Saturday, February 6, 2010

Ez 1

Ezekiel 1
1.16  beryl... It was one of the stones on the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 28:20; R.V. marg., “chalcedony;” 39:13). The color of the wheels in Ezekiel's vision was as the color of a beryl stone (1:16; 10:9; R.V., “stone of Tarshish”). It is mentioned in Song of Songs 5:14; Dan. 10:6; Rev. 21:20. In Ezek. 28:13 the LXX. render the word by “chrysolite,” which the Jewish historian Josephus regards as its proper translation. This also is the rendering given in the Authorized Version in the margin. That was a gold-colored gem, the topaz of ancient authors.  --WebBible™ Encyclopedia: http://christiananswers.net
Okay, the whole description here is very "far out," and my gut feeling is that I am missing something significant about its meaning, but then, that may be just the point.  I am always nervous about being too confident about this OT imagery.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Fri 100205 pm Lam 3-5;

Lamentations 3
Love this chapter.
3.14  laughingstock...
3.15  bitterness...
3.16  teeth grind...
3.17 forgotten what happiness is...
I guess Jeremiah had "those days" too.
3.18  my hope from the Lord [is perished]...  This is a very interesting statement coming from a godly man of the stature of Jeremiah.  
  
Lamentations 4
4.9  Happier were the victims of the sword...
4.10  compassionate women...  What a heart breaking scene!
  
Lamentations 5
5.1  Look, and see our disgrace...  This is almost a sinners prayer if you understand "see" in a responsive sense.  O, God give me the sense to see my own disgrace.  May it remind me of Your forgiveness and the new life you have given me.
5.19  But you, O Lord, reign forever...  An awesome confession after the severe judgement they had been, were going through.
  
Matthew 27
27.3  changed his mind... too late.
27.6  it is not lawful...since it is blood money...  What!  Blood money then a pious concern about whether it is good enough to put in the treasury--what's with that!?
27.23  What evil has He done? But they cried the louder...  I had to smile at the response.  When you don't have a reasoned response, just yell louder.
27.42  The irony here is that if He had come down there wouldn't have been much to believe.
27.52  This must have blown some people's minds.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sun 100131 pm - Lam 1-2

Lamentations 1
1.8  have seen her nakedness...  I assume that this mean they will see them for what they are, but it is strong wording all the same.
1.9  she took no thought of her future...  Thinking only in the present makes us vulnerable to a sin-filled life.
  
Lamentations 2
2.9  her prophets find no vision from the Lord...  It seems this could be a sign that something is wrong--when we no longer hear from the Lord.
2.14  they have not exposed your iniquity...  An important task for prophets.