Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 12 April 2018

A nicer day is said to be on tap.  When I looked outside, it appeared that the very last of the snow has finally melted off the back porch.  A wonderfully good sign.  But some are predicting another round of snow in the Monday-Tuesday upcoming.  Boo!  Hiss!!

Song in mind as I recovered wakefulness earlier.  "His Grace Reaches Me".  I came across this one by accident a year or so back, and now it's become a favorite.    As ever, pay attention to the text.
 
Enjoying my reading time, as mentioned the other day.  But it's not light reading, this is not like the "fluff" novels.   One of those situations where I read half a page and then ponder.
For example, a quote from "The Art of Prayer":   "Can time spent with God really transform us?"  That's an excellent question.  Quick answer is yes of course, and may that be true.  But Satan spent time with the Lord.  Judas Iscariot spent his days with Jesus.  Are we just going to Him with a shopping list of stuff we think we need, some complaints, wedged between a high-sounding intro and an "in Jesus name" close?  More often that we like to think or to admit. 

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Today, chapters 15 and 16 of Joshua.  As is so often the case in Joshua, much of the Old Testament actually, it's helpful to have a good map handy.  These are names unfamiliar to most of us, in a land far away and a time long ago.  But real places, real people, real issues.  Real issues that are particular to that place, perhaps.  Where are the roads?  Where is water?  What grows here?  What can be mined?  How do people live?  Who are the enemies?  And much else.  Remember, this was not like buying a place in a farm community or some sort of middle-class development.  There were no street lights, no city utilities, no electricity, no neighborhood shops or schools or anything like it.  This was territory seized in nearly constant warfare, so the previous occupants weren't likely to be sending fruit baskets and "welcome to the neighborhood" gifts.

Joshua 15

 1  This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.

2  And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward:

3  And it went out to the south side to Maaleh–acrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadesh–barnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:Maaleh–acrabbim:

4  From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.

5  And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:

6  And the border went up to Beth–hoglah, and passed along by the north of Beth–arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:

7  And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of En–shemesh, and the goings out thereof were at En–rogel:

8  And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:

9  And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjath–jearim:

10  And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Beth–shemesh, and passed on to Timnah:

11  And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.

12  And the west border was to the great sea, and the coast thereof. This is the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families.

13  And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.

14  And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

15  And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath–sepher.

16  And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath–sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

17  And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

18  And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?

19  Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.

20  This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.

21  And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,

22  And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,

23  And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,

24  Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,

25  And Hazor Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,

26  Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,

27  And Hazar–gaddah, and Heshmon, and Beth–pelet,

28  And Hazar–shual, and Beer–sheba, and Bizjothjah,

29  Baalah, and Iim, and Ezem,

30  And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,

31  And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,

32  And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:

33  And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zorah, and Ashnah,

34  And Zanoah, and En–gannim, Tappuah, and Enam,

35  Jarmuth, and Adullam, Soco, and Azekah,

36  And Shaaraim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:and Gederothaim

37  Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal–gad,

38  And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,

39  Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,

40  And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,

41  And Gederoth, Beth–dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:

42  Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,

43  And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,

44  And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:

45  Ekron, with her towns and her villages:

46  From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:

47  Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:

48  And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,

49  And Dannah, and Kirjath–sannah, which is Debir,

50  And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,

51  And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:

52  Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,

53  And Janum, and Beth–tappuah, and Aphekah,Janum: or, Janus

54  And Humtah, and Kirjath–arba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:

55  Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,

56  And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,

57  Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:

58  Halhul, Beth–zur, and Gedor,

59  And Maarath, and Beth–anoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:

60  Kirjath–baal, which is Kirjath–jearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:

61  In the wilderness, Beth–arabah, Middin, and Secacah,

62  And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and En–gedi; six cities with their villages.

63  As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

Joshua 16

1  And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth–el,

2  And goeth out from Beth–el to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

3  And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Beth–horon the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.

4  So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

5  And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth–addar, unto Beth–horon the upper;

6  And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath–shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

7  And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.

8  The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

9  And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10  And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

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Psalm 74

Maschil of Asaph.

 
1  O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

2  Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

3  Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

4  Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

5  A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

6  But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

7  They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

8  They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land

9  We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

10  O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

11  Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.

12  For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13  Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

14  Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

15  Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

16  The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

17  Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

18  Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

19  O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

20  Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

21  O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

22  Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

23  Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

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Today, chapter 6 in the Gospel of John.
There are here verses, parts of verses in some cases, that are the foundation for several books and more sermons and lessons than we can imagine, and the mine is not played out.
Note, by the way, the count in verse 10.  Yes, five thousand.  Five thousand MEN.  May we presume that the number was greatly augmented with women and children?  I think so.
This is another of those I Wish I Could Have Been There situations.

John 6

1  After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

2  And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

3  And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

4  And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

5  When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6  And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7  Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

8  One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

9  There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

10  And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11  And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12  When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13  Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

14  Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

15  When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

16  And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,

17  And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

18  And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

19  So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

20  But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

21  Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

22  The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;

23  (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

24  When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

25  And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

26  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

30  They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

31  Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

36  But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

41The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

42And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

43Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

48 I am that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55   For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

60  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

61  When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

62  What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

64  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

69  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

70  Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

71  He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.