Today's Readings and Stuff-- Friday, 19 February 2021

This has been a heck of a week, hasn't it.  Ice storms, bitter cold, illnesses, all kinds of stuff.  We've made it through, so far at least.  Even got some of the ice chipped off the drive and walkways and can get outside and to the car.  Spent an hour or so yesterday just getting the ice off of it, took it around the block to check.  Had to go to the Pharmacy today to pick up one of Wife's prescription refills after having gone through some hoops to get the doctor to authorize same.  Had another one, a VERY high dollar one delivered to us via FedEx, so she should be good on that for a month or two.  So it's not been a total waste of time.  And we've been asked to go next door tomorrow night so that Wife's niece and her husband can go to some event.  So we'll spend two or three hours there.  Be good for Wife and good for the kids too, we've been a big part of their lives about forever.  So it's good.

The readings below hit me hard for some reasons.  Take the portion from the Numbers.  This will be a record of 30-some years, in contrast to Exodus, the major portion of which covered just about a year.  Or Leviticus, which covered a pretty short section as the Lord transmitted the Law and the organization.  But the Numbers records the period of the change in the culture and the attitudes of this great assembly transitioning from slaves in Egypt to the Lord's host heading towards the Promised Land.  NOT an easy transition.  As we shall see.  And certainly not without some setbacks and bumps along the way.  But a "sea change" nonetheless.

Likewise, we see some pretty big stuff in the reading in Mark.  Jesus has called His disciples.  A term, by the way, for a condition that is, sadly, largely lost in our world.  Note that back when He was calling them, the use of the term "immediately" is often found.  And then He, with them in tow, was making quite a stir in the land.  Upsetting some of the "settled" arrangements.  So much so that the religious leaders, the Pharisees, found themselves making common cause with the Herodian loyalists.  Sadly, such arrangements are still to be found in modern times.  Examples are not hard to find, unfortunately.

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Numbers 1, 2

NUMBERS 1

The Census of Israel

1The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting  in the Wilderness of Sinai,  on the first day of the second month of the second year  after Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt: 2“Take a census  of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of every male one by one. 3You and Aaron are to register those who are 20 years old or more by their military divisions — everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.   4A man from each tribe is to be with you, each one the head of his ancestral house.  5These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

Elizur son of Shedeur  from Reuben;

6Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai from Simeon;

7Nahshon son of Amminadab from Judah;

8Nethanel son of Zuar from Issachar;

9Eliab son of Helon from Zebulun;

10from the sons of Joseph:

Elishama son of Ammihud from Ephraim,

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur from Manasseh;

11Abidan son of Gideoni from Benjamin;

12Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai from Dan;

13Pagiel son of Ochran from Asher;

14Eliasaph son of Deuel  from Gad;

15Ahira son of Enan from Naphtali.

16These are the men called from the community; they are leaders of their ancestral tribes,  the heads of Israel’s clans.” 

17So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,  18and they assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. They recorded their ancestry by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting one by one the names of those 20 years old or more, 19just as the Lord commanded Moses. He registered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

20The descendants of Reuben,  the firstborn of Israel: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting one by one the names of every male 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 21those registered for the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

22The descendants of Simeon:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, those registered counting one by one the names of every male 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 23those registered for the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

24The descendants of Gad:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 25those registered for the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

26The descendants of Judah:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 27those registered for the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

28The descendants of Issachar:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 29those registered for the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

30The descendants of Zebulun:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 31those registered for the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

32The descendants of Joseph: 

The descendants of Ephraim:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 33those registered for the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

34The descendants of Manasseh:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 35those registered for the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

36The descendants of Benjamin:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 37those registered for the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

38The descendants of Dan:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 39those registered for the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

40The descendants of Asher:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 41those registered for the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

42The descendants of Naphtali:  according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of those 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 43those registered for the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

44These are the men Moses and Aaron registered, with the assistance of the 12 leaders of Israel; each represented his ancestral house. 45So all the Israelites 20 years old or more, everyone who could serve in Israel’s army, were registered by their ancestral houses. 46All those registered numbered 603,550. 

Duties of the Levites

47But the Levites  were not registered with them by their ancestral tribe. 48For the Lord had told Moses: 49“Do not register or take a census of the tribe of Levi with the other Israelites. 50Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it. 51Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized  person who comes near it must be put to death. 

52“The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner. 53The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.”  54The Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

NUMBERS 2

Organization of the Camps

1The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2“The Israelites are to camp under their respective banners beside the flags of their ancestral houses. They are to camp around the tent of meeting at a distance from it:

3Judah’s military divisions  will camp on the east side toward the sunrise under their banner. The leader of the descendants of Judah is Nahshon  son of Amminadab. 4His military division numbers 74,600. 5The tribe of Issachar will camp next to it. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6His military division numbers 54,400. 7The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab son of Helon. 8His military division numbers 57,400. 9The total number in their military divisions who belong to Judah’s encampment is 186,400; they will move out first.

10Reuben’s military divisions will camp on the south side under their banner. The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11His military division numbers 46,500. 12The tribe of Simeon will camp next to it. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13His military division numbers 59,300. 14The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph son of Deuel.  15His military division numbers 45,650. 16The total number in their military divisions who belong to Reuben’s encampment is 151,450; they will move out second.

17The tent of meeting is to move out with the Levites’ camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to move out just as they camp, each in his place,  with their banners.

18Ephraim’s military divisions will camp on the west side under their banner. The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19His military division numbers 40,500. 20The tribe of Manasseh will be next to it. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21His military division numbers 32,200. 22The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the Benjaminites is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23His military division numbers 35,400. 24The total in their military divisions who belong to Ephraim’s encampment number 108,100; they will move out third.

25Dan’s military divisions will camp on the north side under their banner. The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26His military division numbers 62,700. 27The tribe of Asher will camp next to it. The leader of the Asherites is Pagiel son of Ochran. 28His military division numbers 41,500. 29The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the Naphtalites is Ahira son of Enan. 30His military division numbers 53,400. 31The total number who belong to Dan’s encampment is 157,600; they are to move out last, with their banners.”

32These are the Israelites registered by their ancestral houses. The total number in the camps by their military divisions is 603,550. 33But the Levites were not registered among the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 

34The Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; they camped by their banners in this way and moved out the same way, each man by his clan and by his ancestral house. 

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Mark 3:1-21

MARK 3

The Man with the Paralyzed Hand

1Now  He entered the synagogue  again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed  hand. 2In order to accuse  Him, they were watching Him closely  to see whether He would heal  him on the Sabbath.  3He told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand before us.”  4Then He said to them, “Is it lawful  on the Sabbath to do what is good  or to do what is evil,  to save life  or to kill? ”  But they were silent.  5After looking around at them with anger  and sorrow at the hardness  of their hearts, He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.  6Immediately the Pharisees  went out and started plotting  with the Herodians  against Him, how they might destroy  Him.

Ministering to the Multitude

7Jesus  departed with His disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee,  Judea,  8Jerusalem,  Idumea, beyond the Jordan,  and around Tyre  and Sidon.  The large crowd came to Him because they heard about everything He was doing. 9Then He told His disciples to have a small boat  ready for Him, so the crowd would not crush Him. 10Since He had healed  many, all who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch  Him. 11Whenever the unclean  spirits  saw Him, those possessed fell down  before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God! ”  12And He would strongly warn  them not to make Him known. 

The 12 Apostles

13Then  He went up the mountain  and summoned those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14He also appointed 12 — He also named them apostles   — to be with Him, to send them out to preach,  15and to have authority to  drive out demons.

16He appointed the Twelve:  

To Simon,  He gave the name Peter; 

17and to James  the son of Zebedee, 

and to his brother John, 

He gave the name “Boanerges”

(that is, “Sons of Thunder” );

18Andrew; 

Philip  and Bartholomew;

Matthew  and Thomas; 

James the son of Alphaeus,

and Thaddaeus;

Simon the Zealot, 

19and Judas Iscariot,  

who also betrayed Him.

A House Divided

20Then He went home, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.  21When His family  heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because they said, “He’s out of His mind.” 

Today's Readings and Stuff-- Tuesday, 16 February 2021

I hope everyone is surviving the hideously cold "catastrophic global warming " that has caused sub-zero temperatures in areas as far south as El Paso, Texas and western Arkansas, with snow and ice storms in Central Alabama.  I'm looking out at a good half inch of what the "experts " assured us would be nearly a foot of snow on the ground.  Not that I'm complaining.

Good to be indoors by a warm fireplace, though dreading the inevitably horrid gas bills that will ensue.  But fed and alive, for which we give thanks.

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Leviticus 22, 23

LEVITICUS 22

Priests and Their Food

1The Lord spoke to Moses: 2“Tell Aaron and his sons to deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites that they have consecrated to Me, so they do not profane My holy name;  I am Yahweh. 3Say to them: If any man from any of your descendants throughout your generations is in a state of uncleanness yet approaches the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person will be cut off from My presence; I am Yahweh. 4No man of Aaron’s descendants who has a skin disease  or a discharge is to eat from the holy offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything made unclean by a dead person or by a man who has an emission of semen, 5or whoever touches any swarming creature that makes him unclean or any person who makes him unclean — whatever his uncleanness — 6the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening  and is not to eat from the holy offerings unless he has bathed his body with water. 7When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the holy offerings, for that is his food.  8He must not eat an animal that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts,   making himself unclean by it; I am Yahweh. 9They must keep My instruction,  or they will be guilty and die because they profane it; I am Yahweh who sets them apart.

10“No one outside a priest’s family   is to eat the holy offering. A foreigner staying with a priest or a hired hand is not to eat the holy offering. 11But if a priest purchases someone with his money, that person may eat it, and those born in his house may eat his food. 12If the priest’s daughter is married to a man outside a priest’s family,  she is not to eat from the holy contributions.  13But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it. 14If anyone eats a holy offering in error,  he must add a fifth to its value and give the holy offering to the priest.  15The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord 16by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution.  For I am Yahweh who sets them apart.”

Acceptable Sacrifices

17The Lord spoke to Moses: 18“Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them: Any man of the house of Israel or of the foreign residents  in Israel who presents his offering  — whether they present freewill gifts or payment of vows to the Lord as burnt offerings — 19must offer an unblemished male  from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for you to be accepted. 20You are not to present anything that has a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.

21“When a man presents a fellowship sacrifice to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or flock, it has to be unblemished to be acceptable; there must be no defect in it. 22You are not to present any animal to the Lord that is blind, injured, maimed, or has a running sore, festering rash,  or scabs; you may not put any of them on the altar as a fire offering to the Lord.  23You may sacrifice as a freewill offering any animal from the herd or flock that has an elongated or stunted limb, but it is not acceptable as a vow offering. 24You are not to present to the Lord anything that has bruised, crushed, torn, or severed testicles;  you must not sacrifice them in your land. 25Neither you nor  a foreigner are to present food to your God from any of these animals. They will not be accepted for you because they are deformed and have a defect.” 

26The Lord spoke to Moses: 27“When an ox, sheep, or goat is born, it must remain with  its mother for seven days; from the eighth day  on, it will be acceptable as a gift, a fire offering to the Lord. 28But you are not to slaughter an animal from the herd or flock on the same day as its young.  29When you sacrifice a thank offering  to the Lord, sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30It is to be eaten on the same day.  Do not let any of it remain until morning; I am Yahweh.

31“You are to keep My commands and do them; I am Yahweh. 32You must not profane My holy name; I must be treated as holy  among the Israelites. I am Yahweh who sets you apart, 33the One who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh.”

LEVITICUS 23

Holy Days

1The Lord spoke to Moses: 2“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: These are My appointed times,  the times of the Lord that you will proclaim as sacred assemblies. 

3“Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest,  a sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; it is a Sabbath  to the Lord wherever you live.

4“These are the Lord’s appointed times, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times. 5The Passover  to the Lord comes in the first month, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the month. 6The Festival of Unleavened Bread  to the Lord is on the fifteenth day of the same month. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work. 8You are to present a fire offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a sacred assembly; you must not do any daily work.”

9The Lord spoke to Moses: 10“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you and reap its harvest,  you are to bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest. 11He will wave the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12On the day you wave the sheaf, you are to offer a year-old male lamb  without blemish  as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13Its grain offering is to be four quarts  of fine flour mixed with oil as a fire offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, and its drink offering will be one quart  of wine. 14You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or any new grain  until this very day, and until you have brought the offering to your God. This is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live.

15“You are to count seven  complete weeks   starting from the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the presentation offering.  16You are to count 50 days until the day after the seventh Sabbath and then present an offering of new grain  to the Lord. 17Bring two loaves of bread from your settlements as a presentation offering, each of them made from four quarts  of fine flour, baked with yeast, as firstfruits  to the Lord. 18You are to present with the bread seven unblemished male lambs a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offerings and drink offerings, a fire offering of a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19You are also to prepare one male goat as a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a fellowship sacrifice. 20The priest will wave the lambs with the bread of firstfruits as a presentation offering before the Lord; the bread and the two lambs will be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21On that same day you are to make a proclamation and hold a sacred assembly. You are not to do any daily work. This is to be a permanent statute wherever you live throughout your generations. 22When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap all the way to the edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident;  I am Yahweh your God.”

23The Lord spoke to Moses: 24“Tell the Israelites: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a day of complete rest, commemoration, and joyful shouting   — a sacred assembly.  25You must not do any daily work, but you must present a fire offering to the Lord.”

26The Lord again spoke to Moses: 27“The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement.  You are to hold a sacred assembly and practice self-denial;   you are to present a fire offering to the Lord. 28On this particular day you are not to do any work, for it is a Day of Atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the Lord your God. 29If any person does not practice self-denial on this particular day, he must be cut off from his people. 30I will destroy among his people anyone who does any work on this same day. 31You are not to do any work. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you live. 32It will be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must practice self-denial. You are to observe your Sabbath from the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening.”

33The Lord spoke to Moses: 34“Tell the Israelites: The Festival of Booths   to the Lord begins on the fifteenth day of this seventh month and continues for seven days. 35There is to be a sacred assembly on the first day; you are not to do any daily work. 36You are to present a fire offering to the Lord for seven days. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly and present a fire offering to the Lord. It is a solemn gathering;  you are not to do any daily work.

37“These are the Lord’s appointed times that you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for presenting fire offerings to the Lord, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its designated day. 38These are in addition to the offerings for the Lord’s Sabbaths, your gifts, all your vow offerings, and all your freewill offerings that you give to the Lord.

39“You are to celebrate the Lord’s festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh month for seven days after you have gathered the produce of the land. There will be complete rest on the first day and complete rest on the eighth day. 40On the first day you are to take the product  of majestic trees — palm fronds,  boughs of leafy trees,  and willows of the brook  — and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41You are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord seven days each year. This is a permanent statute for you throughout your generations; you must celebrate it in the seventh month. 42You are to live in booths  for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must live in booths, 43so that your generations may know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.” 44So Moses declared the Lord’s appointed times to the Israelites.

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Mark 1:1-22

MARK 1

The Messiah’s Herald

1The beginning  of the gospel  of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  2As it is written in Isaiah  the prophet:  

Look, I am sending My messenger  ahead of You,

who will prepare Your way. 

3A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 

Prepare the way for the Lord; 

make His paths straight!  

4John came baptizing   in the wilderness  and preaching a baptism of repentance   for the forgiveness  of sins.  5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem  were flocking to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan  River as they confessed  their sins.  6John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts  and wild honey.  7He was preaching: “Someone more powerful  than I will come after me.  I am not worthy  to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals.  8I have baptized you with  water,  but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 

The Baptism of Jesus

9In  those days Jesus came from Nazareth  in Galilee  and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens  being torn open and the Spirit descending to Him like a dove. 11And a voice  came from heaven: 

You are My beloved  Son; 

I take delight  in You! 

The Temptation of Jesus

12Immediately  the Spirit  drove  Him into the wilderness.  13He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted  by Satan.  He was with the wild animals,  and the angels  began to serve Him.

Ministry in Galilee

14After  John was arrested,  Jesus went to Galilee,  preaching  the good news    of God:   15“The time  is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God  has come  near.  Repent  and believe  in the good news! ”

The First Disciples

16As  He was passing along by the Sea of Galilee,  He saw Simon  and Andrew,  Simon’s brother. They were casting a net into the sea,  since they were fishermen.

17“Follow Me,”  Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for ,  people! ”  18Immediately they left their nets and followed  Him.  19Going on a little farther, He saw James  the son of Zebedee  and his brother John.  They were in their boat mending their nets. 20Immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him. 

Driving Out an Unclean Spirit

21Then  they went into Capernaum,  and right away He entered the synagogue  on the Sabbath  and began to teach.

 22They were astonished  at His teaching  because, unlike the scribes,  He was teaching them as one having authority.