Today's Readings and Stuff --- Monday, 09 July 2018

I went to bed last night believing that we needed to roll out and get ready so as to start the process of seeing a doctor; either the "urgent care" joint the next two townships over, or, if lucky, take advantage of a cancellation, etc and get to see our regular Primary Care doctor.  But ...  Wife got up and said she was feeling a little bit better and that, anyway, Monday's are a difficult day to crack into the doctor schedule.  The upshot of that was that we stayed home.
So, now it's early evening, she's been coughing and hacking for the last few  hours.  The "urgent care" joint closes at 3:00 p.m. for some reason.  So, I guess, we'll try this again in the morning, Lord willing. 

Next-door-Niece and husband are not sending the Great-Niece, Wife's namesake, to the VBS down the street.  There's some sort of intra-family squabbles going on, and I don't have a vote in the matter.  Too bad.  It started the first day around 6 p.m., so it's not going to happen.  Sorry to see that.



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Today, chapters 7 and 8 from 2nd Chronicles.  This is one of those "I wish I could have been there" moments.  But, remember, that this text was primarily (originally) aimed that the Israelites in or just leaving the Babylonian Captivity, a reminder of where they'd come from and what had led to their condition, with warnings therein.
Yes, the Temple of Solomon was impressive to say the least, the occasion amazing.  But even at the time, there was a rot at the heart of the nation.  That temple is no more, the gold, silver, brass, everything is gone.  Substituting impressive for obedient never works out well.  More recent examples are not hard to find, are they?
Solomon's alliances with Egypt, such as marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh, are just one case.  Recall the warning about being "unequally yoked"?  The record of such is very long.

2nd Chronicles 7

1Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

2And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.

3And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

5And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

6And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.by their…: Heb. by their hand

7Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

8Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

9And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.a solemn…: Heb. a restraint

10And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

11Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

12And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

13If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.which…: Heb. upon whom my name is called

15Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.unto…: Heb. to the prayer of this place

16For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

17And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;

18Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.There…: Heb. There shall not be cut off to thee

19But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

20Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

21And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

22And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LordGod of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

2nd Chronicles 8

1And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

2That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3And Solomon went to Hamath–zobah, and prevailed against it.

4And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

5Also he built Beth–horon the upper, and Beth–horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.all that…: Heb. all the desire of Solomon which he desired to build

7As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

8But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

9But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the Lord hath come.holy: Heb. holiness

12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

13Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.so had David…: Heb. so was the commandment of David the man of God

15And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.

17Then went Solomon to Ezion–geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.Eloth: also called, Elath

18And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

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Today, continuing in Psalm 119, verses 137-144
As previously noted, every line in these 8 verse sections begins with the same character in the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 119 is, of course, the longest of the Psalms and the longest chapter of any part of the Bible.  There is a continuity to it that probably is more evident in the Hebrew.  I have little or no expertise in Hebrew (one of my many failings) so I miss part of the implications probably.  Still worthwhile, though.
This pass through Psalm 119 will conclude, Lord willing, at the end of the  current week.

Oh, and I am remiss.  There are those who get into the mysticism that verges on witchcraft with respect to the Hebrew alphabet.  Including out-and-out Satanists (I knew a few) such as Aleister Crowley but others as well including to this very day, who teach mystical "hidden knowledge" and numerology with respect to these Hebrew characters.  So beware:  there are quite a few wolves ravening among the sheep.  But the Kabbalah / Qabbala types are and long have been a factor in some branches of Judaism.

Psalm 119, Verses 137-144

צ‬

TZADDI.

137Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.

138Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.righteous: Heb. righteousnessfaithful: Heb. faithfulness

139My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.consumed…: Heb. cut me off

140Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.pure: Heb. tried, or, refined

141I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

142Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

143Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.taken…: Heb. found me

144The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.

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1st Corinthians 3

1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

9For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

23And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.