NL-Day008 Genesis 15-16; Job 8; Mark 5:21-43

GENESIS 15-16:
Yesterday we heard the stories of Abram and Lot separating company, and of Abram rescuing Lot in time of war. Then we heard of the mysterious priest Melchizedek (who we will read about in the NT in Hebrews).

JOB 8:
In the preceding two chapters, Job said some very despairing and angry words, telling God basically to go take a walk and leave him alone. Job again wished for his own death.

He said to God,
19 Won't you look away long enough 
for me to swallow my spit?
20 Are you harmed by my sin, you jailer?
Why use me for your target practice?
Am I so great a burden to you?
21 Can't you ever forgive my sin?
Can't you pardon the wrong I do?

MARK 5b:
In the first part of Mark 5, Jesus cast a host of demons out of a man named Mob.

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NLT Translation notes:
Gen. 15:6 And  Abram [fully/0] believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his [believing like that//faith].
[This is the first time this year that you will hear me lecture on this, so I might as well make this footnote a bit long. Note how in English there is 'believed' and then 'faith'. This makes it appear that 'faith' is  something different from 'belief'. This is not true. In Greek they share the identical root, faith being the noun form of believe. Here in Hebrew, a literal translation is as ESV: “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” The 'it' refers back to 'believed'. Another example comes up in today's NT reading.]
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Mrk. 5:36 But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be
afraid. Just [keep believing in me//have faith].”
[In Greek, Jesus does not use the noun form 'faith' here, but an imperative verb, “just believe.” When English speakers say “Just have faith,” it has become way too vague. It can mean anything and most of my audience in America can think of movies where Hollywood makes fun of the statement. In English the saying has become hollow. It is just like saying, “Keep up your hope.” Hope in what?! Again, in Greek, 'faith' and 'believe' are the same word.]

34 And he said to her, “[0/Daughter,] your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
[The Greek does say, ‘Daughter’. Like where Jesus calls Mary, his mother, ‘Woman’, this is very hard to translate. In the case of Jesus calling his mother ‘Woman’, in English that would be impolite, and he was not being so impolite in Greek or Aramaic. In the case of the woman healed in Mark 5, calling her ‘Daughter’ can imply that she was younger than Jesus— which is probably wrong. Or it can imply a that they were already friends. In English, I think it is probably best to leave out the word and maybe add the word ‘kindly’: he said to her kindly.]

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.