Sirach 2:1-11 ~ the service of God †

Sirach 2:1-11

1 Son, when thou comest to the service of God, 

stand in justice and in fear, 

and prepare thy soul for temptation.

2 Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, 

and receive the words of understanding: 

and make not haste 

in the time of clouds.

3 Wait on God with patience: 

join thyself to God, 

and endure, 

that thy life may be increased 

in the latter end.

4 Take all that shall be brought upon thee: 

and in thy sorrow endure, 

and in thy humiliation keep patience.

5 For gold and silver are tried in the fire, 

but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

6 Believe God, 

and He will recover thee: 

and direct thy way, 

and trust in Him. 

Keep His fear, and grow old therein.

7 Ye that fear the Lord, 

wait for His mercy: 

and 

go not aside from Him lest ye fall.

8 Ye that fear the Lord, 

believe Him: 

and

 your reward shall not be made void.

9 Ye that fear the Lord hope in Him, 

and mercy shall come to you 

for your delight.

10 Ye that fear the Lord, 

Love Him, 

and 

your hearts 

shall be 

enlightened.

GOD is LIGHT

When we talk about

the Catholic Bible,

this is the only time

I've seen people

come to me

and yell about the Scripture for Today Blogspot.

Sirach gets around. 

Jerome, in the 4th Century, decided Sirach was a Proverb or Ecclesiastical book rather than divine.  

We could debate Greek and Hebrew and the Apocrypha, but this wouldn't be the situation. (Hebrew check, check. Same, same.) Sirach was around during the time of Jesus and read in the Temple. Yes, the Second Temple was reading Sirach as divine. 

And considering Who understands God, 

would give us reason to read Sirach with interest. Jesus would have understood man learns, grows and regresses to progress. Sirach does give us a window on the world of the culture during the time of Jesus. It has flaws and, yet, was read as divine.

Sirach was much discussed.

St. Augustine of Hippo (c. 397), 

Pope Innocent I (405),

the Council of Rome (382 AD),

the Synod of Hippo (in 393),

followed by the Council of Carthage (397), 

the Council of Carthage (419)

Quinisext Council (692), 

and the Council of Florence (1442)

All regarded it as a canonical book. 

So there.

And then,

Sirach did get around.

Found in:

Cairo, 2/3rds of Sirach, copied in the 11th and 12th centuries, were found in the Cairo Geniza (a synagogue storage room for damaged manuscripts). These findings support the assertion that the book was originally written in Hebrew.

 

Masada

The largest scroll, Mas1H (MasSir), was discovered in casemate room 1109 at Masada, the Jewish fortress destroyed by the Romans in 73 AD.

The other two scroll fragments were found at Qumran. 

Three fragments of parchment scrolls of the Book of Sirach written in Hebrew were discovered near the Dead Sea.

One of these, the Great Psalms Scroll (11Q5 or 11QPsa), contains Sirach chapter 51 (verses 13-20, and 30). The other fragment, 2Q18 (2QSir), contains Sirach 6:14–15, 20–31. These early Hebrew texts are in substantial agreement with the Hebrew texts discovered in Cairo, although there are numerous minor textual variants. With these findings, scholars are now more confident that the Cairo texts 

are reliable witnesses to the Hebrew original.

That is the valid point.

The service to God 

is 

as

a reliable witness to the Hebrew Original.

Not as a Seminary, since the Vietnam War,

copy. When the draft could be held aside

to go into

“social reform.”

When museums call

The Vatican artwork:

Cartoons. 

Where is the murmur of discontent?

This is nothing 

but mockery.

Of Michelangelo

Raphael

Botticelli

Leonardo

Caravaggio, a unique series of choices

Bernini

Their Passion for Jesus Christ.

Should not be mocked. 

We see the clergy speaking

and we see them as having Blessed Lives.

And, yet, the clergy themselves

will tell us ... emails arrive. Clergy

expects to hear from their congregation.

Politely. Which is not always the case. 

Family acts as we know Family does behave.

Clergy is called to go

where Angels fear to tread.

We do not see the clergy

being moved away from

in social gatherings, and child birthday parties

and even sports events. People do not

want to be thought of as unfaithful

or the next to be witnessed to.

Clergy frequently has

offspring who are a delight,

and then, we know the 

Preacher Kid Syndrome.

This Post should

not

be offensive.

Rather, direct and genuine.

If offensive,

why?

Consider the

original Hebrew.

Brought by the generations

of the 

brave

 to become free,

the sacrifice

for the

Bible in our hand

in

the language

of our own.

Reverend J.I Packer

brought us the English Standard Version

and

at age 91

the Oxford Scholar

who studied

under

CS Lewis

was defrocked

for gender pronouns.

Age 91.

Let's murmur.

TOGETHER.

At this point,

we need to realize

we are the people

who love

Jesus 

and remember

the battery scene from

The Sound of Music.

Really.

Abba, Father!

WE PRAY 

BLESSINGS 

COVER

ALL

And

Gratitude

Every Day

and

Dignity 

for ALL of

God's

Creation

WE PRAY

for

THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

To be 

the Voice

of LOVE

Joy, Peace, Patience,

Goodness,

Faithfulness,

gentleness

and

SELF CONTROL

And ask You

for appropriate leadership.

Worldwide leaders

condemned the erratic and unfaithful Sermon

given by Bishop Budde.

Who previously condemned 

President Trump

for saving St. John's Church from arson,

saying President Trump wasn't kind

to the homeless during arson,

and not a person to hold up the Bible.

Then condemning him for following the vote

the Vote of the People

for The Laws of the Land

and ceasing gender mutation on children,

as the Catholic Church Condemns

as a failure to provide Dignity to each Person.

Let's pray

for the departure

of what

 is not

good.

Worldwide leaders said, 

"The Sermon represents a church

not led by Jesus Christ and His Teachings

and Word. 

A broken down

liberal refuge institution seeking only donations."

We pray the Blessing

of Growth

upon the Church

Proclaiming

The Entire Word of God

and 

the 

'Growing' Portion

of the Episcopal Church.

Remembering 

the fall of the Church

from 

17 million people

to 500,000.

The Anglican Church of The United States

fuels the genuine and compassionate

blessed outreach 

of the Worldwide Anglican Communion

GAFCON

and not the portion of the 

THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL

The safety 

of those

helping the earth 

to heal.

Let evil and practicing evil

depart 

far 

from us

and our children.

With Your Help

We will act justly

 and to love mercy

 and to walk humbly with You, our God.

Cover us

in peace worldwide.

Please, Father, remember

North Carolina has flooded

California has fire we have never seen.

Detroit recovering from a frozen flood water main.

Virginia from Flood.

For the health

of Pope Francis.

Asking his physicians

to tell the truth about his 

serious lung condition.

Healing in Jesus.

Give us more of 

Your Strength

and Hope.

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, 

in Jesus Christ. 

Help us seek and find 

and bring,

to become,

 more Heaven

to this earth.

Gentle rain for California

putting out the fires

speedy insurance

claims

and fast rebuilding

realizing the standard building codes

even of Reagan

were safe.

Peace

THE GRAHAM MINISTRY

SAMARITAN'S PURSE

IS 

DOING INCREDIBLE
SHAKE NORTH CAROLINA
SHAPE NORTH CAROLINA

Love and Mercy and Work.

GIVE TO

 SAMARITAN'S PURSE

Please.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You Jesus The Lord

Send out

your

Dove

prayers!

Psalm 85 ~ peace to His people

Gratitude for

being unburdened

to remember this Riot

as

“A Peaceful Protest”

Arson fires all over D.C.

We are grateful

for this being past.