IBhayibheli

 

以西結書 39

Funda

   

1 人子啊,你要向歌革發預言攻擊他,耶和華如此:羅施、米設、土巴的王歌革啊,我與你為敵。

2 我必調你,領你前往,使你從北方的極處上你到以色列的上。

3 我必從你左打落你的,從你右打掉你的

4 你和你的軍隊,並同著你的列國人,都必倒在以色列的上。我必將你各類的鷙和田野的走獸作食物。

5 你必倒在田野,因為我曾說過。這是耶和華的。

6 我要降在瑪各和海安然居住的人身上,他們就知道我是耶和華

7 我要在我民以色列中顯出我的名,也不容我的名再被褻瀆,列國人就知道我是耶和華以色列中的者。

8 耶和華:這日事情臨近,也必成就,乃是我所的日子。

9 以色列城邑的人必出去撿器械,就是大小盾牌弓箭、梃杖、槍矛,都當柴燒,直燒年,

10 甚至他們不必從田野撿柴,也不必從林伐;因為他們要用器械燒,並且搶奪那搶奪他們的人,擄掠那擄掠他們的人。這是耶和華的。

11 當那日,我必將以色列地的谷,就是東人所經過的谷,賜歌革為墳地,使經過的人到此停步。在那裡人必葬埋歌革和他的群眾,就稱那地為哈們歌革谷。

12 以色列家的人必用葬埋他們,為要潔淨全

13 的居民都必葬埋他們。當我得榮耀的日子,這事必叫他們得名聲。這是耶和華的。

14 他們必分派人時常巡查遍,與過路的人一同葬埋那地面上的屍首,好潔淨全。過了,他們還要巡查。

15 巡查遍的人要經過全,見有人的骸,就在旁邊立一標記,等葬埋的人來將骸葬在哈們歌革谷。

16 他們必這樣潔淨那,並有一城名叫哈摩那。

17 人子啊,耶和華如此:你要對各類的飛和田野的走獸:你們聚集罷,要從四方聚到我為你們獻祭之地,就是在以色列上獻祭之地,好叫你們血。

18 你們必勇士的上首領的血,就如公綿羔、公山、公牛,都是巴珊的肥畜。

19 你們我為你們所獻的祭,必飽了脂油,了血。

20 你們必在我席上飽吃馬匹和坐車的,並勇士和一切的戰士。這是耶和華的。

21 我必顯我的榮耀在列國中;萬民就必見我所行的審判與我在他們身上所加的

22 這樣,從那日以後,以色列家必知道我是耶和華─他們的

23 列國人也必知道以色列家被擄掠是因他們的罪孽。他們得罪我,我就掩面不顧,將他們交在敵人中,他們便都倒在刀下。

24 我是照他們的污穢和罪過待他們,並且我掩面不顧他們。

25 耶和華如此:我要使雅各被擄的人歸回,要憐憫以色列全家,又為我的名發熱心。

26 他們在本地安然居住,無人驚嚇,是我將他們從萬民中領回,從仇敵之地召來。我在許多國的民眼前,在他們身上顯為聖的時候,他們要擔當自己的羞辱和干犯我的一切罪。

27 a

28 因我使他們被擄到外邦人中,後又聚集他們歸回本地,他們就知道我是耶和華─他們的;我必不再留他們一人在外邦。

29 我也不再掩面不顧他們,因我已將我的靈澆灌以色列家。這是耶和華的。

   

Amazwana

 

Jacob or Israel (the man)

  

Jacob is told twice that his name will now be Israel. The first time is when he wrestles with an angel on his journey to meet Esau, and the angel tells him that his name will be changed. After he is reconciled with Esau, they go their separate ways. Jacob moves to Shechem and then on to Bethel, where he builds an altar to the Lord. The Lord appears to him there, renews the covenant He first made with Abraham and again tells him that his name will be Israel (Genesis 35). The story goes on to tell of Benjamin's birth and Rachel's death in bearing him, and then of Jacob's return to Isaac and Isaac's death and burial. But at that point the main thread of the story leaves Israel and turns to Joseph, and Israel is hardly mentioned until after Joseph has risen to power in Egypt, has revealed himself to his brothers and tells them to bring all of their father's household down to Egypt. There, before Israel dies, he blesses Joseph's sons, plus all his own sons. After his death he is returned to the land of Canaan for burial in Abraham's tomb. In the story of Jacob and Esau, Jacob represents truth, and Esau good. Jacob's stay in Padan-Aram, and the wealth he acquired there, represent learning the truths of scripture, just as we learn when we read the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount. The change of name from Jacob to Israel represents the realization that what we learn should not simply be knowledge, but should be the rules of our life, to be followed by action. This action is the good that Esau has represented in the story up to that time, but after the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, Jacob as Israel now represents the truth and the good, together. It is interesting that even after his name change Jacob is rarely called Israel. Sometimes he is called one and sometimes the other, and sometimes he is called both Jacob and Israel in the same verse (Genesis 46:2, 5, & 8 also Psalm 14:7). This is because Jacob represents the external person and Israel the internal person, and even after the internal person comes into being, we spend much of our lives living on the external level.

(Izinkomba: Arcana Coelestia 4274, 4292, 4570, 5595, 6225, 6256, Genesis 2:5, 46:8)

IBhayibheli

 

Genesis 35

Funda

   

1 God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."

2 Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments.

3 Let us arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."

4 They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5 They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn't pursue the sons of Jacob.

6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.

7 He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

8 Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.

9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.

10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel." He named him Israel.

11 God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body.

12 The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your seed after you will I give the land."

13 God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.

14 Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.

15 Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him "Bethel."

16 They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.

17 When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for now you will have another son."

18 It happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin.

19 Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).

20 Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.

21 Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22 It happened, while Israel lived in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

25 The sons of Bilhah (Rachel's handmaid): Dan and Naphtali.

26 The sons of Zilpah (Leah's handmaid): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

27 Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.

28 The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years.

29 Isaac gave up the spirit, and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.