Lectionary Readings for Saturday, April 27th, 2019

Seventh-Day Sabbath, 3rd Quarter Moon

God’s First Book Chapters XII and XIII

Chapter XII

1. Abraham inquired of God concerning the peoples of the kings and of the Faithists. And
God said: Whoever I lead to thee shall be thine; thou shalt henceforth be father to all
men and women and children that are thine. And they shall be thy family. But all other
peoples shall not be thine; nor shalt thou be to them a father nor a prophet. Neither
shalt thou make laws for the kings’peoples; nor laws betwixt thy people and them.
Of thine own people shalt thou be, and for thine own people shalt thou be forever.

2. Nor shall thy people have anything in common with the kings’peoples, nor with any
other people under the sun. Nor enter into treaties, nor alliances, nor in any way
whatsoever. Both thy labor and the labor of thy people are for Jehovih, through the Lord
thy God.

3. But touching the intercourse betwixt thine and the kings’peoples, be circumspect to
the value of a fraction in buying and selling, to give the full value. Neither suffer my
chosen to accept presents, or otherwise to become obligated to other peoples, for it is
the law of thy God. For it shall not be said by the kings’peoples: Behold, I made them!

4. For I say unto thee, neither kings nor rich men make the people of thy God.

5. Whosoever would give thee gifts, let him quit his people and come and dwell with my
people in person and spirit. I cannot be put off with money and with gifts, like a peevish
child or a wanton woman.

6. Shall a man say: Here are gifts for thy God, he is a good enough God! But as for my
soul it is too good to give to thee or thy God.

7. Neither shalt thou suffer thy people to marry with the kings’peoples, for the same
reason. But whosoever will marry my daughters, let him come and dwell, first with my
people, proving that he hath forsaken all the idolatrous gods for Jehovih’s sake. It shall be
the same of thy sons; if they desire strange damsels or wives, they shall first bring them to
dwell one year amongst my chosen.

8. Abraham inquired concerning government. And God said unto Abraham: To teach
people to dwell together in peace, order, harmony and love; being disciplined to these,
what more is required? Government belongeth to the kings’peoples.

9. Abraham said: That I have spoken before thee, O God, teach thou me, for I am as one
in the dark cellar groping about? Behold. my people are unlearned!

10. God said: Who is learned? I say unto thee, he who knoweth the stars and the rocks,
and the mountains and valleys, and all that is living and dead, and the tongues of the
ancients, but knoweth not the Creator, is unlearned. But he that knoweth the Creator is
learned indeed.

11. Better is it that thy people dwell in tents and under trees; and their children roll on the
ground, and die not, but grow strong in person and in spirit for the glory of the Creator,
than to dwell as the kings’peoples, in magnificent cities, and in lust and death. Before thy
God, thy people are a most learned people.

12. Abraham inquired of the Lord concerning servitude. And God answered him, saying:
There is but one Master, even Jehovih; thy people shall be His servants only. But all
people have loves; a damsel saith to her lover: I will be thy servant, and he marrieth her.
A man saith to another: Thy judgment is greater than mine; I will be thy servant. And the
man taketh him in love to work for him.

13. Therefore, for convenience sake, thou mayst say, master and servant. Nevertheless,
my chosen shall not, in fact, have either masters or servants, for the one shall not have
authority over the other but by love and free consent.

14. Abraham asked concerning the products of labor. God said unto Abraham: Even
as I have said of servants and masters, so also is it of the productions that come out
of the earth. Nothing belongeth to any man, for all things are Mine, saith the Creator.

15. Nevertheless, for convenience sake, thou mayst say: This is his product, or that
is such an one’s product. But still he holdeth it only by his Creator’s consent.

16. Let all men render unto the Creator His creations, for they are Jehovih’s. After that,
Abraham said: Some men grow flax, and some wool, and some corn; but the seasons
bring forth not alike unto all. Others spin and weave; and others make butter and cheese.
And yet this happeneth also: One man is strong, another weak; one riseth with the sun and
toileth all day; another sitteth on the bank, fishing.

17. Now when the products are brought in, lo and behold, there are no two that are equal.

18. And God said: Every man’s matter is betwixt him and his Creator. According to
diligence and industry He rewardeth them in the end. He that perceiveth this, knoweth his
heavenly Father; he that perceiveth it not, dwelleth in darkness.

19. Abraham said: Shall the lazy be rebuked, and they that shirk be upbraided?

20. And God said: Nay. Let all thy people bring their products and cast them before thee,
saying: This is my sacrifice unto Jehovih; distribute thou it. And if some bring not
anything, neither rebuke them nor pity them; they are the sons and daughters of thy God.
And if some decorate themselves with fine raiment, or jewels, censure them not; thy God
searcheth their hearts.

21. Abraham asked concerning lands. God said: Consider thy God. Did I go to the king
and to the rich man and say: Give thou me thy sons and daughters? Nay, but I went to
them that were despised by the rich, and by the king, and I said: Come ye! and they came.

22. And when thou wert come hither, did I say: Take thou the king’s lands, or the rich
man’s? Nay, but I led thee to that which was neglected and waste in the eyes of the kings’
peoples, and I said: This is thy inheritance.

23. Sufficient is it for thee and thy people to buy burying-places for the dead, which shall
not be disturbed. But of all other lands, neither buy nor sell.

24. And after thy people have improved a place, and a king cometh against thee, saying:
Either by purchase or by battle, I will have this land; thou shalt say: Nay, neither by
purchase nor by battle, shalt thou inherit that which is Jehovih’s. But if thou desirest the
land, then will I give it thee without money and without battle.

25. And it shall come to pass upon my chosen that they shall be driven from place to
place, whither I will lead them; and they shall make the waste lands to bloom like
gardens, and the deserts to yield ample harvests; for they shall dig wells, and till the soil,
and prove unto the nations of the earth the glory of thy works.

26. And they shall be cut down and driven away, and scattered, but I will come and gather
them together. Their places shall be inherited by idolaters and worshippers of strange
gods, who will build mighty temples. But my people shall not build in stone, nor wood,
nor iron, that shall endure; for they shall go from place to place, proclaiming me and my
works; but where they have been, there shall be nothing left on the earth to show their
labors.

27. But when I have taken them across all the earth, and they are scattered as dust before
the wind, and no man can say: Here is a nation of the children of Abraham, lo. I will raise
up my voice for them, even I, the God of heaven and earth. And in that day the idolaters
and worshippers of strange Gods will be on the wane; their temples of stone and mortar
will still be standing.

28. But a voice shall go up from the whole earth, even from the far-off nations of the
earth, saying: What of them who laid the foundations of the temple of ONE GOD, EVEN
JEHOVIH! Who were the sons and daughters of Abraham! O that mine eyes could have
beholden the Faithists of that!

Chapter XIII

1. When Abraham’s wife was getting old, her ears were opened to hear the voice of God.
And God said unto her:

2. Concerning thy son, Isaac, hear thou thy God, even the God of Abraham: My labors are
not for a day, nor without judgment.

3. Behold, in the land of Es-seth, the place of thy husband in his youth, have I built for
many generations concerning the seed of my people. For which reason thy son Isaac shall
take a wife that shall inherit my voice.

4. Before the time of thy husband’s father’s father, I sent my angel from heaven, saying:
Go thou and raise me up an heir to hear my voice, for I will dwell for a season with the
children of men.

5. And my angel fulfilled his part, and I have come and talked with thee and with thy
husband face to face. And even in like manner can I talk to thy son, Isaac, and he can hear
me also. And Isaac shall raise up heirs to my voice through his wife, to whom he is not
known in this day.

6. Sarai told Abraham what God had said to her; and so Abraham and Sarai went to the
altar which Abraham had built, and they prayed alone; and God came and spake, saying:
What would ye?

7. And Abraham said: Concerning our son Isaac’s wife? And God said: Because of the
blessing of Sarai, thy wife, who hath been upright all her days, I will give her comfort in
her old age.

8. Send thy servant to the land of thy fathers, and I will send my angel with thy servant,
and he shall come to a maiden who shall be Isaac’s wife. So, Abraham called his servant,
who was overseer over his goods, and he said to him: Equip thyself with camels and
asses, and with servants, and with jewels I will give thee, and go thou to Syria, the land of
my fathers, and bring a damsel hither, who shall be Isaac’s wife.

9. The overseer said unto Abraham: Alas me! How shall thy servant choose a wife for thy
son? Or, if choosing, how shall he induce her to come so far? Abraham said: That which
God hath commanded of me, I have told thee, save that God saith: My angel shall go with
thy servant, and he shall not err.

10. So the servant of Abraham, in fear and trembling, equipped himself with ten camels
and twenty asses, and with thirty servants, taking presents and goods, and departed,
and the journey occupied two and twenty days. And all the while the overseer
reasoned upon what he should say, for he had misgivings that he was on a fool’s errand.

11. Nevertheless, he prayed to God that he might do his own part wisely. So when he
came near Abraham’s father’s people, the angel of God spake in his heart saying: She that
cometh with a pitcher on her head shall be Isaac’s wife. Say thou to her: Wilt thou give
me a drink? And she will say: I will give thee a drink, and also draw water for thy
servants, and for thy camels.

12. And the overseer looked, but saw no damsel, and he marveled; but presently he saw
many damsels, one of whom had a pitcher on her head; and his heart failed him till she
came near, and he said: Give me a drink? And she gave him a drink and said unto him:
Thou art a stranger: pray thee, I will water thy camels and give drink unto thy servants.

13. And she so gave as she said; and when she had finished, the overseer said unto her:
Who art thou? And she answered him, and he perceived she was Isaac’s niece by
Abraham’s father’s second wife, but of no blood kin. And then she asked the overseer who
he was and whence he came; and he told her, even from Abraham, whose servant he was.
So she invited him to her people’s houses, and she ran ahead with joy to tell who had
come so far, bringing word from Abraham.

14. Now when the camels and asses had been fed, and straw spread for the travelers to lie
upon, and when the repast was spread for them to eat, the overseer rose up, perceiving the
way of God, and he said: Till I have spoken, eat not, but hear ye the words of God. So he
related the object of his visit as commanded by God, and in reference to the angel of God,
and the words that came to him.

15. And when he had finished, the power of God came upon the damsel, whose name was
Rebecca, and she rose up and spake, saying: Isaac shall be my husband, and I shall be his
wife, for I know this matter is of God!

16. So it came to pass after some days, Rebecca departed from her people, and by
her faith in God came to Abraham’s home, and Isaac took her to wife, and Sarai
rejoiced before God because of the light of his kingdom through Abraham’s heirs.

17. And God said unto Abraham: Divide thou thy people into families of tens, and
families of hundreds, and families of thousands, and give to each family one rab’bah, and
yet to all of them together one chief rab’bah. And make thou thy will, and appoint thy son
Isaac and his heirs by his wife Rebecca to be thy successor, that My voice may remain
with My chosen.

18. And Abraham made his will and did in all things as God commanded; and he further
made the rab’bah officers in the rites of Emethachavah, and communicated to them
the sacred name of the Creator (E-O-Ih), and the plans of the upper and lower heavens,
the dominion of God and the dominion of satan, which were kept secret with the rab’bah.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

19. God said: Behold, there is a time to clear up all things, present and past: Were
Abraham father to Hagar’s son, Ishmael, and had he been true to the law of sacrifice
amongst the heathen, then, Ishmael, being first-born, would have been chosen for the
burnt offering.

20. In which matter the Ezra Bible is shown to be false before Jehovih, in regard to
Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, and the burnt offering also.

21. Which words were not my words, nor the words of my angels, but the words of the
Eguptian record.

END OF ABRAHAM’S HISTORY, AND OF THE FONECEAN BIBLE