Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 15 July 2018

This is very brief:  I've been pretty much horizontal today, and will return to that condition right after hitting the "publish" button on the control panel window here.
As I'd feared, I've been pretty much sick in bed for two days or so.  A teensy bit better, perhaps,  We shall see.  Wife and I are kind of leaning on each other these two days, we try to be a blessing for each other, which isn't a bad job description.

Next-door nephew-in-law came over this morning to look at our car and its issues.  He's had the battery on charge all night (well, they came home from the county fair shortly before midnight I guess, I was out of it) and he did some stuff with the electrical system, relatively inexpensive stuff for which I've reimbursed him for parts used so far.  Car started up good and seems OK so we shall see.  Would be nice.

Other than that, not much to tell:  staring at the back of one's eyelids isn't all that exciting.

I did miss an event at church this morning that I'd been looking forward to for quite a long time, a gospel quartet appearance.  I've always enjoyed these, and bitterly regret that some years ago (2004 in fact) I'd been offered the bass/contrabass part in a men's quartet that was forming.  (Had to:  the offer was extended a week before we had to make a several hundred mile relocation and I'd given my word).  I always enjoy these, but being sick, a risk to others, and sans transportation, had to stay under the blankets and sleep.
Oh, well.


===============================================================
===================================================================

Today, chapters 19 and 20 of 2nd Chronicles.
The downward spiral continues with only occasional brief interruptions.  Been that way since the Fall.

2nd Chronicles 19

1And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

2And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.

3Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

4And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beer–sheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.he went…: Heb. he returned and went out

5And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,

6And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.in…: Heb. in the matter of judgment

7Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

8Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.

9And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

10And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass.

11And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good.

2nd Chronicles 20

1It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

2Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon–tamar, which is En–gedi.

3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.himself: Heb. his face

4And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

5And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,

6And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

7Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?who: Heb. thou

8And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

9If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

11Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

12O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

13And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

14Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;

15And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

16To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.cliff: Heb. ascentbrook: or, valley

17Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

18And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

19And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.that…: Heb. praisers

22And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.And when…: Heb. And in the time that they, etc.to sing…: Heb. in singing and praisethey were…: or, they smote one another

23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.to destroy: Heb. for the destruction

24And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.none…: Heb. there was not an escaping

25And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

26And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.Berachah: that is, blessing

27Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.forefront: Heb. head

28And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord.

29And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.

30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

31And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

32And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

33Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.book of Jehu: Heb. words, etc.is mentioned: Heb. was made to ascend

35And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:

36And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion–geber.

37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.