Saturday, November 25, 2006
Sohthorkee
Good morning,
A rice jar that will not go empty.
There is an old woman who is over ninety years old; she is the head of a five generations family. She is a first generation immigrant from China and she has retained some of the traditional practices. Once she told her children that in China people prayed to the God of Heaven and also the Goddess of Mercy, and only people who were very good would receive a gift called Sohthorkee. Anyone who receive this Sohthorkee will never be in want of anything. When this Sohthorkee is in the rice jar, the jar will never go empty, no matter how much rice is taken out from it.
Her story could have been a misnarration by word of mouth from the teaching of the Christian missionaries, because there is a story somewhat like it in the Bible.
Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead, the prophet of God, foretold that there would be no dew or rain for years except at his word. Then God said to him, "Go east and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan. You shall drink of the stream, and I have commanded ravens to feed you there."
Elijah did as God commanded. While he remained by the Wadi Cherith, the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the stream. When the brook ran dry, because no rain had fallen, God said, "Go to Zarephath of Sidon where I have designated a widow there to provide for you."
When Elijah arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there. He asked her, "Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink." As she left to get it he called out after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread."
The widow answered, "I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the God of Israel says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth."
The widow left and did as Elijah had told her. After that, she was able to eat for a year, providing also for her son and Elijah as well. The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
People know about cornucopia which they see only in pictures or in art form.
And there are people who have Sohthorkee; they may not know it or realize it.
Have a nice day
Ronald
A rice jar that will not go empty.
There is an old woman who is over ninety years old; she is the head of a five generations family. She is a first generation immigrant from China and she has retained some of the traditional practices. Once she told her children that in China people prayed to the God of Heaven and also the Goddess of Mercy, and only people who were very good would receive a gift called Sohthorkee. Anyone who receive this Sohthorkee will never be in want of anything. When this Sohthorkee is in the rice jar, the jar will never go empty, no matter how much rice is taken out from it.
Her story could have been a misnarration by word of mouth from the teaching of the Christian missionaries, because there is a story somewhat like it in the Bible.
Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead, the prophet of God, foretold that there would be no dew or rain for years except at his word. Then God said to him, "Go east and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan. You shall drink of the stream, and I have commanded ravens to feed you there."
Elijah did as God commanded. While he remained by the Wadi Cherith, the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the stream. When the brook ran dry, because no rain had fallen, God said, "Go to Zarephath of Sidon where I have designated a widow there to provide for you."
When Elijah arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there. He asked her, "Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink." As she left to get it he called out after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread."
The widow answered, "I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the God of Israel says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth."
The widow left and did as Elijah had told her. After that, she was able to eat for a year, providing also for her son and Elijah as well. The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
People know about cornucopia which they see only in pictures or in art form.
And there are people who have Sohthorkee; they may not know it or realize it.
Have a nice day
Ronald