Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 10 April 2018

Well ....  the snow that fell most of yesterday and was all over things last night is essentially gone.  Some of that which had been there already still is, like on corners of the back porch and under the steps.  Waking to a temperature of 24° might be instrumental in that.  But no snow is predicted for several days.  A Good Thing, certainly.

Not much to say right now.  The last week or two have had a lot of heavy thoughts, some of those in a semi-sleep state, some just staring at the ceiling in the dark, some being just dark thoughts regardless of time or circumstances.  Warning:  for those who know me personally and sometimes encounter me, there are some personal "weirdnesses" that some find disconcerting.  One of them -- and it drives Dear Wife batty too -- is that I can be sitting somewhere, apparently staring at something (or someone) and actually be a thousand miles or more away and 20 years different and really not be seeing that thing or event or person.  It's not deliberately rude, though that is the effect.  But I've done it for more than 50 years now, so it's probably hard-wired by now.  And it's been quite a few of those "lost in the Cosmos" moments that I've been having.  Sometimes, something useful comes of it.  Sometimes no.  Sometimes that's "human computer" stuff, some involved problem-solving.  Part of it is the result of having been a very solitary person for most of my life, and even with Wife, we're actually both of us hard-core introverts.  Much love here, but we can sit side by side for hours and say not a word, immersed in thoughts and books and whatever.  Not much for the TV type of entertainment stuff.  So some of what is going through the cerebral cortex isn't readily translatable.  Sorry.



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Today in the Old Testament, chapter 12 in the book of Joshua
Again, look up this area on maps.  Here is one site, this is the city of Aroer as mentioned in verse 2.

Joshua 12

1  Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:

2  Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

3  And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Beth–jeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdoth–pisgah:the south: or, TemanAshdoth–pisgah: or, the springs of Pisgah, or, the hill

4  And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

5  And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

6  Them did Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the Lord gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

7  And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baal–gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;

8  In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

9  The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Beth–el, one;

10  The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;

11  The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

12  The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

13  The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

14The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

15The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

16  The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Beth–el, one;

17  The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

18  The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;Lasharon: or, Sharon

19  The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

20  The king of Shimron–meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

21  The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

22  The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;

23  The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;

24  The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

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Today, Psalm 72

Psalm 72

A Psalm for Solomon.

1  Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

2  He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

3  The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

4  He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

5  They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

6  He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

7  In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

8  He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9  They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

10  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

11  Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12  For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13  He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14  He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

15  And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

16  There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

17  His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

18  Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

19  And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

20  The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

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Today in the New Testament, chapter 4 of the Gospel of John

John 4

1  When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2  (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

3  He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

4  And he must needs go through Samaria.

5  Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6  Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17  The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27  And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28  The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31  In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40  So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41  And many more believed because of his own word;

42  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

43  Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

44  For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

45  Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

46  So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47  When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

48  Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

49  The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

50  Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

51  And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

52  Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53  So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

54  This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.