MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN. THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST

EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARE POWERFUL

DAVID'S BRAVERY TO TAKE DOWN THE GIANT GOLIATH 1ST SAMUEL

HAGGAI 2 THE SEVENTH MONTH

 1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of יהוה came by Ḥaggai the prophet, saying,

2“Speak, please, to Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, governor of Yehuḏah, and to Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

3‘Who is there left among you who saw this House in its former esteem? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes as naught when compared to it?

4‘And now, be strong, Zerubbaḇel,’ declares יהוה. ‘And be strong, Yehoshua, son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares יהוה, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares יהוה of hosts –

5the Word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Mitsrayim, and My Spirita is remaining in your midst, do not fear!’

6“For thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘Once more, in a little while, and I am shaking the heavens and earth, the sea and dry land.

7‘And I shall shake all the nations, and they shall come to the Delight of all the nations, and I shall fill this House with esteem,’ said יהוה of hosts.

8‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ declares יהוה of hosts.

10On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Dareyawesh, the word of יהוה came unto Ḥaggai the prophet, saying,

10On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Dareyawesh, the word of יהוה came unto Ḥaggai the prophet, saying,

11“Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the Torah, saying,

12“If one bears set-apart meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, or wine or oil, or any food, is it set-apart?” ’ ” And the priests answered and said, “No.”

13And Ḥaggai said, “If someone defiled by a dead body touches any of these, is it defiled?” And the priests answered and said, “It is defiled.”

HAGGAI THE PROPHET

 1In the second year of Dareyawesh the sovereign, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of יהוה came by Ḥaggai the prophet to Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, governor of Yehuḏah, and to Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, saying,

2“Thus spoke יהוה of hosts, saying, ‘This people have said, “The time has not come, the time the House of יהוה is to be built.” ’ ”

3Then the word of יהוה came by Ḥaggai the prophet, saying,

4“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this House be in ruins?”

5And now, thus said יהוה of hosts, “Consider your ways!

6“You have sown much, but brought in little; eat, but do not have enough; drink, but you are not filled with drink; clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

7Thus said יהוה of hosts, “Consider your ways!

8Go up to the mountain, and you shall bring wood and build the House. And I will be pleased with it, and let Me be esteemed,” said יהוה.

9“When you looked for much, then see, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I would blow on it. Why?” declares יהוה of hosts. “Because of My House which lies in ruins, while each of you runs to his own house.

10“Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its fruit.

11“And I called for a drought on the land, and on the mountains, and on the grain, and on the new wine, and on the oil, and on whatever the ground brings forth, and on man, and on livestock, and on all the labour of the hands.”

12Then Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, and Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of יהוה their Elohim, and the words of Ḥaggai the prophet, as יהוה their Elohim had sent him. And the people feared the presence of יהוה.

13And Ḥaggai, the messenger of יהוה, spoke the message of יהוה to the people, saying, “I am with you, declares יהוה.”

14And יהוה stirred up the spirit of Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, governor of Yehuḏah, and the spirit of Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the House of יהוה of hosts, their Elohim,

15on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Dareyawesh the sovereign.

THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL ZEPHANIAH 3

 11“In that day you shall not be put to shame for any of your deeds in which you have transgressed against Me, for then I shall remove from your midst your proud exulting ones, and you shall no more be haughty in My set-apart mountain.

12“But I shall leave in your midst an oppressed and poor people, and they shall trust in the Name of יהוה.

13“The remnant of Yisra’ĕl shall do no unrighteousness and speak no falsehooda, nor is a tongue of deceit found in their mouth. For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, with none to frighten them.”

14Shout for joy, O daughter of Tsiyon! Shout, O Yisra’ĕl! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Yerushalayim!

15יהוה has turned aside your judgments. He has faced your enemy. The Sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, יהוה, is in your midsta. No longer need you fear evil.

16In that day it shall be said to Yerushalayim, “Do not fear, Tsiyon, do not let your hands be weak.

17“יהוה your Elohim in your midst, is mighty to save. He rejoices over you with joy, He is silent in His love, He rejoices over you with singing.”

18“I shall gather those who grieve about the appointed place, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden.

19“See, I am dealing with all those afflicting you at that time. And I shall save the lame, and gather those who were cast out. And I shall give them for a praise and for a name in all the earth where they were put to shame.

20“At that time I shall bring you in, even at the time I gather you, for I shall give you for a name, and for a praise, among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes,” said יהוה.

THE OPPRESSING CITY ZEPHANIAH 3

 1Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!

2She did not obey the voice, she did not accept instruction, she did not trust in יהוה, she did not draw near to her Elohim.

3Her rulers in her midst are roaring lions, her judges are evening wolves, they shall leave no bone until morning.

4Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men. Her priests have profaned the set-apart place, they have done violence to the Toraha.

5יהוה is righteous in her midst, He does no unrighteousness. Morning by morning He brings His right-ruling to light, it has not been lacking, yet the unrighteous one knows no shame.

6“I have cut off nations, their corner towers are in ruins. I have made their streets deserted, with no one passing by. Their cities are destroyed, without man, without inhabitant.

7“I have said, ‘Only fear Me, accept instruction.’ And her dwelling would not be cut off, all that I have appointed for her. But they rose up early, they corrupted all their deeds.

8“Therefore wait for Me,” declares יהוה, “until the day I rise up for plunder. For My judgment is to gather nations, to assemble reigns, to pour out on them My rage, all my burning wrath. For by the fire of My jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.

9“For then I shall turn unto the peoples a clean lipa, so that they all call on the Name of יהוה, to serve Him with one shoulder.

10“From beyond the rivers of Kush my worshippers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering.