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?

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!

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.

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."?

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!

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.

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."

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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).

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?

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.

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).