Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 06 February 2021

 Looking outside at all the cold and grey and snow.  Seeing a projected low of 18° tonight and a "high: of 23° for tomorrow.  Ick!  Projections are for no temps above freezing for the next 10 days  and next Sunday's low to be at -3°.  Double Ick!  

But, as I type this, there is still some light outside, which was not the case a month ago.  And a "day" of 10 hours 20 minutes, a great improvement as well.  So there is some cause for hope.

Too bad "global warming of human cause" is as gigantic a lie as we've seen in a good while.

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EXODUS 39

Making the Priestly Garments

1They made specially woven  garments for ministry in the sanctuary, and the holy garments for Aaron from the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

Making the Ephod

2Bezalel  made the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. 3They hammered out thin sheets of gold, and he  cut threads from them to interweave with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and the fine linen in a skillful design. 4They made shoulder pieces for attaching it; it was joined together at its two edges. 5The artistically woven waistband that was on the ephod was of one piece with the ephod, according to the same workmanship of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

6Then they mounted the onyx stones surrounded with gold filigree settings, engraved with the names of Israel’s sons as a gem cutter engraves a seal. 7He fastened them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Breastpiece

8He  also made the embroidered breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and of finely spun linen. 9They made the breastpiece square and folded double, nine inches long and nine inches wide.  10They mounted four rows of gemstones  on it. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald;  11the second row, a turquoise,  a sapphire,  and a diamond;  12the third row, a jacinth,  an agate, and an amethyst; 13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were surrounded with gold filigree in their settings.

14The 12 stones corresponded to the names of Israel’s sons. Each stone was engraved like a seal with one of the names of the 12 tribes.

15They made braided chains of pure gold cord for the breastpiece. 16They also fashioned two gold filigree settings and two gold rings and attached the two rings to its two corners. 17Then they attached the two gold cords to the two gold rings on the corners of the breastpiece. 18They attached the other ends of the two cords to the two filigree settings and, in this way, attached them to the ephod’s shoulder pieces in front. 19They made two other gold rings and put them at the two other corners of the breastpiece on the edge that is next to the inner border of the ephod. 20They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the ephod’s two shoulder pieces on its front, close to its seam,  above the ephod’s woven waistband. 21Then they tied the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a cord of blue yarn, so that the breastpiece was above the ephod’s waistband and did not come loose from the ephod. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Robe

22They  made the woven robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. 23There was an opening in the center of the robe like that of body armor  with a collar around the opening so that it would not tear. 24They made pomegranates of finely spun blue, purple, and scarlet yarn  on the lower hem of the robe. 25They made bells of pure gold and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates, 26a bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe  to be worn for ministry. They made it just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Other Priestly Garments

27They made the tunics of fine woven linen for Aaron and his sons. 28They also made the turban and the ornate headbands  of fine linen, the undergarments,  29and the sash of finely spun linen of embroidered blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. They did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Holy Diadem

30They also made a medallion, the holy diadem, out of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal: 

HOLY TO THE LORD.

31Then they attached a cord of blue yarn to it in order to mount it on the turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses’ Inspection of the Tabernacle

32So all the work for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.  33Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent with all its furnishings, its clasps, its planks, its crossbars, and its posts and bases; 34the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of manatee skins;  the veil for the screen; 35the ark of the testimony with its poles and the mercy seat; 36the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37the pure gold lampstand, with its lamps arranged and all its utensils, as well as the oil for the light; 38the gold altar; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense; the screen for the entrance to the tent; 39the bronze altar with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; 40the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and bases, the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its ropes and tent pegs, and all the equipment for the service of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 41and the specially woven  garments for ministering in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests. 42The Israelites had done all the work according to everything the Lord had commanded Moses.  43Moses inspected all the work they had accomplished. They had done just as the Lord commanded. Then Moses blessed them. 

EXODUS 40

Setting up the Tabernacle

1The Lord spoke to Moses: 2“You are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month.   3Put the ark  of the testimony there and screen off the ark with the veil. 4Then bring in the table and lay out its arrangement; also bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5Place the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony. Put up the screen for the entrance to the tabernacle. 6Position the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 7Place the basin  between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8Assemble the surrounding courtyard and hang the screen for the gate of the courtyard.

9“Take the anointing oil and anoint  the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings so that it will be holy. 10Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar so that it will be especially holy. 11Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate it.

12“Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.  13Clothe Aaron with the holy garments,  anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he can serve Me as a priest. 14Have his sons come forward and clothe them in tunics. 15Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will serve to inaugurate a permanent priesthood for them throughout their generations.” 

16Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. 17The tabernacle was set up in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month.   18Moses set up the tabernacle: he laid its bases, positioned its planks, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts. 19Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

20Moses took the testimony  and placed it in the ark, and attached the poles to the ark. He set the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21He brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the Lord had commanded him.

22Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 23He arranged the bread on it before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him. 24He also put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25and set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.

26Moses also installed the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the veil, 27and burned fragrant incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded him. 28He put up the screen at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29Then he placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded him.

30He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. 31Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet from it. 32They washed whenever they came to the tent of meeting and approached the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

33Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work. 

The Lord’s Glory

34The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  35Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

36The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey.  37If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up.  38For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.

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MATTHEW 24

Destruction of the Temple Predicted

1As Jesus left and was going out of the temple complex,  His disciples  came up and called His attention to the temple buildings. 2Then He replied to them, “Don’t you see all these things? I assure you: Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down! ”

Signs of the End of the Age

3While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age? ” 

4Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives  you. 5For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.  6You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines   and earthquakes in various places.  8All these events are the beginning of birth pains. 

Persecutions Predicted

9“Then they will hand you over for persecution,  and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.  10Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. 11Many false prophets  will rise up and deceive many. 12Because lawlessness  will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.  14This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world  as a testimony to all nations.  And then the end will come. 

The Great Tribulation

15“So when you see the abomination that causes desolation,   spoken of by the prophet Daniel,  standing in the holy place”  (let the reader understand ), 16“then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 17A man on the housetop  must not come down to get things out of his house.  18And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. 19Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21For at that time there will be great tribulation,  the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! 22Unless those days were limited, no one would  survive.  But those days will be limited because of the elect.