Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 05 April 2019

Happy Friday to all who stop by.  We had a whole 24 hour period above the freezing point!  Wonderful.   No, that season is not behind us, despite the date.  I can recall snow (vile stuff) on the 1st of May! back around 1961 or so.  And, seeing the data regarding solar activity ebbing, we can anticipate more of that.  Yes, there really is an Ice Age looming.  I don't expect to live long enough to see its full effect, but it's coming.

Wife's doing a bit better (as am I):  that "pain med" that had led to scary edema and horrid swelling in the lower extremities (and in the hands and wrists as well) led to us abruptly coming off it a week ago.  It took about three days, but the swelling eventually left.  Of course, so did the pain deadening effect of the med.  So, last night, she decided to try one-per-day rather than the three per day that had been ordered.  We shall see.  It's only been about 14 or 15 hours so far, too early to tell.  This stuff is not a good "fit" for someone who, like her, has kidney issues (along with everything else).  So, again, we shall see.


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Today, a big change in our readings.
We've been completely in the Torah, the five books associated with Moses, so far this year.  That "leg" of the journey was completed yesterday.  Today, we begin with a major change, the book of Joshua.

I rather feel for Joshua.  Moses had been a giant figure in the life of the people for more than forty years.  Many, most,  of those in the company of the Exodus, had never known a time without Moses in the lead.  Now Moses was gone.  Joshua has had the burden fall upon him.  Yes, he was right there beside/behind Moses for quite a while and was known.  But he didn't have the same aura.  And even Moses had known issues, including within his own family, in getting the people to "get with the program".  If you've ever, as I have, been thrust into something even vaguely similar, you know some of the issues.  There will always be those who are whispering to the neighbor, "I'll bet that old Mose wouldn't have done that!", and been less than helpful.  But the Lord was directing the show, and Joshua was His instrument.  That makes a big difference.

And the first issue is a big one.  Jericho.  Some of us still remember singing or hearing about that fight.  About the walls tumbling down.  About the harlot Rahab.  And, by the way, the word "harlot" that describes Rahab here does not necessarily imply "prostitute", though it may.  It may also imply "innkeeper", and, yes, then as now, there may be some connection between the two occupations.  By the way, she has a continuing effect upon the world.  Yes, even someone like her could be used of the Lord.  She had a son.  His name was Boaz.  As in "Ruth and Boaz".  She had a granson also.  His name was Obed.  And Obed's grandson was David the king.  Yes, if she could be used of the Lord, and she certainly was, what's our excuse?  She didn't go looking for the Lord, not hardly.  But He found her.  Not the person most of us would have picked, but I think He knew what He was doing.

Joshua 1

1Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

2Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

3Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

4From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

5There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

6Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

7Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

11Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

12And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,

13Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

15Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

16And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

17According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

18Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Joshua 2

1And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

2And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

3And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.

4And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:

5And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

6But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

7And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

8And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

9And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

12Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:

13And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

14And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

16And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.

17And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

18Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.

19And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

20And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

21And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

22And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

23So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:

24And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

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Psalm 68

To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.

1Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

2As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

3But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

4Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.

5A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

7O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:

8The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

10Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.

11The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

12Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

13Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

14When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Zalmon.

15The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.

16Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever.

17The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

18Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.

19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

20He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.

21But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

22The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:

23That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.

24They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

25The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.

26Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

27There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

28Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.

29Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

30Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

31Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

32Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:

33To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.

34Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

35O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

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Another change.  The beginning of the Gospel of John.
Perhaps it's just me, but those first verses of John were "memory verses" when I was growing up, and even stayed with me when I was trying to run away from God.  (It didn't work, by the way:  He was always there).  Not bad ones to keep in mind at all times.
Good song here, by the way, and appropriate:   Behold The Lamb.   It's a big favorite of mine.  Seems like every time my eyes leak.

John 1

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2The same was in the beginning with God.

3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

48Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

50Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

51And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.