Today's Readings -- Wednesday, 01 June 2016

Made it to June! 

The Old Testament passage today is chapters 4, 5, and 6 of 2nd Chronicles.  Solomon leading the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem.

II Chronicles 4  

1	Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.
2	Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
3	And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.
4	It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
5	And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.
6	He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.
7	And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.
8	He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basins of gold.
9	Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.
10	And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.
11	And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;
12	To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;
13	And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars.
14	He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;
15	One sea, and twelve oxen under it.
16	The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass.
17	In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.
18	Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.
19	And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;
20	Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;
21	And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;
22	And the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

II Chronicles 5  

1	Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.
2	Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
3	Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.
4	And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.
5	And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.
6	Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
7	And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim:
8	For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
9	And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.
10	There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
11	And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:
12	Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)
13	It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
14	So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

II Chronicles 6 

1	Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
2	But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.
3	And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.
4	And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying,
5	Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:
6	But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.
7	Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
8	But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:
9	Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.
10	The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
11	And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.
12	And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:
13	For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven.
14	And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and showest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:
15	Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
16	Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.
17	Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.
18	But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!
19	Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:
20	That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.
21	Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.
22	If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;
23	Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
24	And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;
25	Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
26	When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;
27	Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.
28	If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:
29	Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:
30	Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)
31	That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
32	Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;
33	Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.
34	If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;
35	Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
36	If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;
37	Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;
38	If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
39	Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.
40	Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
41	Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
42	O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.

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The New Testament reading is verses 20-50 in the 12th chapter in the Gospel of John.

John 12:20-50

20	And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
21	The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
22	Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
23	And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24	Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25	He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26	If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
27	Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
28	Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
29	The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
30	Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
31	Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32	And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33	This he said, signifying what death he should die.
34	The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
35	Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36	While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
37	But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38	That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39	Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40	He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41	These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
42	Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43	For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44	Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
45	And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
46	I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
47	And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48	He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49	For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50	And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.