" to everyone. It's free to us because the price was paid in full by someone else. Jesus paid the fare, the tab, the bill because there's no way we could. No amount of dish washing could ever have covered the cost. But since Jesus did step in, we can "delight in the richest of fare" -- heaven -- forever.
4/10/2007
Twinkle, twinkle
Isaiah 40:25-26 - "To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
That's a lot of names.
I wonder if we can infer from this that no stars or other major heavenly objects have ceased to exist since the beginning of creation. Even if the universe is 10,000 years old, maybe that's not long enough for a star that scientists would consider "old" to be completely burned out or dead.
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
That's a lot of names.
I wonder if we can infer from this that no stars or other major heavenly objects have ceased to exist since the beginning of creation. Even if the universe is 10,000 years old, maybe that's not long enough for a star that scientists would consider "old" to be completely burned out or dead.
4/04/2007
A really bad boil
Isaiah 38:1 + 21 - In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
Isaiah had said, "Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover."
What kind of a boil leads to death? Or wasn't it the boil itself that would have killed Hezekiah? Was it only a symptom of something else? Or was this a cancerous boil?
What was in the poultice that healed him? (It goes without saying that the Lord actually did the healing. But he might have used the chemicals in the poultice to do so.)
Isaiah had said, "Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover."
What kind of a boil leads to death? Or wasn't it the boil itself that would have killed Hezekiah? Was it only a symptom of something else? Or was this a cancerous boil?
What was in the poultice that healed him? (It goes without saying that the Lord actually did the healing. But he might have used the chemicals in the poultice to do so.)
4/03/2007
Wha' happened?
Isaiah 37:36-37 - Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
I wonder if Sennacherib (among others) discovered all the dead soldiers on his own or if someone delivered the message to his tent -- possibly even waking him to do so.
I wonder how many soldiers were left in his army after the 185,000 were gone. There were obviously not enough left to fight with in his opinion.
I wonder what thoughts went through his mind when he first learned about his decimated troops. Did he consider that there was a connection between his boasting and the killing? Did he attribute the deaths to natural causes? What did he tell the families of the soldiers when he got back home? The truth? I doubt it. That they died gloriously in battle? Probably something like that. I wonder if he tried to silence those survivors who knew the rest of the story.
I wonder if Sennacherib (among others) discovered all the dead soldiers on his own or if someone delivered the message to his tent -- possibly even waking him to do so.
I wonder how many soldiers were left in his army after the 185,000 were gone. There were obviously not enough left to fight with in his opinion.
I wonder what thoughts went through his mind when he first learned about his decimated troops. Did he consider that there was a connection between his boasting and the killing? Did he attribute the deaths to natural causes? What did he tell the families of the soldiers when he got back home? The truth? I doubt it. That they died gloriously in battle? Probably something like that. I wonder if he tried to silence those survivors who knew the rest of the story.
3/22/2007
Countdown
Isaiah 21:16-17 - This is what the Lord says to me: "Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the pomp of Kedar will come to an end. The survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar, will be few." The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
How does "a servant bound by contract" count differently from anyone else? Or does he mean the attitude with which he counts -- eagerly awaiting the end of the contract? Then again, what if the servant had a good contract? Would he be full of despair or worry or trepidation that the contract was going to end and he might not get another as good -- if he got one at all?
How does "a servant bound by contract" count differently from anyone else? Or does he mean the attitude with which he counts -- eagerly awaiting the end of the contract? Then again, what if the servant had a good contract? Would he be full of despair or worry or trepidation that the contract was going to end and he might not get another as good -- if he got one at all?
3/20/2007
Buck nekked
Isaiah 20 - In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it - at that time the LORD spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, "Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet." And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.
Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt's shame. Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame. In that day the people who live on this coast will say, 'See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?' "
I wonder what people thought of Isaiah during and after this "stunt." Did they consider it a stunt? Did they think he was insane? Apparently no one tried to "put him away." Did they think he was crazy but mostly harmless?
I wonder if Isaiah was totally naked 24 hours a day for all 3 years. Did he have a family of his own -- wife and children -- at this time? What did his other relatives think of him? Did anyone try to make him get dressed?
I find it interesting that such a striking display was used "as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush." It wasn't even Israel that he was warning! He went through all this for 3 years for a bunch of foreigners -- Gentiles!
Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt's shame. Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame. In that day the people who live on this coast will say, 'See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?' "
I wonder what people thought of Isaiah during and after this "stunt." Did they consider it a stunt? Did they think he was insane? Apparently no one tried to "put him away." Did they think he was crazy but mostly harmless?
I wonder if Isaiah was totally naked 24 hours a day for all 3 years. Did he have a family of his own -- wife and children -- at this time? What did his other relatives think of him? Did anyone try to make him get dressed?
I find it interesting that such a striking display was used "as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush." It wasn't even Israel that he was warning! He went through all this for 3 years for a bunch of foreigners -- Gentiles!
3/12/2007
Isaiah and the prophetess
Isaiah 8:3-4 - Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria."
I wonder if God told Isaiah to go to the prophetess in order to have a son. I have the feeling that he did because of the name he was told to give the boy and because of the symbol that the boy was to be.
I wonder if God had told the prophetess about his plan for her and Isaiah. I wonder if she would have been surprised if she hadn't been forewarned.
I wonder if Isaiah and the prophetess were considered husband and wife from this point on.
I wonder if God told Isaiah to go to the prophetess in order to have a son. I have the feeling that he did because of the name he was told to give the boy and because of the symbol that the boy was to be.
I wonder if God had told the prophetess about his plan for her and Isaiah. I wonder if she would have been surprised if she hadn't been forewarned.
I wonder if Isaiah and the prophetess were considered husband and wife from this point on.
3/11/2007
Bic or Parker
Isaiah 8:1 - The LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz."
So apparently they had different styles or qualities of writing instruments in Isaiah's day. I wonder what the "ordinary" Bic type looked like. And what did the fancy Parker type look like?
Why was Isaiah supposed to specifically use the ordinary type? Was it to be symbolic of something or did God just mean to say, "Quick grab whatever pen is handy. Don't go looking for something special to write with even though you know it's going to be word for word something coming directly from me."?
So apparently they had different styles or qualities of writing instruments in Isaiah's day. I wonder what the "ordinary" Bic type looked like. And what did the fancy Parker type look like?
Why was Isaiah supposed to specifically use the ordinary type? Was it to be symbolic of something or did God just mean to say, "Quick grab whatever pen is handy. Don't go looking for something special to write with even though you know it's going to be word for word something coming directly from me."?
3/06/2007
Byline
Isaiah 1:1 - The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
I wonder if Isaiah didn't write any of this down until Hezekiah's reign. Or did he write all throughout these king's reigns and then this introduction was inserted later? Or did he write it before anything that follows knowing who the next kings would be and that he would write during their reigns? Hey, he was a prophet!
I wonder if Isaiah didn't write any of this down until Hezekiah's reign. Or did he write all throughout these king's reigns and then this introduction was inserted later? Or did he write it before anything that follows knowing who the next kings would be and that he would write during their reigns? Hey, he was a prophet!
3/04/2007
The duty of man
Ecclesiastes 12:13 - Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
Six little words: Fear God and keep his commandments. So simple, yet so deep. I sometimes wonder why some people add more to this and make it harder and more complex than it really is.
Just a few sentences before this, Solomon said, "The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them." Don't add your own ideas to what God has simply said. Do try to understand what he says though. And to understand it, you have to know it. And to know it, you have to read (or listen to) it. And most of that you can and should do on your own.
You'll never study the entire Bible only by hearing a sermon once a week. You won't even cover the whole book in a Bible class, unless it's a very special one. So just sit down and start reading (or listening to a recording) by yourself. It can be done. It'll probably take a year or more, depending on how much time you give it daily. Start at the very beginning. When you finish, start over. You will be blessed for doing so. Promise.
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
Six little words: Fear God and keep his commandments. So simple, yet so deep. I sometimes wonder why some people add more to this and make it harder and more complex than it really is.
Just a few sentences before this, Solomon said, "The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them." Don't add your own ideas to what God has simply said. Do try to understand what he says though. And to understand it, you have to know it. And to know it, you have to read (or listen to) it. And most of that you can and should do on your own.
You'll never study the entire Bible only by hearing a sermon once a week. You won't even cover the whole book in a Bible class, unless it's a very special one. So just sit down and start reading (or listening to a recording) by yourself. It can be done. It'll probably take a year or more, depending on how much time you give it daily. Start at the very beginning. When you finish, start over. You will be blessed for doing so. Promise.
3/02/2007
A little bird
Ecclesiastes 10:20 - Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
I wonder if this is the origin of the phrase I've used often enough: "A little bird told me."
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
I wonder if this is the origin of the phrase I've used often enough: "A little bird told me."
2/26/2007
The wise man and the king
Ecclesiastes 9:13-15 - I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.
I wonder which city and which king this was. Was it a city in Israel? Did this happen during Solomon's lifetime? Was the king Solomon himself?
I wonder what the wise man did to save the city. Did he trick the king? Did he talk him out of attacking? Did he convince him that the benefits of saving the city outweighed its destruction? Was there something valuable in the city that was surrendered? Did the people agree to be servants if their city was spared? Was the city really too small to bother capturing?
And why were huge siegeworks needed against a small city in the first place?
I wonder which city and which king this was. Was it a city in Israel? Did this happen during Solomon's lifetime? Was the king Solomon himself?
I wonder what the wise man did to save the city. Did he trick the king? Did he talk him out of attacking? Did he convince him that the benefits of saving the city outweighed its destruction? Was there something valuable in the city that was surrendered? Did the people agree to be servants if their city was spared? Was the city really too small to bother capturing?
And why were huge siegeworks needed against a small city in the first place?
2/21/2007
Agur
Proverbs 30:1 - The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh
I wonder who Agur was. He, along with King Lemuel, are right up there with Solomon amongst the proverbial elite. Most people probably think the whole book of Proverbs belongs to Solomon, but not so. Here is Agur with his own n+1 style of wisdom.
At least in the few proverbs recorded here, we see he likes numbers. 'There are 3 things -- no, wait -- 4 things....' He's not the only writer to use this technique, and I believe it was (is?) a fairly common style in that culture.
Agur is also the one to write the well-known passage about disobedient children and overzealous birds. There's a trivia question for you!
I wonder if Agur was one of Solomon's officials.
I wonder in general how many of these writers actually did their own writing. We know that Paul used a secretary to write much of the New Testament. I wonder if Solomon sometimes used one too. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Agur, on the other hand, seems like a guy who'd do his own writing. I don't know why I think so; I just have that feeling.
I wonder who Agur was. He, along with King Lemuel, are right up there with Solomon amongst the proverbial elite. Most people probably think the whole book of Proverbs belongs to Solomon, but not so. Here is Agur with his own n+1 style of wisdom.
At least in the few proverbs recorded here, we see he likes numbers. 'There are 3 things -- no, wait -- 4 things....' He's not the only writer to use this technique, and I believe it was (is?) a fairly common style in that culture.
Agur is also the one to write the well-known passage about disobedient children and overzealous birds. There's a trivia question for you!
I wonder if Agur was one of Solomon's officials.
I wonder in general how many of these writers actually did their own writing. We know that Paul used a secretary to write much of the New Testament. I wonder if Solomon sometimes used one too. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Agur, on the other hand, seems like a guy who'd do his own writing. I don't know why I think so; I just have that feeling.
2/14/2007
Patience...now!
Proverbs 19:11 - A man's wisdom gives him patience;
it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Do you know any patient people? How many? How about impatient people? In general, which are there more of? I see more impatient folk.
Since it's wisdom that gives patience, is it fair to say there's a lot of foolishness going on? Wisdom isn't the only thing that can lead to patience, so that tempers the number of fools somewhat.
The type of patience spoken of here is what's needed when you've been wronged. What's your first reaction when you've been hurt, cheated, dis'd? Do you choose to patiently overlook the offense? You may be wise to do so sometimes; it could be to your glory, your benefit.
I wonder how often Solomon got to exercise this kind of patience? What were the offenses he chose to overlook? I'm guessing some were the same ones I might -- even though he was king, and I never will be.
it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Do you know any patient people? How many? How about impatient people? In general, which are there more of? I see more impatient folk.
Since it's wisdom that gives patience, is it fair to say there's a lot of foolishness going on? Wisdom isn't the only thing that can lead to patience, so that tempers the number of fools somewhat.
The type of patience spoken of here is what's needed when you've been wronged. What's your first reaction when you've been hurt, cheated, dis'd? Do you choose to patiently overlook the offense? You may be wise to do so sometimes; it could be to your glory, your benefit.
I wonder how often Solomon got to exercise this kind of patience? What were the offenses he chose to overlook? I'm guessing some were the same ones I might -- even though he was king, and I never will be.
2/12/2007
The silent fool
Proverbs 17:28 - Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue.
There isn't much I wonder about in the Psalms or Proverbs, but here is one small item. I wonder how many silent fools the writer (Solomon) had met before he created this proverb. I suppose he determined that the quiet person was still a fool by his actions.
and discerning if he holds his tongue.
There isn't much I wonder about in the Psalms or Proverbs, but here is one small item. I wonder how many silent fools the writer (Solomon) had met before he created this proverb. I suppose he determined that the quiet person was still a fool by his actions.
1/31/2007
Moonstruck
Psalm 121:5-6 - The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
I know bad things can happen from being out in the sun too long, and I've heard of being moonstruck too. But I wonder if this is what the writer has in mind with the phrase "nor the moon by night" or if he was thinking more generally of bad things that are more likely to happen outside at night.
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
I know bad things can happen from being out in the sun too long, and I've heard of being moonstruck too. But I wonder if this is what the writer has in mind with the phrase "nor the moon by night" or if he was thinking more generally of bad things that are more likely to happen outside at night.
1/30/2007
Midnight worship
Psalm 119:62 - At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.
I wonder if the writer just got up in the middle of the night on random occasions, or if he did so on scheduled dates, or if there was one particular planned late night worship service that he attended. In any case, the point is that God should be praised and thanked at any and all hours of the day and night.
for your righteous laws.
I wonder if the writer just got up in the middle of the night on random occasions, or if he did so on scheduled dates, or if there was one particular planned late night worship service that he attended. In any case, the point is that God should be praised and thanked at any and all hours of the day and night.
1/27/2007
Been there, done that
Psalm 114:3-4 - The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
the mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
Israel's crossing of the Red Sea is mentioned many times in the Bible. I wonder why their crossing of the Jordan -- also a miracle -- is not spoken of as much. Is it the "been there, done that" syndrome? True, there was no army drowned in the Jordan, but it was still quite a show.
I wonder if the skipping mountains and hills refers to the probable volcanic activity at Mt. Sinai. Are there two separate instances of skipping referred to here -- one for the rams and another for the lambs?
the Jordan turned back;
the mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
Israel's crossing of the Red Sea is mentioned many times in the Bible. I wonder why their crossing of the Jordan -- also a miracle -- is not spoken of as much. Is it the "been there, done that" syndrome? True, there was no army drowned in the Jordan, but it was still quite a show.
I wonder if the skipping mountains and hills refers to the probable volcanic activity at Mt. Sinai. Are there two separate instances of skipping referred to here -- one for the rams and another for the lambs?
1/23/2007
Good vs evil
Compare these two psalms.
Psalm 105 - Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
O descendants of Abraham his servant,
O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
"To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit."
When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
"Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm."
He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.
They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,
till what he foretold came to pass,
till the word of the LORD proved him true.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.
He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
to instruct his princes as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.
Then Israel entered Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
The LORD made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous for their foes,
whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
to conspire against his servants.
He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They performed his miraculous signs among them,
his wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against his words?
He turned their waters into blood,
causing their fish to die.
Their land teemed with frogs,
which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
He turned their rain into hail,
with lightning throughout their land;
he struck down their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their country.
He spoke, and the locusts came,
grasshoppers without number;
they ate up every green thing in their land,
ate up the produce of their soil.
Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.
He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
and from among their tribes no one faltered.
Egypt was glad when they left,
because dread of Israel had fallen on them.
He spread out a cloud as a covering,
and a fire to give light at night.
They asked, and he brought them quail
and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
like a river it flowed in the desert.
For he remembered his holy promise
given to his servant Abraham.
He brought out his people with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-
that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws.
Praise the LORD.
Psalm 106 - Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
We have sinned, even as our fathers did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
When our fathers were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
Yet he saved them for his name's sake,
to make his mighty power known.
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his counsel.
In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wasteland they put God to the test.
So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease upon them.
In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.
Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
They exchanged their Glory
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.
Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD.
So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the desert,
make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.
They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.
By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses' lips.
They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,
but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.
He handed them over to the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.
Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.
But he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;
for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
He caused them to be pitied
by all who held them captive.
Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD.
These psalms are both histories of Israel covering roughly the same period of time. But notice how Psalm 105 is virtually all about the good that God did for his people whereas Psalm 106 is about all the evil that his people did in return. I wonder if the same person composed both of these psalms.
Psalm 105 - Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
O descendants of Abraham his servant,
O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
"To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit."
When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
"Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm."
He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.
They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,
till what he foretold came to pass,
till the word of the LORD proved him true.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.
He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
to instruct his princes as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.
Then Israel entered Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
The LORD made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous for their foes,
whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
to conspire against his servants.
He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They performed his miraculous signs among them,
his wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against his words?
He turned their waters into blood,
causing their fish to die.
Their land teemed with frogs,
which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
He turned their rain into hail,
with lightning throughout their land;
he struck down their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their country.
He spoke, and the locusts came,
grasshoppers without number;
they ate up every green thing in their land,
ate up the produce of their soil.
Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.
He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
and from among their tribes no one faltered.
Egypt was glad when they left,
because dread of Israel had fallen on them.
He spread out a cloud as a covering,
and a fire to give light at night.
They asked, and he brought them quail
and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
like a river it flowed in the desert.
For he remembered his holy promise
given to his servant Abraham.
He brought out his people with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-
that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws.
Praise the LORD.
Psalm 106 - Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
We have sinned, even as our fathers did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
When our fathers were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
Yet he saved them for his name's sake,
to make his mighty power known.
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his counsel.
In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wasteland they put God to the test.
So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease upon them.
In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.
Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
They exchanged their Glory
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.
Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD.
So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the desert,
make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.
They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.
By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses' lips.
They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,
but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.
He handed them over to the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.
Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.
But he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;
for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
He caused them to be pitied
by all who held them captive.
Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD.
These psalms are both histories of Israel covering roughly the same period of time. But notice how Psalm 105 is virtually all about the good that God did for his people whereas Psalm 106 is about all the evil that his people did in return. I wonder if the same person composed both of these psalms.
1/22/2007
Sea serpent
Psalm 104:25-26 - There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
If this leviathan is the same creature mentioned at the end of the book of Job, I wonder if we're talking about a sea serpent here. There was some hint of a water creature in Job too. A fire-breathing sea serpent? Why not? It's a little difficult to picture such an animal frolicking though, isn't it?
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
If this leviathan is the same creature mentioned at the end of the book of Job, I wonder if we're talking about a sea serpent here. There was some hint of a water creature in Job too. A fire-breathing sea serpent? Why not? It's a little difficult to picture such an animal frolicking though, isn't it?
1/17/2007
The sparrow near the altar
Psalm 84:3-4 - Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
I wonder if anyone tried to keep birds (and other critters) out of the tabernacle or the temple. Was there ever a debate amongst the priests and Levites about it? You'd think birds could make quite a mess in there. Then again, no more mess than all the sacrifices that were done deliberately.
This psalmist comes up with a good reason for leaving the sparrow alone. Even the small bird was happy there and was praising God (in song).
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
I wonder if anyone tried to keep birds (and other critters) out of the tabernacle or the temple. Was there ever a debate amongst the priests and Levites about it? You'd think birds could make quite a mess in there. Then again, no more mess than all the sacrifices that were done deliberately.
This psalmist comes up with a good reason for leaving the sparrow alone. Even the small bird was happy there and was praising God (in song).
1/15/2007
Sea monster
Psalm 74:13-14 - It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.
I wonder if this is a reference to Moses and Israel passing through the Red Sea. There was no mention of any multi-headed sea monster in Moses' account however.
If this is not a reference to Moses time, then I wonder when this did happen. And what is this sea creature that has more than one head? Leviathan is mentioned in other places in the Bible, but I don't think anyone knows exactly which creature the term describes. In Job 41, leviathan sounds like the dragon of fantasy literature. Why not a two-headed dragon then as well?
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.
I wonder if this is a reference to Moses and Israel passing through the Red Sea. There was no mention of any multi-headed sea monster in Moses' account however.
If this is not a reference to Moses time, then I wonder when this did happen. And what is this sea creature that has more than one head? Leviathan is mentioned in other places in the Bible, but I don't think anyone knows exactly which creature the term describes. In Job 41, leviathan sounds like the dragon of fantasy literature. Why not a two-headed dragon then as well?
1/14/2007
The Next Generation (2)
Psalm 71:18 - Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.
I wonder if this psalmist knew just how many generations he would be telling about God's power. It's been many thusfar and likely will be many more before all is said and done.
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.
I wonder if this psalmist knew just how many generations he would be telling about God's power. It's been many thusfar and likely will be many more before all is said and done.
1/10/2007
Traitor 2
Psalm 55:12-14 - If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were raising himself against me,
I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
as we walked with the throng at the house of God.
I wonder if this is the same traitor mentioned in an earlier psalm (41).
I could endure it;
if a foe were raising himself against me,
I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
as we walked with the throng at the house of God.
I wonder if this is the same traitor mentioned in an earlier psalm (41).
1/08/2007
From captivity?
Psalm 42-43 - As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
+++++
Vindicate me, O God,
and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I wonder where the composer was when he wrote this psalm. It sounds like he may have been in captivity -- like in Babylonia. In any case, there seems to be some reason he can't get to the temple to worship and greatly desires to do so -- perhaps more than anything else at the moment.
When was the last time you had a similar feeling about worshiping God with fellow Christians? Perhaps never, because you've always had the opportunity and have never been physically prevented from doing so. Do you think you'll have such a yearning if the time comes and infirmity or opposition forces you to stay away from corporate worship?
I wonder if Psalm 43 was part of Psalm 42 (as a footnote suggests). Perhaps it was like an alternate ending -- sometimes added on, sometimes not.
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
+++++
Vindicate me, O God,
and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I wonder where the composer was when he wrote this psalm. It sounds like he may have been in captivity -- like in Babylonia. In any case, there seems to be some reason he can't get to the temple to worship and greatly desires to do so -- perhaps more than anything else at the moment.
When was the last time you had a similar feeling about worshiping God with fellow Christians? Perhaps never, because you've always had the opportunity and have never been physically prevented from doing so. Do you think you'll have such a yearning if the time comes and infirmity or opposition forces you to stay away from corporate worship?
I wonder if Psalm 43 was part of Psalm 42 (as a footnote suggests). Perhaps it was like an alternate ending -- sometimes added on, sometimes not.
Traitor
Psalm 41:7-9 - All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
"A vile disease has beset him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies."
Even my close friend, whom I trusted,
he who shared my bread,
has lifted up his heel against me.
I wonder who the traitor was.
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
"A vile disease has beset him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies."
Even my close friend, whom I trusted,
he who shared my bread,
has lifted up his heel against me.
I wonder who the traitor was.
1/04/2007
Wink, wink, nudge, nudge
Psalm 35:19 - Let not those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
let not those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
I wonder how far back in history the wink has been used as a sign of trickery, malicious or otherwise.
who are my enemies without cause;
let not those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
I wonder how far back in history the wink has been used as a sign of trickery, malicious or otherwise.
1/02/2007
Thunder boomers
Psalm 29:3-5 - The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
I wonder if David actually witnessed lightning strike the cedars of Lebanon and break some of them in pieces. Whether he did or not, it must have been quite a sight. It sounds like someone had seen it happen and considered it important enough to tell about.
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
I wonder if David actually witnessed lightning strike the cedars of Lebanon and break some of them in pieces. Whether he did or not, it must have been quite a sight. It sounds like someone had seen it happen and considered it important enough to tell about.
Head of the gate
Psalm 24:7-10 - Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
I wonder if there is/was a piece of a city gate that is routinely called the 'head' or if David is anthropomorphizing these doors. In the former case, perhaps that's a part of the gate -- like a latch -- that needs to be moved before the gate can be opened. In the latter case, I don't quite see the connection between lifting up the head (of a person) and being able to open a door.
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
I wonder if there is/was a piece of a city gate that is routinely called the 'head' or if David is anthropomorphizing these doors. In the former case, perhaps that's a part of the gate -- like a latch -- that needs to be moved before the gate can be opened. In the latter case, I don't quite see the connection between lifting up the head (of a person) and being able to open a door.
12/31/2006
He was pierced
Psalm 22:12-18 - Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
The first part of this psalm is obviously quoted and fulfilled by Jesus many years later at the time of his crucifixion. I can't think of a time when this literally happened to David though, so I wonder if he is speaking metaphorically about himself or if this really did happen and it just isn't recorded elsewhere for us.
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
The first part of this psalm is obviously quoted and fulfilled by Jesus many years later at the time of his crucifixion. I can't think of a time when this literally happened to David though, so I wonder if he is speaking metaphorically about himself or if this really did happen and it just isn't recorded elsewhere for us.
12/29/2006
Volcano and storm
Psalm 18:7-15 - The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
I wonder if God literally used a volcano and a hailstorm to defeat some of David's enemies. It certainly sounds like at least the lightning took care of some of them.
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
I wonder if God literally used a volcano and a hailstorm to defeat some of David's enemies. It certainly sounds like at least the lightning took care of some of them.
Volcano and storm
Psalm 18:7-15 - The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
I wonder if God literally used a volcano and a hailstorm to defeat some of David's enemies. It certainly sounds like at least the lightning took care of some of them.
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies ,
great bolts of lightning and routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
I wonder if God literally used a volcano and a hailstorm to defeat some of David's enemies. It certainly sounds like at least the lightning took care of some of them.
On the run
Psalm 3 - O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him."
But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
I wonder how David found the time and opportunity to compose a psalm while running for his life. Granted, he probably wasn't literally running that much, but it doesn't seem like it would have been the first thing on his mind. Or does it? A petition such as this should be first in our thoughts more often than it probably is.
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him."
But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
I wonder how David found the time and opportunity to compose a psalm while running for his life. Granted, he probably wasn't literally running that much, but it doesn't seem like it would have been the first thing on his mind. Or does it? A petition such as this should be first in our thoughts more often than it probably is.
12/26/2006
From nothing to double
Job 42:10-17 - After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.
Usually a man's sons are mentioned by name when listing his children. I wonder why only Job's daughters are listed here. They were given an inheritance (which was unusual) but that doesn't mean the sons were neglected in any way.
I wonder how old Job was when he died. He could easily have been over 200.
The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.
Usually a man's sons are mentioned by name when listing his children. I wonder why only Job's daughters are listed here. They were given an inheritance (which was unusual) but that doesn't mean the sons were neglected in any way.
I wonder how old Job was when he died. He could easily have been over 200.
Leviathan
Job 41 - "Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook
or tie down his tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?
Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?
Will he make an agreement with you
for you to take him as your slave for life?
Can you make a pet of him like a bird
or put him on a leash for your girls?
Will traders barter for him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons
or his head with fishing spears?
If you lay a hand on him,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
Any hope of subduing him is false;
the mere sight of him is overpowering.
No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
Who then is able to stand against me?
Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.
"I will not fail to speak of his limbs,
his strength and his graceful form.
Who can strip off his outer coat?
Who would approach him with a bridle?
Who dares open the doors of his mouth,
ringed about with his fearsome teeth?
His back has rows of shields
tightly sealed together;
each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.
They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.
His snorting throws out flashes of light;
his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
Firebrands stream from his mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
Smoke pours from his nostrils
as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
His breath sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from his mouth.
Strength resides in his neck;
dismay goes before him.
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm and immovable.
His chest is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.
When he rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before his thrashing.
The sword that reaches him has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
Iron he treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.
Arrows do not make him flee;
slingstones are like chaff to him.
A club seems to him but a piece of straw;
he laughs at the rattling of the lance.
His undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
Behind him he leaves a glistening wake;
one would think the deep had white hair.
Nothing on earth is his equal—
a creature without fear.
He looks down on all that are haughty;
he is king over all that are proud."
The footnote in my Bible suggests that the leviathan might be the crocodile. I wonder if it might not be something more like the dragon of fantasy stories. Either that, or some now-extinct creature who fits every part of the description better than the croc.
or tie down his tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?
Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?
Will he make an agreement with you
for you to take him as your slave for life?
Can you make a pet of him like a bird
or put him on a leash for your girls?
Will traders barter for him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?
Can you fill his hide with harpoons
or his head with fishing spears?
If you lay a hand on him,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
Any hope of subduing him is false;
the mere sight of him is overpowering.
No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
Who then is able to stand against me?
Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.
"I will not fail to speak of his limbs,
his strength and his graceful form.
Who can strip off his outer coat?
Who would approach him with a bridle?
Who dares open the doors of his mouth,
ringed about with his fearsome teeth?
His back has rows of shields
tightly sealed together;
each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.
They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.
His snorting throws out flashes of light;
his eyes are like the rays of dawn.
Firebrands stream from his mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
Smoke pours from his nostrils
as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
His breath sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from his mouth.
Strength resides in his neck;
dismay goes before him.
The folds of his flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm and immovable.
His chest is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.
When he rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before his thrashing.
The sword that reaches him has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
Iron he treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.
Arrows do not make him flee;
slingstones are like chaff to him.
A club seems to him but a piece of straw;
he laughs at the rattling of the lance.
His undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
Behind him he leaves a glistening wake;
one would think the deep had white hair.
Nothing on earth is his equal—
a creature without fear.
He looks down on all that are haughty;
he is king over all that are proud."
The footnote in my Bible suggests that the leviathan might be the crocodile. I wonder if it might not be something more like the dragon of fantasy stories. Either that, or some now-extinct creature who fits every part of the description better than the croc.
Behemoth
Job 40:15-24 - "Look at the behemoth,
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
What strength he has in his loins,
what power in the muscles of his belly!
His tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.
His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like rods of iron.
He ranks first among the works of God,
yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.
The hills bring him their produce,
and all the wild animals play nearby.
Under the lotus plants he lies,
hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
The lotuses conceal him in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream surround him.
When the river rages, he is not alarmed;
he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.
Can anyone capture him by the eyes,
or trap him and pierce his nose?"
The footnote in my Bible suggested that the behemoth might be the hippopotamus or the elephant. I wonder though which animal God considers "first" among his works. Could it possibly be a dinosaur? Or perhaps it was some other creature that is now extinct.
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
What strength he has in his loins,
what power in the muscles of his belly!
His tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.
His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like rods of iron.
He ranks first among the works of God,
yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.
The hills bring him their produce,
and all the wild animals play nearby.
Under the lotus plants he lies,
hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
The lotuses conceal him in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream surround him.
When the river rages, he is not alarmed;
he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.
Can anyone capture him by the eyes,
or trap him and pierce his nose?"
The footnote in my Bible suggested that the behemoth might be the hippopotamus or the elephant. I wonder though which animal God considers "first" among his works. Could it possibly be a dinosaur? Or perhaps it was some other creature that is now extinct.
12/23/2006
Dwelt a miner
Job 28:1-10 - There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
Man puts an end to the darkness;
he searches the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.
Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft,
in places forgotten by the foot of man;
far from men he dangles and sways.
The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;
sapphires come from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon's eye has seen it.
Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.
Man's hand assaults the flinty rock
and lays bare the roots of the mountains.
He tunnels through the rock;
his eyes see all its treasures.
I wonder what type of lighting they used down in the mines. Obviously electricity is not mentioned, so it probably wasn't light bulbs that lit their way. (Or was it?) Was it fire? Torches? Lanterns? Oil or gas?
Job says, "...far from men he dangles and sways." I wonder how far down the deepest mines went. How did they compare with mines of today? Had Job ever actually seen miners working? Had he been a miner?
and a place where gold is refined.
Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
Man puts an end to the darkness;
he searches the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.
Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft,
in places forgotten by the foot of man;
far from men he dangles and sways.
The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;
sapphires come from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon's eye has seen it.
Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.
Man's hand assaults the flinty rock
and lays bare the roots of the mountains.
He tunnels through the rock;
his eyes see all its treasures.
I wonder what type of lighting they used down in the mines. Obviously electricity is not mentioned, so it probably wasn't light bulbs that lit their way. (Or was it?) Was it fire? Torches? Lanterns? Oil or gas?
Job says, "...far from men he dangles and sways." I wonder how far down the deepest mines went. How did they compare with mines of today? Had Job ever actually seen miners working? Had he been a miner?
12/21/2006
God's words
Job 23:12 - I have not departed from the commands of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
Earlier I mentioned that some people think the book of Job may be the earliest written book of the Bible. If that is so, I wonder if Job had any written words to obey. Or did he just have God's spoken commands passed down through the generations as his guide for living?
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
Earlier I mentioned that some people think the book of Job may be the earliest written book of the Bible. If that is so, I wonder if Job had any written words to obey. Or did he just have God's spoken commands passed down through the generations as his guide for living?
12/20/2006
Nasty Job?
Job 22:5-9 - Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins endless?
You demanded security from your brothers for no reason;
you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked.
You gave no water to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,
though you were a powerful man, owning land—
an honored man, living on it.
And you sent widows away empty-handed
and broke the strength of the fatherless.
Sure, Job was a sinner like everyone else, but did he really do all these nasty things that Eliphaz lists? I wonder if Eliphaz had proof of any of these sins or if they were hypothetical or guesses or examples of sins Job might have committed.
Are not your sins endless?
You demanded security from your brothers for no reason;
you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked.
You gave no water to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,
though you were a powerful man, owning land—
an honored man, living on it.
And you sent widows away empty-handed
and broke the strength of the fatherless.
Sure, Job was a sinner like everyone else, but did he really do all these nasty things that Eliphaz lists? I wonder if Eliphaz had proof of any of these sins or if they were hypothetical or guesses or examples of sins Job might have committed.
12/19/2006
How dare they!
Job 16:10 - Men open their mouths to jeer at me;
they strike my cheek in scorn
and unite together against me.
I wonder if anyone actually did this to Job while in his sorry condition. Or was Job just speaking metaphorically?
I don't want to think too long about it, but I wonder if I've ever literally or figuratively done something similar to anyone. How about you?
they strike my cheek in scorn
and unite together against me.
I wonder if anyone actually did this to Job while in his sorry condition. Or was Job just speaking metaphorically?
I don't want to think too long about it, but I wonder if I've ever literally or figuratively done something similar to anyone. How about you?
12/17/2006
Too deep
Job 9:10 - He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.
Remember this is really God telling us about himself through Job. There's stuff -- science, or whatever you want to call it -- that we will never understand. And there's a lot of it!
I wonder which areas of science/nature/creation have the most unfathomable wonders. Or are they pretty evenly spread out? I wonder how much we understand today compared to what some of the great minds of the past knew -- Adam, Noah, Solomon, to name a few.
miracles that cannot be counted.
Remember this is really God telling us about himself through Job. There's stuff -- science, or whatever you want to call it -- that we will never understand. And there's a lot of it!
I wonder which areas of science/nature/creation have the most unfathomable wonders. Or are they pretty evenly spread out? I wonder how much we understand today compared to what some of the great minds of the past knew -- Adam, Noah, Solomon, to name a few.
12/15/2006
Constellations
Job 9:9 - He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Some think the book of Job may be older; that is, written earlier than any other book of the Bible. Whether or not, I still wonder what the Hebrew literally says in this verse. I think the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades were only named as such long after this book was written. If the Hebrew really uses these words, I wonder if they refer to the same things that we mean today.
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Some think the book of Job may be older; that is, written earlier than any other book of the Bible. Whether or not, I still wonder what the Hebrew literally says in this verse. I think the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades were only named as such long after this book was written. If the Hebrew really uses these words, I wonder if they refer to the same things that we mean today.
12/13/2006
Eliphaz speaks
Job 4:1-2 - Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
"If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?"
Huh? You've been sitting there for a week, Eliphaz (and friends) without uttering a word. How can the first thing you say include the line "But who can keep from speaking?" Obviously the three of you can! I really wonder how you did hold off for 7 days and 7 nights though. Wasn't it boring, to say the least?
"If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?"
Huh? You've been sitting there for a week, Eliphaz (and friends) without uttering a word. How can the first thing you say include the line "But who can keep from speaking?" Obviously the three of you can! I really wonder how you did hold off for 7 days and 7 nights though. Wasn't it boring, to say the least?
Job's poetic curse
Job 3 - After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said:
"May the day of my birth perish,
and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!'
That day—may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine upon it.
May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm its light.
That night—may thick darkness seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy be heard in it.
May those who curse days curse that day,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,
for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
to hide trouble from my eyes.
"Why did I not perish at birth,
and die as I came from the womb?
Why were there knees to receive me
and breasts that I might be nursed?
For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
with kings and counselors of the earth,
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
with rulers who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never saw the light of day?
There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
Captives also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver's shout.
The small and the great are there,
and the slave is freed from his master.
"Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?
Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
For sighing comes to me instead of food;
my groans pour out like water.
What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil."
It appears from the way the text is formatted in the English translation, that Job's cursing of the day of his birth is Hebrew poetry. I wonder how he was able -- in the midst of such pain, grief, sorrow, and despair -- to speak in lines of poetry. I wonder if they practiced this art form regularly and often back then so that it just came naturally even at a time like this.
"May the day of my birth perish,
and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!'
That day—may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine upon it.
May darkness and deep shadow claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm its light.
That night—may thick darkness seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy be heard in it.
May those who curse days curse that day,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,
for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
to hide trouble from my eyes.
"Why did I not perish at birth,
and die as I came from the womb?
Why were there knees to receive me
and breasts that I might be nursed?
For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
with kings and counselors of the earth,
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
with rulers who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never saw the light of day?
There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
Captives also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver's shout.
The small and the great are there,
and the slave is freed from his master.
"Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?
Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
For sighing comes to me instead of food;
my groans pour out like water.
What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil."
It appears from the way the text is formatted in the English translation, that Job's cursing of the day of his birth is Hebrew poetry. I wonder how he was able -- in the midst of such pain, grief, sorrow, and despair -- to speak in lines of poetry. I wonder if they practiced this art form regularly and often back then so that it just came naturally even at a time like this.
12/10/2006
God, Job, Satan: Round II
Job 2:1 - On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him.
I wonder how long after the first round of destruction this second meeting came. I have the feeling it came pretty quickly. Job's three friends, who had heard of his troubles, didn't even have time to arrive before Job was covered with sores due to round 2 of Satan's attacks. I wonder if Job even had time to think, "What next?"
I wonder how long after the first round of destruction this second meeting came. I have the feeling it came pretty quickly. Job's three friends, who had heard of his troubles, didn't even have time to arrive before Job was covered with sores due to round 2 of Satan's attacks. I wonder if Job even had time to think, "What next?"
12/09/2006
A quick shave
Job 1:20-21 - At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
Note that it says he shaved his head -- not pulled out his hair in anger or frustration as others do elsewhere in the Bible.
I wonder if he shaved it himself or had his barber do it. Was there a razor handy, or did he have to go get one? Similar question if a barber was hired.
I get the impression that this is done in rapid succession though. Tear robe. Shave head. Fall down. Is this perhaps not the best translation of the phrase?
If this happened to me, I hope I could repeat Job's words of praise. Right now I'd say I could. But what if it really happened tomorrow? Could you?
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
Note that it says he shaved his head -- not pulled out his hair in anger or frustration as others do elsewhere in the Bible.
I wonder if he shaved it himself or had his barber do it. Was there a razor handy, or did he have to go get one? Similar question if a barber was hired.
I get the impression that this is done in rapid succession though. Tear robe. Shave head. Fall down. Is this perhaps not the best translation of the phrase?
If this happened to me, I hope I could repeat Job's words of praise. Right now I'd say I could. But what if it really happened tomorrow? Could you?
12/07/2006
Job loses all
Job 1:13-19 - One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
Job barely had time to digest the first message by the time the fourth one was delivered. I wonder if it all even sank in until a fair amount of time had passed. I think his immediate actions were a reaction to the news about the deaths of his 10 children.
I wonder if the thought crossed his mind that these messengers might be pulling a prank. Perhaps they were hired by someone else? This couldn't really all be happening within the hour, could it?
Job was "the greatest man among all the people of the East." I wonder if anyone (besides the three friends we hear of later) came to his assistance when they heard of his losses. Surely everyone knew his name. And when this disaster happened, certainly the news of it would spread quickly.
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
Job barely had time to digest the first message by the time the fourth one was delivered. I wonder if it all even sank in until a fair amount of time had passed. I think his immediate actions were a reaction to the news about the deaths of his 10 children.
I wonder if the thought crossed his mind that these messengers might be pulling a prank. Perhaps they were hired by someone else? This couldn't really all be happening within the hour, could it?
Job was "the greatest man among all the people of the East." I wonder if anyone (besides the three friends we hear of later) came to his assistance when they heard of his losses. Surely everyone knew his name. And when this disaster happened, certainly the news of it would spread quickly.
12/06/2006
Jew for a day
Esther 8:17 - In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
I wonder what these people did to become Jews. Were they circumcised? Did they start to follow Jewish religious practices? Did they become Jews for more than just the one day? How would an enemy of the Jews know that a non-Jew had become a Jew? And why would he care? What difference did it make if those who weren't enemies of the Jews became Jews?
I wonder what these people did to become Jews. Were they circumcised? Did they start to follow Jewish religious practices? Did they become Jews for more than just the one day? How would an enemy of the Jews know that a non-Jew had become a Jew? And why would he care? What difference did it make if those who weren't enemies of the Jews became Jews?
12/05/2006
Counting sheep
Esther 6:1-4 - That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
"What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?" the king asked.
"Nothing has been done for him," his attendants answered.
The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected for him.
I wonder what time of night Xerxes finally gave up on trying to get to sleep. Before midnight? 2:00 in the morning? When did he usually go to bed?
How long did his attendants have to read to him? It sounds like they read until daybreak, because when they got to the part about Mordecai, Haman was already up and anticipating a visit to the king.
So even if Xerxes waited until 2:00 A.M. to be read to, that would mean someone had to read from the chronicles for several hours! I wonder what it was like to be working the graveyard shift in the palace and suddenly be called upon to read the king a bedtime story because counting sheep just wasn't working.
And did Xerxes expect the chronicles to put him to sleep? Hm.
"What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?" the king asked.
"Nothing has been done for him," his attendants answered.
The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected for him.
I wonder what time of night Xerxes finally gave up on trying to get to sleep. Before midnight? 2:00 in the morning? When did he usually go to bed?
How long did his attendants have to read to him? It sounds like they read until daybreak, because when they got to the part about Mordecai, Haman was already up and anticipating a visit to the king.
So even if Xerxes waited until 2:00 A.M. to be read to, that would mean someone had to read from the chronicles for several hours! I wonder what it was like to be working the graveyard shift in the palace and suddenly be called upon to read the king a bedtime story because counting sheep just wasn't working.
And did Xerxes expect the chronicles to put him to sleep? Hm.
12/04/2006
Proper attire
Esther 4:1-2 - When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. But he went only as far as the king's gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.
I wonder why a person wearing sackcloth was not allowed to enter the king's gate. Was this the only type of attire that was forbidden? Was there a dress code -- like "tux with tails" or "shirt and tie" -- that was required? Was this the only place (or the only gate) that had this restriction? Were Jews the only ones who ever wore sackcloth? If others wore it, was it for the same reasons that Jews did? Was there something intrinsic about sackcloth for which it was forbidden, or was it what the wearing of it symbolized that kept the person out?
I wonder why a person wearing sackcloth was not allowed to enter the king's gate. Was this the only type of attire that was forbidden? Was there a dress code -- like "tux with tails" or "shirt and tie" -- that was required? Was this the only place (or the only gate) that had this restriction? Were Jews the only ones who ever wore sackcloth? If others wore it, was it for the same reasons that Jews did? Was there something intrinsic about sackcloth for which it was forbidden, or was it what the wearing of it symbolized that kept the person out?
12/03/2006
Don't show me the money
Esther 3:8-11 - Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business."
So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. "Keep the money," the king said to Haman, "and do with the people as you please."
Why didn't Xerxes ask any questions about who these people were or what their customs were or what laws they weren't obeying? I wonder how Haman came to be so trusted. Didn't it surprise Xerxes that no one had mentioned such a people before this? That he hadn't heard of any trouble they had caused? That it was only Haman who seemed at all concerned about them?
So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. "Keep the money," the king said to Haman, "and do with the people as you please."
Why didn't Xerxes ask any questions about who these people were or what their customs were or what laws they weren't obeying? I wonder how Haman came to be so trusted. Didn't it surprise Xerxes that no one had mentioned such a people before this? That he hadn't heard of any trouble they had caused? That it was only Haman who seemed at all concerned about them?
12/01/2006
At the king's gate
Esther 3:1-4 - After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.
Then the royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?" Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
In those days, the gate was a place of great importance not only for safety, but also for conducting business. At least that's the way it had been in Israel. I'm guessing it was of similar importance among the Medes and Persians. I would also think that the king's gate would be at least doubly important just because it was the king's gate and was in the capital city.
So I wonder how it was that Mordecai got to hang around the king's gate so much. Was it because his cousin was queen? I doubt the relationship was known because then, when Mordecai revealed his Jewish heritage, Esther's would have been known too.
Did Mordecai consider giving honor to Haman idolatry? He seems to make a connection between his Jewish heritage and practices with his refusal to bow before Haman. I wonder that the royal officials didn't force Mordecai to bow in honor to Haman in obedience to the king's order. Was Mordecai considered their equal? Or better?
Then the royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?" Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
In those days, the gate was a place of great importance not only for safety, but also for conducting business. At least that's the way it had been in Israel. I'm guessing it was of similar importance among the Medes and Persians. I would also think that the king's gate would be at least doubly important just because it was the king's gate and was in the capital city.
So I wonder how it was that Mordecai got to hang around the king's gate so much. Was it because his cousin was queen? I doubt the relationship was known because then, when Mordecai revealed his Jewish heritage, Esther's would have been known too.
Did Mordecai consider giving honor to Haman idolatry? He seems to make a connection between his Jewish heritage and practices with his refusal to bow before Haman. I wonder that the royal officials didn't force Mordecai to bow in honor to Haman in obedience to the king's order. Was Mordecai considered their equal? Or better?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)