Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 21 March 2015

yep, Spring has definitely arrived in Ohio.  That's why tonight's low is predicted to be 19 degrees, tomorrow night's low predicted at 21, and so forth.  Over the next 10 days, only 3 are predicted to have lows about freezing, and one of them by only a single degree.  At least it's 19 ABOVE zero.  That's something, right?

Dear Wife spent about an hour on the phone with my youngest nephew's wife.  He is active duty military and we've "friended" her on FB.  But we've never met.  His permanent station is on the coast, although he's getting new orders, going to some kind of a school for some months, and then, probably, yet another permanent change of station.  Comes with the territory. 

His older brother is also active duty, and is awaiting new orders.  He and the family (probably) will also be moving soon.  That's life in the military.  Dear Wife grew up in that world also.

So the reports that came out within the last few days that the demon-worshiping Islamo-heathens are posting names and home addresses of active military personnel, and their families, hits close to home.  I am not, and have never been, one of those chanting "celebrate diversity!!" and screeching about the equivalence and equal merit of all cultures.  It's a lie.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 4, 5, and 6 of hte book of Joshua.
The conquest of the Promised Land begins, and begins with a big foe: the heavily fortified city of Jericho.  This is not nice warfare, no Geneva Convention stuff (that wouldn't happen for well over three thousand years) and this is not nice stuff.  This was one people against another people, and only one would be left.  It wasn't Jericho.  And you will note that this eliminated Jericho as an enemy or even as an attraction.  They didn't win the war and then take over, they eliminated the enemy.

Joshua 4

1	And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
2	Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3	And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4	Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5	And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6	That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7	Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8	And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9	And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
10	For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11	And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12	And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13	About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14	On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15	And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
16	Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17	Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18	And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19	And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20	And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21	And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22	Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23	For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
24	That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.

Joshua 5

1	And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
2	At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
3	And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4	And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5	Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6	For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not show them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7	And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
8	And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
9	And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
10	And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
11	And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
12	And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13	And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14	And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
15	And the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Joshua 6 

1	Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
2	And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.
3	And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4	And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5	And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
6	And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.
7	And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
8	And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
9	And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
10	And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
11	So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12	And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13	And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14	And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15	And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16	And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
17	And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18	And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19	But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
20	So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
21	And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
22	But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23	And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
24	And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25	And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26	And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
27	So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-24 of the 2nd chapter in the Gospel of Luke.  This is the Christmas story, the one that many of us first heard as children.  The inn, the manger, the shepherds, the angels.  Don't slide over it out of the familiarity of the account, it's worth seeing again.

Luke 2:1-24

1	And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2	(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3	And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4	And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5	To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6	And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7	And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8	And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9	And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10	And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11	For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12	And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13	And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14	Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15	And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16	And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17	And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18	And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19	But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20	And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21	And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22	And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23	(As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24	And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.