Today's Readings And Stuff. -- Monday, 01 July 2019

A full day on tap

But first, not one but two entries for song of the day
*  I Love To Tell The Story  if we are going to emphasize evangelism, this should be one of our marching songs.
*  Grace, Greater Than Our Sin  (this has attained several alternate titles to the same hymn.  I love them all).  Another wonderful rendition here.

That's where my head is at today.  Right now.

But we've had a good day.

First off, and with the gratefully received assistance of a donation from the church  (which I fully intend to repay as I am able), I took our chariot down  to a local business.  They, quickly and efficiently, replaced our windshield which had, evidently, been the target of some vandalism or something: the impact marks were quite evident but had not been there when I parked it the night before the damage was found.  So that was very nice.

While I was in their waiting area as the work was done, Wife was on phone with doctor office.  We have been able to wangle an appointment for 08:15 on Wednesday morning.  Needless to say, getting in at all on the day before Independence Day is a real blessing.  She's having another bout of something, probably kidney and/or bladder stones/infection.  The blood in the urine is not a good sign, neither is the great pain.  So, perhaps, and God willing of course, a diagnosis and remedy may be found.  We hope so.

Meantime, we've been advised that we are on tap to "watch" the great-niece and great-nephew starting tomorrow morning around 09:00 or before, lasting until mom gets home from work.  Their dad just left for his 12 hour 7-7 shift, which he'll also be facing tomorrow night.  Then the plan is for them to go to "camp", they have a camper parked by the forest across The Line around the Tionesta National Forest, there to spend a few days.  So we'll be left to our own devices for a few days.  That's this afternoon's version of the Great Plan, anyway.  It's a bit fluid yet: it seems that one of the bridges that they need to cross en route is still under water (or close to it) and closed, what with the residual effects of the rainy season going on around the region for the last month or two.

I  still haven't been advised whether or not any of the extended family bothered to attend the "recap of VBS" that was scheduled for yesterday morning at the local "6-14" church, a morphing of the local Methodists.  It's a contentious matter, but perhaps something good will come of the whole thing.  That's been our hope and prayer.  We shall see.

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The day's readings are, well, very VERY deep.  I spent some time this morning while at the windshield repair place reading some of the commentaries, and could  (should) have spent several more hours doing so.  There is some very very good stuff here.  Like the issues behind the unauthorized census.  Or the choice of where the Temple would be built.  Just a few of the issues here.

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1st Chronicles 21

1And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

2And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer–sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

3And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

4Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

5And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

6But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

7And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.

8And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

9And the Lord spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,

10Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

11So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee

12Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

13And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

14So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

15And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lordstand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

17And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

18Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the Lord.

20And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

21And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

22Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

23And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.

24And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

25So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

26And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

27And the Lord commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

28At that time when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

29For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

30But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord.

1st Chronicles 22

1Then David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.

2And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

3And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;

4Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.

5And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

6Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel.

7And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:

8But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

9Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

10He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

11Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.

12Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.

13Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

14Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.

15Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.

16Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.

17David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,

18Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people.

19Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.

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Psalm 119, verses 81-88

CAPH.

81My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

82Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?

83For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

84How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

85The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.

86All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.

87They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.

88Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.

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Romans 13

1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.