Study Desk

God [approaching from Sinai] comes from Teman (Edom), And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah (pause, and calmly think of that). His splendor and majesty covers the heavens And the earth is full of His praise.

His brightness is like the sunlight; He has [bright] rays flashing from His hand, And there [in the sunlike splendor] is the hiding place of His power.

Before Him goes the pestilence [of judgment as in Egypt], And [the burning] plague [of condemnation] follows at His feet [as in Sennacherib's army].

He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations, Yes, the eternal mountains were shattered, The ancient hills bowed low and collapsed. His ways are eternal.

With the enemy's own spears, You pierced The head of his hordes. They stormed out to scatter us, Rejoicing like those Who secretly devour the oppressed [of Israel].

[Hush!] Be silent before the Lord GOD [there is no acceptable excuse to offer]! For the day [of the vengeance] of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice (Judah), He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation [the Chaldeans who rule Babylon].

Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to rescue them On the day of the LORD'S indignation and wrath. And the whole earth will be consumed In the fire of His jealous wrath, For He shall make a full and complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Seek the LORD [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life], All you humble of the land Who have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments; Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital]. Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued] In the day of the LORD'S anger.

The LORD will be terrifying and awesome to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down and worship Him, everyone from his own place.

And the LORD will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland], Parched as the desert.

This is the joyous city Which dwells carelessly [feeling so secure], Who says in her heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me." What a desolation she has become, A lair for [wild] animals! Everyone who passes by her will hiss [in scorn] And wave his hand in contempt.

The LORD is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the unjust person knows no shame.

"The LORD your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

"You have planted much, but you harvest little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have enough to be intoxicated; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns wages earns them just to put them in a bag with holes in it [because God has withheld His blessing]."

"You look for much [harvest], but it comes to little; and even when you bring that home, I blow it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house, which lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house [eager to enjoy it].

'If a man carries meat that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God] in the fold of his garment, and he touches bread, or cooked food, or wine, or oil, or any [kind of] food with this fold, does what he touches become holy [dedicated exclusively to God's service]?'" And the priests answered, "No!" [Holiness is not transferrable.]

'I will [in the distant future] overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the [ungodly] nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders will go down, every one by the sword of his brother [annihilating one another].

I asked, "What are these [horns and craftsmen] coming to do?" And he said, "These are the horns (powers) that have scattered Judah so that no man raised up his head [because of the suffering inflicted by the Gentile nations]. But these craftsmen have come to terrify them and make them panic, and throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it."

And I looked up, and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.

For thus says the LORD of hosts, "After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you—for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.