Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 10 February 2015

brief, too brief, interlude of relatively warm today.  Won't get past the freezing point, but will approach it.  To be followed by the end of the week with "highs" in the single digits.  I keep telling myself we're getting closer and closer to the official first day of Spring, and even closer to the start of Daylight Savings Time (for whatever that's worth), but it doesn't seem to be impressing the thermometer as much as I would have liked.
Dear Wife is next door "watching" the Beloved Great Niece while mom is at work.  Mom put in her two week notice last week:  she'd been promised to be part time, two days a week since coming back from maternity leave nearly two  years ago now.   She's been what they call the commercial accounts manager for a major auto parts chain of stores, as is her husband (different stores), which was to let the "regular" manager have two days off per week.  But lately, she's been filling not only that role, but the "regular" manager's role as well, which not only gets her to four days rather than two, but also covering for vacations for the managers AND for other employees AND physical inventory AND major changes in store layout, etc.  Now we've heard rumors that at least one of the persons she's been covering for may be involved in some fairly major peculation of company funds and property.  She wants no part of the fuss, and is getting out.  The biggies from corporate, including HR, are supposed to come meet with her, today, but I don't think she's willing to be dissuaded.
Which is her business, but Dear Wife truly loves the time with the Little One.  Our kids are FAR away, and will probably never have kids.  In part due to their own attitudes towards kids (and that of their husbands as well) and part because they do not want to pass on the genetically transmitted issues that Dear Wife has suffered with, and which at least the older one is beginning to show some signs of.  Let it die out in their generation.  So Wife makes do for her grandmotherly instincts with grand-niece.

Watching the news is looking more and more like Biblical prophecy coming to pass, isn't it?

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 10, 11, and 12 of Leviticus.  This very much is a warning against a "do your own thing" approach to the worship of the Lord.  A couple of Aaron's sons tried that, and it didn't turn out well.  And we also get into more of the dietary laws.  Now, I agree that these apply to the Jews and the Jews of the time, under the Old Covenant, and not to Gentiles.  Having said that, some of those critters that are forbidden really are not good for you.  Or, for example, shellfish, which are forbidden.  Dear Wife has some far-back Jewish ancestry.  And she can't eat shellfish.  Makes her quite ill.  We discovered that she has, or rather HAD, a thyroid problem, and the iodine in shellfish reacted with the thyroid gland that she USED to have, and made her ill.  So maybe we should have paid more attention.  Her ancestors lived in places like Austria, far removed from any oceans, so no one knew of the issue.  By the way, the best reason for obeying this commands, is because the Lord commanded them.  And they are not mere suggestions, as too many churches are treating some very specific commandments.

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Leviticus 10 

1	And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
2	And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
3	Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
4	And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.
5	So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
6	And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.
7	And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.
8	And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,
9	Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
10	And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
11	And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
12	And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:
13	And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded.
14	And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.
15	The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.
16	And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,
17	Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?
18	Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.
19	And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?
20	And when Moses heard that, he was content.

Leviticus 11

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
2	Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
3	Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
4	Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
5	And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
6	And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
7	And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8	Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
9	These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10	And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11	They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.
12	Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
13	And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
14	And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;
15	Every raven after his kind;
16	And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind,
17	And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,
18	And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
19	And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
20	All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.
21	Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;
22	Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.
23	But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.
24	And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even.
25	And whosoever beareth ought of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
26	The carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.
27	And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even.
28	And he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.
29	These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,
30	And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.
31	These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.
32	And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.
33	And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.
34	Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.
35	And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you.
36	Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.
37	And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.
38	But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcass fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.
39	And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even.
40	And he that eateth of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
41	And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
42	Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
43	Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
44	For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
45	For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46	This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:
47	To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

Leviticus 12

1	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2	Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
3	And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
4	And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
5	But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.
6	And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:
7	Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
8	And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-19 of Matthew 26
Now it begins.  Here we see things moving towards the Cross, and one of His own followers plays a part in that.  But so did all of us.

Matthew 26:1-19 

1	And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
2	Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
3	Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4	And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
5	But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
6	Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7	There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
8	But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
9	For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10	When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11	For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
12	For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
13	Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
14	Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15	And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16	And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
17	Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
18	And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
19	And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.