Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 10 September 2018

Today is a very special day for Wife and I. Today marks our 30th wedding anniversary.  Unfortunately, while I'd like to buy the Wife a pearl something, that being the "appropriate" means to commemorate this passage, such is beyond the wallet.  But she is a pearl of great price, nonetheless.  We've been blessed.

Rosh Hashanah began sundown yesterday, so we are into the Jewish New Year period.  We are heading into the High Holy Days in Judaism.  Yom Kippur is near.  Like it or not, this has for some time been a signal for bloodthirsty assaults by those persons in bondage to the evil that is Islam.  Not "just" 9/11, nor the "Yom Kippur War" of some years ago.  Goes back a very very long way.  But evil is like that.

"Knowing You" seems appropriate somehow.

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Isaiah 21

1The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

2A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

3Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

4My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

5Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

6For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

7And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

8And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

9And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

10O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

11The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

13The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.

14The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

15For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

16For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

17And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.

Isaiah 22

1The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

2Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

3All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.

4Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

5For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

6And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

7And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

9Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

11Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

12And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

13And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

14And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.

15Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,

16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

17Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

18He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house.

19And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

20And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

21And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

23And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

24And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

25In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

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Proverbs 10

1The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

3The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

4He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

5He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

6Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

7The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

8The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

9He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

10He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

11The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

12Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

13In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

14Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

15The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

16The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

17He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

18He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

19In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

20The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.

21The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

22The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

23It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

24The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

25As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

26As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

27The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

28The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

29The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

30The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

31The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.

32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

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Colossians 2

1For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

5For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21(Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.