Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday,. 23 February 2019

The very last Saturday in February.  That's a good thing, a very good thing.  Less than four weeks now until the start of official Spring.  Our "day" is now 10 hours 58 minutes long, and will pick up 2 minutes 39 seconds by tomorrow, so we're verging on the 11 hour "day", with the 12 hour day in less than a month hence.  All of that is very good.

Wife's in recliner wheezing.  So are two of the cats.  We'd gotten from some odd source some antibiotics suitable for cats (and rumor has it that people too broke to get the same thing marked for humans, at VASTLY higher prices, use it) and hid it in some of their food, yesterday and today.  We shall see if it helps them.  I'm doing a bit better than I was on Monday, that much is sure.  Makes it easier to take care of her (and the cats as well).

Spending some time thinking about the concept of joy.  Haven't been seeing much of it lately.  Not just in me, being genetically (probably) a bit of a dour type.  No, I don't see much joy around me.  Or in the wider world.  Some temporary happiness and laughter stuff, although there's really not much of that even, not really.  And what there is dissipates once the moment is past.  I think we've all seen it.  This is not a good thing, and it too often leads people down some very dark roads, which again we've all seen and many of us have traveled.

Joy is not to be found in our circumstances.  Else, the admonition of James to "count it all joy when ...." wouldn't make any sense at all, would it?   Only one real source of joy, and we need to be seeking Him, the source of it all, without pause.


So, today, All The Way My Savior Leads Me
Seems to fit.

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Today, we turn to chapters 17 and 18 in the book of Leviticus.
I have chosen to display this in the Holman Christian Standard Bible rendition.  The King James version gets into what I think is some obfuscation, perhaps a bit of 1607-era reticence to be too descriptive of some of the things being discussed.

Some of the matters, and I'm referring to chapter 18 in particular, sound pretty gross.  Well, they are.  And they were, most if not all of them, pretty common practice in Egypt.  And in Canaan.  And in many or all of the lands surrounding the Promised Land, which they would encounter during the remainder of the Exodus and when in the Promised Land.  And, sad to say, all too many of those condemned behaviors were in fact adopted by the Jews at various times.  Bad, right?
Well, yes.  Condemned, and with bad results.
But not just among the Jews.  Paul had to make mention of at least a few of these practices, ones that had already crept into the early Church.   See 18:22 for just one.  And not just the early Church.  It's going on this very day in more than a few large groups in the modern American Church.  For example, as I write this, there is a very contentious conference going on within the United Methodists over some of these very issues.  This coming Summer, there will be a similar conference within the Mennonite Church over some of them.  Ditto for the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran  Church in America), at least one branch of the Presbyterians ( I get lost between the PCA and the PC-USA and the Orthodox Presbyterians, etc.) and at least one group that has the word "Baptist" in its name.  The Lord had His commands on the matter, but some humans, fallible as all of us are, seem to feel they out vote Him.  A bad start I think.

I also want to draw attention to verse 21 of chapter 18, dealing with "passing through the fire to Moloch".  Every hear the term "tophet" or "topheth"?  This was a large idol. a statue if you will, in homage to that demon-god.  It was hollow, and a fire was kindled within.  The devotees in homage to that god, would bring their first-born child to that site and, with ceremony and all of that, throw their child into the fire.  The idea is revolting, and I have to imagine that there were drums and trumpets and chanting to drown the wails of the dying babies.  Sounds like one of these near- or post-birth "abortions" done in homage to "choice" and "progressivism", doesn't it?  Look up, for side reference,

• Leviticus 20:2-5
• Deuteronomy 18:10
• 1 Kings 11:7
• 2nd Kings 23:10
• Jeremiah 32:35
• Acts 7:43

And do we need (ok, yes) to get into the discussion of profaning the name of the Lord?  I am so dreadfully weary of the "OMG" stuff.  But it's throughout our culture and communities, and, yes, the churches as well.  Not good, I think.

Leviticus 17

Forbidden Sacrifices

1The Lord spoke to Moses: 2“Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them: This is what the Lord has commanded: 3Anyone from the house of Israel who slaughters  an ox, sheep, or goat in the camp, or slaughters it outside the camp, 4instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord before His tabernacle — that person will be considered guilty.   He has shed blood and must be cut off from his people.  5This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices  they have been offering in the open country. They are to bring them to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting and offer them as fellowship sacrifices  to the Lord. 6The priest will then sprinkle the blood on the Lord’s altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 7They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat-demons  that they have prostituted  themselves with. This will be a permanent statute  for them throughout their generations.

8“Say to them: Anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners  who live among them who offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice 9but does not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to the Lord, that person must be cut off from his people.

Eating Blood and Carcasses Prohibited

10“Anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who live among them who eats any blood,  I will turn  against that person who eats blood and cut him off from his people. 11For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for  your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.  12Therefore I say to the Israelites: None of you and no foreigner who lives among you may eat blood.

13“Any Israelite or foreigner living among them, who hunts down a wild animal or bird that may be eaten must drain its blood  and cover it with dirt. 14Since the life of every creature is its blood, I have told the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any creature,  because the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.

15“Every person, whether the native or the foreigner,  who eats an animal that died a natural death or was mauled by wild beasts  is to wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will remain unclean until evening; then he will be clean. 16But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will bear his punishment.”

Leviticus 18

Prohibited Pagan Practices

1Yahweh spoke to Moses: 2“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am Yahweh your God.  3Do not follow the practices of the land of Egypt,  where you used to live, or follow the practices of the land of Canaan,  where I am bringing you. You must not follow their customs.  4You are to practice My ordinances  and you are to keep My statutes  by following them; I am Yahweh your God. 5Keep My statutes and ordinances; a person will live  if he does them.  I am Yahweh.

6“You are not to come near  any close relative  for sexual intercourse;  I am Yahweh. 7You are not to shame your father  by having sex with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual intercourse with her. 8You are not to have sex with your father’s wife;  it will shame your father.  9You are not to have sexual intercourse with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s,  whether born at home or born elsewhere. You are not to have sex with her. 10You are not to have sexual intercourse with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, because it will shame your family.  11You are not to have sexual intercourse with your father’s wife’s daughter,  who is adopted by  your father; she is your sister. 12You are not to have sexual intercourse with your father’s sister;  she is your father’s close relative. 13You are not to have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister,  for she is your mother’s close relative. 14You are not to shame your father’s brother by coming near his wife to have sexual intercourse; she is your aunt.  15You are not to have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law.  She is your son’s wife; you are not to have sex with her. 16You are not to have sexual intercourse with your brother’s wife; it will shame your brother.  17You are not to have sexual intercourse with a woman and her daughter.  You are not to marry her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter and have sex with her. They are close relatives; it is depraved. 18You are not to marry a woman as a rival to her sister and have sexual intercourse with her during her sister’s lifetime. 

19“You are not to come near  a woman during her menstrual impurity to have sexual intercourse with her.  20You are not to have sexual intercourse with  your neighbor’s wife, defiling yourself with her. 

21“You are not to make any of your children pass through the fire to Molech.  Do not profane the name  of your God; I am Yahweh. 22You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable.  23You are not to have sexual intercourse with  any animal, defiling yourself with it; a woman is not to present herself to an animal to mate with it;  it is a perversion.

24“Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves by all these things. 25The land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.  26But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances. You must not commit any of these detestable things — not the native or the foreigner who lives among you. 27For the men who were in the land prior to you have committed all these detestable things, and the land has become defiled. 28If you defile the land, it will vomit  you out as it has vomited out the nations that were before you. 29Any person who does any of these detestable practices must be cut off from his people. 30You must keep My instruction to not do any of the detestable customs  that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them; I am Yahweh your God.”

Today's Readings and Stuff - Friday, 22 February 2019

The hopeful part of the day is that should the Lord grant us another week, then a week from today will have us out of the horrid February and into the possibly slightly better March.  At least it gets us into one of the months with a short name, and not one ending in -ary or -brrrr.  A slight improvement, perhaps.  Now, bear in mind that while March has the "time change" and the Vernal Equinox, it also holds the potential for the local phenomenon known as the St. Patrick's Day Blizzard, something that has occurred frequently enough to be part of local folklore.  Would I like it to be May, forever?  Sure.  Not real likely, of course.  And we've been through far worse.



Lead Me To The Rock
There are some people, well all of us really, who need to go to the Rock of our Salvation.  A number of people in our region have had their lives turned upside down in the last few months: about the last of the large-scale local employers is shutting down after 53 years in the area.  I had family members (2nd and 3rd cousins) employed there.  Just a few of the thousands, and that does not include those who were employed in supporting companies, a number that probably approximates that of the direct employees.  Now, no job.  But the needs continue.  I've "been there", several times in fact. It's no fun, and results of this will affect many. 

Thank You Lord For Your Blessings On Me
And yet, we also need to keep in mind what He has already done for us and for others.  He can do it again, and there is nothing beyond Him.  Jeff Easter who, with his wife and sister is singing this, is in another video talking about an older family member who had adopted this as his theme.  That person had been living in penury, a small apartment over a garage in a junkyard.  As Jeff put it, when the man surrendered to the Lord, "his circumstances didn't change.  But his attitude sure did."  A bit of wisdom there.  The Lord has done so much for us!  And He's not done yet. 

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Leviticus 15

1And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.

3And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.

4Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.

5And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

6And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

7And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

8And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

9And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.

10And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

11And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

12And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

13And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

14And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest:

15And the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord for his issue.

16And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

17And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.

18The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.

19And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

20And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

21And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

22And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

23And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

24And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

25And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.

26Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

27And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

28But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

29And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

30And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the Lord for the issue of her uncleanness.

31Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them.

32This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;

33And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that hath an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.

Leviticus 16

1And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died;

2And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

3Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.

4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

5And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

6And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.

7And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

9And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.

10But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

11And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:

12And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:

13And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

14And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

15Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

16And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

17And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

18And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

19And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

20And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:

21And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

22And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

23And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:

24And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

25And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.

26And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

27And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.

28And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

29And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

30For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

31It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

32And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:

33And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.

34And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

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Psalm 39

To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.

1I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

2I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

3My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

5Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

6Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

7And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

8Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

9I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

10Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

11When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

12Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

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We see here the account of something that is, in many churches, commemorated as Palm Sunday.  Great excitement, much joy for Jesus' entry.
Didn't last long, did it?  No, in just a few days, the same crowd was screaming "Crucify Him!"


Mark 11

1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

2And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19And when even was come, he went out of the city.

20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

27And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

28And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

29And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

31And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

32But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.