Jul 22, 2022
JEREMIAH 3-4:
From yesterday’s reading, I highlight 1:12b,
where God says,
1:12b GNT “I am watching to see that my words come true.”
In Hebrew, the word ‘watching’ is a play on words.
Yesterday we also read Jeremiah 2:13, which is one of the most frequently quoted verses from this book. Look at it in context starting at verse 11:
Jer. 2:11 GNT No other nation
has ever changed its gods,
even though they were not
real.
But my people have
exchanged me,
the God who
has brought them honor,
for gods that can do nothing for
them.
12 And so I command
the sky to shake with horror,
to be amazed and
astonished,
13 for my
people have committed two sins:
they have turned away from
me,
the spring of fresh
water,
and they have dug
cisterns,
cracked
cisterns that can hold no water at all.
PSALM 139:
What a contrast with what we just read! Our God
searches us out and knows all about us. This psalm has been a great
comfort to many.
JOHN 18b:
Jesus knew he was walking inexorably to the cross. To me it is interesting that in Jesus’ short time with the governor of the land, he brought the focus to the concept of ‘truth’.
GNT Translation notes:
Jer. 4:2 [NLT Then when you
swear by my name, saying,
‘As
surely as the LORD lives,’
you
could do so
with
truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then
you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
and all people would come and
praise [Me//my name[//GNT it will be right for you to swear by my
name. Then all the nations will ask me to bless them, and they will
praise me.”]
[I
was going to bet that the NLT added the words, “As surely as the
Lord lives” in order that the idea of ‘swear’ing not be taken in
the sense of taking the name of the Lord in vain. That can also be
called ‘swearing’ in English. But I find that my assumption was
wrong! It seems that GNT left out the Hebrew words ‘YHWH live’, and
even literal versions translate the two words like NLT. I think
this may be one of the few places where one could defensibly say
that GNT made a mistake, and the CEV translators must have simply
have followed it without checking the Hebrew.]
====
Ps.
139:18 If I counted them, they would be more than the grains of
sand. [And] When I awake, I am still with you.
====
John 18:33 Pilate went back into the palace and
called Jesus.[and asked him,] “[So,] Are you the king of the Jews?”
[0//he asked him.]
37
So Pilate asked him, “Are you a king, then?”
Jesus answered, “[NIV You are
right in saying I am a king.//You say that I am a king.] I was born
and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the
truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to
me.”
38 “And what is truth?” Pilate
asked.
Then
Pilate went back outside to the people and said to them, “I cannot
find any reason to condemn him.