Today's Readings and Stuff -- Tuesday, 28 February 2017
Last day of February!. Hooray!
We received a series of calls re Wife's medical stuff today, all of which are causing some scurrying around.
- Tomorrow morning, around 09:30, we need to be in a doctor office on the southern edge of the county south of us. Dear Wife has an "infusion" scheduled for that time period. Seems to me that the last one she went through, some 2-1/2 - 3 years ago, left her feeling awful for days. Since she's already feeling sick and awful, and has been for the last few months, it might pass unmarked, or it may make her LOTS worse. No way to tell. This is something called Reclast, it's supposed to be some sort of treatment (not cure) for her chronic osteporosis / brittle bone disease. We shall see.
- Got word that they (meaning, I guess) the insurance folks, have approved her acquisition of a CPAP machine to help her to breathe while sleeping. No word yet as to what this is going to cost US out of pocket. Next SS check is several weeks away yet, so it's a concern.
- And we also got word of a filled prescription at the pharmacy. Last week, we had doctor call in refills for four of her meds. I've picked up two. The third one JUST got filled (had to be ordered in). The final one, the one that they solemnly vowed would be ready today, isn't. They, again, have solemnly vowed that it will be available tomorrow after 3 p.m. No word on its co-pay amount either. And, of course, it's one of those needed to keep her alive. So "we shall see".
Other than that, I'm just being a care-giver today. Not at 100% myself, but good enough to keep on going.
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Our (lengthy) reading in the Old Testament today is chapters 21-24 of Numbers.
(note for the curious): the "lengthy" part of that is that this year we are following the reading calendar put out by the Gideons. This is a schedule that is good for any year, so they allocated a reading for the Leap Year February 29. We don't have that date in this non-Leap Year cycle, so the reading for the 29th is divvied up between 28 February and 01 March).
Note the names of some of these hostile nations. Names like Amorite, and Moabite, Edomite, and the like. Remember seeing those names before? Yes. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the son of Isaac that was ever at war with Jacob his brother. Still today, incidentally. The Moabites were the descendants of Lot, through his incestuous relationship with his own daughter. Bad beginnings often lead to bad results, don't they?
Numbers 21
1 And when
king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that
Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and
took some of them prisoners.
2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou
wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly
destroy their cities.
3 And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered
up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and
he called the name of the place Hormah.
4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the
way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the
people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 And the people spake against God,
and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die
in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water;
and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the
people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the
people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken
against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take
away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto
Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall
come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it,
shall live. 9
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came
to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the
serpent of brass, he lived.
10 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth. 11
And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the
wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.
12 From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared. 13
From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which
is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for
Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 Wherefore it is said
in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in
the brooks of Arnon, 15
And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar,
and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the
well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I
will give them water.
17 Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: 18
The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the
direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness
they went to Mattanah:
19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth: 20
And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the
top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22
Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into
the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will
go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.
23 And Sihon would not
suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his
people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he
came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24 And Israel smote him with the edge of
the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the
children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25 And Israel
took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the
Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
26 For Heshbon was the city of
Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king
of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
27 Wherefore they
that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be
built and prepared: 28
For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of
Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of
Arnon. 29 Woe
to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his
sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of
the Amorites. 30
We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have
laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32
And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof,
and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33 And they turned and went up by the way
of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all
his people, to the battle at Edrei.
34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for
I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land;
and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites,
which dwelt at Heshbon.
35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until
there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
Numbers 22
1 And the
children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on
this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3
And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and
Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 And Moab said unto the elders
of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us,
as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor
was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the
son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the
children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people
come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they
abide over against me:
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for
they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may
smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he
whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 And the elders
of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination
in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words
of Balak. 8
And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word
again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode
with Balaam. 9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? 10
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath
sent unto me, saying,
11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth
the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be
able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not
go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam
rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into
your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14 And the princes
of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to
come with us. 15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they. 16
And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of
Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17 For I will
promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest
unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18 And Balaam answered
and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house
full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God,
to do less or more. 19
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may
know what the LORD will say unto me more.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and
said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them;
but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
21 And Balaam rose
up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of
Moab. 22 And
God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood
in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his
ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD
standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned
aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the
ass, to turn her into the way.
24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the
vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25 And when the ass saw
the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed
Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26 And the angel of the LORD
went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn
either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And when the ass saw the angel of the
LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he
smote the ass with a staff.
28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said
unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me
these three times? 29
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would
there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30 And the ass said unto
Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was
thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said,
Nay. 31 Then
the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD
standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down
his head, and fell flat on his face.
32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him,
Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went
out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
33 And the ass saw me,
and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me,
surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 And Balaam said unto the
angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in
the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me
back again. 35
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only
the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam
went with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went
out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon,
which is in the utmost coast.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send
unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able
indeed to promote thee to honor?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto
thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God
putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth. 40
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the
princes that were with him.
41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took
Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he
might see the utmost part of the people.
Numbers 23
1 And Balaam
said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven
oxen and seven rams. 2
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on
every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt
offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and
whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high
place. 4 And
God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I
have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5 And the LORD put a word in
Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6 And he
returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all
the princes of Moab.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab
hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying,
Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not
cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
9 For from the top of the
rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall
dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of
Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
11 And Balak said unto
Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies,
and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 And he answered and said, Must I
not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
13 And Balak said
unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence
thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and
shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
14 And he brought him into the
field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and
offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by
thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a
word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came
to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab
with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?
18 And he took up his
parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son
of Zippor: 19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he
should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken,
and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he
hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob,
neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with
him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath
as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against
Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this
time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
24 Behold, the
people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young
lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the
blood of the slain. 25
And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them
at all. 26 But
Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that
the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I
will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God
that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top
of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here
seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Numbers 24
1 And when
Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at
other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the
wilderness. 2
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents
according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3 And he took up his
parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose
eyes are open hath said:
4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the
vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! 6
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side,
as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar
trees beside the waters.
7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed
shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his
kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were
the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and
shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he
lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed
is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10 And Balak's anger was
kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said
unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou
hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy
place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, the LORD
hath kept thee back from honor.
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy
messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 If Balak would give me his house
full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD,
to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith,
that will I speak? 14
And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will
advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter
days. 15 And
he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and
the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16 He hath said, which heard the words of God,
and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the
Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but not
now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of
Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the
corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18 And Edom shall be a
possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel
shall do valiantly. 19
Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy
him that remaineth of the city.
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his
parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter
end shall be that he perish for ever.
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his
parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy
nest in a rock. 22
Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee
away captive. 23
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God
doeth this! 24
And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict
Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25 And Balaam rose
up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
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Our reading in the New Testament is verses 14-37 of Mark chapter 7
Mark 7:14-37
14 And when
he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto
me every one of you, and understand:
15 There is nothing from without a man, that
entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him,
those are they that defile the man.
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17
And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples
asked him concerning the parable.
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without
understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from
without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19 Because it entereth not into
his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging
all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. 24
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon,
and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could
not be hid. 25
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard
of him, and came and fell at his feet:
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by
nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of
her daughter. 27
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is
not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28 And she
answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat
of the children's crumbs.
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the
devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30 And when she was come to her house, she found
the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
31 And again, departing from
the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through
the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf,
and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his
hand upon him. 33
And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his
ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and
saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35 And straightway his ears were
opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36 And he charged
them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so
much the more a great deal they published it;
37 And were beyond measure astonished,
saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear,
and the dumb to speak.
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