22 March 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 22 March 2014

running a bit late here.  Dear Wife passed out on rlciner bside me, cats gone off into some sort of parallel universe (hope they stay there) and just taking it a bit easy.  Not feeling real great myself, and tired of being cooped up inside to avoid the wretched weather.
But there are worse problems in the world, and this too shall pass.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 7 and 8 of Joshua.  Doesn't take long for things to go off track, does it?  Doesn't take long for us to decide we can pick and choose what commands to obey, and which to ignore.  The results, long term and frequently short term, are never good.  As we see here.

1
But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
2
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai.
3
And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.”
4
So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai,
5
and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
7
And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
8
“O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
9
“For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”
10
The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11
“Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
12
“Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
13
“Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”
14
“‘In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man.
15
“‘And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”
16
So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
17
And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18
And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20
And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did:
21
“when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath.
23
And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord.
24
And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
25
And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
26
And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.


1
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.
2
“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”
3
So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.
4
And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready.
5
“And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them.
6
“And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.’ So we will flee before them.
7
“Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand.
8
“And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.”
9
So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.
10
Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
11
And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai.
12
He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
13
So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.
14
And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15
And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness.
16
So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city.
17
Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.
18
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.
19
And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire.
20
So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers.
21
And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
22
And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped.
23
But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.
24
When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword.
25
And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai.
26
But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.
27
Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord that he commanded Joshua.
28
So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day.
29
And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.
30
At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,
31
just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings.
32
And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
33
And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel.
34
And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
35
There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.



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The New Testament reading is verses 25-52 of Luke 2.  The early life of Jesus.

25
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26
And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27
And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
28
he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
30
“for my eyes have seen your salvation
31
“that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32
“a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
33
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.
34
And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
35
“(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,
37
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
38
And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39
And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
40
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
41
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42
And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
43
And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother did not know it,
44
but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45
and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
46
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47
And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48
And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
49
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
50
And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
51
And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

21 March 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 21 March, 2014

NOTE:  we've had some difficulties here and things haven't been quite right so this is --finally - getting posted but quite late.  Regrets and all.

Happy Friday.  We entered Spring yesterday.  I was dispatched to the pharmacy to get some of Dear Wife's refills [she's on a raft of meds] and found myself driving through the snow coming down.  Not a real heavy one, more like ice crystals than big flakes.  But snow.  In Spring.  And, based upon past performance, we can expect at least one more sizable snow storm before it quits for the year.  I don't like snow, never did. and didn't miss not having it when we lived far from here.

Dear Wife is having a rough time still, the cold weather doesn't help with her arthritis and related maladies -- being in constant pain will wear you down.  It's wearing her down.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 4, 5, 6 of Joshua.  The people hav just crossed th River into the Promised Land.  Now things change a good bit.  And we see here that they bgin to take the land.  The story of Jericho is here the taking of a strong and fortified place.  Utterly destroyed, and every living thing there.  Except for a harlot who helped them, and her family.  Not the kind of person you might have expected.  You'll see her name later on in a few places.  She is one of the earthly ancestors of Jesus.  I guess that if the Lord can use a harlot, He might have a purpose for me as well.

1
And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
2
Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3
And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5
And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7
Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
10
For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11
And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13
About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14
On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15
And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
16
Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17
Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18
And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19
And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20
And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21
And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22
Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
24
That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.


1
And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
2
At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
3
And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4
And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5
Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not show them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7
And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
8
And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
9
And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
10
And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
11
And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
12
And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14
And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
15
And the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.


1
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
2
And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.
3
And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
6
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.
7
And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
8
And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9
And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
10
And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
11
So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14
And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16
And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
17
And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18
And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19
But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
20
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
21
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
22
But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23
And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
24
And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25
And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26
And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
27
So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.




==========================

The New Testament reading is verses 1-24 of Luke chapter 2.  This is the Christmas story, the one we usually read at that time. 

1
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21
And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23
(As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

20 March 2014

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 20 Martch 2014

in a few hours, the astronomers tell us we will reach the point at which we enter the Vernal Equinox.  Translated, that means today, or properly this afternoon, it will be Spring.  It's about time, I am weary of the cold and snow and ice.  Weary does not really capture all of it.  Dreary.  I hear periodically from our friends in places we've lived, places in the Smokies, in the Ozarks, in the Ouachita mountains and in the the Cumberlands and Appalachian mountains.  The cold lingers there, particularly in the higher elevations, but it can also be beautiful.
We have a small amount of terrain here, but scenic does not quite describe it -- more like rows of empty houses, abandoned factories, and closed businesses.  Streets and avenues of shattered dreams and broken hearts.  I know the feeling.  The Lord makes possible a different, better perspective on things, but the hurt is there all too clear to see and words alone will not remedy that.  at least, words uttered by mere humans.  Perhaps that is part of why we were led to come here. 

Doing some work around the house, as weather, finances, and my energy levels permit.    Perhaps we shall get this done someday.

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The morning reading from the Old Testament takes in a major change.  Moses is gone, and an new era begins. 

Joshua, chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Joshua.  The people pass over Jordan into the land.


1
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
2
Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4
From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
10
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
12
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
13
Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.
14
Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them;
15
Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
16
And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
17
According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
18
Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.


1
And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3
And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
4
And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
5
And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6
But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7
And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8
And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9
And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10
For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
12
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
13
And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
14
And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15
Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16
And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
17
And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
18
Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
19
And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
20
And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
21
And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22
And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
23
So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:
24
And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.


1
And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
2
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
3
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
4
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
5
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
6
And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
7
And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
8
And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.
9
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
10
And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
11
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
12
Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
13
And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
14
And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
15
And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
16
That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
17
And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.






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The New Testament reading is verses 57-80 of chapter 1 in the Gospel of Luke.  The birth of the baby we know as John the Baptist, earthly cousin of Jesus.  And another marvelous proclamation by his father.

57
Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58
And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59
And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60
And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61
And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62
And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63
And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64
And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65
And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66
And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69
And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73
The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74
That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75
In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.