Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 19 July 2018

Thursday now.  Really have very little to say.  We have a small vegetable garden out back, and got a bowl-full of fresh cucumbers and green beans from it this morning.  It appears that one of the local groundhogs took a couple of bites from one of the cucumbers, which is an aggravation.  Same critter or its mate apparently got ALL the leaves from a pepper plant as well.  The Japanese beetles are defying our efforts and have left a lot of holes in quite a few leaves as well.  I guess I'll be spraying again this evening.


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Now, chapters 27 and 28 in 2nd Chronicles.
I was reading something earlier  today, pretty much a web site for Jewish studies focused on the Torah, but certainly getting into the Histories, the Writings, the Wisdom literature in the Old Testament.  Authors were getting into some of the issues of these ancient writings, things like the situations in which they were written, and getting from that into the issues of the culture of the people during the Babylonian Captivity.  Remember that the Captivity lasted a long time, longer than a  person's lifespan, and the temptations to assimilate, to adopt the culture, religion, language, and, yes, the alphabet/characters of the Babylonians must have been fierce.  Over that extended period, it is to be expected that the average person might be more familiar with the "usual" languages of commerce and business than with the Hebrew in a land they'd never seen.  And that goes for the literary formats as well.  So the Chronicles were written in a literary format that was consistent with Babylonian chronicle documents of their history and culture.  Would be more understandable to the people during and after the Return.

2nd Chronicles 27

1Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

2And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly.

3He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.Ophel: or, the tower

4Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers.

5He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third.So…: Heb. This

6So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.prepared: or, established

7Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

8He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

9And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

2nd Chronicles 28

1Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father:

2For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.

3Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.burnt…: or, offered sacrifice

4He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

5Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.Damascus: Heb. Darmesek

6For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers.valiant…: Heb. sons of valour

7And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.next…: Heb. the second to the king

8And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

9But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

10And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?

11Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.

12Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,

13And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the Lord already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.

14So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

15And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

16At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

17For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.captives: Heb. a captivity

18The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth–shemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Soco with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

19For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.

20And Tilgath–pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

21For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.

22And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz.

23For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.Damascus: Heb. Darmesek

24And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

25And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LordGod of his fathers.to burn: or, to offer

26Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

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Psalm 123

A Song of degrees.

1Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

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Today, 1st Corinthians 11.
I can't speak for anyone else, but verse 1 scares me, and puts to shame.  Do I dare tell others to live and speak the way that I do, in order to follow Christ?  DEEPLY convicting to me.
And, let us be honest, much of the rest of this passage is rarely mentioned these days.  I'm not referring to the verses that are often used in the Communion service.  I mean the ones dealing with the issues of men and women, and the separate commands there.

1st Corinthians 11

1Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

2Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

3But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

4Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

5But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

6For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

7For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

8For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.

9Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

10For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

12For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

13Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

14Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

15But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

16But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

17Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

18For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

20When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.

21For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

22What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

33Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

34And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.