Biblical Winters

 

[Young Elihu to Job & company]

"God's voice thunders with marvelous things;

He does great things we cannot deeply know.

For to the snow He says, 'Fall on the earth,'

And to the shower of rain, Be mighty rain torrents'...

From the Breath of God ice is given,

     And the broad waters are frozen."  (Job 37:5, 6, 10)

Praise Yahweh from the earth:

Fire and hail, snow and clouds, 

Strong wind doing His will...

Let them praise the Name of Yahweh,

For His Name alone is exalted;

His splendor is above the earth and heavens. (Psalm 148: 7a, 8, 13)

He sends forth His command to the earth;

His word runs swiftly forth.

He dispenses snow as wool;

He scatters hoar-frost as ashes.

He hurls His hail as fragments--

Who can stand before His icy cold?

He sends forth His word and melts them;

He causes the wind to blow,

         and the waters flow.  (Psalm 147: 15-18)

[Yahweh says]

"For just as the rain comes down

     And the snow from the heavens

     And does not return there

     Without watering the earth,

Causing it to bring forth and sprout

     So that it yields seed to the sower

      And bread to the eater,

Thus is My Word which goes forth from My mouth:

It does not return to me void,

But does what I delighted

And advances those things for which I sent it."  (Isaiah 55: 10-11)

"Come, now, let us reason together.

Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red as crimson,

They shall be [white] like wool."  (Isaiah 1:18)

[King David leads us in saying]

"Cleanse me with hyssop* and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."  (Psalm 51:7)

(original translations c.m.b.)

*Ezov, the hyssop of the Bible-- a flowering herb in the mint family, which was used for cleansing. The plant was used to "sprinkle" liquids.  A hyssop stalk was used to life a sponge to Jesus' lips as He hung on the cross, to give Him something to wet His lips as He thirsted.

Ego Eimi

 

ἐγώ εἰμι

Jesus says: 

"I AM the world's Light             (John 8:12)

Who outshines eternal night."

"I AM the Good Shepherd        (John 10:14)

And the door for the sheep:      (John 10:7, 9)

The sheep hear My word

And within may safely sleep."

"I AM the Bread of Life;          (John 6)

The Way, the Truth and the Life;    (John 14:6)

The Resurrection and the Life."   (John 11:25)

"I AM the True Vine

And you are the branches--        (John 15: 1,5)

Without what is Mine,

You do only what man does."

εἰμι ἐγώ

Paul answers for all of us:

"Christ Jesus came into the world for sinners,

First of whom am I."      (I Timothy 1:15)

ἐγώ εἰμι

Jesus says:

"Before Abraham was, I AM."  (John 8:58)

"I AM" in Hebrew

KEE L'Oh-LAHM CHas-DOE

...For His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. (Psalm 136:10). 

As I went for a walk 

On legs that are able, 

I praise You, 

For I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

I revel in leaves 

And a family picnic table. 

Your works are wonderful, 

How rightly I realize this! (Ps. 139:14) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity.

High above arches the pale blue dome 

On which billowy white clouds have been hung; 

He causes the clouds to rise 

From the ends of the earth... 

I breath in autumn 

With clear, healthy lungs. 

And brings out the wind 

From within His storehouses. (Ps. 135:7) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity.

Eichhörnchen, Albrecht Dürer (1492)
(Two Squirrels [eating hazelnut])

Fuzzy brown squirrels 

Are storing up food... 

The eyes of all look unto You, 

For You give them their food in the right season. 

And I munch an apple~ 

Sensing all that is good. 

You open up Your Hand 

And satisfy the wants of all living things. (Ps. 145:15-16) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

My health is restored 

As only He could; 

Who forgives all my sins 

And heals my diseases; 

My strength is as birds' wings 

Going south as they should. 

He satisfies my desires with good things 

So that my strength is renewed like the eagle's. (Ps. 103: 3, 5) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

Tiny purple asters and once-lush green grass 

Now ready for fall are dying away. 

Man ~ his days are as grass, 

He flourishes as a flower of the field; 

Autumn reminds me that I, too, shall die 

To live again in a glorious new day. 

The wind blows over it and it is not, 

And its own place remembers it no more. (Ps. 103:15-16) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

The cold nips my nose 

As I kick about leaves... 

He spreads His snow as soft wool 

And scatters the frost as if ashes; 

Thinking about winter 

With drifts to my knees. 

He hurls down His ice like pebbles~ 

Who can stand before His cold? (Ps. 147:16-17) 

...His lovingkindness lasts to eternity. 

I trust in my Father 

Who looks out for me; 

Create in me a clean heart, O, God 

And renew an upright spirit within me. 

He takes away my sins, 

And I'll praise Him eternally. 

O, my Lord, open up my lips 

So that my mouth might declare Your praise. (Ps. 51:10,15) 

Deep inside, I let out a sigh, 

For You, O, Jesus, are always close by. 

Because I know You, 

I sense You all around me 

And on a day like today, 

I'm just "happy to be." 

Praise Yahweh! Give thanks unto Yahweh, For He is good; For His lovingkindness Lasts to eternity. (Ps. 136:1) ---(c) C. Marie Byars, 1984; Winfield, KS

Vapory Mists

[HEH-vell heh-vah-LEEM]
Vapor of Vapors*:

 [Hah-KOHL HAH-vell.]

 All is (vanishing) vapor
[Mah--yith-ROHK lah-ah-DAHM**]
What profit is it for a man
[B'kohl--eh-mah-LOH sh-yah'-ah-MOHL]
In all his labor which he does
[TACH-ath ha-SHEMM-esh.]
Under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1: 2a-3)

     Kind of "bleak" taken on its own! But the 12th chapter of Ecclesiastes reminds us we get all of our meaning by remembering our Creator in the days of our youth. And we know that in Jesus, we shall have begun and shall more perfectly live that life in heaven which knows of no vanity or uselessness or futility.

*Often translated as "vanity of vanities"; the Hebrew really says "vapor" because, no matter how much you clutch at vapor, you cannot hold it; in Hebrew, this is the same as the name "Abel"
**"Adam", a man