Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 13 February 2018

Just a reminder for any who may have overlooked things.
Tomorrow is two Big Events.
It marks Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent and the countdown to Easter.
It is also St. Valentine's Day.  You'll note that, generally, the "Saint" part of that is dropped.  Since most of the  practices that I observe surrounding the day, saintliness is not the reaction that immediately comes to mind.  Perhaps your mileage varies on this.
I did see a comment this morning to the effect that the juxtaposition of these two events on one day hasn't happened since 1945!  Predates me, certainly..

Oh, and also, it marks the end of the first half of February.  So, on the day after, we'll be on the downhill slope towards the end of the month.  That's not everything, of course, but it's something.

Last night was bitterly cold.  If you live in the region,  you already know that.  We've been promised some better weather for the rest of the week.  Would be nice, but I'm not as trusting of these predictions as I once was.  Experience has a lot to do with that.

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Today's passage in the Old Testament is chapters 37 and 38 of the Exodus
Lots of detail here, right?  Perhaps it's my background, but I have a reasonably good idea of the amount of detail and specifications that goes into building just about anything.  I've not designed nor built a Tabernacle or a Temple, but I have designed and overseen the building of machinery.  So this does not surprise nor bore me.  Remember, they didn't have blueprints then.  And, trust me, I've had to give VERY precise directions on the parts, parts of parts, and parts of parts of parts, of machinery.  And that was just machinery.  Something to be used in the worship of the Lord, with pretty specific instructions from the King of the universe, would merit far greater attention. Devotion, too.  What I've always found interesting are that the equipment and tools just "happened" to be available, and that the Lord had, knowing what was the plan, provided skilled persons to do the work.  Yes, Bezaleel and his assistants -- for this was by no means the work of a single individual -- were there because the Lord had arranged it.  ALL of us are here for a reason, and sometimes that reason is that someone has to operate the bellows for the casting furnace.  Or provide the fuel for that furnace.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.
And in many ways, I envy  (yes, a sin, I know) Bezaleel and Aholiab.  They knew of a certainty that what they were doing was in service to the Lord and at His direction. That's a powerful motivation.  Yes, they were commissioned to this.  And we remember their names, several thousand years later.  The Lord knew them as well.  I can't speak of their spiritual condition.  But less-than-perfect people are all that the Lord has to work with.

 

Exodus 37

 1  And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

2  And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

3  And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.

4  And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

5  And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

6  And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

7  And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;on…: or, out of, etc.

8  One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.on the end: or, out of, etc.on the other end: or, out of, etc.

9  And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

10  And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:

11  And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.

12  Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.

13  And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.

14  Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.

15  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.

16  And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.to cover…: or, to pour out withal

17  And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:

18  And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:

19  Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

20  And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:

21  And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.

22  Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

23  And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.

24  Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

25  And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.

26  And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.

27  And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.

28  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

29  And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

Exodus 38

 1  And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.

2  And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.

3  And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.

4  And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.

5  And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.

6  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.

7  And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.

8  And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation

9  And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:

10  Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.

11  And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

12  And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

13  And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.

14  The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

15  And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

16  All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.

 17  And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

18  And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.

19  And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.

20  And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.

21  This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

22  And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses.

 23  And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

24  All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

25  And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

26  A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.every man: Heb. a poll

27  And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

28  And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.

29  And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

30  And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,

31  And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

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Our lesson in the Poetry heading for today is Psalm 32

Psalm 32

A Psalm of David, Maschil.

1  Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.A Psalm…: or, A Psalm of David giving instruction

2  Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

3  When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

4  For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

5  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

6  For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.when…: Heb. of finding

7  Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

 8  I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.guide…: Heb. counsel thee, mine eye shall be upon thee

9  Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

10  Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

11  Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

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The New Testament passage for us today is chapter 4 in the Gospel of Mark.
More of that "I Wish I Could Have Been There" record.  Oh, and there's a song by that title. 

Mark 4

1  And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

2  And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6  But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8  And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9  And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10  And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

12   That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

13  And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

14   The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20  And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

21  And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22  For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

23  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

24  And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

25  For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

26  And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

29  But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

30  And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

32  But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

33  And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

34  But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

35  And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36  And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38  And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40  And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41  And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?