Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 29 January 2018

Happy Monday to all.  Yippee.
The "day" part of our 24 slice is set to be 9 hours 58 minutes.  So, tomorrow, Lord willing of course, we should cross the line into 10 hours of "day" and be heading towards the 11 hour mark before the end of February.  That should, in time, begin to make some difference in our weather.  Slowly and grudgingly at first, but some effect.  Lord willing, we won't have a repeat of the day I remember somewhere around 1962 or so, when we had snow, measurable snow, on 01 MAY!!  I would prefer -- if given a vote -- to never see that again, not ever.  If I had a vote, which I don't.

Wife was sick ALL day yesterday, particularly so as the day wore on.  And she was in bed before 7 p.m.  We  have doctor appointment set for mid-afternoon today.  One of those "every-six-month" things arranged back in July or so, but the timing is fortuitous.  Perhaps the doc can come up with something, this has been very hard on her, and it's not easy for me either.  But we're leaving for that appointment shortly.

I had a weird night.  Not "troubled", not exactly.  One of those where  you're not exactly asleep, not exactly awake, and in something like a conversation.  Whether it was my conscience speaking to me, or the presence of the Lord, or what, that I do not know.  It was not a comfortable conversation, of that I am certain.  Not condemnatory, not exactly, but certainly not pats on the head and "well done" either.  Some things that need to be addressed, whether by me is not certain, but someone.  It is painful, and should be, to see the degeneration of our land and to recognize the lives and souls in peril.  Some years ago, around Christmas in 2010, we were living far from here but made the thousand-mile drive  (each way) to spend the holiday season in this area.  We attended Christmas eve services at a church not far from the home (friend of Wife's sister) that we were staying at.  Except for a few very small kids with their grand-parents, we (Wife and I) were the youngest persons present!  NOT a good sign!  We were at the time involved, heavily, in a pretty small congregation not more than a mile from our residence, an area on the transition from suburban to rural, but with a wide age range of members and other attendees, a condition similar to the congregation in which I'd grown.  It bothered me then, and still does.  Yet I see similar conditions all the time.  And I see once-vibrant gatherings wither and die.  There is an abandoned Catholic church building within easy walking distance of here.  A Methodist congregation that's gone heavily into the "come as you are" (and stay that way) area of polity.  Wife is "streaming" a British TV drama right now, and in Britain true Christian faith is a serious anomaly.  As it is in Canada.  And in much of the USA: even living in the Deep South, I used to drive past abandoned church buildings with "for SALE!" signs out front.  Is this how we treat the "faith once delivered"?  I think that we are accountable, not only for what we say, but for what we don't say.




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Our Old Testament reading today is chapters  7 and 8 of the Exodus.
Not only was Pharaoh considered to be at least semi-divine, but the Nile River, the source of their agricultural security, was considered in much the same way.  The Lord removed those assurances, causing the entire Egyptian civilization to shiver.

Exodus 7

7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

7:2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

7:6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

7:7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

7:8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

7:9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

7:13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

7:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

7:15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

7:16 And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

7:18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river.

7:19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

7:21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

7:22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

7:23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

7:24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

7:25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

Exodus 8

8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

8:2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

8:3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:

8:4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

8:5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

8:6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

8:7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

8:8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.

8:9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?

8:10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

8:11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.

8:12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

8:13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

8:14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

8:17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

8:18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

8:20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

8:22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

8:23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

8:24 And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

8:25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

8:26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

8:27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.

8:28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: entreat for me.

8:29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

8:30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.

8:31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

8:32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.





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Our Poetry reading today is Psalm 21

Psalm 21

21:1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

21:2 Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

21:3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

21:4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.

21:5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.

21:6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

21:7 For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

21:8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

21:10 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

21:11 For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

21:12 Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.



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The New Testament passage is chapter 21 in the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem, this is what we remember on Palm Sunday as Jesus' "Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem.

Matthew 21

21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

21:2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

21:3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

21:4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

21:6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

21:7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

21:8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

21:10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,

21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

21:17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

21:20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

21:23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

21:24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

21:25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

21:26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

21:27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

21:28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

21:29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

21:30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

21:31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

21:34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

21:35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

21:37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

21:39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

21:40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

21:41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

21:46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.