Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 23 April 2015

more than a month  into Spring.  Temp showing was 31 degrees when I woke.  I do miss living in the South.  Be colder tonight and about the same tomorrow night.  Did I mention that I hate cold weather?

Oh, well.

Just very foggy this morning.  Not just outside, my brain is in low gear at best.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 7, 8, and 9 of 2nd Samuel.  David is king.  Still engaged in wars, and will be for the foreseeable future, which seems to be a defining characteristic of that area: read the newspaper if you doubt that.  But he's trying to shore up things at home as well.  More than that, he's quite properly giving attention to the worship of the Lord.  He knew, I suspect, how much of their problems had come about due to their apostasy.  He knew quite well that the Lord had put him on the throne, and how He had blessed David and the land.  Perhaps our nation might reflect on that, but I see little sign of that.

II Samuel 7 

1	And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
2	That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
3	And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
4	And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
5	Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6	Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7	In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
8	Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
9	And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
10	Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
11	And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
12	And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13	He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14	I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
15	But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16	And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
17	According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
18	Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
19	And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?
20	And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.
21	For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.
22	Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
23	And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
24	For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.
25	And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.
26	And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
27	For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
28	And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
29	Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

II Samuel 8 

1	And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
2	And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.
3	David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.
4	And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.
5	And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.
6	Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
7	And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8	And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
9	When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,
10	Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:
11	Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;
12	Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13	And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.
14	And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
15	And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
16	And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
17	And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;
18	And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

II Samuel 9 

1	And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
2	And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3	And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
4	And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
5	Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
6	Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7	And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
8	And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9	Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.
10	Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11	Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.
12	And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
13	So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-28 in Luke 19.  Things are about to get tense.

Luke 19:1-28 

1	And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2	And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3	And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4	And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5	And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6	And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7	And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8	And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9	And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10	For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
11	And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12	He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13	And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14	But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15	And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16	Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17	And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18	And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19	And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20	And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21	For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22	And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23	Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24	And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25	(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26	For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27	But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
28	And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.