Today's Readings -- 25 March 2011

running VERY far behind. It is Friday, and at at time when many people are getting off work and looking forward to some personal time. I am preparing to leave the house en route to yet another night shift as we near the end of the 17th month of the "short stint" on nights that I was "asked" to undertake. In November. Of 2009.
I place great stock in personal honesty and integrity, part of which implies the keeping of one's word. While I am grateful to the Lord for providing us an means of income, and the chance to meet some interesting people and, perhaps, to serve Him in some small ways, I am not happy working for a company which makes a habit of deceit and oath-breaking. Dear Lord, I need a new, better job.

The Old Testament reading of the day is chapters 14 and 15 of the book of Joshua. I know that this is disturbing to the hoplophobes among us (a term brought to us by Jeff Cooper, I believe) and it certainly was NEVER acknowledged in the "peace" church of my youth. But it is there in the Bible.

Joshua 14

1	And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.
2	By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
3	For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.
4	For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.
5	As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.
6	Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
7	Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8	Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9	And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
10	And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11	As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12	Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
13	And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14	Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
15	And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.

Joshua 15

1	This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast.
2	And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward:
3	And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and fetched a compass to Karkaa:
4	From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.
5	And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan:
6	And the border went up to Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben:
7	And the border went up toward Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is before the going up to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river: and the border passed toward the waters of Enshemesh, and the goings out thereof were at Enrogel:
8	And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
9	And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim:
10	And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
11	And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward: and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the goings out of the border were at the sea.
12	And the west border was to the great sea, and the coast thereof. This is the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families.
13	And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.
14	And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
15	And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher.
16	And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
17	And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
18	And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?
19	Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs.
20	This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.
21	And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,
22	And Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,
23	And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
24	Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,
25	And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
26	Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,
27	And Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,
28	And Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,
29	Baalah, and Iim, and Azem,
30	And Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,
31	And Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,
32	And Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages:
33	And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
34	And Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam,
35	Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
36	And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages:
37	Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad,
38	And Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,
39	Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,
40	And Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,
41	And Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages:
42	Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,
43	And Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,
44	And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
45	Ekron, with her towns and her villages:
46	From Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages:
47	Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:
48	And in the mountains, Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,
49	And Dannah, and Kirjathsannah, which is Debir,
50	And Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,
51	And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:
52	Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,
53	And Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,
54	And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages:
55	Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,
56	And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,
57	Cain, Gibeah, and Timnah; ten cities with their villages:
58	Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor,
59	And Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon; six cities with their villages:
60	Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages:
61	In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,
62	And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.
63	As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

The New Testament reading is verses 33-44 of Luke 4. Jesus is setting to work, going to people's point of need.

Luke 4:33-44

33	And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
34	Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
35	And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
36	And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
37	And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.
38	And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
39	And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
40	Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
41	And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
42	And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
43	And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
44	And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

g