\nJohn MacArthur's John seriers study (part 2 of volume I) reminded me of something Rev. Tong prreached long time ago...about some Jews were praying to God to ask if Jesus was the Christ. I had not been able to find the source.\n<\/p>\n
\nPerhaps it is the same as MacArthur's source. But then it is not quite some Jewish praying in a temple but a mere poem.\n<\/p>\n
\nIf this is the source, then it would have been very old. As Abraham ibn Ezra was from the medieval time (1092-1167).\n<\/p>\n
\nAnd other than Robert Browning's poem on this Jewish scholar, there's no other reference on this subject:\n<\/p>\n
\n \n<\/p>\n
\nBy Robert Browning, Title: The Holy Cross Day\n<\/p>\n
\nI\n<\/p>\n
\nFee, faw, fum! bubble and squeak!
\nBlessedest Thursday's the fat of the week.
\nRumble and tumble, sleek and rough,
\nStinking and savoury, smug and gruff,
\nTake the church-road, for the bell's due chime
\nGives us the summons--'tis sermon-time!\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nII\n<\/p>\n
\nBoh, here's Barnabas! Job, that's you?
\nUp stumps Solomon--bustling too?
\nShame, man! greedy beyond your years
\nTo handsel the bishop's shaving-shears?
\nFair play's a jewel! Leave friends in the lurch? 10
\nStand on a line ere you start for the church!\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nIII\n<\/p>\n
\nHiggledy piggledy, packed we lie,
\nRats in a hamper, swine in a stye,
\nWasps in a bottle, frogs in a sieve,
\nWorms in a carcase, fleas in a sleeve.
\nHist! square shoulders, settle your thumbs
\nAnd buzz for the bishop--here he comes.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nIV\n<\/p>\n
\nBow, wow, wow--a bone for the dog!
\nI liken his Grace to an acorned hog. 20
\nWhat, a boy at his side, with the bloom of a lass,
\nTo help and handle my lord's hour-glass!
\nDidst ever behold so lithe a chine?
\nHis cheek hath laps like a fresh-singed swine.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nV\n<\/p>\n
\nAaron's asleep--shove hip to haunch,
\nOr somebody deal him a dig in the paunch!
\nLook at the purse with the tassel and knob
\nAnd the gown with the angel and thingumbob!
\nWhat's he at, quotha? reading his text!
\nNow you've his curtsey--and what comes next? 30\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nVI\n<\/p>\n
\nSee to our converts--you doomed black dozen--
\nNo stealing away--nor cog nor cozen!
\nYou five, that were thieves, deserve it fairly;
\nYou seven, that were beggars, will live less sparely;
\nYou took your turn and dipped in the hat,
\nGot fortune--and fortune gets you; mind that!\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nVII\n<\/p>\n
\nGive your first groan--compunction's at work
\nAnd soft! from a Jew you mount to a Turk.
\nLo, Micah,--the selfsame beard on chin
\nHe was four times already converted in! 40
\nHere's a knife, clip quick--it's a sign of grace--
\nOr he ruins us all with his hanging-face.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nVIII\n<\/p>\n
\nWhom now is the bishop a-leering at?
\nI know a point where his text falls pat.
\nI'll tell him to-morrow, a word just now
\nWent to my heart and made me vow
\nI meddle no more with the worst of trades--
\nLet somebody else pay his serenades.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nIX\n<\/p>\n
\nGroan all together now, whee-hee-hee!
\nIt's a-work, it's a-work, ah, woe is me! 50
\nIt began, when a herd of us, picked and placed,
\nWere spurred through the Corso, stripped to the waist;
\nJew brutes, with sweat and blood well spent
\nTo usher in worthily Christian Lent.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nX\n<\/p>\n
\nIt grew, when the hangman entered our bounds,
\nYelled, pricked us out to his church like hounds:
\nIt got to a pitch, when the hand indeed
\nWhich gutted my purse would throttle my creed:
\nAnd it overflows when, to even the odd,
\nMen I helped to their sins help me to their God. 60\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nXI\n<\/p>\n
\nBut now, while the scapegoats leave our flock,
\nAnd the rest sit silent and count the clock,
\nSince forced to muse the appointed time
\nOn these precious facts and truths sublime,
\nLet us fitly employ it, under our breath,
\nIn saying Ben Ezra's Song of Death.\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nXII\n<\/p>\n
\nFor Rabbi Ben Ezra, the night he died, \n \n"The Lord will have mercy on Jacob yet, \n \n"Ay, the children of the chosen race \n \n"God spoke, and gave us the word to keep, \n \n"Thou! if thou wast He, who at mid-watch came, \n \n"Thou art the Judge. We are bruised thus. \n \n"We withstood Christ then? Be mindful how \n \n"By the torture, prolonged from age to age, \n \n"We boast our proof that at least the Jew \n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" John MacArthur's John seriers study (part 2 of volume I) reminded me of something Rev. Tong prreached long time ago...about some Jews were praying to God to ask if Jesus was the Christ. I had not been able to find … Continue reading
\nCalled sons and sons' sons to his side,
\nAnd spoke<\/strong>, "This world has been harsh and strange;
\nSomething is wrong: there needeth change. 70
\nBut what, or where? at the last or first?
\nIn one point only we sinned, at worst.\n<\/p>\n
\nXIII\n<\/p>\n
\nAnd again in his border see Israel set.
\nWhen Judah beholds Jerusalem,
\nThe stranger-seed shall be joined to them:
\nTo Jacob's House shall the Gentiles cleave.
\nSo the Prophet saith and his sons believe.\n<\/p>\n
\nXIV\n<\/p>\n
\nShall carry and bring them to their place: 80
\nIn the land of the Lord shall lead the same
\nBondsmen and handmaids. Who shall blame,
\nWhen the slaves enslave, the oppressed ones o'er
\nThe oppressor triumph for evermore?\n<\/p>\n
\nXV\n<\/p>\n
\nBade never fold the hands nor sleep
\n'Mid a faithless world, at watch and ward,
\nTill Christ at the end relieve our guard.
\nBy His servant Moses the watch was set:
\nThough near upon cock-crow, we keep it yet. 90\n<\/p>\n
\nXVI\n<\/p>\n
\nBy the starlight, naming a dubious name!
\nAnd if, too heavy with sleep--too rash
\nWith fear--O Thou, if that martyr-gash
\nFell on Thee coming to take thine own,
\nAnd we gave the Cross, when we owed the Throne--<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n
\nXVII\n<\/p>\n
\nBut, the Judgment over, join sides with us!
\nThine too is the cause! and not more thine
\nThan ours, is the work of these dogs and swine, 100
\nWhose life laughs through and spits at their creed!
\nWho maintain Thee in word, and defy Thee in deed!\n<\/p>\n
\nXVIII\n<\/p>\n
\nAt least we withstand Barabbas now!
\nWas our outrage sore? But the worst we spared,
\nTo have called these--Christians, had we dared!
\nLet defiance to them pay mistrust of Thee,
\nAnd Rome make amends for Calvary!\n<\/p>\n
\nXIX\n<\/p>\n
\nBy the infamy, Israel's heritage, 110
\nBy the Ghetto's plague, by the garb's disgrace,
\nBy the badge of shame, by the felon's place,
\nBy the branding-tool, the bloody whip,
\nAnd the summons to Christian fellowship,--\n<\/p>\n
\nXX\n<\/p>\n
\nWould wrest Christ's name from the Devil's crew.
\nThy face took never so deep a shade
\nBut we fought them in it, God our aid!
\nA trophy to bear, as we march, thy band,
\nSouth, East, and on to the Pleasant Land!" 120\n<\/p>\n