Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 27 May 2018

Today is the last Sunday in May.  Since May is my very favorite month of the year, one of the three that I like at all, seeing it drawing to a close does not improve things.
Having a small female cat, unfixed and "in heat" wandering around our hovel, making her unhappiness at enforced celibacy known to all, does not improve things.

But, more importantly, tomorrow is commemorated (not "celebrated") as Memorial Day.  Better persons than I have written volumes of heart-rending accounts of those who gave their All for us.  Most of those in the work world will have the day off.  Not all.  Next-door-Niece has to be at work at 9 a.m.  Her husband is now officially jobless, though he's doing some off-the-books stuff a few days a week now, but will be off tomorrow.  Niece is working about 30 hours per week, or at least that was the published schedule as of noon today.    Subject to change without notice.

Worse, too many people are using the holiday weekend to drink too much, use drugs, engage in sexual escapades, and get into violent encounters.  Nothing good comes of this.

And I remain uncertain of the right direction.  So, the "song of the day" came to mind in the night.
Open My Eyes That I May See is it, and appropriate.

1	Open my eyes that I may see Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key That shall unclasp and set me free.
	Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready, my God, Thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me,     Spirit Divine!
2	Open my ears that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear; And while the wave notes fall on my ear, Everything false will disappear.
3	Open my mouth and let me bear Tidings of mercy everywhere; Open my heart and let me prepare Love with Thy children thus to share.
4	Open my mind that I may read More of Thy love in word and deed; What shall I fear while yet Thou dost lead? Only for light from Thee I plead.

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Today, the completion of 2nd Samuel.  The time of David, king of Israel, is drawing to a close. 

2nd Samuel 23

1  Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

2  The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

3  The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

4  And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

5  Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

6  But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

7  But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

8  These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

9  And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

10  He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

11  And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

12  But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

13  And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

14  And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth–lehem.

15  And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth–lehem, which is by the gate!

16  And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth–lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.

17  And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18  And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.

19  Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20  And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

21  And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

22  These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

23  He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

24  Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth–lehem,

25  Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26  Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27  Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28  Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29  Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

30  Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

31  Abi–albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32  Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

33  Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

34  Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35  Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36  Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

37  Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,

38  Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,

39  Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

2nd Samuel 24

1  And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

2  For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

3  And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

4  Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5  And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:

6  Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim–hodshi; and they came to Dan–jaan, and about to Zidon,

7  And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer–sheba.

8  So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9  And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10  And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11  For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

12  Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

13  So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

14  And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.are great: or, are many

15  So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer–sheba seventy thousand men.

16  And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

17  And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

18  And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

19  And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded.

20  And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

21  And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

22  And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.

23  All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.

24  And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25  And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.