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Oct 28, 2022

EZEKIEL 28-29:
So why were there two whole chapters against the city-state of Tyre in yesterday’s reading, plus one more today?! I think we see the answer in Revelation. Tyre is very like the picture of Babylon (which in that book is a picture of Rome). All the way through the Bible— starting with the Tower of Babel, we see a contrast between the ‘city of man’ and the ‘city of God’. The world powers will be utterly defeated, along with all the wealth of commerce that supports them now.

In Ezekiel 14:15 and 20 and 28:3, GNT followed the liberal side of Biblical scholarship in identifying Daniel the prophet as Danel, the Ugaritic mythical hero. Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel who arrived in Babylon only 8 years before Ezekiel was in exile at the Chebar river. Even so, I think it very plausible that Daniel’s miraculous deeds (publicized even in the king’s proclamations) would have made him famous in that day. And the remote Ugaritic figure named Danel was not famed to be wise, as would be necessary in today’s passage. See these articles for more information.

Article: Did Ezekiel know Daniel?

Wallace: Who is Ezekiel’s Daniel?

ISAIAH 10:
Yesterday’s reading included wonderful prophecies concerning Jesus that are quoted in the Gospels and in Handel’s Messiah:

Is. 9:2 NLT The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.

and

6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

HEBREWS 6:

Jesus is our High Priest, not in the order of Aaron, but Melchizedek. This chapter picks up where the last left off. Yesterday’s chapter ended with the call for spiritual maturity:

Heb. 5:12b NLT “You are like babies who need milk and cannot [yet] eat solid food.”

GNT Translation notes:
Heb. 6:1 NLT [So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and [believing in God//placing our faith in God].//GNT Let us go forward, then, to mature teaching and leave behind us the first lessons of the Christian message. We should not lay again the foundation of turning away from useless works and believing in God;]
4 For how can those who abandon their [beliefs//faith] be brought back to repent again? They were once in God's light; they tasted heaven's gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit;
6 And then they abandoned their [beliefs//faith]! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.
10 God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to other [of God’s holy people//believers//Christians].