Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 26 September 2018

Quickie now.  We've been drafted to "watch" the next-door kids in a few minutes.  Next-door nephew-in-law's new employer is having a Big Deal, including an employee appreciation dinner, this evening and attendance -- with spouse -- is expected.  So we'll do the thing while mom and dad go.  Her brother also works there, so he'll be present with his spouse as well.  Not know if we're getting their two kids  or not, but probably.
Wife loves it, this is what we substitute for the  grand-kids we don't have.

I note with sorrow that we have now entered that portion of the year wherein the "day" portion of the 24 is less than 12 hours in length.  Today, 11 hours 59 minutes, tomorrow to be 2 minutes 43 seconds shorter.  Boo!  Hiss!!

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Isaiah 53 is one of those Old Testament passages that even the "New Testament only" groups will at least grudgingly mention around the Christmas season.  I think it deserves much more attention, and suggest it.


Isaiah 53

1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 54

1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

2Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

3For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

7For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

9For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

11O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

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Proverbs 22

1A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

3A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

5Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

7The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

11He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

12The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

13The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.

15Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

17Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

18For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

19That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

20Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

21That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

22Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

23For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

24Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

25Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

26Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

27If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

29Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

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Today's New Testament passage has a section that is often unmentionable in many churches.  Just had a missive from a high school classmate, all excited because a daughter-in-law was just ordained as a pastor in a United Church of Christ congregation in another part of the state.  Just a few blocks from our church is another "baptist" church (not, I hasten to say, a Southern Baptist, Regular Baptist, Missionary Baptist, or the like congregation) with a female senior pastor.  Expressing reservations, even the slightest, at that will certainly lead to shrieks of "bigotry" and "misogyny" and slanders against Paul.  So I'll be quiet.  Sort of.

1st Timothy 2

1I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

5For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

7Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

8I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

9In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

10But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

11Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

13For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

15Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.