Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 05 January 2021

 Tuesday.    Tomorrow is going to be a Very Big Day in this country.  I know that the Lord is in command.  But He was in charge during the time of Ahab and Jezebel, and at many other truly ghastly times.  

I see that our "day" is now up to 9 hours 19 minutes, picking up another 1 minute 1 second tomorrow.  But it's a loooooong way until "spring" equinox in March, and I haven't forgotten the snow in May of 2000.  Yes, it can happen again.  So much for that "catastrophic global warming" that the "experts" assured us would be a thing of the past as of about 22 years ago.  

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The passages, Old and New Testament alike, deserve hours and days of consideration.  Most Westerners, particularly, really don't understand the extent to which these events  color our world today, and will continue to do so.  I realize that the passages, particularly in Matthew, are familiar, perhaps too familiar, to those who have been around the church life for long.  Please do not become casual or trivialize these words.  They're critical.  These are the words of God in the aspect of the Son, here before us.  That in itself should cause us to sit up and pay attention.

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GENESIS 12

The Call of Abram

1The Lord said to Abram:

Go out from your land,

your relatives,

and your father’s house

to the land that I will show you. 

2I will make you into a great nation, 

I will bless you, 

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.  

3I will bless those who bless you,

I will curse those who treat you with contempt, 

and all the peoples  on earth

will be blessed  through you.  

4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.  5He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem,  at the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.”  So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to Yahweh there, and he called on the name of Yahweh.  9Then Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev.

Abram in Egypt

10There was a famine in the land,  so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine in the land was severe. 11When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.  13Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.” 14When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s household. 16He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

17But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.  18So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go! ” 20Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.

GENESIS 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1Then Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev  — he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. 2Abram was very rich  in livestock, silver, and gold. 3He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, 4to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of Yahweh there. 

5Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. 6But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,  7and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.  At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land. 

8Then Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.  9Isn’t the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

10Lot looked out and saw that the entire Jordan Valley  as far as  Zoar  was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden  and the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.  11So Lot chose the entire Jordan Valley for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities of the valley and set up his tent near Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning greatly  against the Lord. 

14After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,  15for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see.  16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,  so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. 17Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”

18So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,  where he built an altar to the Lord.

GENESIS 14

Abram Rescues Lot

1In those days Amraphel king of Shinar,  Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam,   and Tidal  king of Goiim  2waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim,  as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar ). 3All of these came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea ). 4They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim  in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham,  the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6and the Horites  in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran  by the wilderness. 7Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh ), and they defeated all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. 

8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim 9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings against five. 10Now the Valley of Siddim contained many asphalt pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them,  but the rest fled to the mountains.  11The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. 12They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom,  and they went on.

13One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew,  who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with  Abram. 14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled  his 318 trained men, born in his household,  and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.  15And he and his servants deployed against them by night, attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus. 16He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

Melchizedek’s Blessing

17After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley ). 18Then Melchizedek, king of Salem,   brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.  19He blessed him and said:

Abram is blessed by God Most High,

Creator  of heaven and earth,

20and I give praise to  God Most High

who has handed over your enemies to you.

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 

21Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.”

22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24I will take nothing  except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me — Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre — they can take their share.”

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MATTHEW 5

The Sermon on the Mount

1When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain,  and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2Then  He began to teach them, saying: 

The Beatitudes

3“The poor in spirit are blessed, 

for the kingdom of heaven  is theirs.

4Those who mourn are blessed, 

for they will be comforted.

5The gentle are blessed, 

for they will inherit the earth.

6Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, 

for they will be filled.

7The merciful are blessed,

for they will be shown mercy. 

8The pure in heart are blessed,

for they will see God. 

9The peacemakers are blessed,

for they will be called sons of God. 

10Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed,

for the kingdom of heaven  is theirs.

11“You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted  the prophets who were before you. 

Believers Are Salt and Light

13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. 

14“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.  15No one lights a lamp  and puts it under a basket,  but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.  16In the same way, let your light shine  before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 

Christ Fulfills the Law

17“Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  18For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter  or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  20For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart

21“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors,  Do not murder,   and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.  22But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother  will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool! ’  will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron! ’ will be subject to hellfire.   23So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge to  the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.  26I assure you: You will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! 

Adultery in the Heart

27“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.   28But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  29If your right eye causes you to sin,  gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!

Divorce Practices Censured

31“It was also said, Whoever divorces  his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.   32But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality,  causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 

Tell the Truth

33“Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,  You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.   34But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; 35or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.  36Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’  Anything more than this is from the evil one. 

Go the Second Mile

38“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.   39But I tell you, don’t resist  an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  40As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt,  let him have your coat  as well. 41And if anyone forces  you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 

Love Your Enemies

43“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor   and hate your enemy. 44But I tell you, love your enemies  and pray for those who  persecute you,  45so that you may be  sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  46For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary?   Don’t even the Gentiles  do the same? 48Be perfect,  therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.