Once Again

This morning I read all of Lamentations all five chapters once again I discovered something in the footnotes. Lamentations is a series of five poems and it is the same style as Psalm 119 each verse starting with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet but in this case verses of one line per letter instead of eight. That is except for chapter three which had three lines per letter. Reading it in English instead of Hebrew this totally escaped me. I took someone who knew Hebrew to see it. once as a writing challenge I tried to write a piece with each line starting with the next letter. I don’t know Hebrew but it’s not easy to do in English. After all there are not that many words in English that even start with an X.

Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet and I will grant his writing is not very upbeat. I am very impressed at him putting his concerns into poems. In all of them he is talking about what is going on in his home, the capitol city, Jerusalem. The city was on the verge of being destroyed. In the first chapter he compares Jerusalem to a beautiful princess and mourns her downfall. That shows through even in English and should have been a hint it was a poem. I’m annoyed at myself for not catching it.

Years ago I got a copy of Dake’s Annotated Bible it has a huge amount of footnotes and last year I decided in doing my regular reading I would read all of Dake’s footnotes this trip through the scriptures. Most of his notes are good but frequently he estimates costs of things and prices have risen considerably in the last 50 years. a live sheep costing under a dollar or a bull under five has become unrealistic today. However most of the notes are very good.

Here are His 74 facts about God. (found as a note to Neh 9:5)
1. His name is glorious (v5)
2. He is exalted above all possible blessing and praise from man
3. He alone os Jehovah (v6)
4  He made the heaven
5. He made the heaven of heavens
6. All the hosts of the heavens
7. The earth
8. All things in the Earth
9. The seas
10. All things in the seas
11. He preserves all things
12. He is the object of worship of the host of heaven
13. He chose Abraham (v7)
14. Brought him out of Ur
15. Gave him a new name
16. Found his heart faithful (v8)
17. Made a covenant with him
18. Gave him the land of Canaan
19. He kept His words
20. He is righteous
21. He saw the affliction of Israel in Egypt (v 9)
22. He heard them at the Red Sea
23. He showed signs and wonders in Egypt
24. He knew the pride of the Egyptians
25 He made Himself a great name
26. He divided the sea before Israel (v11)
27. He destroyed the Egyptians
28. He led Israel in the day by a cloudy pillar (v12)
29. He led Israel by night by a pillar of fire, to give them light
30. He came down upon mount Sinai (v13)
31. He spoke audibly from heaven
32. He gave Israel right judgments
33. Gave them true laws
34. Gave them good statutes and commandments
35. He made the holy Sabbath known to them (v14)
36. He commanded the precepts, statutes, and laws by Moses
37. He gave Israel bread from heaven for their hunger (v15)
38. He brought forth water out of a rock, for their thirst
39. He promised them that they should inherit the land He swore would be theirs
40. He is ready to pardon (v 17)
41. He is gracious
42. He is merciful
43. He is slow to anger
44. He is of great kindness
45. He does not forsake His people
46. He forsook not His people in the wilderness (v19)
47. He led them in the way
48. He gave them His good Spirit to instruct them (v20)
49. For 40 years He sustained them in the wilderness, so that they did not lack anything (v21)
50. He kept their clothes from wearing out during the entire 40 years
51. He kept their feet from swelling
52. He gave them kingdoms and nations so that Israel possessed their lands (v 22)
53. Multiplied their children as the stars of heaven (v23)
54. Brought them into the land, which He promised their fathers
55. Subdued the nations of Canaan and gave Israel their lands (v24)
56. Gave Israel the riches of earth and they delighted in his goodness
57. Many times He delivered them from the enemies who vexed them (v27)
58. He heard their cries in time of trouble, and gave them saviors who saved them from their enemies
59. Many times He left them in the hands of their enemies,when they had sinned (v 28)
60. When they returned to Him, He showed mercy again, and delivered them
61. He testified against them that He might bring them again to His law (v29)
62. For many years He was patient with them in their backslidings (v 30)
63. He sent prophets by His Spirit to rebuke them
64. At last He scattered them into all the lands of their enemies
65. Yet for His mercies’ sake He did not utterly consume them (v 31)
66. He did not utterly forsake them, for He was gracious and merciful
67. He is our God (v32)
68. He is great
69. He is mighty
70. He is a terrible God
71. He keeps Covenant and mercy
72. He has been just even in judgment
73. He has always done right when others have done wickedly (v33)
74. He is great in goodness (v35)

Most of these facts are very positive and there was also a list of the Israelites sins which account for the harsher facts. You can learn a lot from the footnotes. Today I learned how very old Ezra was when he stood reading the law (Deuteronomy), another time I learned that the 10 plagues from Exodus were direct attacks against the Egyptian gods. There can be a lot in footnotes though some can be wrong like the cheep livestock listed in this 50 year old Bible.

It is always worthwhile to look closely at what God is telling you. There are many methods to learn and a great many wonderful authors and teachers who want to help.

Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and
http://sites.google.com/a/wildblue.net/my-corner-of-the-world/home and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/

I’m still in Nehemiah in my mind I see a picture I once took that is most likely on CDR somewhere as I used to take pictures and get them on disk as well as prints when I got them developed. Pastor Phil has a beautiful sword that is generally on his office wall, that he used to illustrate this verse in a sermon once.

Neh 4:16And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. 17They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. 18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

Neh is the last of the history books but together with Ezra it reads like a lawbook Ezra dealt with forbidden marriages, even to the point of setting them aside including having the children from such marriages set aside. Chapter 5 of Neh was dealing with unjust loans an s usury. I am lumping these two books together because they used to be one book.
In Neh 6 His enemies Sanballat andTobiah tried to get Nehemiah to leave his work and meet him in the plain of O’no. he repeatedly refused to go knowing they were up to no good.  Nehemiah puts his answer well in Neh 6:3 “And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”  They wanted all along to stop the work. It kind of reminds me of the UN whenever something obviously needs to be done about something they set up a committee to discuss it. while sometimes talking is good there are times doing what you know is right or what God has ordered you to do is the only thing to do.

The attempts to stop his work did not end there. After saying meet with me out of town, and sending an insulting letter, the next escalation was trying to get Nehemiah to defile the temple by using it as a hiding place.  No matter how bad the danger might have been Nehemiah could not be tricked into breaking God’s laws.

Neh 6:11And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. 12And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/

Nehemiah (chapters 1-3)

In chapter one Nehemiah received a visitor who according to the footnotes of Dakes Bible was possibly his actual brother or another close relative. Nehemiah, as cup-barer had the favor of the King that allowed him to receive personal guests in the palace compound. Cup-barer usually also meant food-taster so it was a trusted friend. There must have been considerable freedom of travel in the empire for Hanani to have actually been to Jerusalem to see with his own eyes the state of the nation. By that time the first wave of exiles had returned and had been working on restoring the temple for about 39 years.  Nehemiah was most likely a slave and probably a eunuch to be in such a high position as the cup-barer. Remember, few world have been in as good a position to do harm to the king as one responsible for his safety.

His access to the king put him in position to ask for help for the city. It is rather surprising he was allowed to go himself. (vs2:5-6) He was further given letters of safe conduct to pass through the various kingdoms to make traveling alone with the royal escort safer the others who returned went in groups for safety against the various robbers who worked the main routes from nation to nation. the king and queen were concerned with his safe return to their service.

After his arrival at Jerusalem Nehemiah made a night survey of the condition of the outer wall of the city. After a circuit of at least three sides, the last side being  impassible, he told the leadership of the people what he had come for. He actually inspired them to work. The project of restoration had been dragging on  for so long they had lost their focus to rebuild David’s city and Solomon’s temple. After nearly 40 years it is quite possible many of them had never seen the land of the people who had destroyed the temple in the first place.

Chapter three shows the vastly different people who were recruited by   Nehemiah’s  urging to build the walls and make the city a true city again. The priests starting near the temple built the first section, near the temple where the sacrifices were brought in, called the sheep gate. further along there were goldsmiths, apothecaries, metal workers, and perfume makers, a truly diverse group worked on repairing the walls. The work on the temple had dragged own for years but with a community effort and the leadership of someone who had worked in a palace to keep things running smoothly the walls took less than 2 months to build.

Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/

This is Christmas the story of the Widow’s mite reminds me of the Christmas story “Why the Chimes Rang”. In that story the chimes only rang for an acceptable gift. Even the king putting in his crown did not ring the bells. It took a poor little boy giving what he had been saving all year for his Christmas gift. After seeing all the great gifts he snuck up when no one was looking to give his gift because he had become ashamed of it because he considered it a poor excuse for a gift but none of the great gifts rang the  chimes it took someone giving all they had to impress heaven enough to ring the bells. This was because the tower was so tall the bells could only be rung by the angels up above the mighty cathedral.

I first heard this story from a scratchy old record played for us in the Library at the pubic school. That was before God  and prayer were driven from the public school. This album was played for the students we sang real Christmas carols, “Away in the Manger”, “O, Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Angels We Have Heard on High”. In second grade we did a presentation in class where we were the course of angels saying, “glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace toward men.”

Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/

Luke 18:35-43
A blind man was by the roadside and first heard the crowds passing, then asked what was going on. (v36) He could not know by himself what was happening, but he knew something out of the ordinary was going on. By asking the people around him gave him information about the event. The blind man saw it as as opportunity. He knew who Jesus was and knew the kinds of things that had happened in the past when Jesus was around. He knew a lot about Jesus, he knew that Jesus was a healer who traveled around helping the hopeless, and even knew Jesus was a descendant of the royal family. Granted with all the wives both David and his children had there were lots of “sons of David” Even so it still carried a touch of royalty about it.

Once he had Jesus’ attention Jesus cold see at a glance the man was blind. He still asked “What do you want me to do?” the blind man asked for his sight. I recently heard someone teaching on the blind man sent to wash in the pool of Siloam. That preacher was playing it for laughs and said, “I’m blind!” implying, what do you think I want? in both cases it should have been obvious. Jesus, however, could see not just the obvious but He could see more. Each of us have layer after layer and many times the layer on the top is not what we need most. When this man asked for his sight it was immediately given to him (v.43). The man had the right response glorifying and praising God.

Luke 17:11-19
In the previous chapter there were ten lepers. the lepers came right out and asked what they wanted, mercy, and healing. with leprously they could have had missing fingers, arms, or other body parts. When Jesus said they were cleansed that could have just meant the leprosly was gone. they were to show themselves to the priest to get permission to live their lives again. (v14) says they were cleansed as they went. When they started to the priest nothing had changed yet. Only one came back to give thanks because he understood what was happening. All of them got cleansed only the one who returned to give thanks was made whole (v 19).

Our lives need to be fully healed. All the various layers of the onion are things in our lives below the surface that must be addressed so we can become whole.
Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/

I realize the story of the prodigal son is an often preached topic. It was fortunate for me because it was one of the questions on the exam in the class I took at Bethel. I wish I could have taken more classes at Bethel while Mario was taking them he got his credentials as a minister I love to study for study’s sake and I love to write. When Mario wrote his first sermon I thought he had no business in the pulpit it is amazing how his sermons have improved as time has passed. Now a look at the Prodigal.

The story comes from Luke 15:11-32 and tells of a man and his two sons. The younger asked for his inheritance. You have to understand the culture of that part of the world. Asking for his money was tantamount to saying I wish you were dead. His father could have punished the young upstart to the point of having him killed of put into slavery. The brother would have been duty bound to kill his brother for even asking. Both the father and son acted against what was expected of them. The father divided his estate and gave both brothers their shares of the estate. Note both were given their shares the one who asked left to make his way in the world. The older brother seemed not to grasp that everything left was his as surely as everything his wastrel of a brother had left with.

The bad decisions of the younger brother did not stop when he became a man of means he acquired many new friends willinmg to help him spend his money. His money was soon gone and the friends moved on to greener pastures. He was left destitute one commentary says he had even fallen into slavery they use his lack of shoes as evidence. Which is why the father called for shoes as a mark of his freedom. The banquet and ring were other affirmations of his freedom.

No to the elder son when he found out his brother was home pouted outside. He would not even go in to see his brother. His father left the party and came out to him. The Son complained his brother had been given the fatted calf and would not let him have a kid to party with his friends. He did not realize he had been given his half of the estate at the same time as his brother so he did not have to be given an animal to serve at a party it was already his. If he had wished to he cold have complained at his father had his fatted calf killed that had belonged to him and should have asked. This boy had a generally a bad attitude.

The father was extravagantly generous. He gave all he had to his two sons and did not keep anything back for himself. He ran to meet his returning son which was a total break with the culture of his time. An elder would not run it would be beneath his dignity, but he ran in verse 20. This was the boy who said, I want what is due to me. The child deserved death, or at the very least a good spanking. The elder brother wasn’t much better, he might have stayed home but he at the very least had no understanding his father had been as generous to his as to his brother. The younger brother may have wasted his money but the older felt he could not touch his so he wasted his as well.

Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/

KJV Issue Revisited Comparative Study
I know you are reading Critical commentaries have you ever compared verse to verse translation by translation (NJ, NIV, NKJV, KJV, NASV, AMP, CJB, and JB). I did a comparative study of Psalm 119 last year. That psalm was a teaching Psalm each verse from a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet in eight verse increments. In that study each verse group teaches a topic like blessings, cleansing power, enlightenment, etc.

The word enlightenment sums up what doing such a study brought. The AMP Bible basically is the KJV with added words to clarify the words to make them more understandable. I was amazed how close the NIV is to the AMP. I was partial to the NASV for years till I did the comparison. After looking at all the translations verse by verse it gave me a real respect for the similaries and differences of the many Bibles available out there now.

On Another Topic My Book
I was going to get someone to read the book I have been working on for so long and I discovered it needs a lot more chapters. So a lot of what I write this month will be to that end. At the moment I am looking at dreams in the Bible. According to my Bible software there are 62 verses about dreams. I plan on naming the chapter, “Behold the Dreamer” which is what Joseph’s brothers said just before they imprisoned him in the pit then sold him into slavery.

Third Topic My New Butler
Someone on my groups sent me something called IncrediMail that has announcer for mail I haven’t had that since the early days of AOL. I started on AOL since then have been on a couple of other servers. I have a stuffy butler walking on screen and telling me I have mail now. I like the humor of that. It would be nice to have a real butler.

Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/

Luke 8:16“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under

a bed, but sets it on a lamp-stand, that those who enter may see the light.

This passage is from the explanation of the parable of the sower. I like hearing Jesus explain one of his parables. This particular quote reminds me of a little mistake I made as a kid. I loved candles, I wasn’t supposed to light them or even light matches. There was a TV downstairs for everyone, mom and dad had a portable one in their bedroom. Occasionally, mom would let me watch TV in their room, usually when dad had the TV tied up with something useless and boring like football. Well I had a candle I would burn from time to time, I was almost grown up I would hit the big two digits soon I was about to turn 10. I learned that day there is a reason you don’t put a candle under a bed. FIRE!!! It was a brand new king sized bed, it was possible to put the fire out but it never looked bran new again.

Luke 8:22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with

His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the

lake.” And they launched out. 23But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a

windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were

in jeopardy. 24And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master,

Master, we are perishing!”Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the

raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25But He

said to them, “Where is your faith?” Now it happened, on a certain day, that

He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross

over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23But as they

sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they

were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24And they came to Him

and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And

they ceased, and there was a calm. 25But He said to them,

“Where is your faith?”

Years ago my husband, Mario, were on a camping trip with a storm coming. We had already experienced rainy camping where we were grazed by the edge of Hurricane Isabel (different camping trip). A night in a tent in a heavy rain is miserable. Mario got up and rebuked the storm and it turned away from the campground. We weren’t the only Christians in the camp two women were walking around the camp worshiping and singing praises to the Lord.

Luke 8:46But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power

going out from Me.” 47Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden,

she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in

the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and

how she was healed immediately. 48And He said to her,

“Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.

Go in peace.”

Dakes Annotated Bible tells us in the footnote for verse 47 (footnote:Thy faith, He knew He had not been exercising any particular faith in this case, so He recognized that she had faith enough to get her healing.)

Jesus knew he had done nothing to do with the healing. But then he did didn’t he. Jesus delighted in teaching and healing. His previous messages had taught her to believe for her healing. She had been used to doctors trying to make her better and failing it was remarkable she had the faith in Jesus to expect to be healed at the touch of his robe.

Annette
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery- from The Little Prince.~ http://onceagain.freeblogit.com/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/just4christianwomen2journal/ and http://annette-agnello.livejournal.com/