Lectionary Readings for Friday, January 17th, 2020

3rd Quarter Moon

First Book of the First Lords. Chapter I, Chapter II

BEING CONTEMPORARY WITH THE BOOK OF SETHANTES, SON OF JEHOVIH. THAT IS TO SAY, AS
SETHANTES WAS GOD OF HEAVEN, SO IN THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME HIS LORDS HAD DOMINION
ON THE EARTH, AND THIS IS THEIR BOOK, EVEN AS THE PRECEDING ONE WAS GOD’S BOOK.

Chapter 1

1. In the beginning God created the heavens of the earth; and the Lord made man upright.
And man was naked and not ashamed; neither knew man the sin of incest, but he dwelt as
the beasts of the field.

2. And the Lord brought the angels of heaven to man; by his side took they on forms like
unto man, having all the organs and attributes of mortals, for it was the time of the earth
for such things to be.

3. And it came to pass that a new race was born on the earth, and these were called I’hins,
because they were begotten of both heaven and earth. Hence it became a saying: The
earth conceived of the Lord.

4. And the name of the first race was Asu (Adam), because they were of the earth only;
and the name of the second race was I’hin (Abel), because they were capable of being
taught spiritual things.

5. And the Lord said: Of all that live on the face of the earth, or in the waters thereof, or
in the air above, that breathes the breath of life, man only have I delivered unto
knowledge of his Creator.

6. And the Lord spake unto the I’hin, through his angels spake he to them, saying: Go hide
thy nakedness, for it is the commandment of God.

7. And the I’hins were afraid, and they clothed themselves, and were no longer naked
before the Lord.

8. And the Lord commanded the angels to give up their forms, and to be no more seen as
mortals. And it was done. And the Lord said unto them: Because ye brought forth life,
which is in flesh and blood, ye shall minister unto man for six generations on the face of
the earth. And it was so.

9. And that man may continue to walk upright, ye shall teach him the law of incest, for
man of himself cannot attain to know this.

10. Neither shall ye permit the I’hins to dwell with Asu (Adam), lest his seed go down in
darkness.

11. And man was thus inspired of the Lord, and he walked upright, and prospered on the
earth.

12. But after a season man became conceited in his own judgment, and he disobeyed the
commandments of God.

13. And he strayed out of the garden of paradise and began to dwell with the asu’ans
(Adamites), and there was born into the world a new race called Druk (Cain), and they had
not the light of the Father in them, neither could they be inspired with shame, nor of
heavenly things.

14. And the I’hins were grateful to the Lord, and they gave sacrifice in burnt offerings.
And they said unto the Druks: Go ye and sacrifice unto the Lord, and he will prosper you.
But the Druks understood not; and they fell upon the Lord’s chosen, and slew them, right
and left, taking their possessions.

15. And the Lord said unto the Druks: Because ye have slain your brethren ye shall depart
out of the place of God; and that ye may be known to the ends of the earth I put my mark
upon you.

16. And the mark of the Lord put upon the Druks was the shadow of blood, which, being
interpreted, is WAR.

17. And the Lord God said: By this sign shall the tribes of Druk and their descendants be
known unto the end of the world.

18. And woman, being more helpless than man, cried out with fear, saying: O Lord, how
shall I bring forth unto thee, and not unto the sons of death?

19. And the Lord said: Because thou hast brought forth in pain, and yet called on
my name, behold I will be unto thee as a shield and protector. For I will also put a
mark upon the I’hins, my chosen, so thou shalt know them when they come unto thee.

20. And the Lord commanded the male I’hins, old and young, to be circumcised, that
woman might not be deceived by the druks. And the I’hins circumcised one another, old
and young; for it was the testimony of the Lord unto woman that seed of their seed was
born to everlasting life.

21. And the druks (Cain) went away into the wilderness, and dwelt with the asu’ans and
with one another.

22. God said: A boundary line will I make betwixt the tribes of druks and the I’hins; and
this is the line that I the Lord God make betwixt them:

23. The I’hins shall labor and clothe themselves, and I will abide with them; but
the druks shall wander in the wilderness, neither laboring nor clothing themselves.

24. And it was so.

Chapter 2

1. The time of the habitation of Asu was eight thousand years; and they survived two
thousand years after the time of the birth of the I’hins, which is to say: Asu dwelt on the
earth six thousand years, and then conceived of the chosen of God; and after that survived
yet two thousand years.

2. And Asu (Adam) disappeared off the face of the earth.

3. And there remained on the earth the sacred people, the I’hins; and the carnivorous
people, the druks.

4. The I’hins were bright like copper, but the druks were ruddy and coarse; the I’hins were
small and slender, but the druks were tall and stout.

5. Now, because the druks had not previously obeyed the Lord, but went and dwelt
with the asu’ans, there was a half-breed race born on the earth, called Yak,
signifying ground people; and they burrowed in the ground like beasts of the forest.
And the Yaks did not walk wholly upright, but also went on all fours.

6. God said: Because the Yaks cannot be taught the crime of incest, behold they shall not
dwell forever on the earth. So also shall it be with the druks, save wherein they cohabit
with the I’hins, whose seed is born unto everlasting life. But with the druks, and their
heirs that spring from the Yaks, there shall be an end, both in this world and the next.

7. And the arms of the Yaks were long, and their backs were stooped and curved. And the
Lord said: Because they are the fruit of incest, and not capable of speech, nor of eternal
life in heaven, the I’hins shall make servants of them.

8. And that they may not tempt my chosen to bring forth fruit unto destruction, they shall
be neutralized in my sight. And the angels of God taught the I’hins to make eunuchs of the
Yaks; of the males and females made the I’hins eunuchs of the Yaks, and took them for
servants.*

* This is about the I’hins preventing the Yaks from having offspring; it is not a type of human slavery.

9. And the Lord said: The Yaks shall serve the I’hins, and build and sow and reap for
them. And it was so.

10. The I’hins were disposed to live alone, but the Lord called them together, saying:
Come and dwell together in cities. For it is meet that ye live after the manner of my
kingdoms in heaven.

11. Build ye therefore unto the Lord your God; and my angels shall dwell with you,
teaching you to sing and dance for the glory of your Creator.

12. And man built unto the Lord, and established worship on earth after the manner of
heaven.

13. Now it came to pass that the druks came to witness the rites and ceremonies of the
chosen, but they took no part therein, neither comprehended they the meaning thereof

14. And God said unto the I’hins: That ye may teach some of them of the Lord your God,
build ye within the house of worship an image of me; in likeness of man build ye it. And I
will manifest unto as many as are capable of everlasting life.

15. And the I’hins, men and women, with their servants, built images of stone and clay
and wood unto the Lord, and stood them by the altars of sacrifice.

16. And in the time of worship, the angels of the Lord came and possessed the images and
spake therefrom, with audible voices spake before mortals.

17. And the druks inquired of the I’hins as to the cause thereof. And the I’hins said:
Behold, there is a God in heaven, more subtle than the air of heaven. He it was that
brought us forth out of darkness. He speaketh through an image, so that ye may know he abideth with his people.

18. The druks said: What saith he? The I’hins answered, saying: That whosoever hath
attained to remember God* is in the way of everlasting life.

* This is about doing God’s Will, not just remembering Him. Remembering God is not enough for salvation; we must also do His Will.

19. The druks inquired, saying: How shall a man live forever? Behold, ye that believe
also die!

20. The I’hins answered, saying: As the voice of the Lord is unseen but potent, so is there
a spirit in man unseen and potent, which shall never die, but ascend to heaven to
habitations prepared by the Lord.

21. And many of the druks pondered on these things, and their thoughts quickened their
souls within them, so that they brought forth heirs unto eternal salvation.

22. And the Lord said unto the I’hins: Because ye have done a good thing, go ye abroad,
by the roadsides and in other places, and build images unto me and mine, and my angels
shall bestow gifts and signs and miracles.

23. And the I’hins covered the roadways of the earth over with images of stone and wood
and clay, and the angels of heaven descended to the images and established thereabout
heavenly kingdoms.

24. And when man came hither, and called on the name of the Lord, it was as a password
for the angels; and they wrought miracles, and otherwise gave evidence unto man of the
Unseen.