Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 28 November 2017

Well .............  trying to get back on track.
Start with this.  Our clothes dryer isn't any more.  Drying, I mean.  The bin turns, surely, but no heat.  Now, a good bit of Dear Wife's clothes aren't supposed to go through the dryer anyway.  Some of her "unmentionables" to begin with.  And most of the outerwear has fabrics in it that aren't supposed to see heat, so I take them out of the washer and hang them on hangers on the cross-member for the shower door.  The leggings and "unmentionables" are generally dry in about 16 hours, some of the tops 36 hours or so, a few longer.  MY clothes, like jeans, not so much.  And not towels.  Or bedsheets or my socks, etc.  So .......  this morning we got up.  I fed cats, made toast for her and made a bowl of oatmeal for me, and ran a quick couple loads through the washer, stuck them in a hamper, and then we went off to a nearby laundromat to use the dryers.  She went along, which was fine.  I needed to send off a FAX re one of her drugs, and needed to get some carrots and celery for some chicken soup she wants to concoct tomorrow. The laundromat is right next to a big grocery that has a FAX service, so it worked out.  Came home, put stuff away, heated up some lunch, and then she "kicked back" on recliner under several blankets and a small cat.  She's scheduled to "watch" the great-niece and great-nephew starting in about 20 minutes, until nephew-in-law gets home from work an hour or two later.  Bonding time with the "greats".

Lots of inside-the-head time this week.  I do that, some people find it unsettling. My eyes might be pointed some direction, but I'm 5000 miles away in distance and years in time.  Or worse.  That inner world has its attractions, and benefits, but I'm supposed to be in this one as well.  But this one is pretty awful sometimes.  Sometimes, one understands, perhaps, some of the emotions of a Jeremiah or Ezekiel as they watched the nations and cultures head into chaos and evil.  I see, for example, just a few miles from here, someone found a dead newborn baby stuffed into a plastic bag and stuffed under a porch.  The female who was the mother claimed she hadn't known she was pregnant until she went into labor and couldn't handle the issue, so she hid the issue, a  human baby.  Not notably different than the late-term abortions that the political party represented by the jackass seems to regard as a sacrament.  I see yet another homicide not 8 miles from here.  The deceased had quite a criminal history, including for various drug-related offenses.  But he was someone's son, brother, friend.  And now dead.  Numerous drug overdoses, and numerous burglaries, robberies, and sex trafficking incidents related to the need for money to purchase addictive drugs like heroin.  Several serious traffic accidents, several related to consumption of beverage alcohol.  The word the the North Koreans have launched a ballistic missile over the Pacific, with warning that the objective is one that could reach the heart of the US, bearing a nuclear weapon.  Riots and rape epidemics through Europe perpetrated by Moslem "refugees", aided and abetted by several supposedly Christian groups.  Word that a supposedly Roman Catholic university in the US is going to abandon its logo and nickname of the "Crusaders", supposedly because it might offend Muslims.  Who cares?
It used to be understood that "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".  Seems to be bearing  out, right before our eyes.
And it will get worse, far worse.  Just watch and see.

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The Old Testament reading is chapter 40 of the book of Ezekiel.
Lots of figures here.  I wish that I had the drive to try to render what is being laid out here.  At least one commentator has said that the dimensions don't add up.  Perhaps.
By the way, if you had forgotten, the "cubit"mentioned here is the length of a forearm, from elbow to tip of middle finger.  Yes, it varies from one person to another. Generally taken to mean between 17 and 21 inches.

Ezekiel 40

1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. 2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. 3 And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. 4 And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel. 5 And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6 Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad. 7 And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed. 8 He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed. 9 Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward. 10 And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side. 11 And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. 12 The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. 13 He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door. 14 He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate. 15 And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits. 16 And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees. 17 Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement. 18 And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward. 20 And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof. 21 And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 22 And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them. 23 And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits. 24 After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures. 25 And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 26 And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof. 27 And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits. 28 And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures; 29 And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. 30 And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad. 31 And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps. 32 And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures. 33 And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. 34 And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps. 35 And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures; 36 The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 37 And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps. 38 And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering. 39 And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering. 40 And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables. 41 Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices. 42 And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43 And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering. 44 And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north. 45 And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house. 46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him. 47 So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house. 48 And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. 49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits, and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

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The New Testament's passage today is chapter 5 in the 1st epistle of Peter.  This concludes this epistle.
By the way, some "modern scholars" now think Peter didn't really write this, as he was nothing but an illiterate fisherman.  So much for the state of "modern scholarship", a pretty bleak prospect.

I Peter 5

1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. 13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. 14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.