{"id":1164,"date":"2020-03-23T22:52:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T22:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/?p=1164"},"modified":"2020-03-23T22:52:19","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T22:52:19","slug":"lectionary-readings-for-tuesday-march-24th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/2020\/03\/23\/lectionary-readings-for-tuesday-march-24th-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Lectionary Readings for Tuesday, March 24th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Moon<\/em><\/p>\n

Book of God’s Word Chapter 3, Chapter 4<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 3<\/span><\/p>\n

1. When Asha had gone, I’hua’Mazda spake to Too’che, the virgin mother, saying: Take
\nthou thy child away and hide thyself, lest the king have thee and thy child put to death. So
\nToo’che departed with her child, and hid away in another part of the city.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Now Asha went direct to So-qi, the king, and related what had transpired. When he had
\nfinished, the king said: According to the histories of the ancients, when a God appeared
\namongst mortals, there were signs and miracles. Thou hast told me only words. Go,
\ntherefore, again to the child and say: The king desireth a miracle.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Asha returned the next day, but lo and behold, woman and child were gone, and not
\none of the neighbors knew whither. Asha said: If I go before the king with this story, he
\nwill have me slain as an inventor of lies. So he returned not to the king.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

4. But where Too’che and her child dwelt, there came a maker of songs, by name
\nChoe’jon, and he spake to the virgin, saying: Where is the child? She answered: He<\/span>
\nsleepeth in the rack of hay; I will fetch him. So she brought the child from its bed of new
\nhay, fetching straws with its mantle, neither had the straws roots.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

5. I’hua’Mazda spake through the child whilst its own spirit slept, saying: I came to thee,
\nO Choe’jon; I brought thee hither, for thou shalt frame songs about the virgin’s babe.
\nChoe’jon was frightened, but nevertheless, he said: Can it be true, in this enlightened age!
\nA miracle! Shall I talk to thee,O child? Then I’hua’Mazda said:
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Behold, thou speakest not to the child, but to I’hua’Mazda. Take these straws to thy
\nwriting-box and plant them in new earth, and in one day they shall grow and bear ripe
\nwheat. So Choe’jon departed and planted the straws, and in one day, they grew and bore
\nripe wheat.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Choe’jon had sung his songs before the king, and so had permission of the court; and
\nhe went and told the king of the miracle. The king said: The philosopher, Asha, told me
\nabout this child, and I sent him for a miracle, but he returneth not. Thou hast come and
\nsaid: Behold, a miracle! What value is a miracle, save to those who witness it? Shall thy
\nking take a thing in belief only? Is not belief the fruit of darkness? Go, therefore, again to
\nthe child and bring it before me, that I may see with mine own eyes.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Choe’jon returned to the place, but, lo and behold, virgin and child were gone; neither
\nknew the neighbors whither. But she was concealed in another part of the city. And now
\nthere came before her one Os’shan, who was weeping because of the apparent death of his
\nson. To him I’hua’Mazda spake, saying: Weep not, O man; I have healed thy son and also
\ngiven sight to thy daughter.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Os’shan trembled at such words coming from the lips of a child, and he ran away,
\nfinding of a truth his son was healed, and his daughter restored to sight. In his joy
\nhe returned to the place, but the virgin and child were gone. Os’shan was hostler to
\nthe king, and capable of audience, and so he went and told the king of his good fortune.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

10. The king said: Asha, the philosopher, told me a fine story of this child, but when I
\nsent him for information, he returned not. Then came Choe’jon, the maker of songs,
\ntelling me what he had witnessed. I sent him to have the mother and child brought before
\nme, but he returneth not. Now thou comest with a miracle, such as were told in the dark
\nages. Go thou, therefore, and search the city over till thou findest this wonder, and bring it
\nbefore me.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

11. On the next day another man, even the king’s brother’s son, came before the king,
\nsaying: This day I have seen such a wonder as would have been marvelous in the days of
\nangels and Gods. Behold, a little child hath spoken to me such words of philosophy as
\nmade me tremble. And yet, O king, thou knowest I am no coward. My house is hung with
\na hundred scalps. Ay, and this child already proclaimeth itself Zarathustra in communion
\nwith the God, I’hua’Mazda! To me it said: Why killest thou the sons and daughters of thy
\nGod? Think not that thy multitude of scalps are a glory before heaven. Behold, I am
\nstronger with my little finger than So-qi, thy king.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

12. So-qi, the king, said: It is enough. Save this mother and child be brought at once
\nbefore me, that I may behold the truth of these wonders, every male child in Oas shall be
\ncast into fire. The king’s brother’s wife had a child, and the son’s wife had a child, and
\nthey foresaw that the decree of the king touched them closely; so there went forth many,
\nsearching for Too’che and Zarathustra.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

13. But the spirit, I’hua’Mazda, directed the mother to go beyond the gates, and led her far<\/span>
\noff into the Forest of Goats, where the tribes of Listians lived by fishing and hunting, and
\non goat’s milk. I’hua’Mazda talked to the virgin, saying: Twenty years shalt thou tarry in
\nthe forest, fearing naught, for thy God will provide for thee. And when thy son shall be
\nlarger and stronger than other men, behold, thy God will manifest for the redemption of
\nthe races of men who are hunted and slain for the glory of the kings.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

14. So it came about that the virgin and her son dwelt in the Forest of Goats until
\nZarathustra was a large man and of mature years, and his stature was equal to three
\nordinary men; nor could any number of men lay him on his back. But because of his
\ngentleness like a young goat, the tribes of the forest called him the Lamb of God,
\nsignifying, strength and good-will.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 4<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

1. When So-qi, the king, issued the decree to have Zarathustra found and brought before
\nhim, otherwise all the male infants of Oas to be slain, the Lords sent travail on the king’s
\nwife and on the king’s daughter, wife of Asha, the philosopher, and the two women gave
\nbirth that day to two sons, a month before their time, but nevertheless unto life and
\nstrength and beauty. Now, according to the laws of Oas, a king could not rescind or
\nchange his own decrees, for he had assumed the position of infallibility, whereupon he
\nhad doomed to death kin of his kin, flesh of his flesh.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Accordingly, after search had been made in vain to find Zarathustra, the king repented
\nof his decree, but knew no way to justify a change of commandment. Asha, hearing of
\nthis, came out of concealment, saying to himself: Now will I go to the king and hold him
\nto his decree, even demanding that he slay me also. So Asha came before So-qi, and after
\nsaluting, said: O king, I have heard of thy strait, and am come to thee that I may counsel
\nthee.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

3. The king was angered, and he said: Asha, my friend, hear thou thy king: Thou camest
\nbefore me, relating a marvelous story regarding an infant son of the virgin who saith she
\nnever knew a man. Now, according to the laws of the City of the Sun, any man stating for
\ntruth that which he cannot prove, is already adjudged to death. Shall not the law be
\nfulfilled, because, forsooth, thou art near me in blood?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Asha said: Most assuredly, O king, the laws must be carried out. Are they not the all
\nhighest? For it followeth that man being the all highest person, his laws, above all else,
\nmust never be set aside. Therefore, thou shalt have me slain. Think not I am come before
\nthee to plead an excuse, in order to save myself; rather let all men perish than that the
\nking’s decrees go amiss.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

5. The king said: Thou art wise, O Asha. The laws cannot err, for they are the standard by
\nwhich to judge all else. And he who hath risen to be king standeth by nature the infallible
\nhighest of all things. History hath proven this. But yet hear me, thou who hast wisdom
\nfrom the movements of the sun and moon and stars: The king, being the all highest, how
\ncan he be bound? Cannot he decree new decrees forever?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Asha said: I will not deceive thee, O king! I know thou art arguing not for me, but for
\nthine own infant son, and for thy daughter’s infant son. Neither have I come before thee in
\nprowess, though I love life. But here is the matter: If thou change one law, thou admittest
\nthat all laws made by man may also need changing; which is to say, wisdom is folly.<\/span>
\nHow, then, shall the judge, judge any man by the laws? Is it not setting up error in order
\nto find truth?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

7. The king said: Thou reasonest well. Methought this morning, in my walk in the market
\ngardens, when the soldiers were spreading the scalps of their enemies in the sun to dry,
\nwhether or no, in ages to come, the weaker nations and tribes of men might not attempt to
\njustify their right to life. And were the kings to admit fallibility in their decrees and laws,
\nno man can foresee the end; for even slaves and servants and women will raise up against
\nthe laws, and claim their right to life. Wherein, then, would the earth be large enough for
\nall the people? Yet, wherefore, O Asha, cometh this heart-ache of mine against killing
\nmine own son?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Asha said: What are thy sympathies, O king? If thou wert to justify the escape of thy
\nchild’s death for sympathy, would not my wife and my children justify their sympathy in
\ndesiring me to live? Nay, sympathy is the enemy of law and justice. It is the evil in our
\nnatures that crieth out for evil. The laws must be maintained; the decrees must be
\nmaintained; the king’s word must be maintained. No man must suffer his judgment to go
\nhigher than the law, or the decree, or the king.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Asha said: This is the City of the Sun. If this city goeth back on its own laws, what will
\nnot the tributary cities do? Will not they also begin to disrespect the laws, or say: Perhaps
\nthe laws are in error? This will come to anarchy. To one purpose only can a great city
\nbe maintained. To divide the purposes and judgment of men is to scatter to the four
\nwinds the glory of our civil liberty. Was it not disrespect of the laws, combined with
\nsuperstition, that caused the nations of ancients to perish?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

10. The king said: What shall I do, O Asha? My son hath smiled in my face!
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

11. Asha said: Thou shalt send me and thy son and thy daughter’s son, and all male
\ninfants to the slaughter’s pen, and have us all beheaded and cast into the fire. Otherwise, it
\nwill come true what the infant Zarathustra hath said: Behold, my hand shall smite the city
\nof Oas, and it shall fall as a heap of straw.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

12. Think not, O king, I am superstitious and fear such threats; but this I perceive: Suffer
\nthe laws to be impeached, and every man in Oas will set up to interpret the laws to be
\nwrong and himself right. And thy officers will rebel against thee on all sides, and the
\nglory of thy kingdom will perish.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

13. After the city had been searched for thirty days, and the virgin and child not found,
\nthe king appointed a day for the slaughter, according to his former decree; and there
\nwere ninety thousand male infants adjudged to death, the king’s son among the rest.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

14. Whilst these matters were maturing, the Lord went to Choe’jon, and inspired him to
\nmake songs about Zarathustra, the infant that was stronger than a king. And also songs
\nabout the decree of death to the ninety thousand infant sons of Oas. And the beauty of the
\nsongs, together with the nature of these proceedings, caused the songs to be sung in the
\nstreets day and night; and the songs, in satire, approved of the horrors, so that even the
\nking could not interdict the singing.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Moon Book of God’s Word Chapter 3, Chapter 4 Chapter 3 1. When Asha had gone, I’hua’Mazda spake to Too’che, the virgin mother, saying: Take thou thy child away and hide thyself, lest the king have thee and thy child put to death. So Too’che departed with her child, and hid away in another … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[46,40,39,34,36,35,38,33,41,31,32,47,50,48,44,45,43,42],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-lightofgod","4":"post-1164","6":"format-standard","7":"category-lectionary-readings","8":"post_tag-calendar","9":"post_tag-daily-readings","10":"post_tag-eloih","11":"post_tag-faithism","12":"post_tag-faithist-church","13":"post_tag-faithists","14":"post_tag-jehovih","15":"post_tag-kosmon-era","16":"post_tag-lectionary-readings","17":"post_tag-oahspe","18":"post_tag-oahspe-bible","19":"post_tag-observances","20":"post_tag-religion-of-light","21":"post_tag-sabbath","22":"post_tag-united-covenant","23":"post_tag-united-covenant-of-light","24":"post_tag-yeshua","25":"post_tag-yoshu"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1164"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1166,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1164\/revisions\/1166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/religionoflight.org\/ns\/lightofgod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}