Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 18 June 2018

Happy Monday to all.  Rather pretty here, at least for the moment.
Wife is next door with the Great-Nephew.  Niece and her husband are both of to work, great-niece is off to her Pre-K experience.  I'm in the  house alone, in the quiet, with just three cats.  One of which, in particular, having had her breakfast, is certain that imminent death from starvation is looming and wanting more-more-more.  And right now too.  Hard-hearted evil one that I am, her plaintive wails move me not at all.  Particularly since there is a nearly full bowl of the dry food in its usual location.
The first load of laundry is churning right now.  Several more to go thereafter.  Plan is to go out in a bit and pull more weeks from the garden lest they choke out the cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, etc.  Weeding seems to have been relegated to Yours Truly.  Somebody's got to do it, right?  It's one of those things that I can do while thinking about other things:  it's something that I have always done, my whole life:  even if it would look as if I was intent on something, or even staring at it, my mind is often far far away on other matters.  Some find that disconcerting  or even offensive.  Well, half a century (more, actually) too late to object.

=======================================
==========================================

2nd Kings 21

1  Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzi–bah.

2  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

3  For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

4  And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.

5  And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

6  And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

7  And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

8  Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.

9  But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel.

10  And the Lord spake by his servants the prophets, saying,

11  Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:

12  Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

13  And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

14  And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

15  Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.

16  Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

17  Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

18  And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

19  Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

20  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did.

21  And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them:

22  And he forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord.

23  And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.

24  And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

25  Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

26  And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

2nd Kings 22

1  Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

2  And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

3  And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,

4  Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:

5  And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,

6  Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

7  Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

8  And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

9  And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord.

10  And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

11  And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

12  And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying,

13  Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

14  So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.

15  And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

16  Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

17  Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

18  But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

19  Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.

20  Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

====================================================
=====================================================
Continuing today in Psalm 119.  And gave us the "song of the day".  Open My Eyes, That I May See.  This is a personal favorite.  Be a good prayer too.
 
Psalm 119  verse 17-24

GIMEL.

  ג

17  Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

19  I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

20  My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

21  Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.

22  Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

23  Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

24  Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.my counsellors: Heb. men of my counsel

================================================
================================================

Romans 4

1  What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2  For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

4  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

6  Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7  Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

9  Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10  How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.