Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 21 April 2017
The last few days have vanished in a blur.
Wife had a doctor appointment this morning, a round trip of around 50 miles, for 08:20. So an alarm went off at 06:00 and we set off. A good appointment, all in all. Nurse took some blood sample for some tests to be run. And then off we set. Back home, and then a 14 mile round trip to the pharmacy. And when nearly home and still en route to the pharmacy, a call from the doctor office we'd just left. They'd forgotten about some of the tests that needed to be run, and could we come back? Well, that seemed like a mess, could we change that? We'd planned that after the pharmacy, we were going to make ANOTHER run, a hospital in another not-too-far-distant town, where Wife's sister was scheduled to go in for major surgery at noon. That hospital is associated with the hospital that her doctor is associated with, so they agreed to send the necessary "stuff" by FAX to that hospital's outpatient labs. Fine. Then to the pharmacy, a 14 mile or so round trip from our place, on the far side of our route. So to pharmacy. Pick up a new prescription and a refill of another. More money. Then back in car, drive to the hospital, another 30-mile round trip. Got there before S-in-L went under the knife, but already was in pre-op sedation. And there we stayed until she was out of the 3-hour-long surgery, out of Recovery, and into a room. We went in, saw her. She still unconcious from the sedatives. And back home, having spent a while day with all this and put nearly 100 miles on the car besides. Good thing I got gas yesterday.
But it wasn't all a waste. One of Wife's oldest friends, someone she's known about forever, was there. Liz's husband is shuttling from nursing home to hospital to rehab center to hospital. I don't think this will turn out well. But they got to spend a little while together, something the hospital visit seemed almost designed to enable. A Good Thing for both of them.
And also this. As noted, Wife had to go to the Outpatient Labs department. While there, we encountered a woman and a 5-year-old daughter. The child has some of the same medical conditions Wife has, and the woman was in tears and at her wit's end. Didn't help that the officious jerks at the school were the youngster is in kindergarten, are threatening her with court action due to all the missed school, the absences due to the child's conditions, frequent debilitating illnesses, bad reactions to the meds, and doctor appointments, etc. etc. etc. Wife was able to sit with her for about 20 minutes, set her up with some support groups, give some advice based on her own experiences and some of those we underwent with our own kids, and more besides. As well as to offer comfort and understanding, things in short supply. Again, one of those things that our visit and the earlier oversight combined to enable.
So it's nearly 8 p.m. I just had the first real food since around 07:00 (I don't trust hospital food, too much memory of "Soylent Green" perhaps). Wife is exhausted, passed out on recliner. I'm not much better off.
Yesterday, the temperature here was nearing 80°. Tonight's low is expect to hit 40°. I've closed all the windows, and there will definitely be blankets on the bed. (Last night, Wife was claiming horrid heat when we went to bed, so I had to get back up, crank up window fan and floor fan, and leave the blankets off the bed. An hour later, that all got revised. By 03:00, had to get back up and put another blanket on the "freezing" one.) Tomorrow's "high" supposed to be 54. But a week from today, supposed to hit 90°! Quite the roller-coaster around here.
Anyway, things are more than a bit disjointed around here right now. I'm weary and strung out.
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Our reading in the Old Testament is chapters 1, 2, and 3 of 2nd Samuel.
Saul, who has been busily attempting to murder David, has died at the hands of his enemies. David is coming to the fore. And, as is often the case, there is some maneuvering on the part of those who wish to be powers in the new regime.
II Samuel 1
1 Now it came
to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the
slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
2 It came even to
pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from
Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when
he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
3 And David said unto
him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of
Israel am I escaped. 4
And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And
he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the
people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead
also. 5 And
David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul
and Jonathan his son be dead?
6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by
chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo,
the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
7 And when he looked behind him, he
saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 9
He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for
anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.
10 So I stood upon him,
and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he
was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the
bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
11 Then David
took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that
were with him: 12
And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for
Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of
Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
13 And David said unto the young man
that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a
stranger, an Amalekite.
14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to
stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?
15 And David called one of
the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him
that he died. 16
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath
testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.
17 And David
lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he bade
them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is
written in the book of Jasher.)
19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places:
how are the mighty fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of
Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the
daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no
dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for
there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul,
as though he had not been anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, from the
fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of
Saul returned not empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their
lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than
eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who
clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of
gold upon your apparel.
25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O
Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
26 I am distressed for thee, my
brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me
was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
II Samuel 2
1 And it came
to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go
up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up.
And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
2 So David went up
thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail
Nabal's wife the Carmelite.
3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every
man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 And the men of
Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that
buried Saul. 5
And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto
them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this kindness unto
your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.
6 And now the LORD show kindness and
truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye
have done this thing.
7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye
valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have
anointed me king over them.
8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took
Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9 And made him king over
Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and
over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when
he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of
Judah followed David.
11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of
Judah was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of
Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Joab the son of
Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the
pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool,
and the other on the other side of the pool.
14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young
men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
15 Then there arose
and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to
Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 And they caught
every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's
side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called
Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and
Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18 And there
were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and
Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in
going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following
Abner. 20 Then
Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I
am. 21 And
Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and
lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armor. But
Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.
22 And Abner said again to Asahel,
Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the
ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
23 Howbeit he refused
to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote
him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell
down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as
many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24 Joab also
and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were
come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the
wilderness of Gibeon.
25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together
after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.
26 Then Abner
called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou
not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be
then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
27 And Joab said,
As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the
people had gone up every one from following his brother.
28 So Joab blew a trumpet,
and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more,
neither fought they any more.
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through
the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and
they came to Mahanaim.
30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had
gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants
nineteen men and Asahel.
31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of
Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.
32 And they took up
Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in
Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron
at break of day.
II Samuel 3
1 Now there
was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David
waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and
weaker. 2 And
unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of
Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the
Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of
Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth,
Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These
were born to David in Hebron.
6 And it came to pass, while there was war between the
house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for
the house of Saul. 7
And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah:
and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my
father's concubine? 8
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a
dog's head, which against Judah do show kindness this day unto the
house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have
not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day
with a fault concerning this woman?
9 So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as
the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
10 To translate the kingdom from
the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and
over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.
11 And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him. 12
And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the
land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall
be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.
13 And he said, Well; I will make a
league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt
not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when
thou comest to see my face.
14 And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son,
saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred
foreskins of the Philistines.
15 And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband,
even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her along weeping
behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he
returned. 17
And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought
for David in times past to be king over you:
18 Now then do it: for the LORD hath
spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my
people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of
all their enemies. 19
And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to
speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and
that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.
20 So Abner came to David to Hebron,
and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were
with him a feast. 21
And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all
Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and
that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David
sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab
came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but
Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was
gone in peace. 23
When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab,
saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him
away, and he is gone in peace.
24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou
done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him
away, and he is quite gone?
25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to
deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know
all that thou doest. 26
And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner,
which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.
27 And when
Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak
with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died,
for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 And afterward when David heard it, he said, I
and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of
Abner the son of Ner:
29 Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's
house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an
issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth
on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
30 So Joab, and Abishai his brother slew Abner,
because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31 And David said
to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes,
and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David
himself followed the bier.
32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up
his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34
Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man
falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept
again over him. 35
And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was
yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste
bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
36 And all the people took notice of it,
and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.
37 For all the
people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king
to slay Abner the son of Ner.
38 And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that
there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
39 And I am this day
weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too
hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his
wickedness.
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Our New Testament portion for the day is verses 1-17 in the 18th chapter in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 18:1-17
1 And he
spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray,
and not to faint; 2
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither
regarded man: 3
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying,
Avenge me of mine adversary.
4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said
within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5 Yet because this widow
troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary
me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto
him, though he bear long with them?
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the
earth? 9 And
he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the
one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with
himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his
eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to
me a sinner. 14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the
other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.
15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he
would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
16 But Jesus
called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me,
and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
17 Verily I say unto you,
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall
in no wise enter therein.
