Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 21 June 2019
Good/bad day, as so often is the case
Just before noon, local time, we crossed the line and entered into the Summer Solstice, the first "official" day of summer as the astronomer types define these things. So today the "day" equals the longest "day" of the year at 15 hours 9 minutes. Tomorrow is to be likewise (though the seconds will differ slightly). Despite the weather outside these walls, we've begun the countdown to the horribleness that is mid-winter and the shortest "day" of the year.
Yes, it's been that sort of a day inside this skull.
But we are still on duty.
Had some "visitors" this morning, and I did not handle it well, what with some issues with Wife's condition and mood. Two males in matching suits. Yes, it was the JW's, the so-called "Jehovah's Witnesses". I sent the packing, politely, rather than engaging them in an effort to change their minds and attitudes. I'm not good at such, unfortunately, and really had my hands full already. But a proper response to them, and others of that ilk, is necessary.
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Today, we turn to the Chronicles. These records were probably put together by the priest and scribe, Ezra, long after the events recorded. Indeed, it is thought that the title of "Chronicles" was initiated even later, by Martin Luther. I do find it interesting, and instructive, to observe how seemingly secondary matters prove, years and even centuries later, to have been tremendously important. Perhaps the Lord knew what He was doing? Possibly.
1st Chronicles 1
From Adam to Abraham
1Adam, Seth, Enosh,
2Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,
3Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
4Noah, Noah’s sons:
Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
5Japheth’s sons: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
6Gomer’s sons: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
7Javan’s sons: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.
8Ham’s sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
9Cush’s sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabteca.
Raama’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.
10Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first to become a great warrior on earth.
11Mizraim fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12Pathrusim, Casluhim (the Philistines came from them), and Caphtorim.
13Canaan fathered Sidon as his firstborn, then Heth, 14the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 15Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 16Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
17Shem’s sons: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
18Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 19Two sons were born to Eber. One of them was named Peleg because the earth was divided during his lifetime, and the name of his brother was Joktan. 20Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 23Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of these were Joktan’s sons.
24Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,
25Eber, Peleg, Reu,
26Serug, Nahor, Terah,
27and Abram (that is, Abraham).
Abraham’s Descendants
28Abraham’s sons: Isaac and Ishmael.
29These are their family records: Nebaioth, Ishmael’s firstborn, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
These were Ishmael’s sons.
32The sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Jokshan’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.
33Midian’s sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.
All of these were Keturah’s sons.
34Abraham fathered Isaac.
Isaac’s sons: Esau and Israel.
35Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
36Eliphaz’s sons: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek.
37Reuel’s sons: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
The Edomites
38Seir’s sons: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
39Lotan’s sons: Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan’s sister.
40Shobal’s sons: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam.
Zibeon’s sons: Aiah and Anah.
41Anah’s son: Dishon.
Dishon’s sons: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
42Ezer’s sons: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan.
Dishan’s sons: Uz and Aran.
43These were the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: Bela son of Beor. Bela’s town was named Dinhabah. 44When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah ruled in his place. 45When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites ruled in his place. 46When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, ruled in his place. Hadad’s town was named Avith. 47When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah ruled in his place. 48When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates River ruled in his place. 49When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor ruled in his place. 50When Baal-hanan died, Hadad ruled in his place. Hadad’s city was named Pai, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab. 51Then Hadad died.
Edom’s chiefs: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 52Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 53Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54Magdiel, and Iram.
These were Edom’s chiefs.
1st Chronicles 2
Israel’s Sons
1These were Israel’s sons:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi,
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin,
Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Judah’s Descendants
3Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so He put him to death. 4Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to him. Judah had five sons in all.
5Perez’s sons: Hezron and Hamul.
6Zerah’s sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara — five in all.
7Carmi’s son: Achar, who brought trouble on Israel when he was unfaithful by taking the things set apart for destruction.
8Ethan’s son: Azariah.
9Hezron’s sons, who were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.
10Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, a leader of Judah’s descendants.
11Nahshon fathered Salma, and Salma fathered Boaz.
12Boaz fathered Obed, and Obed fathered Jesse.
13Jesse fathered Eliab, his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third, 14Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, 15Ozem sixth, and David seventh. 16Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. 17Amasa’s mother was Abigail, and his father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
18Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were Azubah’s sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, and she bore Hur to him. 20Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel. 21After this, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead. Hezron had married her when he was 60 years old, and she bore Segub to him. 22Segub fathered Jair, who possessed 23 towns in the land of Gilead. 23But Geshur and Aram captured Jair’s Villages along with Kenath and its villages — 60 towns. All these were the sons of Machir father of Gilead. 24After Hezron’s death in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore Ashhur to him. He was the father of Tekoa.
25The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron’s firstborn: Ram, his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26Jerahmeel had another wife named Atarah, who was the mother of Onam.
27The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel’s firstborn: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28Onam’s sons: Shammai and Jada.
Shammai’s sons: Nadab and Abishur. 29Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, who bore Ahban and Molid to him.
30Nadab’s sons: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.
31Appaim’s son: Ishi.
Ishi’s son: Sheshan.
Sheshan’s descendant: Ahlai.
32The sons of Jada, brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.
33Jonathan’s sons: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.
34Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, but he did have an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. 35Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore Attai to him.
36Attai fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered Zabad.
37Zabad fathered Ephlal, and Ephlal fathered Obed.
38Obed fathered Jehu, and Jehu fathered Azariah.
39Azariah fathered Helez, and Helez fathered Elasah.
40Elasah fathered Sismai, and Sismai fathered Shallum.
41Shallum fathered Jekamiah, and Jekamiah fathered Elishama.
42The sons of Caleb brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha, his firstborn, fathered Ziph, and Mareshah, his second son, fathered Hebron.
43Hebron’s sons: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
44Shema fathered Raham, who fathered Jorkeam, and Rekem fathered Shammai.
45Shammai’s son was Maon, and Maon fathered Beth-zur.
46Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran fathered Gazez.
47Jahdai’s sons: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48Caleb’s concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49She was also the mother of Shaaph, Madmannah’s father, and of Sheva, the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Achsah.
50These were Caleb’s descendants.
The sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn:
Shobal fathered Kiriath-jearim;
51Salma fathered Bethlehem,
and Hareph fathered Beth-gader.
52These were the descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, 53and the families of Kiriath-jearim — the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. The Zorathites and Eshtaolites descended from these.
54Salma’s sons: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55and the families of scribes who lived in Jabez — the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of Rechab’s family.
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Psalm 119, verses 33-40
HE.
33Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
34Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
36Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
37Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
38Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.
39Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.
40Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
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Romans 7
An Illustration from Marriage
1Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives? 2For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. 3So then, if she gives herself to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she gives herself to another man, she is not an adulteress.
4Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another — to Him who was raised from the dead — that we may bear fruit for God. 5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions operated through the law in every part of us and bore fruit for death. 6But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law.
Sin’s Use of the Law
7What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet. 8And sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the law sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life 10and I died. The commandment that was meant for life resulted in death for me. 11For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
The Problem of Sin in Us
13Therefore, did what is good cause my death? Absolutely not! On the contrary, sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure. 14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power. 15For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. 18For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 21So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. 22For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law. 23But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.
