Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 02 July 2018

Happy Monday to all

Wife is Next Door, there to "watch" the 1-year-old Great Nephew.  Mom and Dad are off, in attendance at a hearing ref his application for unemployment compensation.  About six weeks ago, he was one of several, mostly with manager titles, who were "let go" in a campaign at his workplace.  He's been locked in a battle ever since on the issue of drawing unemployment compensation.  I believe he now has two employers who want him there, but the last six weeks have done their finances no good, and he believes that the money is due him.  And he may be right, but I've seen some pretty awful misuses of that system, misuses going in both directions.  So we wish them the best.

AND .....  the first news that I saw this morning was of at least one arrest up in Cleveland.  Seems that the FBI boys interrupted a well-advanced plot for a major terror event to be perpetrated up there as part of the Independence Day celebrations in two days.
Anyone familiar with the acronym "ROPMA"?   You can look it up, but the tenor of it is that there is grave doubt about the accuracy of the "Great Religion of Peace" stupidity that former President Bush rattled off after the 9/11 attacks.  In 1400 years now, that has not deviated.  Not a bit.

Wife was pretty sick all day yesterday.  She sounds a little bit better today, and was able to shower and dress and walk over next door unaided (not always the case), so perhaps it's turned a corner.  We hope so anyway.



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1st Chronicles 23

1 So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

33  Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.

44  Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:

55  Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

66  And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

77  Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.

88  The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

99  The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.

10010  And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

1111  And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.

1212  The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

1313  The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.

1414  Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.

1515  The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.

1616  Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.

1717  And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

1818  Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.

1919  Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

2019  Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.

2120  The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.

2221  And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.

2322  The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

2423  These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; eventhe chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.

2524  For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:

2625  And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.

2726  For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:

2827  Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;

2928  Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;

3029  And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;

3130  And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:

3231  And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.

1st Chronicles 24

1  Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

22  But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.

3  33  And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.

44  And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.

55  Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

66  And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.

77  Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

88  The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

99  The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

1010  The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

1111  The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

1212  The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

1313  The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

1414  The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

1515  The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,

1616  The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,

1717  The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,

1818  The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.

1919  These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

2020  And the rest of the sons of Levi were these: Of the sons of Amram; Shubael: of the sons of Shubael; Jehdeiah.

2121  Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.

2222  Of the Izharites; Shelomoth: of the sons of Shelomoth; Jahath.

2323  And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

2424  Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah: of the sons of Michah; Shamir.

2525  The brother of Michah was Isshiah: of the sons of Isshiah; Zechariah.

2626  The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi: the sons of Jaaziah; Beno.

2727  The sons of Merari by Jaaziah; Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.

2828  Of Mahli came Eleazar, who had no sons.

2929  Concerning Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel.

3030  The sons also of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These werethe sons of the Levites after the house of their fathers.

3131  These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.

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Psalm 119, verses 97 - 104

MEM. 

97  O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

9898  Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

9999  I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

100100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

101101  I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

102102  I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.

103103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

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This passage has long interested me.  Like anyone who has lived "a while", I've encountered quite a few of those  (and am related to quite a few) of those who seek to impose additional rules on Christian believers to "fill in the blanks" in Scripture.  Some of those rules aren't necessarily bad ones:  the prohibitions against beverage alcohol being a good example.  I'm not totally convinced that drinking is wicked.  I AM fully persuaded that it is unwise (to say the least) having had more than sufficient observations of the results of that.  Wicked?  I don't know.  But I don't use the stuff.
My parents caused a commotion in the church when, back around 1959, they bought a TV set.  First one in the church, and caused quite a stir.  Until we had gatherings in the living room for a week so people could watch a Billy Graham crusade on that TV. 
I know people who are convinced that eating meat is wicked.  Others who will eat beef, but not pork.  Some who are sure that worship services should be on Saturday, others hold out for Sunday.  Some of our old-line Quakers (Society of Friends to the uninitiated) believe that those names of the days -- Sunday, Monday, etc. -- are of themselves wicked, maintaining that it honors pagan deities and such:  Wednesday to honor Wotan/Odin, Thursday to honor Thor, Saturday to honor Saturn, etc., so they use "First Day", etc. instead.  Whatever.
Such things have been part of the landscape for 2,000 years now, it may be part of (fallen) human nature, I don't know.  But Paul was addressing it.

Romans 14

1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

22  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

33  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

44  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

55  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

66  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

77  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

88  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

99  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

1010  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

1111  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

1212  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

1313  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in hisbrother's way.

1414  I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

1515  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

1616  Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

1717  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

1818  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

1919  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

2020  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

2121  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thingwhereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

2222  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

2323  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.