Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 07 June 2018

We woke to a "toasty" 49 degrees of "catastrophic global warming" this morning, just two weeks from the official start of Summer. "Up" to 62° now.  Briefly. It is 92° now in our one-time home in Arkansas, where one daughter still lives.  It is 84° in our one-time home outside of Knoxville, Tennessee.  And 90° in our former home in central  Alabama.  ALL of which sound much better than 62.    I like to point out the numerous errors and out-and-out lies of the whole Gorebot "glow-BULL warming" stuff.  It's almost too easy, but some people get downright offended.  Sorry, I really don't care.  It's nonsense and a lie and always was.

Wife is next door with great-nephew, the  newest one anyway.  His 1st birthday party is next weekend.  He's already --shakily -- standing  up on his own and I just watched him take two steps on his own.  Growing fast.
I had to sub for Wife's nephew's wife this morning, and run the other great-nephew over to the school for some sort of summer program (not "summer school") that he's involved in.  Probably beats sitting at home:  mom at work and dad, who worked the night shift, fast asleep.  11-year-olds are not real good at being quiet and orderly, so having something semi organized through the school is probably a good deal.

Trying to get some reading in.  Made a run to the library yesterday, got three new (to me) ones out.
Haven't been able to even crack one open yet, planning to do so Real  Soon Now.

• Fearless by Max Lucado. 
• The Book Of Lost Tales by Tolkien.  Described as The History Of Middle Earth.  J.R.R. Tolkien's name is on the spine, but I understand it was really put together by Christopher  Tolkien, his son.  We shall see.
• 1917 by Arthur Herman.  Subtitled  "Lenin, Wilson, And the birth of the New World Order".  Victor Davis Hanson, whose analyses of things I respect greatly, speaks highly of this.  We, the whole world, are paying more than a century later for the actions and decisions of those two vile and evil men.  Lenin, of course, begat the Soviet Union and the death of countless millions.  Woodrow Wilson, my nominee for the very worst President (and one of the worst to BE President) that this nation suffered (or, at least, up to Obama), was a self-styled "progressive".  Also a raging racist and champion liar.  So, of course, the liberals love him and there is even a high school near here that is named for the creep.

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Today, chapters 19 and 20 of 1st Kings. The downward spiral is picking up speed.  Going to get worse as well, and soon.
By the way, here we see one of those "Bible names" that people VERY rarely give to their daughters.  Jezebel.  Do you know any?  (by name, I mean:  there are a few who probably should have been so named, it would have been a warning to those that would encounter them).
Pay attention to the mentions of Samaria.  Later, in the New Testament, we see the disdain that the Jews had for the Samaritans.  It harkens back to this period.  Which is why the account of the "good Samaritan" had such an effect.  We generally miss that background now.

1st Kings 19

1  And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

2  Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

3  And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer–sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

4  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

5  And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6  And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

7  And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

8  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

9  And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

10  And he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

13  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14  And he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

15  And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

16  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel–meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

17  And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

18  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

19  So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20  And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21  And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

1st Kings 20

1  And Ben–hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

2And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben–hadad,

3  Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

4  And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

5  And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben–hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

6  Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.

7  Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.

8  And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

9  Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben–hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

10  And Ben–hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

11  And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

12  And it came to pass, when Ben–hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

13  And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

14  And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.

15  Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.

16  And they went out at noon. But Ben–hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.

17  And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben–hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

18  And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

19  So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.

20  And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben–hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.

21  And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

22  And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.

23  And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

24  And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:

25  And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.

26  And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben–hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

27  And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

28  And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

29  And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.

30  But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben–hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

31  And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.

32  So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben–hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

33  Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben–hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben–hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

34  And Ben–hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.streets: or, market places

35  And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.

36  Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

37  Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

38  So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

39  And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

40  And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.

41  And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.

42  And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

43  And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.

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This passage brings to mind more than a few worthy nominees for the "song of the day"

Psalm 113

1  Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

2  Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.

3  From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.

4  The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

5  Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,dwelleth…: Heb. exalteth himself to dwell

6  Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

7  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

8  That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

9  He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord

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Today, chapter 24 in the Acts of the Apostles.
This is more of what it took to get the church, or, better, the Church, spread all over the known world of the time.  Lots and lots of opposition and persecution, including unto death.
Would I do as well?  I fear not.

Acts 24

1  And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

2  And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

3  We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

4  Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.

5  For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

6  Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

7  But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

8  Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

9  And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

10  Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

11  Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.

12  And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

13  Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

14  But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

16  And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

17  Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.

18  Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

19  Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.

20  Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,

21  Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

22  And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.

23  And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.

24  And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

25  And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

26  He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

27  But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.