SYNAGOGUE READINGS, A JEWISH CONUNDRUM

THE COMPLEX CHRISTIAN AND JEWISH VIEWS OF THE JEWISH BIBLE (OLD TESTAMENT), ALTHOUGH JEWS WROTE MOST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT!

1. A GENERAL VIEW AND JEWISH ESCHATOLOGY
2. A STUDY OF PSALMS 1, AND 110
3. CONSIDERATION OF AMOS THE RURAL PROPHET
4. HOSEA
5. END NOTES

(An exhibition at a school open day - a third of the Staff and scholars were of the Jewish faith, and I missed them when I moved.)

JEWISH SCRIPTURE READINGS SET FOR SYNAGOGUE AND DAILY USE

I noticed that The Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon were excluded; most likely because of their personal nature: they are reserved for private use; very very careful study of the latter has given sparkle to many a dull marriage. The Book of Esther has its own special time at the Festival of Purim. Job is read on the Day of Atonement.

As custodians of the Scriptures of God, it is strange that some are omitted from the recognised list of readings. Even so, the current Messianic beliefs are noticeable. A Jewish lady told me that the Messiah would rebuild the Temple, when he came; unfortunately this could leave them open to following the Antichrist.

The Book of Psalms – Messianic Psalms omitted are shown in Bold Type and [brackets],
Messianic Psalms included are underlined and shown in BOLD TYPE ALSO, WITHOUT BRACKETS;
ALL OMISSIONS ARE IN BRACKETS.

[1], [2],

[4], [5],

[7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14],

15, 16,

[17], [18],

19, 20,

[21], [22],

23, 24,

[25], [26],

27,

[28],

29, 30,

[31], [32],

33, 34,

[35], [36,] [37], [38], [39], [40], [41], [42], [43], [44],[45], [46], [47],

48, 49,

[50], [51], [52], [53], [54], [55], [56], [57], [58], [59], [60], [61], [62], [63], [64], [65], [66],

67,

[68], [69], [70], [71], [72], [73], [74], [75], [76], [77], [78], [79], [80],

81, 82,

[83], [84], [85], [86], [87], [88], [89],

90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100,

[101], [102],

103, 104,

[105], [106], [107], [108], [109], [110], [111],

112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118,

[119],

120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136,

[137], [138],

139,

[140], [141], [142], [143],

144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150

In my research we had a humorous conversation about 119! It is of course the longest chapter in the Bible; the stanzas of eight verses are named after the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, as is each verse’s first letter. One theory is that Daniel wrote it, and it is informative to read it alongside the narrative first six chapters of the Prophet’s book.

The Jews of Jesus’s time had difficulty in explaining Psalm 110, one of the most quoted Psalms in the New Testament, and they avoid facing-up to it today – omitting it from the list of Psalms to be read.

Of the 150 Psalms, 58% are excluded: some for logistical reasons no doubt, others because they have obvious Messianic connotations apropos Christian exegesis, or even perhaps because they are popular in the Church. Included Christological Psalms are: 16, 24, 34, 49, 96, 98, 117, 118, 129, and, 147

The following clearly Messianic Psalms are omitted: 2, 8, 16, 18, 21, 22, 31, 35, 36, 40, 41, 45, 55, 56, 61, 68, 69, 70, 71, 78, 80, 88, 89, 102, 107, 108, 109, 110

Passages in Synagogue Prayers follow The Five Books of Moses totally. Included, therefore, are chapters understood by Christians as having Christological and Trinitarian content. Elohim, which is neither singular nor dual, but is a plural noun – implying three or more in the Divinity. It is used about 2,500 times.

MESSIANIC PASSAGES IN THE TORAH

Genesis 1, 3, 6, 11, 14, 18, 22, 26, 37, 39 ff Joseph a Type of Christ, and 49

Exodus 3, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 24, 33, 34, 40

Leviticus 1, 4, 16, 17, 26

Numbers 9, 19, 21

Deuteronomy 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 43

The Haftorah (Haftarah) Books: from the Histories and Prophets, some are limited for logistical reasons – because there are too many for the liturgical year; but also because some are clearly Messianic.

MESSIANIC PASSAGES IN THE FULL HAFTORAH

Ruth 4; 1 Samuel 2:10; 2 Samuel 7; 1 Kings 10 (Queen of Sheba); 1 Chronicles 17, 22, 28; 2 Chronicles 7; Job 9:33; 19:25; 26:12; Psalms 2; 8; 16; 21; 22; 23; 27; 30; 31; 34; 35; 40; 41; 45; 46; 49; 56; 68; 69; 80; 89; 91; 96; 98; 102; 107; 109; 110; 112; 117; 118; 129; 132; 147; Proverbs 1; 3; 30; Song of Solomon 5; Isaiah 1; 2; 4; 6; 7; 8; 9; 11; 13; 16; 22; 25; 26; 28; 29; 30; 32; 34; 35; 40; 42; 44; 45; 48; 49; 50; 52; 53; 54; 55; 59; 60; 61; 62; 65; Jeremiah 7; 10; 12; 23; 30; 31; 32; 33; Lamentations 1; 3; Ezekiel 1; 21; 34; 37; Daniel 2; 7; 9; Hosea 2; 11; 13; Joel 2; Amos 8; 9; Jonah 1; Micah 2; 4; 5; Habakkuk 2:3-6; Zephaniah 3; Zechariah 2; 3; 6; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; Malachi 3; 4

THE SYNAGOGUE SET READINGS - A FEW MESSIANIC PASSAGES ARE INCLUDED

Joshua 1; 2:1-24; 5:2-6:1-27

Judges 1; 4:4-5:31; 9:1-33; 13:2-25

[Ruth] excluded

1 Samuel 1:1-2:10; 11:14-12:22; 15:1-34; 20:18-42

2 Samuel 6:1-7:17; 22

1 Kings 1:1-31; 2:1-12; 3:15-4:1; 5:26-6:13; 7:13-26, 40-50; 8:2-21, 54-66; 18:1-39

2 Kings 4:1-37*; 4:42-5:19; 7:3-20; 11:17-12:17; 23:1-9 and 21-25

[1 Chronicles] omitted as such

[2 Chronicles] omitted as such

[Ezra]

[Nehemiah]

[Esther]

[Job]

Isaiah 1:1-27; 6:1-7:6; 9:5 and 6; 10:32-12:6; 27:6-28:13; 29:22 and 23; 40:1-26 and 27; 41:16; 42:5-43:10; 43:21-44:23; 49:14-51:3; 51:12-52:12; 54:1-55:5; 55:6-56:8; 57:14-58:14; 60; 61:10-63:9; 66

Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 and 2:4-28; 3:4; 4:1-2; 7:21-8:3; 8:13-9:23; 9:22-23; 16:19-17; 31:2-26; 32:6-27; 33:25-26; 34:8-22; 46:13-28

[Lamentations]

Ezekiel 1; 3:12; 20:2-20; 22:1-19; 28:25-29:21; 36:16-38; 37:15-28; 38:18-39:16; 43:10-27; 44:15-31; 45:16-46:18;

[Daniel] omitted

Hosea 2:1-20; 11:7-12:12*; 2:13-14:10/9; 14:2-10/9

Joel 2:15-27*

Amos 2:6-3:8; 9:7-15

Obadiah 1-21

Jonah 1; 2; 3; 4

Micah 5:6-6:8*; 7:18-20

[Nahum] omitted

Habakkuk 2:20-3:19*

[Zephaniah] omitted

[Haggai] omitted

Zechariah 2:14/12-4:7*; 14

[Malachi] omitted

There is a visit to a Synagogue near the end of my novel: "Menorah Fragment" June 2012
A useful article on Jews in Germany is found online in "New World Encyclopedia".

Tenach/Tanakh the whole Jewish Bible: Torah (Law of Moses – Pentateuch), Neviim (Prophets), Ketuvim (Writings) – how the composite name is composed.

It has been normal in the Christian Church, with its high regard for Scripture, to take all the history sections as true. Genesis to Job, but even the next set of books - Psalms to Malachi, contains many historical passages and details. From the time of Abraham, and onward, Archaeology provides a huge corpus of confirmation and helpful insight. Today, Genesis chapters 1-11 present a battleground for Evolution and Special Creation scientists – two World View Philosophies.

For the first Christians, the Old Testament, the Tanakh, was their Scriptures; there is just one point where the New Testament writings are beginning to be recognized as inspired (2 Peter 3:15-16). The Books were originally written in Hebrew - apart from small portions which were in the related language of Aramaic. The Greek translation, made in about 200 BC, is of particular value; it is known as the Septuagint (LXX).

Christ = Anointed = Messiah

Poetry is to be understood as figurative, except where there are historical references, unequivocal doctrinal intimations, and prophecy about the future.

Prophecy may be forth-telling God’s message, or foretelling the future. In all prophetic revelation there may be more than one fulfilment. There is a strong "Messianic Hope". A very short element of prophecy may be isolated: as is seen in New Testament use of quotations. In eschatology, the people of Israel are a separate entity to the Church, I think; but not in terms of being God's Chosen People today.

What we call, The Law: Genesis to Deuteronomy requires thoughtfulness. The morality of the Law is upheld, and even developed by our Lord. The cultus or ritual of the Law is fulfilled in Christ; the atoning sacrifices point to the Great Sacrifice for our sins on the Cross, and Christ is a Priest in the Order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:1 ff, 9:11 ff). The Fellowship Offering is replaced by the Communion Service. Medical and dietary laws are not as binding, and often contain some points of symbolism: muzzling the ox (1 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Timothy 5:19). Jesus made all foods clean (Mark 7:19). Because Israel was God's Kingdom (a Theocracy), the mind of God can be observed in the judgments on sin and in civil law. Most of the Ten Commandments could carry the death penalty; and they are expanded in many more definitions. In their own time, these laws were far in advance of contemporary law; and even today shame many law codes (religious and secular) that are advertised as God-given, and just. Christians are to submit to secular law; unless that would make us contravene God's Commands. The Church is usually seen as a persecuted minority within a secular state (Psalm 110:2 b), but it must still exercise internal sanctions, which we should not forget. They are: "delivering to Satan", temporary expulsion, the withdrawing of close fellowship, admonishing (public or private), counselling: all with the hope of repentance and restoration.

Proverbial and Wisdom passages move between earthy experiences, human nature (psychology), the moral, and the spiritual; and still prove the bedrock for our behaviour today (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs). Do we believe everything we read in the Bible? Watch out for the speeches of Satan and the "Friends" in the Book of Job!

The Holy Spirit, through Paul, expected the non-Jews and slaves of the Corinthian Ecclesia (Church) to be able to understand his Old Testament allusions and proofs.

Acts 28:23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

Romans 15:3-4 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. [This illustrates the total commitment of the Apostolic Teaching, and the Church, to the Old Testament.]

1 Peter 1:10-12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the godly person may be fully equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3v16

Followers of Jesus must follow His regard for the Old Testament, and be conversant with it by constant reading and study.

David Bentley Taylor, in his book “The Prisoner Leaps”, describes the importance of the Old Testament for reaching Muslim seekers in the East Timor revival.

Is Jesus of Nazareth the true Messiah? My own view is that He is - what more fulfilment could there be of the Messianic Prophecies? The powerful Establishment of the Kingdom, and the subjugation of God's enemies are reserved for Jesus's Second Coming, as prophesied in the New Testament. This is in line with the reception of Joseph by his brothers: at their second meeting in Egypt; and similarly, with the acceptance of Moses, at his coming out of the 40 year period in the Wilderness - following the Burning Bush Revelation. Selah

My great fear is that Jewish people, in their desire for a Deliverer, will embrace the Antichrist - who may indeed build them a Temple. Careful note should be taken of the word "pierced" in the Jewish Bible. In particular of Zechariah chapter 12, verse 10; although this is not totally foolproof - the Antichrist could even mimic this.
Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Acts 5:42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

The Gospel according to Matthew is the most Jewish of the Four Gospels telling the life story of Jesus. The written notice on the top of Jesus’s Cross, written in three languages, stated: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. All the New Testament Books were written by Jewish people or by a Jewish convert (Luke, two books).

JEWISH ESCHATOLOGY

I would not claim this to be my field, so I would value advice, please.

The Promise of the coming Messiah is bound with Jewish Eschatology.

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity

between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.”

[A descendent of Eve will deal with Satan, at some cost to himself.]

Genesis 49:10

The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until he comes to whom it belongs

and the obedience of the nations is his.

[There is the promise of someone very special from the tribe of Judah.]

Job 19:25-27

I know that my Redeemer lives,

and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed,

yet in my flesh I will see God;

I myself will see him

with my own eyes—I, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!

[In what may be the oldest book in the Scriptures, here is a wonderful statement of hope: for a personal Redeemer, and Physical Resurrection.]

Psalm 80:16-19

¹⁶ Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;

at your rebuke your people perish.

¹⁷ Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,

the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁸ Then we will not turn away from you;

revive us, and we will call on your name.

⁹ Restore us, O LORD God Almighty;

make your face shine upon us,

that we may be saved.

[After a time of suffering, the Messiah will come to save Israel.]

Psalm 82:8

Rise up, O God, judge the earth,

for all the nations are your inheritance.

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm

¹ The LORD says to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.”

[King David calls his descendent (his son), his Lord. The whole Psalm is Messianic: he will be Conqueror, Priest and Judge; holy, and mightily exalted.]

² The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion;

you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

³ Your troops will be willing

on your day of battle.

Arrayed in holy majesty,

from the womb of the dawn

you will receive the dew of your youth.

⁴ The LORD has sworn

and will not change his mind:

“You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁵ The Lord is at your right hand;

he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

⁶ He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead

and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

⁷ He will drink from a brook beside the way;

therefore he will lift up his head.

Isaiah 9:6-7

⁶ For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.

[The character of the Messiah is stated.]

Isaiah 24:21-23

In that day the LORD will punish
the powers in the heavens above
and the kings on the earth below.
22 They will be herded together
like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished after many days.
23 The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed;
for the LORD Almighty will reign
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and before its elders, gloriously.

[Judgment of Evil Spiritual Powers and earthly rulers, signs in the Heavens, God will reign in Jerusalem.]

Isaiah 26:19

^{Isa 26:19} But your dead will live;

their bodies will rise.

You who dwell in the dust,

wake up and shout for joy.

Your dew is like the dew of the morning;

the earth will give birth to her dead.

[A promise of Resurrection is given. The following passage guarantees a Judgment of the Gentiles.]

Isaiah 34:1-4

Come near, you nations, and listen;

pay attention, you peoples!

Let the earth hear, and all that is in it,

the world, and all that comes out of it!

² The LORD is angry with all nations;

his wrath is upon all their armies.

He will totally destroy them,

he will give them over to slaughter.

³ Their slain will be thrown out,

their dead bodies will send up a stench;

the mountains will be soaked with their blood.

⁴ All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved

and the sky rolled up like a scroll;

all the starry host will fall

like withered leaves from the vine,

like shrivelled figs from the fig tree.

[In addition to the judgment of the Gentiles, there is the end of the Cosmos.]

Isaiah 51:5-8

⁵ My righteousness draws near speedily,

my salvation is on the way,

and my arm will bring justice to the nations.

The islands will look to me

and wait in hope for my arm.

⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

look at the earth beneath;

the heavens will vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment

and its inhabitants die like flies.

But my salvation will last forever,

my righteousness will never fail.

⁷ “Hear me, you who know what is right,

you people who have my law in your hearts:

Do not fear the reproach of men

or be terrified by their insults.

⁸ For the moth will eat them up like a garment;

the worm will devour them like wool.

But my righteousness will last forever,

my salvation through all generations.”

[Like many other passages, this is a message which includes the Gentiles. There is judgment on evil, but hope; the end of the current Heaven and Earth, and hope for the Righteous of Israel.]

Isaiah 65:17-25

¹⁷ “Behold, I will create

new heavens and a new earth.

The former things will not be remembered,

nor will they come to mind.

¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever

in what I will create,

for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight

and its people a joy.

¹⁹ I will rejoice over Jerusalem

and take delight in my people;

the sound of weeping and of crying

will be heard in it no more.

²⁰ “Never again will there be in it

an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not live out his years;

he who dies at a hundred

will be thought a mere youth;

he who fails to reach a hundred

will be considered accursed.

²¹ They will build houses and dwell in them;

they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

²² No longer will they build houses and others live in them,

or plant and others eat.

For as the days of a tree,

so will be the days of my people;

my chosen ones will long enjoy

the works of their hands.

²³ They will not toil in vain

or bear children doomed to misfortune;

for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,

they and their descendants with them.

²⁴ Before they call I will answer;

while they are still speaking I will hear.

²⁵ The wolf and the lamb will feed together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox,

but dust will be the serpent’s food.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,”

says the LORD

[After seeing the destruction of the Heavens and the Earth, there is a forgetting of past disobedience, a promise of good times, and the guarantee of a New Heaven and Earth, and the Golden Age.]

Isaiah 66:22-24

²² “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure.

²³ From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD.

²⁴ “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

[The closing words of Isaiah: the New Heavens and Earth, all people coming to worship the LORD, and the mighty judgment of Mankind.]

Jeremiah 31:6-14

⁶ There will be a day when watchmen cry out

on the hills of Ephraim,

‘Come, let us go up to Zion,

to the LORD our God.’ ”

⁷ This is what the LORD says:

“Sing with joy for Jacob;

shout for the foremost of the nations.

Make your praises heard, and say,

‘O LORD, save your people,

the remnant of Israel.’

⁸ See, I will bring them from the land of the north

and gather them from the ends of the earth.

Among them will be the blind and the lame,

expectant mothers and women in labor;

a great throng will return.

⁹ They will come with weeping;

they will pray as I bring them back.

I will lead them beside streams of water

on a level path where they will not stumble,

because I am Israel’s father,

and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

¹⁰ “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations;

proclaim it in distant coastlands:

‘He who scattered Israel will gather them

and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’

¹¹ For the LORD will ransom Jacob

and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.

¹² They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;

they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD—

the grain, the new wine and the oil,

the young of the flocks and herds.

They will be like a well-watered garden,

and they will sorrow no more.

¹³ Then maidens will dance and be glad,

young men and old as well.

I will turn their mourning into gladness;

I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

¹⁴ I will satisfy the priests with abundance,

and my people will be filled with my bounty,”

declares the LORD.

[To a great extent, this foretelling has been, and is being fulfilled. This should give hope for the future.]

Ezekiel 34:13

I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.

Ezekiel 36:24, 31-38

²⁴ “ ‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.

³¹ Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. ³² I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel! ³³ “ ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. ³⁴ The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. ³⁵ They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.”

³⁶ Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.’

³⁷ “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, ³⁸ as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 37:12, 21-28

¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

²¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. ²² I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.

²³ They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

²⁴ “ ‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. ²⁵ They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. ²⁶ I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. ²⁷ My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. ²⁸ Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever

The Book of Daniel, 2:34-35

[After Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of the coming Kingdoms – depicted as a multi-material statue, Daniel interprets the end time, when God’s Kingdom destroys all, and fills the Earth.]

While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind then swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel 7:9-14

[Daniel’s detailed vision shows the coming Kingdoms as four Beasts. The Messiah then comes in the Clouds of Heaven, approaches the Almighty, before ruling eternally.]

⁹ “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat.

His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.

His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. ¹⁰ A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.

¹¹ “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn (of the last Beast) was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. ¹² (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed

12:1- 13

¹ “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. ⁶ One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”

⁷ The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”

⁸ I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”

⁹ He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

¹¹ “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ¹² Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

¹³ “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance. ”

[We see: Michael – the senior Angel of God’s People (Israel), the Resurrection to Everlasting Life or Everlasting contempt, a special reward for God’s Ambassadors, significant spans of time – three and a half years, 1,290 and 1,335 days from the end of the Daily Sacrifice and the Abomination of Desolation. The Temple is obviously rebuilt (perhaps by a false Messiah), and the sign of travel and learning being increase.]

Zechariah 11, 12, 13, 14

^11:15 Then the LORD said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. ¹⁶ For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs.

¹⁷ “Woe to the worthless shepherd,

who deserts the flock!

May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!

May his arm be completely withered,

his right eye totally blinded!”

^12:1 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: ² “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. ³ On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. ⁴ On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the LORD. “I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. ⁵ Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.’ ⁶ “On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.

⁷ “The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah.

⁸ On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them. ⁹ On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.

¹⁰ “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. ^:11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. ¹² The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, ¹³ the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, ¹⁴ and all the rest of the clans and their wives.

^13:1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

² “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. ³ And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother, to whom he was born, will say to him, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the LORD'S name.’ When he prophesies, his own parents will stab him.

⁴ “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. He will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive.

⁵ He will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.’ ⁶ If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your body ?’ he will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’

⁷ “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,

against the man who is close to me!”

declares the LORD Almighty.

“Strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered,

and I will turn my hand against the little ones.

⁸ In the whole land,” declares the LORD,

“two-thirds will be struck down and perish;

yet one-third will be left in it.

⁹ This third I will bring into the fire;

I will refine them like silver

and test them like gold.

They will call on my name

and I will answer them;

I will say, ‘They are my people,’

and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’ ”

^14:1 A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. ² I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.

³ Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. ⁴ On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. ⁵ You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

⁶ On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. ⁷ It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.

⁸ On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.

⁹ The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

¹⁰ The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. ¹¹ It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.

¹² This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. ¹³ On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. ¹⁴ Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing.

¹⁵ A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

¹⁶ Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. ¹⁸ If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

²⁰ On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD'S house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.

²¹ Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.

[Here we see a time of spiritual return and benediction, a final period of great trouble in Jerusalem, and the Messiah bringing an end with victory for Israel; when his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. An earthquake will create streams of water flowing both west and eastwards. The enemies will fight among themselves; they will experience something akin to nuclear explosion symptoms. All nations will keep Tabernacles – or face punishment. Holiness prevails.]

Malachi 3:1

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.

Psalm 86:9

All the nations you have made

will come and worship before you, O Lord;

they will bring glory to your name.

Jeremiah 33:14-16

¹⁴ “ ‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

¹⁵ “ ‘In those days and at that time

I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;

he will do what is just and right in the land.

¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved

and Jerusalem will live in safety.

This is the name by which it will be called:

The LORD Our Righteousness.’

Micah 5:2,4

^5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.’”

^5:4 He will stand and shepherd his flock

in the strength of the LORD,

in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

And they will live securely, for then his greatness

will reach to the ends of the earth.

******************************************************************************

PSALMS, AND PSALM ONE

This is a short introduction to the book of Psalms, and brief look at Psalm 1.

A series of programmes on British Broadcasting Corporation, TV Channel 2, looking at “Art That Shook The World”, concluded with an eminent person, Germaine Greer, tackling the Psalms of King David. They are says Greer: “the most powerful poems ever written” and, at any moment, millions all over the world are reading them. (5^th May 2001, Daily Mail newspaper television schedules)

In 1954, Captain May, of the Soldiers and Airmen's Scripture Readers (SASRA), gave me a book of meditations on the Psalms. I thought it too faint-hearted and emotional for a fellow like me ... until a few more months of my Christian life had passed - and I realized that King David was far from being a wimp, and yet he had an inner life of reasonable fears and worries - and that, being a Christian could be dangerous.

As a young Christian I wanted to help our minister, who, for rather obvious reasons, had fallen into a time of nervous collapse. I saw that the Psalms could reach and assist those in the lowest of states - I recorded Psalm 18 on his early tape machine.

The Scottish Psalter, quite rightly, sets the Psalms to music: they should be sung - it is the main hymn book of the Jew and the Christian. Psalm 137, the famous one about the "Waters of Babylon ..." has these curious lines:

"And blessed shall that trooper be,

Who riding on his naggy;

Shall tak' tha' wee bairns by their taes,

And ding them on the craggy."

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE PSALMS

In most editions of the Bible, Psalms comes in the centre - the Heart of the Bible - significant of the heart of God: it is one of the most important parts of the Bible for revelation about the character of God; and it relates, more than any other book, to the human heart. It is the largest book of the Bible - 150 chapters, 119 is the longest chapter – 168 verses; Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter - 2 verses.

The Book of Psalms is divided into five sections; they are: Psalms 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, and 107-150.

King David is the main contributor, but not the only one - many are by Asaph, and Psalm 119 may be the thoughts of the statesman and prophet Daniel. Others are by the Korahites, Solomon, Moses, and Ethan.

In Hebrew it is called "Book of Praises". Our word comes from the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible: "Psalmoi" meaning "songs". It forms part of the Old Testament called "Writings" – the other parts are the Law and the Prophets.

Several Psalms contain Messianic prophecies, which Jesus fulfilled, or will accomplish at his return: Psalms 2, 8, 16, 22, 45, 69, 72, 89, 110, 118, and 132.

[Some of these Psalms, along with passages from the Prophets, are omitted from the Jewish Lectionary.]

An important observation has been that Psalms can be a God-given guide to our prayer topics. We may wonder what subjects are allowed in our prayers, or we lack ideas - how appropriate to pray out of a Psalm.

Why not write some Psalms of your own. Perhaps the only gloss required is to say that the Gospel offers forgiveness and the possibility of change for sinners and the wicked, whereas in Psalms there is just a little more stress on judgement, which is nevertheless part of God's revelation to mankind. [I was having a chat in the Typing Pool, about the evil that is present in the World. They were ready to agree that Hell is for sinful people, but unsure when I said that Hell was also for good people. “Heaven is only for perfect people like me!” This was followed by much good-humoured laughter; but I continued: “Perfectly forgiven through faith in Jesus’s death for sin on the cross.”]

Parallelism is the overriding characteristic of Hebrew poetry – simply put: a play of thoughts, and not rhyme, or meter. There are various types of parallelism - quite apparent in translation:

Synonymous (outlining a thought using two parallel statements),

Antithetic (contrasting thoughts), and

Synthetic (developing a thought with each line)

[Articles on this subject can be found in "The New Bible Commentary" - a fine article by Professor F. F. Bruce, Derek Kidner's commentary on Psalms - in the Tyndale Press series, and under "Job" in "Unger's Bible Handbook"]

Why are so many Messianic prophecies omitted from the synagogue readings?
If you have failed to recognise your expected Messiah, how serious a mistake can this be? Although I am in anguish regarding the Holocaust, could it have been a punishment, along with other times of unbelievable suffering, for this serious rejection. I belong to the group of Christians who risked, and gave their lives to rescue Jewish people during the Second World War; like Corrie Ten Boom and her family - see her book and film "The Hiding Place".

It is the only part of the Bible with inspired headings. The publisher’s headings are not part of the sacred text. Musical terms may give an indication of the instruments or tune, and may be onomatopoeic – the sound of the word giving us guidance about the spirit in which the Psalm should be sung or read.

Sela, is a term often found at the end of a stanza, and is taken to mean: “think about that further”: rather like three dots after a statement in English, or raising one’s eyebrows after saying something involved.

PSALM ONE

Psalm 1.

(There is no title - where titles occur, remember they are part of Scripture; not like many modern translations, where the publisher allows intended helpful titles to passages.)

Have you ever wished that everything you did would succeed? As Christians, "succeed" has to be thought of in every dimension of life, and certainly not financial alone, and in the perspective of Eternity. This Psalm tells us three things we must not do, and one that we must be careful to activate - if we are to truly prosper in our lives.

1. “Blessed is the person (man)

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand

in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.”

We must not hold to a worldly philosophy - taking the materialistic, or the immoral attitudes, or the popular style of New Age religion. Many take their way of thinking about life from the characters in Soaps, situation comedies, television chat shows, social media, or the morning paper - the various creators of our current culture. All this we must avoid. That is not to say that we should not take professional advice from a non-Christian solicitor or doctor; but even then, one should proceed with caution, and with guidance from the Holy Spirit – with wisdom and discernment. A fine registrar in hospital suggested that I should pinch my nose and blow – to improve my hearing. I was able to point out that my eardrum had been pierced to release any infection. My gifted GP agreed to reduce my intake of blood pressure tablets – following passing out with low blood pressure.

There are places where, in our lives, "sinners" hang-about and would influence us, or draw us into their ways of behaviour. Not always engaging in wrong, but creating a perverse company, which will eventually produce evil deeds. This may be a geographical place, or it may be through the programmes we frequent on television, and other means of communication we receive. Paul wrote: "Evil company corrupts good manners" (1 Corinthians 15:33) - probably a common wise proverb of his day.

In whatever society we relate to, there is the possibility of the scornful, mocking, or ridiculing of others: this should never be the train of thought among Jesus's disciples. In a place where I worked, there were those of a sarcastic mind who frequented a corner of the staff common room, and people had to run the gauntlet of their jibes and scathing comments – not to say there were not some apposite replies .... But it can be at the bus stop, at the Darby and Joan Club, or on the TV news.

Three things not to characterise our lives: ungodly counsel, frequenting the ethos of evil, and joining those who ridicule others. Watch: the source of advice, the quality of our leisure company, the danger of scoring points against others by running them down.

ALL THIS IS NEGATIVE, SO WHAT IS THE POSITIVE?

It comes as a surprise perhaps - but it is to do with the Bible. Meditate is more than skip through, or even read carefully: it is to think it into our lifestyle. The guideline is to think carefully about the Scriptures at several times during the day: to have an attitude to God's word that we meditate on it frequently. Learning passages by heart can be a vital part of this. I recollect this story: a friend was arranging to meet Albert Einstein at a bus stop, but was worried that the great man might be wasting some of his time. Be assured, he was told, I will always be using my time to think. So the Christian can always use spare time to meditate, and pray.

Smith Wigglesworth was a most influential Christian man, who travelled Europe preaching and holding powerful healing services in the first half of the twentieth century. An old friend of ours, who visited him, told how he often punctuated the day with the words: "Just let's hear what Father has to say!" and he would pause in what he was doing, to read a passage of Scripture.

One of the most beneficial things I have ever been influenced to do, was to learn passages of the Word of God by heart - including this and several other Psalms. I started with Psalm 117 – the shortest!

All this reveals a very high regard for the Bible. A view that clearly God holds, Jesus displayed in His life, and the disciples and apostles of the Church held to. It is the attitude which people in the World - outside the Church - do not build their lives on. The Old Testament histories of the kings of Judah and Israel show how success was dependent on the attitude they had to the law of God.

In Psalm 119, every verse except: 3, 37, 84, 90, 121, 122, and 132, mention the Word of God by numerous synonyms. Perhaps Daniel wrote it: so reading it along with the Book of Daniel is most beneficial. It is the longest chapter in the Bible, and contains the middle verse. To read at one sitting, is not going to amount to meditating – a good idea is to make a chart, a grid: with the Hebrew letters down the left-hand side (this will help familiarization with the 22 letters of the alphabet – vowels were added at a later date, and consist of small symbols below the line today). There are eight verses in each stanza, which can be meditated on, individually, rather like reading a single Psalm. May I remind you that the first disciples knew important passages by heart – they had spent time memorizing them! You could download this chart, print it, and mount it on card to help you read the Psalm more than any other passage.

This then is the picture of such a person: guarding his life and listening to God speaking:

2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3. He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Here then, is a fruition, which will bring an eternal reward. Experiencing changing "seasons" - springs, summers, autumns, and winters. As we grow older, we may remember King David, who passed from being a shepherd boy, to being prophet and King, military hero, retired from fighting, and eventually to being an invalid. I wonder which was his last psalm? Think of the Seasons of our Lord’s life: the thirty years of relatively working class life, and then only the final three and a half years of ministry for us – a Tithe of His total life on Earth.

There is a joyful promise that we will not wither!

WHATEVER WE DO WILL PROSPER ... what a magnificent promise! That does not mean success without a battle, or a patient wait. "In all these things we are more than conquerors, though him who saved us"; "God always leads us in triumph," say the promises of God.

We need to say such precious guarantees over and over to ourselves, in order to counter what the culture of our day says.

One of things which bringing up, or teaching children, teaches you, is the frankness of their logic; they would ask: What happens if I don't? What if I ignore this advice not to do the three foolish things, not to read the Bible often? The answer in two words is: "Harsh Judgement".

4. Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

To those not familiar with country ways: all our flour is produced from wheat or oats, when this is cut in the field the husk has to be taken off the stalk and somehow taken from around the grain proper, which is inside it. Traditionally, the husk (chaff) was then blow away, and, if collected, burnt in fires around the threshing floor, which was usually on high ground.

5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Even if we were foolish enough not to want the offered blessing: we would be wise to accept the conditions because of the ultimate conclusion: the disgrace and anguish of the wrath of an angry God.

A man who is never angry - about injustice, unnecessary cruelty to children or the innocent, is only half a person; and to represent God as only love and kindness is to lie in the most serious way.

What if we reject the message of the Psalm? We may be Christians, but we will see little fulfillment; there are people - you will know them - for whom everything goes wrong. There are families like that. This opening Psalm gives the answer.

Psalm 1.

(There is no title - where titles occur, they are part of

Scripture.)

1. Blessed is the person (man)

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand

in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3. He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

4. Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

When I read Psalm 83, on January 13th 2016, I realized how very much up-to-date it is!

It may help you to try singing the Psalms – adapting them, and repeating lines. The Musical Terms could possibly indicate the style of reading/singing, taking the word in an onomatopoeic sense.

WARS TO THE END OF TIME.

Clichés are dangerous: I remember, as a boy, hearing people
describe the First World War, as "A War to end all wars".
Unfortunately, it simply cannot be true. I heard a similar
aphorism on the news this week: "Violence breeds violence",
referring to disciplining children with appropriate physical
punishment. [But the surgeon stabs people every day he is in
theatre. Surely we can tell the difference between cruelty and
care.]

A decade ago I noticed some graffiti on the Littleborough War
Memorial. It was the usual kind: someone loves so-and-so.
Parents might have failed to teach their youngsters about what the
wars of the recent past have cost, and what they have retained for
us. And yet, in a sense, it did portray, that we have kept our
freedom to be human - the ruins of ancient Pompey contain the same
kind of expression.

I have often noticed graffiti, whist not agreeing with the
spoiling of buildings or books. A boy wrote on his exercise
book: "Jesus saves; but not as well as ...(the name of the West
Ham goalkeeper)". I wrote underneath: Did you see him last
week?"

Someone wrote in a Good News Bible: "If this is the Good News,
what is the bad?" There is an important truth here: the Bible
does contain a large amount of bad news - for the sinful and
unrepentant, and about the future.

Second sermon on Psalms ...

PSALM 110

Of David. A Psalm.

1. The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand

The titles of the Psalms are part of the Scriptures, and
certainly, in this case, it is of supreme importance: King David
is the composer.

Verse one is a wonderful statement showing the present continuous
activity of the Lord Jesus: what our Lord is doing now. "Says"
implies that God the Father is giving this command for the whole
of natural time: it is not "said", meaning for the past; or "will
say" indicating the future - but for all of history.

The two words for "lord", in the English translations, are
confusing. When we read "LORD" in capital letters, we must take
note. It shows that in the Hebrew scrolls, the Divine Name of
God is used [theologians call it the Tetragrammaton - the four
consonants, YHWH. There is an Israeli politician called Benyamin
Netenyahu - there is the sound, in the ending of his second name -
Netenyahu]. The Divine Name is usually pronounced Yahaweh, or
Jehovah. The old Hebrew did not have vowels written in - they
had to be remembered - hence part of the problem today. In fact,
Jewish people will not use the name - that is also why it was lost
to scholars. When I came to mark the written work of Jewish
children, I thought that "G-D" was a spelling mistake - but it was
a sign of their respect for the word "God". When Jews, today,
read their Bible, they substitute "Adonai" for the name of God.

This is the second word "lord" in our passage - meaning "King".

1. The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand" could be read:
1. Yahweh says to my King:
"Sit at My right hand"

David, writing the Psalm, was the King; so who was the King
between him, and God in Heaven? It was the Messiah - the Christ.
This is why Jesus set the question to the Jewish rulers, of his
day: "If then, David called him 'King', how can the Messiah be
David's descendant?" ... only if the Messiah is God Himself, as
well as David's descendant. Jesus was descended from David
through both his human parents - although, only Mary was his
biological parent....

Jesus "sits": his work of teaching, and dying for our sins,
finished. He intercedes for us in Heaven.

The verse continues: "until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."

This is something we await. Jesus is on the throne, and ruling,
but there are parts of life still to be brought under control,
from rebellion. We see this in the next verse.

2. The LORD will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion;
you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

Jesus rightly holds the sceptre: He rules now. His Kingdom is
spreading from the Jerusalem of the First Century. He rules, but
his enemies still abound, and are active. And they are our
enemies.

Like later verses in the psalm, there is a clear picture of
divine judgement, and a war to end all wars, in which Jesus will
take part. This looks forward to the type of events portrayed in
the last book of the Bible: The Revelation. It is not acceptable
to many people today to think of God judging and fighting in a
war. Christianity will never bow to a false sentimental
political in-correctness. There are actually two wars in
Revelation: one in which Jesus establishes his Kingdom on Earth,
and a second in which Satan is finally sent to his permanent home
in the Lake of Fire.

So we have:
3. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle.

There follows a very poetic statement about our Lord's holiness,
kingship, existence throughout time, and eternality.
Arrayed in holy majesty,
from the womb of the dawn
you will receive the dew of your youth.

Not only is the first verse quoted by Jesus in the Gospels:
Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; and Luke 20:42-43; by Paul in 1
Corinthians 15:25, and by Peter in Acts 2:33; but verse four is a
major theme in Hebrews 1:13, 5:6, 7:17,21, 10:12 f. Indeed,
this is the most quoted of all the Psalms, by New Testament
writers.

4. The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest for ever,
in the order of Melchizedek."

God not only swears on oath, but there is the additional
certainty, that He will not change His mind.

The Messiah is a priest: an eternal priest who pleads His own
sacrifice for our sins; but not of the traditional Levitical
priesthood.

This verse harks back to an event in the Book of Genesis.
Abraham pays tithes to a mysterious King of Jerusalem called
Melchizedek - King of Peace (Jerusalem - shalom), and King of
Righteousness (Melchizedek). The writer of The Letter to the
Hebrews - in the New Testament, takes up the Messianic meaning:
Jesus is King of Peace and King of Righteousness. The symbolism
is of an eternal Priesthood: different to that of the Levites of
the Jewish Temple. He is without beginning or end - eternal:
like the character of King Melchizedek.

Now we come to the main passage about Jesus as Victor and Judge.

5-7. The LORD is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
He will judge nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

Now we see the accountability of the whole of Humankind to God,
and to Jesus His appointed judge. There is the ring of Paul's
words in his address to the Areopagus in Athens - the court of
senior politicians, who had authority over the judiciary. (Acts
17:31)

In glorious triumph, Jesus will rout the enemies of God - from
rulers down. We will be on his side - though, hopefully, the
angels will do the fighting.

He will drink from the brook beside the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.

He will not faulter.

He will attain the position chosen for Him by God the Father.

There we have ... Psalm 110; long ago in the past, but telling us
about the future. The Millennium in Christian doctrine is the
1,000 years of our Lord's reign. It starts with a war to rescue
Jerusalem, and ends with the short war to defeat Satan's last
stand; and results in his banishment to eternal punishment.

Now to the present: in which people like to say that Christianity
is old fashioned and irrelevant. The psalm has just shown us
that the Faith is new-fashioned - to the extent that it says
something inevitable about the future. And the Gospel is
meaningful - in that it deals with human guilt before a righteous
God, and is about Jesus, who is the answer to the Human Condition.
(I noticed an incisive book in the university library, called "The
Human Condition". On the flyleaf, various famous people paid
tribute to its appropriateness.) Jesus is the antidote to the
Human Condition.

At a church once, the vicar's wife wrote a book of her favourite
recipes, and the vicar illustrated it with appropriate anecdotes
from his repertoire. Due to misprint the title read: Recipes by
the Vicar's wife, with appropriate antidotes by the Vicar.

Jesus is the antidote which we all need.

The Dar es Salaam, Nairobi ...extreme Islam, Omagh bombing is more
than a statement about extreme Republican politics; it is a
revealing of human sin, selfishness, murder on a capricious
horrific scale.

All humans are tempted to sin - is there an answer to temptation?
All must die - do we understand death? Do we have a hope beyond?
In the brevity of life, do we have a true purpose?
In the middle of living, do we have an understanding of life and a
true perspective?
Eternity - what about it?
Is there a God, and do we relate to him correctly?
How do we answer the stumbling blocks of people today?

AMOS THE RURAL PROPHET

^{Amos 1:1-15} The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

² He said:

“The LORD roars from Zion

and thunders from Jerusalem;

the pastures of the shepherds dry up,

and the top of Carmel withers.”

³ This is what the LORD says:

“For three sins of Damascus,

even for four, I will not turn back [ my wrath]

Because she threshed Gilead

with sledges having iron teeth,

⁴ I will send fire upon the house of Hazael

that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.

⁵ I will break down the gate of Damascus;

I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven

and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.

The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,”

says the LORD.

⁶ This is what the LORD says:

“For three sins of Gaza,

even for four, I will not turn back [ my wrath]

Because she took captive whole communities

and sold them to Edom,

⁷ I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza

that will consume her fortresses.

⁸ I will destroy the king of Ashdod

and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.

I will turn my hand against Ekron,

till the last of the Philistines is dead,”

says the Sovereign LORD.

⁹ This is what the LORD says:

“For three sins of Tyre,

even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]

Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,

disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,

¹⁰ I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre

that will consume her fortresses.”

¹¹ This is what the LORD says:

“For three sins of Edom,

even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]

Because he pursued his brother with a sword,

stifling all compassion,

because his anger raged continually

and his fury flamed unchecked,

¹² I will send fire upon Teman

that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.”

¹³ This is what the LORD says:

“For three sins of Ammon,

even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]

Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead

in order to extend his borders,

¹⁴ I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah

that will consume her fortresses

amid war cries on the day of battle,

amid violent winds on a stormy day.

¹⁵ Her king will go into exile,

he and his officials together,”

says the LORD.

As you will know, Amos is the third, of the twelve Minor Prophets, as they appear in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Minor, because generally they are the shorter of the prophetic books.

In perspective we have: Saul, David and Solomon, the first three Monarchs of a more-or-less United Israel. After Solomon the kingdom became divided (1 Kings 12, and 2 Chronicles 10). The first two kings of the Divided Nations were:

Rehoboam – over the Royal tribe of Judah and Benjamin;

Jeroboam – over the amalgamation of ten tribes.

An easy way to remember – Rehoboam over the Royal tribes; and a Jeroboam is a name for a large bottle of wine or champagne – he ruled over the larger half – the ten tribes.

The main themes found in the Old Testament Prophets:

a. Revelation of God's Character, and will

b. Indictment of wickedness, even among God's People

c. Judgement is spoken of as imminent

d. Exile and Return - the course of future events

e. The Messianic Hope

f. The Golden Age - Eschatology

g. Instruction, Strengthening, Comfort and Encouragement

h. Everyday issues - such as 1 Samuel 9, "Where are my father's donkeys?" “This will happen, if the king does not repent...."

One of the most difficult books to understand, in the New Testament is Paul’s Letter to Ephesus – it is remarkably wonderful. It struck me the other day that the early Christians had two ways of grasping the Bible: the overall picture, and the small detail of just a few words.

I recommend this to you, and let us try it with The Book of Amos.

THE BIG PICTURE

As one of the Eighth Century Prophets he inveighed against the corruption in virtually every level and aspect of society. The Eighth Century Prophets were: Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, and Micah.

General thoughts about the book - I quote from various commentaries (New International Study Bible, and J. A. Motyer – not the only commentary by him; he admits to changing his mind on some points [a very honest and comforting admission]. This means that he has written more about The Book of Amos, than the length of the book itself – a thought which worries him. Some, who heard his lengthy expositions, suggested that Amos might now regret having written in the first place).

Amos was from Tekoa (1:1), a small town about 6 miles south of Bethlehem and 11 miles from Jerusalem.

He was not a man of the court like Isaiah, or a priest like Jeremiah. He earned his living from the flock and the sycamore-fig grove (1:1; 7:14-15). Whether he owned the flocks and groves, or only worked as a hired hand, is not known. Amos was not a professional prophet who earned his living from his ministry; he stood outside religious institutions.

Commentators are quick to point out that his skill with words and the strikingly broad range of his general knowledge of history and the world, preclude his being an ignorant peasant. His prophecy is rich in similes: in the NIV, I counted 13 uses of “as”, and 11 occurrences of like (2:1,7,9,9,13; 3:12; 4:10,11; 5:19,19; 9:7,9; 4:1; 5:6,24,24; 6:5; 8:8,8,10,10; and 9:5,5).

Though his home was in Judah, he was sent to announce God's judgment on the northern kingdom: Israel. He probably ministered for the most part at Bethel (7:10-13; see Genesis 12:8, if you wish to know how it received its name), Israel's main religious sanctuary, where the upper echelons of the northern kingdom worshiped.

Our Lord Jesus inspired the prophets, through the Holy Spirit: rather like an artist packing his kit, to be ready when he reaches his location.

A copy of the Scriptures with cross-references is always useful. You will notice many links to other prophets, and a few from the New Testament [Acts 15:16-17 – Amos 9:11-12; Amos 3:7 – Revelation 10:7; Amos 9:9 – Luke 22:31; Amos 8:9 – the Messianic darkness at the Crucifixion in the Four Gospels.]

The book brings his prophecies together in a carefully organized form with the intention of it being read as a unit, it is thought.

According to the first verse, Amos prophesied during the reigns of King Uzziah over Judah (792-740 B.C.) and King Jeroboam II over the Israel (793-753). The main part of his ministry was probably carried out c. 760-750. Both kingdoms were enjoying great prosperity and had reached new political and military heights (cf. 2Kings 14:23-15:7; 2Chronicles 26). It was also a time of idolatry, extravagant indulgence in luxurious living, immorality, corruption of judicial procedures and oppression of the poor. As a consequence, God would soon bring about the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom (722-721).

The Date - whole Bible uses this style of historicity – the rulers, and, in this case, the memorable event of the earthquake. Evidently a major shock, with present day archaeological evidence, long remembered, and probably the one mentioned in Zechariah 14:5.

Archaeologists working in Israel, today, sometimes express amazement – usually in the Letters Page of “Biblical Archaeological Review”, about the evidence of pagan worship amongst God’s ancient people, and have to be reminded of the picture given in the Bible.

Theme and Message

The dominant theme is clearly stated in 5:24, which calls for social justice as the indispensable expression of true piety. Amos was a vigorous spokesman for God's justice and righteousness. When I used to teach teenagers about Amos, I pointed out that he was a preacher, not a practical social worker, as far as the record goes. Some are called to be both.

Amos declared that God was going to judge his unfaithful, disobedient, covenant-breaking people.

Amos condemns all who make themselves powerful or rich at the expense of others. Those who had acquired two splendid houses (3:15), expensive furniture and richly furnished tables by cheating, perverting justice and crushing the poor, who would lose everything they had.

Here is a carefully written statement: “More people are adopting a lifestyle that leaves them dissatisfied and the Earth impoverished … consumer demands are devouring the natural World unsustainably, leaving the poor less able to meet their needs.” Not a commentary on Amos, but Ceefax News, Friday 09.January.2004. It went on to say that the Worldwatch Institute found 25% of the World’s people now enjoy a lifestyle which used to only belong to the rich; but they are in debt, under pressure, over weight, and unhappy. Ceefax, page 112, 1.05am.

The God, for whom Amos speaks, is the God of more than merely Israel. He is the Great King who rules the whole universe (4:13; 5:8; 9:5-6).

A BRIEF LOOK AT A FEW KEY STATEMENTSS

It would help to have your own Bible open at Amos.

1:1 Amos is apparently a shortened form of a name like Amasiah (2 Chronicles 17:16), meaning "The LORD carries" or "The LORD upholds."

His opening reminds me of a Welsh Senior Mistress, many years ago: who raised her right hand, as if to hit a boy, and then caught him unawares with her left.

The surrounding nations are indicted – finally Israel, the Northern Kingdom, is placed in the spotlight.

Damascus was capital of the Aramean state directly north of Israel.

threshing . . . sledges - heads of grain were threshed by driving a solid wooden sledge, pulled by a farm animal, and fitted with sharp teeth (pieces of stone or metal) over the cut grain (even the hooves of the animal were effective). In the UK, a local second hand shop had two for sale as antiques – probably from France.

1:6 Gaza - one of the five Philistine cities; it guarded the entry to Palestine from Egypt.

This is a useful note:

2:4 rejected the law of the LORD. Judah's sins differed in kind from those of the other nations. Those nations violated the generally recognized laws of humanity, but Judah disobeyed the revealed law of God, the seriousness of which is clearly stated in Psalm 138:2 b, which reads: “… You have exalted above all things Your Name and Your Word.”

8:11 c-12 Has a similar theme: the worst kind of famine - a famine of God’s word.

2:6 Israel's sins revealed the general moral deterioration of the nation.

We live near a large bungalow dedicated to the care of three very poorly, limited, and invalided ladies. This is something a nation should be proud of.

Israel was characterized by: lack of justice, sexual immorality, cruelty, drunkenness, unkindness, victimization of the good, and rejection of the prophets of God. The apostle Paul said: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12 Amos 7:10-17 shows that he was persecuted; and that it was not a good idea to pick on God’s servant.

TWO POINTS TO NOTICE HERE: Do you have enemies? “A person is known by his enemies.” We may be sad and hurt by people being our foes; quite often, it is a complement! “I am honoured to have so-and-so dislike me – I would be worried if they were friendly. On the other hand, God can make even our foes to be at peace with us. “When a person’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7.

SECONDLY: God is talking here about punishment of the wicked. Even in the New Testament, His people were delivered to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme.

The needy. God had commanded that they be helped:

Deuteronomy 15:7-11

⁷ If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. ⁸ Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. ⁹ Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. ¹⁰ Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ¹¹ There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.), but they were instead sold for failure to repay a (perhaps paltry) debt, for which a pair of sandals had been given in pledge (see Amos 8:6 - buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals).

For a father and son to have sexual relations with the same girl or woman was strictly forbidden (Leviticus 18:7-8,15; 20:11-12).

2:8 beside every altar . . . In the house of their god. Israelites who broke the laws protecting the powerless by brazenly used their wrongly gotten gains even in places supposed to be holy. garments taken in pledge. The law prohibited keeping a man's cloak overnight as a pledge (Exodus 22:26-27; Deuteronomy 24:12-13), or taking a widow's cloak at all (Deuteronomy 24:17). fines. Claimed as restitution for damages suffered. Exorbitant claims or even false charges of damage seem to be suggested.

2:11 ”I raised up prophets” from among you – prophets today: OT Generals next to God: NT apostles are the Generals next to God.

2:16 that day. The day God comes in judgment - as he did through the Assyrian invasion that swept the northern kingdom away.

3:3 The striking passage of cause and effect, which begins: “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” This leads to the observation in verse 7:

“Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing

without revealing His plan to His prophets.”

3:10-15 Evidence of affluence, and the appropriate punishment in the coming invasion.

4:11 b John Wesley’s mother quoted this verse, having in mind the rescue of the little boy from the rectory fire. Rural persecution, as at Epworth, is still suffered in the UK and elsewhere today. “You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire.”

4:12 b-13 Two witnesses to the World still today:

“Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.”

¹³ He who forms the mountains,

creates the wind,

and reveals his thoughts to man,

he who turns dawn to darkness,

and treads the high places of the earth—

the LORD God Almighty is his name.

This links with 5:4 b “Seek me and live.”

5:7-15 Those who corrupt jurisprudence, and harm the poor, should have in mind the power of Yahweh in the creation of the Cosmos and the Earth.

From a children’s book on scientific astronomy:

“The Milky Way is just one of more than 100 billion galaxies in the known Universe, each of them containing 100 billion stars or more. That makes over 10,000 billion stars in the Universe!

“All galaxies rotate, with each star in orbit around the centre. The Sun takes 220 million years to go once round the galaxy.” Page 64, “Fact finders Astronomy”

5:24 The verse which every article on Amos will quote.

²⁴ “But let justice roll on like a river,

righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

5:27 The promised punishment:

“Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,”

says the LORD, whose name is God Almighty.

6:4-7 Portrayal of the affluence, again, and the appropriate retribution from God

7:10-17 The only piece of narrative in the book

7:1ff The visions for which Amos is known:

Locust, Fire, Plumb-line, and The Basket of Ripe Fruit

8:2 ripe fruit . . . time is ripe. A wordplay in Hebrew; Israel was ready to be plucked.

The prophets often used puns, as we might in teaching and preaching - Micah 1:10-16 is particularly rich in punning

8:3 A powerful poetic description of disaster

8:4-6 The decadence of their religion

9:1 His vision of God – evidence of a prophet’s calling; and perhaps of the apostle’s

9:4 c “I will fix My eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”

A God who judges by His standard: it is His right and duty as Creator of life

9;11-the end The Book closes with a great promise of hope; verses 11 and 12 are quoted in Acts 15:15-17 as being fulfilled in Christ’s Gospel

¹¹ “In that day I will restore

David’s fallen tent.

I will repair its broken places,

restore its ruins,

and build it as it used to be,

¹² so that they may possess the remnant of Edom

and all the nations that bear my name,”

declares the LORD, who will do these things.

¹³ “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,

“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman

and the planter by the one treading grapes.

New wine will drip from the mountains

and flow from all the hills.

¹⁴ I will bring back my exiled people Israel;

they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.

They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;

they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

¹⁵ I will plant Israel in their own land,

never again to be uprooted

from the land I have given them,”

says the LORD your God.

The extensive teaching on the final days of the Earth, and the creation of a New Heavens and Earth, are left to other prophets along with the New Testament contributors. Here is one example from the prophet Daniel:

^2:34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. ³⁵ Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

^2:44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. ⁴⁵ This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces."

HOSEA

I recently asked a visiting local preacher, "What do you know about the Book of Hosea?" "Nothing", he said, “but I have read it.”

I would like us to look at a few details of Hosea's book, and read a few important passages. These are invariably short: a factor which has led academics to suggest that he wrote his prophecies on POTSHERDS - broken pieces of pottery. Military despatches and many kinds of notes were written in this way - as broken pieces of pots littered the surroundings of properties. The ancient Lachish Letters are a the most famous example [c589BC: 18 letters found in the ruins of the Guard Room at Lachish; they invoke the name of YHWH - they are communications from the commander of an outpost to the military governor of Lachish, and link closely with Jeremiah 6:1, 34:7 etc.]

When I study a subject or part of the Bible, I like to write down first of all what I can remember; then read it and note my thoughts; before finally looking to see what commentaries, dictionaries, and textbook writers have to say. A good idea: I recommend it! “Unger’s Bible Handbook” is a good basic comprehensive help; but be careful which study books you refer to - liberal writers and theologians do much harm in our churches.

What are the main facts that people readily think of apropos Hosea?

He is the prophet whose life was a prophecy. He was asked by God to marry a manifestly unfaithful woman, whose children would not necessarily be his. This would demonstrate to his fellow-countrymen that God found them to be unfaithful, but God would still love and redeem them.

His children had symbolic names, which are often picked up in the NT.

He was one of the main group of Old Testament writing prophets, known as the Eighth Century Prophets: Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, and Micah - prophesying in the 700's BC. Hosea: 760-722 BC

He spoke mainly to Israel - the northern kingdom, which he sometimes called Ephraim. Occasionally he addressed Judah - the southern royal kingdom.

He is the first of the Minor Prophets in our Bible: meaning the shorter books - Isaiah to Daniel are the Major Prophets (the Longer Books).

What they had to say was very similar. Isaiah might be thought of as being the "Shakespeare" of the group.

He used punning, like his colleagues: Jezreel means “to plant”. The unfortunate alternative name for Bethel - House of God was Beth Aven - House of Wickedness.

Like all his fellow prophets, he wrote in poetry. Many of our Lord Jesus’s sayings, in Aramaic, are in poetic form.

The illustrations he used tell of his interests: he may have been a baker (7:4,7,8); catching and watching migrating birds (7:12); bringing up children (11:3-4)….

The main subjects of the Old Testament prophets, in general, were as follows:

a. Revelation of God's Character and will. This was the main part

b. Indictment of wickedness, even among God's people

c. Judgement is spoken of as imminent

d. Exile and Return - the course of future events

e. The Messianic Hope

f. The Golden Age - Eschatology

g. Instruction, Strengthening, Comfort and Encouragement

h. Everyday issues - such as 1 Samuel 9, "Where are my father's donkeys?" "This will happen if the king does not repent...."

If he could have added a verse to John Newton’s hymn:

One there is above all others,

Well deserves the name of Friend…

It might have been something like this:

Lord, I am a dark delinquent,

Mine the guilt of lawlessness.

By the Law I’m found so evil:

I am lost without the Cross.

There were of course many hundreds of seers in the OT days; very few of them wrote part of the Bible - the Jewish Scriptures. So it is in the Church today: the Bible is not going to be added to in any way, but we need everyday prophecy. The two parts of prophecy are: forthtelling the message of God, and foretelling future events. Forthtelling God's message is what preachers do in our services.

SO, TO LOOK AT A FEW TEXTS

Chapter one gives us a flavour of the story behind his prophetic life, and the two verses from the New Testament indicated the respect the apostles had for his work.

1:1 The list of kings, as in the Gospels, fixes his time in History.

1v10 (9-11) “In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people’, they will be called, ‘Sons of the living God’.” A passage quoted by Paul the apostle, and often echoed elsewhere as we think of the Gentiles being brought into the united kingdom of God – Jews and Gentiles

2:16-23 The Golden Age A familiar theme of the Prophets

3:1 “The LORD said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites.’”

3:5 Afterwards the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their King. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His blessings in the last days.”

4:1-3 Suffering in the Land

4:6 Lack of Knowledge

8:12 “I wrote for them the many things of my law,

but they regarded them as something alien.” May we in the Church never be guilty of this.

9:3 “They will not remain in the LORD’S land;

Ephraim will return to Egypt

And eat unclean food in Assyria.” A prophecy fulfilled

9:7-9 A typical statement of the judgement to come; which was fulfilled in the Exiles: in Assyria and Babylon

10:1 “As his fruit increased,

he built more altars;

as his land prospered,

he adorned his sacred stones….

The LORD will demolish their altars

and destroy their sacred stones.”

10:8 c “They will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’

and to the hills, ‘fall on us!’ ” A theme taken up elsewhere in the Bible - particularly Revelation 6v16, as people cry out to escape the wrath of the Lamb.

10:12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness,

reap the fruit of unfailing love [hesed - the famous Hebrew word inadequately translated “mercy” in the KJV; really a rich unfailing abounding merciful love, only found in God],

and break up your unploughed ground;

for it is time to seek the LORD,

until he comes

and showers righteousness on you.” This is the great promise of revival and the encouragement to break up the unploughed ground - start being serious about our Christian Faith.

10:13-15 Punishment will fall on them because of their sins

11:1 “ ’When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.’ ” To Hosea this referred to the Hebrews in slavery; but Matthew quotes it as a Messianic prophecy: the return of Jesus and His Family from Egypt to Nazareth. Matthew 215.

11:8 a “How can I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, Israel?” God cannot fully abandon His people - either Israel or the Church

11:9-11 There is mercy with God: Exile will end in Return

11:12 b God is called the “Faithful Holy One.”

12:2-6 A reference to the history of Jacob, closing with this message:

“But you must return to you God;

maintain love and justice,

and wait for your God always.”

12:7 “The merchant uses dishonest scales;

he loves to defraud.” People with two standards: an easy one for themselves, a hard one for others. [Teacher: "Your hands are filthy, go and wash them. What would you say, if I came in with dirty hands?” Boy: “I would be too well-mannered to mention it!”

12:8 “Ephraim boasts,

‘I am very rich; I have become wealthy.

With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.’ ” Wealth and a false sense of immunity from judgement - the erroneous health and wealth Gospel, which is far from compatible with the apostolic Christianity

12:10 “I spoke to the prophets,

gave them many visions

and told parables through them.” A brief summary of how the prophets served.

12:12 A reference to the life of Jacob - also calling him Israel: to give the form of poetic parallelism.

12:14 “…his Lord will leave upon him the guilt of his bloodshed

and will repay him for his contempt.” God will punish in this life.

13:3 Everyday illustrations: “Therefore they will be like the morning mist,

like the dew that disappears,

like chaff swirling from a thrashing floor,

like smoke escaping through a house window.”

13:4 b A great command: “You shall acknowledge no God but me,

no saviour except me.”

13:14 The source of the 1 Corinthians 15, last few verses, the quotation about death:

I will ransom them from the power of the grave (Sheol)

I will redeem them from death.

Where, O death, are your plagues?

Where, O grave, is your destruction?

14:1-4 Words leading to forgiveness

¹ Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God.

Your sins have been your downfall!

² Take words with you

and return to the LORD.

Say to him:

“Forgive all our sins

and receive us graciously,

that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

³ Assyria cannot save us;

we will not mount war-horses.

We will never again say ‘Our gods’

to what our own hands have made,

for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

⁴ “I will heal their waywardness

and love them freely….”

14:4-end The Future Hope for Israel

END NOTES

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SELECTED PASSAGES, WHICH HAVE BEEN OF SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE TO GOD’S PEOPLE

Lamentations: although a short prophecy, it is widely tagged with Jeremiah, and printed after the said book. How moving that Jesus was thought of as a new or resurrected Jeremiah – a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

A Messianic passage

^{Lamentations 1:12-13} “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?

Look around and see.

Is any suffering like my suffering

that was inflicted on me,

that the LORD brought on me

in the day of his fierce anger?

¹³ “From on high he sent fire,

sent it down into my bones.

He spread a net for my feet

and turned me back.

He made me desolate,

faint all the day long.

An outstanding message of comfort:

^{Lamentations 3:22-27} Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

²⁶ it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the LORD.

²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke

while he is young.

JOEL

^2:28-29 “And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

²⁹ Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

This pivotal passage, for the Twelve Apostles, tells of the Holy Spirit’s promised arrival to dwell within all God’s people.

It is followed by a powerful eschatological prophecy, which Peter included in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

^2:25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm—

my great army that I sent among you.

Many a Believer thinks of this promise when years of their life seem to have been wasted. Perhaps Paul the apostle, in prison, may have reflected along these lines....

Many a failing marriage will have been helped by a careful exegesis of the Song of Songs.

Rev Dr Billy Graham writes:
The Old Testament tells us about some of God’s greatest servants – Joseph, Moses, Jeremiah, and so forth – and God has much to teach us from their example. But the Old Testament also is filled with the accounts of men and women who failed God. They, too, are examples, warning us of what happens when we turn aside from following Christ.

Now these things occurred as examples to us keep from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (1 Corinthians 10:6 and 11)

The Bible in your High Street (one idea for a title – Church Magazine)

Could you imagine walking down your high street and seeing a link with the Jewish Exile by King Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC? Follow me.

In the early 1800’s “The Sassoons were leaders of a Jewish community in Bagdad that dated back to the Babylonian captivity; for centuries the head of the family acted as the pashas’ chief treasurer. Yet one dark night in 1829 here was David Sassoon, the city’s richest man, fleeing for his life towards the river with a money belt around his waist and pearls sewn into his cloak.

In 1832 the 40-year-old set up anew in cosmopolitan Bombay.” He became a businessman in a huge way, as you would expect.

A few years later, the arrival in Hong Kong of David’s eighth son, Elias, marked the beginning of a global enterprise. It was here that the Sassoons helped set up the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. It was to become one of Asia’s most powerful banks, and shows up in our main streets as HSBC.

Pages 74-75, "The Economist", July 4th, 2020

POETRY in the Old Testament

The article by Professor F. F. Bruce in “The New Bible Commentary”, pages 39 ff, published by, IVF, London, 1955 (reprinted Second Edition) was most inspiring.

Poetry was often employed by the Hebrew Prophets, the Lord Jesus Christ – when looked at in terms of Aramaic speech, and often by people influenced by the OT – in the NT, and even in the present day.

Its main characteristic is Parallelism; that is of thought and sense.

“Come now, let us reason together,”

says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Here we see the repetition of the important thought, stated again in a balancing, and slightly different form. It serves to clarify, and produce memorable phrases. There are innumerable variations on this pattern; even antithetical, or literal against figurative -

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish man despises his mother. Proverbs 15:20

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. Psalms 103:13

Where it may be found:

Biblical: Prophets, Historical narratives, Job, Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. [The Hymns in the NT - five Nativity Canticles in Luke, Jesus’s teaching in the Gospels - Philippians 2:6 ff, Ephesians 5:14, 1 Timothy 3:16, Revelation, etc.]

Nearby Cultures: Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Canaanite.

PUNISHMENTS OF GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE

Sometimes Jewish folk are heard to ruminate on their wish that the Lord had chosen someone else. God always appears to be punishing them. This has not only been true in recent centuries, but throughout the Scriptures.

Here is a short list: the result of worshipping of the Golden Calf at Sinai, following Achan's sin at Jericho, the rebellion of Korah, Datham, Abiram, plus 250 others, against Moses, the Nation under King Saul, the Exiles of Israel and Judah, and the occupation by various Empires (Assyrian, Babylonian, Mede-Persian, Greek, etc). There was the colossal destruction of Jerusalem with its Temple, and the 2,000 year dispersion of the Jews to many parts of the world – in AD 70, by the troops under General, later Emperor, Titus. Always there was a judgment connected with moral and spiritual failure. One must wonder what was the cause here in AD 70? Then the Pogroms, the Holocaust, and the vicious massacre of October 7^th 2023.

Holy Spirit gifts

Thursday 22 November 2012

SYNAGOGUE LECTIONARY - Questions

JEWISH SCRIPTURE READINGS SET FOR SYNAGOGUE AND DAILY USE

[105], [106], [107], [108], [109], [110], [111],

PSALMS, AND PSALM ONE

This is a short introduction to the book of Psalms, and brief look at Psalm 1.

PSALM 110

AMOS THE RURAL PROPHET

END NOTES

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