Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 02 May, 2018

Lovely morning.  May is, by far, my favorite month of the entire year.  No question of it.  70's outside this week.  Now, one of the weathercasters has admitted that this area, situated as it is, less than an hour from the Great Lakes and therefor susceptible to the "polar vortex" and the "Alberta Clipper", might still get snow!  Unlikely, of course, but possible.  Yucky thought.

Tomorrow, Wife has another appointment with rheumatologist, down in the southern end of the county south of us.  Route is anything but direct:  we have to drive from the east edge of this county across half of it, then diagonally to the next county, then more or less laterally towards the middle part of that county, then diagonally towards the eastern edge, then due south (more or less) to the area not TOO far from the doctor office which is, again, pretty much due south (after a lateral move) to the doc office.  This is to be on "limited access" highways mostly.
The whole thing will then need to be repeated a week thereafter.  But, perhaps it will help her deteriorating joints.  The  complication here is that she's "into" something, again, that sounds like a cross between pneumonia, asthma, and whatever.  She thinks it's just allergies, which is possible of course.  We're watching, worriedly.

Meanwhile, Mother's Day is coming up later this month.  Inasmuch as both of our daughters have cut ALL contact with us, that will be a very hard time.  Very.  Our 30th wedding anniversary is scheduled for late summer, and at this point, neither one will appear nor recognize the day at all. 

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Just FYI, the term "emerod" here probably refers to the tumors associated with bubonic plague.
And, by some accounts, Dagon, the false god mentioned here, was believed to be the father of Ba'al.  And some, myself included, suspect that Ba'al is simply another name for the Moslem demon-god they call Allah.  Fits.  This is a VERY old fight!
By the way, the city termed Beth-shemesh here, is now called Beit Shemesh, located about 30 km west of Jerusalem.  Find it on a map here 

1st Samuel 5

1  And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben–ezer unto Ashdod.

2  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

5  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6  But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

7  And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8  They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.

9  And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

10  Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

11  So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.us

12  And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1st Samuel 6

1  And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

2  And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.

3  And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

4  Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.

5  Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

6  Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

7  Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

8  And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

9  And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth–shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.he: or, it

10  And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:

11  And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.

12  And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth–shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth–shemesh.

13  And they of Beth–shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

14  And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth–shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord.

15  And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth–shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord.

16  And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17  And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

18  And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth–shemite.

19  And he smote the men of Beth–shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

20  And the men of Beth–shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

21  And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath–jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

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Today, Psalm 88.  Have you ever prayed like this?  I have.

Psalm 88

A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

1  O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

2  Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

3  For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

4  I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

5  Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

6  Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

7  Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

8  Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9  Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

10  Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.

11  Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

12  Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13  But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

14   Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

15  I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

16  Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

17  They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

18  Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

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Today:  Then Came The Morning".    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSktTeGk1Lw

John 20

1  The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

2  Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

3  Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

4  So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

5  And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

6  Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

7  And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

8  Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

9  For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

10  Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

11  But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12  And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

14  And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16  Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

17  Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

18  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

20  And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

23  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

24  But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

30  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.