Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 07 February 2018

Halfway through the week.  Seeing and very much feeling the results of this latest snow storm.  And today marks the 1/4 of the path through the month of February.  Woo hoo!  Our "day" is set to be 10 hours 18 minutes, which is 2 minutes 23 seconds longer than yesterday.  So we are  heading towards that 11 hour mark that we should be seeing in around two weeks' time.  And then be heading towards that 12 hour mark of the Vernal Equinox, the "official" first day of Spring.  Might be several actual blizzards after that, of course.  This is northeast Ohio after all and snow has often fallen after Easter Sunday.  But we live in hope.

I made that call last night to the cousin not seen in 49 years.  Too long.  I felt led to do so, wondering how such a voice from the past might be received.  But it went well, surprisingly so.  Perhaps he needed it.  Perhaps I did as well.  He lives a long way from here, eastern shore of Delaware in fact, but plans to visit the area during the warmer time of year.  Perhaps we can link up then. 
At this point in our lives, all of us have gone through some "stuff", all of us have some scars, some memories of things we wish we'd not seen or said or done, all of us have "been some places and seen some things".  Me too.  Yet, rather than hide them from others, perhaps it would be better for us to share how the Lord brought us through by His Spirit, for His purposes, motivated by His love and grace.  Certainly not our own.


Song:  "The Way of the Cross Leads Home"  Another of those that I woke up singing (silently, so as not to disturb Wife).  None of that "easy-beliefism" that has so damaged the church in the West.

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Our reading in the Old Testament today is chapters 25 and 26 of the Exodus.
The Tabernacle.
VERY specific and explicit instructions given by the Lord to Moses and the leadership for this.  Very.  In our time, there are those who want to "do their own thing" in the worship of the Lord.  I'm not a fan of regimentation myself, and fully understand the  chafing at the restrictions of Tradition, particularly those that are nothing but the traditions of men, and imposed by humans, fallible beings, as an overlay over the Lord's instructions.  I grew up with all too much of that, and it had at least a bit to do with my rejection of the faith:  sometimes it was all that I could see of that faith.
But the Lord knew well that, absent a detailed map, the overwhelming tendency of the people, despite whatever good intentions there might originally be, would be to model the patterns and system of worship of the True Lord to the patterns and systems that they'd seen in Egypt and in the people groups and nations that were around them during the Exodus and later in the Promised Land.  The Lord was quite right in this, of course,  We see the institutional church in America, Canada, Europe, etc. succumbing  to that pattern even today.  Examples are not hard to find, are they?

 Exodus 25

25:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

25:3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

25:5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

25:6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

25:7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

25:9 According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

25:10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

25:12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

25:14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

25:15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof.

25:20 And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.

25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

25:23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

25:24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

25:25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

25:26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

25:27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

25:28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

25:29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before me always.

25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

25:32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

25:34 And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

25:35 And there shall be 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 that proceed out of the candlestick.

25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

25:40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.

Exodus 26

 26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make them.

26:2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.

26:3 The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

26:4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.

26:5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.

26:6 And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.

26:7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

26:8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.

26:9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.

26:10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

26:11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

26:12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.

26:13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

26:14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.

26:15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.

26:16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.

26:17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

26:18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.

26:19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.

26:20 And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:

26:21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

26:22 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.

26:23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.

26:24 And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.

26:25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

26:26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

26:27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.

26:28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.

26:29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.

26:30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.

26:31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubim shall it be made:

26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

26:34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

26:35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

26:36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

26:37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.



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Our day's reading in the Poetry section today is Psalm 28

Psalm 28

 28:1 Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

28:2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

28:3 Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

28:4 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

28:5 Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

28:6 Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

28:8 The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

28:9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.




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The day's reading in the New Testament is chapter 28 in the Gospel of Matthew.
Yes, this was the week that changed the world.  Changed my life as well, and, I hope, yours too.
Sing Hallelujah with me.   And then, realize Then Came The Morning.

Matthew 28

28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

28:11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

28:12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,

28:13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

28:14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

28:15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.