Today's Readings and Stuff --- Saturday, 11 August 2018

Saturday has arrived. 
I still don't have a good understanding of the "body count" from last night's "celebration" of the weekend, the type of Friday night activities that have become so much a part of the "culture" these days.  "Culture" resembling all too closely the "culture" that a biologist might grow in a Petri dish.  The image is gross, but it fits. 
It didn't help that during the afternoon rush hour, a VERY heavy rainstorm hit the southeast section of the county south of us, not far from where I lived as a teen.  Lots of flooding, including flooded basements, at least one with collapsed foundation walls, lots of cars with water damage, lots of other stuff too.  No loss of life insofar as I am aware right now.  And, yes, the storm drain system in that area "provides a great opportunity for a continuous improvement project". meaning it wasn't very good in design and worse in upkeep.  Typical.

Today has been one of those "command performance" (meaning mandatory attendance) family days, as will be the case tomorrow as well.  Without a huge amount of explanation, Niece is the coach for a gang of young girls who are involved in an activity loosely associated with a local school.  Today is a "summer fest" in the wide place in the road for that unincorporated township, a fest put on by a local church, and the Little Ones, our great-nieces, were on a float in the parade for that fest, so we were under strict orders to attend.  We did.  Sat on our canvas chairs in the hot sun, waited for two hours for the 60 seconds or so that the float was in our eyes, waited another 90 minutes for the Little Ones to come by so we could congratulate them, and then leave.  Came home worn out.  The walk was the most that Wife has walked in months.  So she's done in. 
But that's not enough.  No, we need to leave here around 11:00 tomorrow to go Across The Line to a park for the one great-niece's 7th birthday bash.  Why this had to be during normal church service hours I leave to your imagination, the child's mother is a determined atheist which might play a part in this.

So I'm not in my best mood today.  Sorry.  I guess some day this will all make sense.  Some day.  Probably not today.

Lots of that going around, part of the human condition.
Which leads us to the reading of the day, chapters 3 and 4 of Job.
This is the kind of thing that the "wealth and prosperity preachers" don't like to get into.  Makes them, and us, uncomfortable.
(By the way, have you ever run into someone whose parents named "Job"?  Me neither.  I've actually run into a "Delilah" -- my one brother's ex-wife -- and have heard of a Jezebel or two.  But nobody named Job.  Probably a reason for that).
Job is, understandably, asking "WHY??".  Can't blame him for that, I'd ask it as well.

Job 3

1After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

2And Job spake, and said,spake: Heb. answered

3Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.

4Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

5Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.stain: or, challengelet the…: or, let them terrify it, as those who have a bitter day

6As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.let it not be…: or, let it not rejoice among the days

7Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

8Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.their…: or, leviathan

9Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:the dawning…: Heb. the eyelids of the morning

10Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

11Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

12Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

13For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

14With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;

15Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

16Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

17There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.weary: Heb. wearied in strength

18There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

19The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

20Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

21Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;long: Heb. wait

22Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

23Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

24For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.I eat: Heb. my meat

25For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.the thing…: Heb. I feared a fear, and it came upon me

26I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

Job 4

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?to…: Heb. a wordwithhold…: Heb. refrain from words?

3Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

4Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

5But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

6Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

7Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

8Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

9By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.by the breath…: that is, by his anger

10The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

11The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

12Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.secretly: Heb. by stealth

13In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

14Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.came…: Heb. metall: Heb. the multitude of

15Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

16It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,there…: or, I heard a still voice

17Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:and his…: or, nor in his angels, in whom he put light

19How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

20They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.destroyed: Heb. beaten in pieces

21Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 10 August 2018

Happy Friday to all.

Several nominees for "song  of the day".
One goes with some stuff that's been in mind for weeks and months now.  In The Presence Of Jehovah.  Isn't that desire, that earnest need, what should be a big part of us?  Shouldn't we want to be in His  presence, now and forever?

Today is Friday.  Tomorrow, the Friday night "body count" will reflect sorrow in many homes.  This is not A Good Thing.  I've been watching it at various distances for too many years.



++++++++++-----==========================
=======================================
Some very different readings today.  Right from the start.
The book of Job is thought by some theologians to have been the very first book of the Bible to have been written down, preceding the time of Moses.  (The books of Moses go back to the Creation, but Moses wasn't around then, nor was Abraham or many others.  "Written", I said.).  I certainly don't know.  But a good bit of the theme is both timeless and universal, as it gets into the question that probably all of us have asked a time or two (or 308 times).  The old "why do bad things happen to good people?", which sometimes means "why did God let this happen to me??".    I've been there several times.  So have you. 
And, as ever, there will be those around us, standing in judgment who will believe, and sometimes say, "you had it coming because .......".  Now, yes, sometimes, the reason for problems is that we are stupid and make bad decisions.  Been there as well.
But, as the text makes clear, that wasn't the case with Job.  Yet catastrophe overtook him.  Why????
And, sometimes, there is no real answer.  Yet despite it all, as we shall see, the Lord never turned away from Job.  Ever.  That can be a comfort to us, in the midst of everything.
Now, the text refers to him as living in "Uz".  That location is not terribly well defined, but seems to be located near where the land later known as Edom was.  There's a sort of map here.

Oh, and it gives another nominee for "song of the day", a somewhat popular one from many years ago, but I enjoyed it then and now.  Theologically, no, not the best.  But I enjoy it.  The Song of Job.
Gets the message across, which is worth something.

Job 1

1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.substance: or, cattlehousehold: or, husbandrymen: Heb. sons

4And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.continually: Heb. all the days

6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.Satan: Heb. the adversaryamong: Heb. in the midst of

7And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?considered: Heb. set thy heart on

9Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.substance: or, cattle

11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.and he…: Heb. if he curse thee not to thy face

12And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.power: Heb. hand

13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.The fire…: or, A great fire

17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.fell: Heb. rushed

18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.from…: Heb. from aside, etc.

20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,mantle: or, robe

21And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2

1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

2And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

3And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.to destroy…: Heb. to swallow him up

4And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

6And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.but: or, only

7So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

11Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

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

Today, Psalm 139, which is a  personal favorite, one that stuck with me from my youth through some Dark Years.  I don't quite have it memorized, but it's one that sticks with me.
It's a good prayer, among other things, which is one of the functions of the Psalms, as well as of our hymns.

Psalm 139

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.compassest: or, winnowest

4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.hideth…: Heb. darkeneth notthe darkness and…: Heb. as is the darkness, so is the light

13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.right…: Heb. greatly

15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.substance: or, strength, or, body

16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.all…: Heb. all of themwhich…: or, what days they should be fashioned

17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

19Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

21Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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

2nd Corinthians 10

1Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

2But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

7Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.

8For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

9That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

10For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

11Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

12For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

13But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

14For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:

15Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

16To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

17But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

18For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.