Today's Reading and Stuff -- Sunday, 11 March 2018

Late and brief, again.

Today is the first day of Daylight Savings Time, which among other things meant that it felt like I'd lost an hour's sleep when the alarm went off.  And, in fact, I had.  So have been dragging just a bit today.

Thinking a whole lot.
Our calling, my calling, one of them at least, is  to be actively seeking the Lord every moment of every day.  Seeking to serve and to glorify Him in thought, word, and deed.
But, most of us, certainly including me, have only a dim notion of what that means.  Most of us haven't ever been a servant, not really.  An employee, yes, most of us.  But a servant, particularly in the sense that Biblical-era people would understand, would be something far different.  On call 24/7.   Entitled to nothing, even food and clothing from the master's hand, directly or via an overseer.  You wouldn't own yourself.  And you wouldn't have the option of refusing any command.   You would be expected to place the master's interests as prime, ALL the time, and if not carrying out a specific command, to be looking for opportunities to further the master's interests.
That doesn't sound like me. It doesn't sound like most of us.

Closely related to that, to the servant's heart if you like, is the concept of discipleship.  Jesus called disciples.  His command before the Ascension, was to make disciples.  We're not real good at that, and the notion is foreign to most.

Have we sought Him, even in the earliest waking moments?  Are our words and actions likely to honor Him, to draw others to Him?

I am ashamed.


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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 Iye–abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.

12  From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zered.

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.

31Thus 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 honourable 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 honour, 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 honour?

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 Kirjath–huzoth.Kirjath–huzoth: or, a city of streets

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.