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].