1 Samuel 3 “the word” condemns Eli’s family

 CJB emphasis in blue and green, NIV in magenta or separate, Nomads* comments in yellow, my comments in gray. *Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC

[I read the Bible to consider a perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy, which humankind might reform, after long neglect, then develop. It’s partially expressed by Semite scholars of 3900 years ago in Genesis 1:26-28, in my paraphrase:  Female-and-male-human-being may and can, independent of other entities, choose to constrain political democracy on earth. In other words, on earth, humankind has the power to pursue the good and constrain the bad. Just rule of law constrains democracy. Jesus affirmed these ideas in each Matthew 19:3-8, in Matthew 5:48, and in other direct dialogue. I think the next Bible canon should include the law codes of Sumer and competing civilizations. Resulting insights would take the heat off Judeo-Christianity, a Messiah vs Christ competition* that egregiously deludes Jesus’ civic influence. The resulting comprehensive view could accelerate collaborative pursuit of human being (verb) and lessen baby killings, like those happening in Israel, in Ukraine, and in the U.S.

*Competitive monotheism survives on war.]

Note: Hannah proudly dedicated her firstborn, Samuel, a Levite, to serve the priests in the tabernacle. Eli, a Levite, had accepted God’s condemnation of his family, because his sons blasphemed God and had sex with parishioners – corrupting the tabernacle.

^3:1 The child Sh’mu’el continued ministering to Adonai under ‘Eli’s direction [I object to this imposition. No human can substitute for Jesus’ civic influence. Before Abraham was born Jesus was.]. Now, in those days Adonai rarely spoke [dabar in Hebrew], and visions were few. ² Once, during that period, ‘Eli had gone to bed — his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that it was hard for him to see. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out; and Sh’mu’el had lain down to sleep in the sanctuary of Adonai, where the ark of God was [This phrasing seems to express that Adonai and God are not the same entity].

⁴ Adonai [may have stood and] called, “Sh’mu’el!” and he answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ Then he ran to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me?” But he said, “I didn’t call you; go back, and lie down.” So he went and lay down. ⁶ Adonai called a second time, “Sh’mu’el!” Sh’mu’el got up, went to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son; lie down again.” ⁷ Now Sh’mu’el didn’t yet know Adonai; the word [In Genesis 15:1, NIV, “the word” appears, perhaps the first of many occurrences in the Bible. The Septuagint, the oldest translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, uses the terms rhema and logos as equivalents for dabar (Hebrew); Wikipedia. Dabar is used 1400 times as noun and 1100 times as verb in the Old Testament; https://www.christiandiscipleschurch.org/content/the-only-true-god-chapter-07).] of Adonai had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ Adonai called, “Sh’mu’el!” again, a third time. He got up, went to ‘Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” At last ‘Eli realized it was Adonai calling the child. ⁹ So ‘Eli said to Sh’mu’el, “Go, and lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, Adonai; your servant is listening.’ Sh’mu’el went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ Adonai came and stood, then spoke as at the other times: “Sh’mu’el! Sh’mu’el!” Then Sh’mu’el said, “Speak; your servant is listening.” ¹¹ Adonai said to Sh’mu’el, “Look! I am going to do something in Isra’el that will make both ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. ¹² On that day I will do against ‘Eli everything I have said with regard to his family, from beginning to end. ¹³ For I have told him that I will execute judgment against his family forever, because of his wickedness in not rebuking his sons, even though he knew that they had brought a curse on themselves. ¹⁴ Therefore I have sworn to the family of ‘Eli that the wickedness of ‘Eli’s family will never be atoned for by any sacrifice or offering.” [Perhaps Paul’s teaching that Jesus’ death on the cross atones for Adam’s sin directly refutes this verse. Or perhaps theGod’s message is that Eli’s family will never accept Jesus’ civic influence and therefore will never be forgiven. If so, only people who lived before Jesus was born and to whom Jesus revealed himself will be saved by the cross. My preference is to be aware of and accept this, another mystery yet continue to listen.]

¹⁵ Sh’mu’el lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of Adonai. But Sh’mu’el was afraid to tell ‘Eli the vision. ¹⁶ Then ‘Eli called Sh’mu’el: “Sh’mu’el, my son!” [Ken remarked that Eli was accepting Samuel to replace Eli’s sons as inheritors of El’s priesthood.] He answered, “Here I am.” ¹⁷ ‘Eli said, “What did he say to you? Please, don’t hide it from me; may God do whatever he said and worse, if you hide from me anything he said to you.” ¹⁸ So Sh’mu’el told him every word and hid nothing. ‘Eli replied, “It is Adonai; let him do what seems good to him.” [Eli’s humility – acceptance that he reared corrupt sons -- impresses me.] [Nomad’s leader, Ken, cautioned me to read Chapters 1 and 2 regarding Eli-humility. I did and question Eli accepting Adonai’s decision to kill rather than reform Eli’s sons because they ate meet before the fat and blood had been rendered to Adonai, let alone having sex with parishioners. This impacts James’ opinion in Acts 15. I also doubt Hannah’s humility; see 1 Samuel 2:1 “I can gloat”.]

¹⁹ Sh’mu’el kept growing, Adonai was with him [Jesus faithful to anyone who pursues his civic influence.], and he let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰ All Isra’el from Dan to Be’er-Sheva became aware that Sh’mu’el had been confirmed as a prophet of Adonai. ²¹ Adonai continued appearing in Shiloh, for Adonai revealed himself to Sh’mu’el in Shiloh by the word of Adonai.

[I attend Nomad’s class intending to listen, learn, and act. Each lesson seems more impactful to me than the previous ones.]

Isaiah 55 among 24 covenants

 

Isaiah 55, CJB emphasis in blue and green, NIV in magenta or separate, Nomads* comments in yellow, my comments in gray. *Participative Sunday-school-class at UBC

[I read the Bible to consider a perhaps 5500 year old Sumerian political philosophy, which humankind might return to after long neglect, then develop. It’s partially expressed by Semite scholars of 3900 years ago in Genesis 1:26-28, my paraphrase:  Female& male-human-being may and can, independent of other entities, choose to constrain political democracy on earth. In other words, on earth, humankind has the power to pursue the good and constrain the bad. The rule of law constrainst democracy. Jesus affirmed these ideas in Matthew 19:3-8, in Matthew 5:48, and in other direct dialogue. I think the next Bible canon should include the law codes of Sumer and competing civilizations. Resulting insights would take the heat off Judeo-Christianity, a Messiah vs Christ competition* that egregiously deludes Jesus’ civic influence. The comprehensive view could accelerate collaborative pursuit of human being (verb) and lessen baby killings, like those happening in Israel, Ukraine, and in the U.S.

*Competitive monotheism survives on war.]

 

From Chatper 54, “says Adonai”.

^55:1 “All you who are thirsty [yearn], come to the water!
You without money, come, buy, and eat!
Yes, come! Buy wine and milk
without money — it’s free! [Since money has no use in this premise, this seems an appeal to the rich -- and the poor.]
² Why spend money for what isn’t food,
your wages for what doesn’t satisfy? [Wealth and labor will not satisfy this yearning.]
Listen carefully to me [Adonai], and you will eat well,
you will enjoy the fat of the land.
³ Open your ears, and come to me [Is Adonai the Jesus of “Before Abraham I am”?];
listen well, and you will live —
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the grace I assured David. [One reader listed 14 covenants. I found 26. See Note 1, below.]
⁴ I have given him as a witness to the peoples,
a leader and lawgiver for the peoples [V 4 depicts a monarchical representative republic rather than kingdom.].
⁵ You will summon a nation you do not know,
and a nation that doesn’t know you will run to you, [It seems the favored people is Israel rather than humankind (opposing Genesis 1:26-28).]
for the sake of Adonai your God,
the Holy One of Isra’el, who will glorify you.”

⁶ Seek Adonai while he is available,
call on him while he is still nearby. [Work to grasp Jesus’ civic influence while you participate in a responsible society. Your opportunity may suddenly end. (That’s why I attend Nomads and UBC.)]
⁷ Let the wicked person abandon his way
and the evil person his thoughts;
let him return to Adonai,
and he will have mercy on him;
let him return to our God,
for he will freely forgive. [Is :Adonai your God”, “the
Holy One of Isra’el”, and “our God” the same entity? Does that entity favor Israel? Does that entity overrule theGod of humankind? I think “theGod” is more clearly humble to the mystery.]

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai.
⁹ “As high as the sky is above the earth
are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts. [Only because you have not accepted Genesis 1:26-28 – the image of Adonai.]
¹⁰ For just as rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return there, but water the earth,
causing it to bud and produce, [I think people like accepting the mystery and Jesus’ civic influence, found in the faces and voices of civic people everywhere.]
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater [the provider and the consumer in an economically balanced market];
¹¹ so is my word [Is Adonai the Jesus of “the word”?] that goes out from my mouth —
it will not return to me unfulfilled; [Jesus’ influence to the good is effective.]
but it will accomplish what I intend,
and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.” [If Adonai or better wrote Genesis 1:26-28, eventually humankind will rule to the good on earth.]

¹² Yes, you will go out with joy,
you will be led forth in peace.
As you come, the mountains and hills
will burst out into song,
and all the trees in the countryside
will clap their hands. [The world celebrates the good.]
¹³ Cypresses will grow in place of thorns,
myrtles will grow instead of briars.
This will bring fame to Adonai
as an eternal, imperishable sign [really? fame? After 3900 years, Israel, if not Adonai seems more infamous than famous. It’s a travesty that Christianity aids the killing of babies in the year 2024. Nomads class seems leading concern if not reform.].

 

NIV, separately

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
² Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare [See below: live, rule, mercy, pardon, joy, peace, impact, endurance.].
³ Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
    my faithful love promised to David.
⁴ See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander of the peoples.
⁵ Surely you will summon nations you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”

⁶ Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

 

[The blue highlights from the NIV version construct the following message to me. Isaiah 55 seems theGod’s instruction on how female and male human-beings my practice Genesis 1:26-28. Civic people, both rich and poor desire to rule their personal living to the good. The civic leader delivers justice. Therefore, dissidents and rebels who reform survive for mercy and pardon. Villains lose personal opportunity. Everyone shares joy and peace. The earth celebrates forever.]

Note 1: starting from https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/74722/how-many-covenants-has-god-established-with-humanity-and-are-any-of-them-everlas

List of 26 covenants to some extent by theGod to various people:

1.    To humankind, female and male to rule the earth: Genesis 1:1-2, 26-28. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . . . the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image . . . and let them rule over . . . all the earth . . .
male and female he created them. God blessed them [and] said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.

2.    To Adam obey or die: Genesis 2:16-17. Adonai, God, gave the person this order: “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die.

3.    To Cain to constrain emotions: Genesis 4:6-8. Adonai said to Kayin, “Why are you angry? Why so downcast? If you are doing what is good, shouldn’t you hold your head high? And if you don’t do what is good, sin is crouching at the door — it wants you, but you can rule over it.” Kayin had words with Hevel his brother; then one time, when they were in the field, Kayin turned on Hevel his brother and killed him.

4.    To Noah no blood and never destruction by flood: Genesis 9:1,11.  God blessed Noach and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will be upon every wild animal, every bird in the air, every creature populating the ground, and all the fish in the sea; they have been handed over to you. Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; just as I gave you green plants before, so now I give you everything — only flesh with its life, which is its blood, you are not to eat. I will certainly demand an accounting for the blood of your lives. I will establish my covenant with you that never again will all living beings be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.

5.    Abraham to be a blessing to humankind: Genesis 12:1-3. Now Adonai said to Avram, “Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.  I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

 

6.    Hagar to have descenants who are enemies: Genesis 16:10-12. The angel of Adonai said to her, “I will greatly increase your descendants; there will be so many that it will be impossible to count them.” The angel of Adonai said to her, “Look, you are pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. You are to call him Yishma‘el [God pays attention] because Adonai has paid attention to your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man, with his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, living his life at odds with all his kinsmen.”

 

7.    Sarah to royalty: Genesis 17:15-16. God said to Avraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are not to call her Sarai [mockery]; her name is to be Sarah [princess]. ¹⁶ I will bless her; moreover, I will give you a son by her. Truly I will bless her: she will be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

 

8.    Abrahaam’s descendant males to be circumcised: Genesis 17:10-14. God said to Avraham, “As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation. Here is my covenant, which you are to keep, between me and you, along with your descendants after you: every male among you is to be circumcised. You are to be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; this will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Generation after generation, every male among you who is eight days old is to be circumcised, including slaves born within your household and those bought from a foreigner not descended from you. The slave born in your house and the person bought with your money must be circumcised; thus my covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who will not let himself be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin — that person will be cut off from his people, because he has broken my covenant.”

 

9.      To Ishmael a great nation: Genesis 17:18-21. Avraham said to God, “If only Yishma‘el could live in your presence!” God answered, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you are to call him Yitz’chak [laughter]. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. But as for Yishma‘el, I have heard you. I have blessed him. I will make him fruitful and give him many descendants. He will father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Yitz’chak, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

 

10. To Isaac the blessings Abraham earned: Genesis 26:1-5. A famine came over the land, not the same as the first famine, which had taken place when Avraham was alive. Yitz’chak went to G’rar, to Avimelekh king of the P’lishtim. Adonai appeared to him and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt, but live where I tell you. Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, because I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants. I will fulfill the oath which I swore to Avraham your father — I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, I will give all these lands to your descendants, and by your descendants all the nations of the earth will bless themselves. All this is because Avraham heeded what I said and did what I told him to do — he followed my mitzvot, my regulations and my teachings.”

 

11.   To Jacob land and descendants: Genesis 28:13-15. Then suddenly Adonai was standing there next to him; and he said, “I am Adonai, the God of Avraham your [grand]father and the God of Yitz’chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. You will expand to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. By you and your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won’t leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

 

12. To the people of Israel, favor: Exodus 19:4-5. ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine.

 

13. To Israel frankincense as focus of worship: Leviticus 24:7-8. Put frankincense with each row to be an offering made by fire to Adonai in place of the bread and as a reminder of it. Regularly, every Shabbat, he is to arrange them before Adonai ; they are from the people of Isra’el, as a covenant forever.

 

14. To Saul authority to ruin a nation: 1 Samuel 15. Sh’mu’el said to Sha’ul, “Adonai sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Isra’el. Now listen to what Adonai has to say. Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘I remember what ‘Amalek did to Isra’el, how they fought against Isra’el when they were coming up from Egypt. Now go and attack “Amalek, and completely destroy everything they have. Don’t spare them, but kill men and women, children and babies, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

 

15. To David’s descendant everlasting peace on earth: 2 Samuel 7: 11-16. [Nathan added,] “‘Moreover, Adonai tells you that Adonai will make you a house. ¹² When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and blood; and I will set up his rulership. He will build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for me. If he does something wrong, I will punish him with a rod and blows, just as everyone gets punished; nevertheless, my grace will not leave him, as I took it away from Sha’ul, whom I removed from before you. Thus your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne will be set up forever.’” 

 

16. To David’s legacy: 2 Samuel 23:2-7. “The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue. The God of Isra’el spoke; the Rock of Isra’el said to me, ‘A ruler over people must be upright, ruling in the fear of God;  like the morning light at sunrise on a cloudless day that makes the grass on the earth sparkle after a rain.’ “For my house stands firm with God — he made an everlasting covenant with me. It is in order, fully assured, that he will bring to full growth all my salvation and every desire. “But the ungodly are like thorn bushes to be pushed aside, every one of them.
They cannot be taken in one’s hand; To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft,
and then only to burn them where they lie.”

 

17.   King David’s praise and recap of covenants: 1 Chronicles 16:4,13-18. [David] appointed certain L’vi’im to serve in front of the ark of Adonai, to celebrate, and to thank and praise Adonai the God of Isra’el. You descendants of Isra’el his servant, you offspring of Ya‘akov, his chosen ones:  he is Adonai our God, His judgments are everywhere on earth. Remember his covenant forever, the word he commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Avraham; the oath he swore to Yitz’chak and established as a law for Ya‘akov, for Isra’el as an everlasting covenant: “To you I will give the land of Kena‘an as your allotted heritage.”

 

18. To Hebrews who yearn for mercy, peace, and joy: Isaiah 55:3, 7, 12. Open your ears, and come to me . . . listen well, and you will live — I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the grace I assured David. Let the wicked person abandon his way and the evil person his thoughts; let him return to Adonai, and he will have mercy on him; let him return to our God, for he will freely forgive. Yes, you will go out with joy, you will be led forth in peace.

 

19. To Hebrews who practice justice: Isaiah 61:8. “For I, Adonai, love justice;
I hate robbery for burnt offerings. So I will be faithful to reward [those who grieve in protected city Zion (v 3)] and make an eternal covenant with them.”

 

20. To Hebrews in Jerusalem after being conquered: Jeremiah 32:36-40. ““Therefore, thus says Adonai the God of Isra’el concerning this city, of which you say that it is handed over to the king of Bavel by sword, famine and plague: ‘I will gather them out of all the countries where I drove them in my anger, fury and great wrath; and I will bring them back to this place and have them live here in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and singleness of purpose, so that they will fear me forever — this will be for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant not to turn away from them, but to do them good; I will put fear of me in their hearts, so that they will not leave me.

 

21.   To Hebrew prostitutes: Ezekiel 16:59-63.  “For here is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘I will do to you as you have done — you treated the oath with contempt by breaking the covenant. Nevertheless, I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl and will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your behavior and be ashamed of it as you receive your older and younger sisters and make them your daughters, even though the covenant with you does not cover that; and I will re-establish my covenant with you. Then you will know that I am Adonai; so that you will remember and be so ashamed that you will never open your mouth again, so ashamed will you be when I have forgiven you all that you have done,’ says Adonai Elohim.”

 

22. To descendants of David and Jacob: Ezekiel 37:24-28. “‘My servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one shepherd; they will live by my rulings and keep and observe my regulations. They will live in the land I gave to Ya‘akov my servant, where your ancestors lived; they will live there — they, their children, and their grandchildren, forever; and David my servant will be their leader forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among them forever. My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. The nations will know that I am Adonai, who sets Isra’el apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.’”

 

23. To Paul’s church: Hebrews 13:20. The God of shalom (peace) brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Yeshua, by the blood of an eternal covenant. May that God equip you with every good thing you need to do his will; and may he do in us whatever pleases him, through Yeshua the Messiah. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

24. To Elizabeth’s Zechariah: Luke 1:6-7, 13-17. Zechariah and Elizabeth had God’s approval. They followed all the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly. Yet, they never had any children because Elizabeth couldn’t become pregnant. Both of them were too old to have children. The angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John. He will be your pride and joy, and many people will be glad that he was born. As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God. He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents’ attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord.”

 

25. To Mary: Luke 1:26-33.  In the sixth month, the angel Gavri’el was sent by God to a city in the Galil called Natzeret, to a virgin engaged to a man named Yosef, of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Miryam. Approaching her, the angel said, “Shalom, favored lady! Adonai is with you!” She was deeply troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God. Look! You will become pregnant, you will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua. He will be great, he will be called Son of Ha‘Elyon. Adonai, God, will give him the throne of his forefather David; and he will rule the House of Ya‘akov forever — there will be no end to his Kingdom.”

 

26.  To introduce Jesus: Matthew 3:16-17. As soon as Yeshua had been immersed [by Jochanan], he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, he saw the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove, ¹⁷ and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him.”