ESV: ESV Study Bible

July 4: Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, Joshua 2, Zephaniah 2:4-15, Matthew 13

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 (Listen)

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Joshua 2 (Listen)

Rahab Hides the Spies

2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. And she said to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.” The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”

Zephaniah 2:4-15 (Listen)

For Gaza shall be deserted,
and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon,
and Ekron shall be uprooted.

Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast,
  you nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the LORD is against you,
  O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
  and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.
And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures,
  with meadows for shepherds
  and folds for flocks.
The seacoast shall become the possession
  of the remnant of the house of Judah,
  on which they shall graze,
and in the houses of Ashkelon
  they shall lie down at evening.
For the LORD their God will be mindful of them
  and restore their fortunes.

“I have heard the taunts of Moab
  and the revilings of the Ammonites,
how they have taunted my people
  and made boasts against their territory.
Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts,
  the God of Israel,
“Moab shall become like Sodom,
  and the Ammonites like Gomorrah,
a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
  and a waste forever.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
  and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
This shall be their lot in return for their pride,
  because they taunted and boasted
  against the people of the LORD of hosts.
The LORD will be awesome against them;
  for he will famish all the gods of the earth,
and to him shall bow down,
  each in its place,
  all the lands of the nations.

You also, O Cushites,
shall be slain by my sword.

And he will stretch out his hand against the north
  and destroy Assyria,
and he will make Nineveh a desolation,
  a dry waste like the desert.
Herds shall lie down in her midst,
  all kinds of beasts;
even the owl and the hedgehog
  shall lodge in her capitals;
a voice shall hoot in the window;
  devastation will be on the threshold;
  for her cedar work will be laid bare.
This is the exultant city
  that lived securely,
that said in her heart,
  “I am, and there is no one else.”
What a desolation she has become,
  a lair for wild beasts!
Everyone who passes by her
  hisses and shakes his fist.

Matthew 13 (Listen)

The Parable of the Sower

13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
  and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
  and with their ears they can barely hear,
  and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
  and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
  and turn, and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

“Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

Prophecy and Parables

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

New and Old Treasures

“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 2:24 Or and make his soul see good
[2] 2:25 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts apart from me
[3] 2:1 Or had sent
[4] 2:8 Hebrew they
[5] 2:10 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
[6] 2:16 Or had said
[7] 2:6 Or caves
[8] 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation
[9] 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain
[10] 13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear
[11] 13:21 Or stumbles
[12] 13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed
[13] 13:27 Greek bondservants; also verse 28
[14] 13:35 Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet

This reading plan is from the ESV Study Bible.

July 3: Ecclesiastes 2:18-23, Joshua 1, Zephaniah 1:1-2:3, Matthew 12

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 (Listen)

The Vanity of Toil

I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

Joshua 1 (Listen)

God Commissions Joshua

1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua Assumes Command

And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’”

And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Zephaniah 1:1-2:3 (Listen)

1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

The Coming Judgment on Judah

“I will utterly sweep away everything
  from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
“I will sweep away man and beast;
  I will sweep away the birds of the heavens
  and the fish of the sea,
and the rubble with the wicked.
  I will cut off mankind
  from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
  and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal
  and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
those who bow down on the roofs
  to the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear to the LORD
  and yet swear by Milcom,
those who have turned back from following the LORD,
  who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.”

The Day of the LORD Is Near

Be silent before the Lord GOD!
  For the day of the LORD is near;
the LORD has prepared a sacrifice
  and consecrated his guests.
And on the day of the LORD's sacrifice—
“I will punish the officials and the king's sons
  and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
On that day I will punish
  everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master's house
  with violence and fraud.

“On that day,” declares the LORD,
  “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
  a loud crash from the hills.
Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
  For all the traders are no more;
  all who weigh out silver are cut off.
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
  and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
  those who say in their hearts,
‘The LORD will not do good,
  nor will he do ill.’
Their goods shall be plundered,
  and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
  they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
  they shall not drink wine from them.”

The great day of the LORD is near,
  near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;
  the mighty man cries aloud there.
A day of wrath is that day,
  a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
  a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
  a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
  and against the lofty battlements.

I will bring distress on mankind,
  so that they shall walk like the blind,
  because they have sinned against the LORD;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
  and their flesh like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold
  shall be able to deliver them
  on the day of the wrath of the LORD.
In the fire of his jealousy,
  all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
  he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Judgment on Judah's Enemies

2:1 Gather together, yes, gather,
  O shameless nation,
before the decree takes effect
  —before the day passes away like chaff—
before there comes upon you
  the burning anger of the LORD,
before there comes upon you
  the day of the anger of the LORD.
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,
  who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility;
  perhaps you may be hidden
  on the day of the anger of the LORD.

Matthew 12 (Listen)

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God's Chosen Servant

Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
  my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
  and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
  nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
a bruised reed he will not break,
  and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
  and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Sign of Jonah

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 1:7 Or may act wisely
[2] 1:3 Or stumbling blocks (that is, idols)
[3] 1:9 Or their Lord's
[4] 1:11 Or all the people of Canaan
[5] 1:12 Hebrew are thickening on the dregs [of their wine]
[6] 2:2 Hebrew gives birth
[7] 2:3 Or who carry out his judgment
[8] 12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you”

This reading plan is from the ESV Study Bible.

July 2: Ecclesiastes 2:12-17, Deuteronomy 34, Nahum 3:5-19, Matthew 11

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 (Listen)

The Vanity of Living Wisely

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Deuteronomy 34 (Listen)

The Death of Moses

34:1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Nahum 3:5-19 (Listen)

Behold, I am against you,
  declares the LORD of hosts,
  and will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will make nations look at your nakedness
  and kingdoms at your shame.
I will throw filth at you
  and treat you with contempt
  and make you a spectacle.
And all who look at you will shrink from you and say,
Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?
  Where shall I seek comforters for you?

Are you better than Thebes
  that sat by the Nile,
with water around her,
  her rampart a sea,
  and water her wall?
Cush was her strength;
  Egypt too, and that without limit;
  Put and the Libyans were her helpers.

Yet she became an exile;
  she went into captivity;
her infants were dashed in pieces
  at the head of every street;
for her honored men lots were cast,
  and all her great men were bound in chains.
You also will be drunken;
  you will go into hiding;
you will seek a refuge from the enemy.
All your fortresses are like fig trees
  with first-ripe figs—
if shaken they fall
  into the mouth of the eater.
Behold, your troops
  are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
  are wide open to your enemies;
  fire has devoured your bars.

Draw water for the siege;
  strengthen your forts;
go into the clay;
  tread the mortar;
  take hold of the brick mold!
There will the fire devour you;
  the sword will cut you off.
  It will devour you like the locust.
Multiply yourselves like the locust;
  multiply like the grasshopper!
You increased your merchants
  more than the stars of the heavens.
  The locust spreads its wings and flies away.

Your princes are like grasshoppers,
  your scribes like clouds of locusts
settling on the fences
  in a day of cold—
when the sun rises, they fly away;
  no one knows where they are.

Your shepherds are asleep,
  O king of Assyria;
  your nobles slumber.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
  with none to gather them.
There is no easing your hurt;
  your wound is grievous.
All who hear the news about you
  clap their hands over you.
For upon whom has not come
  your unceasing evil?

Matthew 11 (Listen)

Messengers from John the Baptist

11:1 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 3:8 Hebrew No-amon
[2] 3:9 Hebrew your
[3] 3:17 Or marshals
[4] 11:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[5] 11:8 Or Why then did you go out? To see a man . . .
[6] 11:9 Some manuscripts Why then did you go out? To see a prophet?
[7] 11:12 Or has been coming violently
[8] 11:15 Some manuscripts omit to hear
[9] 11:19 Some manuscripts children (compare Luke 7:35)
[10] 11:26 Or for so it pleased you well

This reading plan is from the ESV Study Bible.

July 1: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, Deuteronomy 32:48-33:29, Nahum 2:1-3:4, Matthew 10

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (Listen)

The Vanity of Self-Indulgence

2:1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man.

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Deuteronomy 32:48-33:29 (Listen)

Moses' Death Foretold

That very day the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”

Moses' Final Blessing on Israel

33:1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. He said,

“The LORD came from Sinai
  and dawned from Seir upon us;
  he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
  with flaming fire at his right hand.
Yes, he loved his people,
  all his holy ones were in his hand;
so they followed in your steps,
  receiving direction from you,
when Moses commanded us a law,
  as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun,
  when the heads of the people were gathered,
  all the tribes of Israel together.

“Let Reuben live, and not die,
but let his men be few.”

And this he said of Judah:

“Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah,
and bring him in to his people.
With your hands contend for him,
and be a help against his adversaries.”

And of Levi he said,

“Give to Levi your Thummim,
  and your Urim to your godly one,
whom you tested at Massah,
  with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
who said of his father and mother,
  ‘I regard them not’;
he disowned his brothers
  and ignored his children.
For they observed your word
  and kept your covenant.
They shall teach Jacob your rules
  and Israel your law;
they shall put incense before you
  and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
Bless, O LORD, his substance,
  and accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
  of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

Of Benjamin he said,

“The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety.
The High God surrounds him all day long,
and dwells between his shoulders.”

And of Joseph he said,

“Blessed by the LORD be his land,
  with the choicest gifts of heaven above,
  and of the deep that crouches beneath,
with the choicest fruits of the sun
  and the rich yield of the months,
with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
  and the abundance of the everlasting hills,
with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
  and the favor of him who dwells in the bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
  on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.
A firstborn bull—he has majesty,
  and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he shall gore the peoples,
  all of them, to the ends of the earth;
they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
  and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

And of Zebulun he said,

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
  and Issachar, in your tents.
They shall call peoples to their mountain;
  there they offer right sacrifices;
for they draw from the abundance of the seas
  and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

And of Gad he said,

“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!
  Gad crouches like a lion;
  he tears off arm and scalp.
He chose the best of the land for himself,
  for there a commander's portion was reserved;
and he came with the heads of the people,
  with Israel he executed the justice of the LORD,
  and his judgments for Israel.”

And of Dan he said,

“Dan is a lion's cub
that leaps from Bashan.”

And of Naphtali he said,

“O Naphtali, sated with favor,
and full of the blessing of the LORD,
possess the lake and the south.”

And of Asher he said,

“Most blessed of sons be Asher;
  let him be the favorite of his brothers,
  and let him dip his foot in oil.
Your bars shall be iron and bronze,
  and as your days, so shall your strength be.

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
  who rides through the heavens to your help,
  through the skies in his majesty.
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
  and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
  and said, Destroy.
So Israel lived in safety,
  Jacob lived alone,
in a land of grain and wine,
  whose heavens drop down dew.
Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
  a people saved by the LORD,
the shield of your help,
  and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
  and you shall tread upon their backs.”

Nahum 2:1-3:4 (Listen)

The Destruction of Nineveh

2:1 The scatterer has come up against you.
  Man the ramparts;
  watch the road;
dress for battle;
  collect all your strength.

For the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob
as the majesty of Israel,
for plunderers have plundered them
and ruined their branches.

The shield of his mighty men is red;
  his soldiers are clothed in scarlet.
The chariots come with flashing metal
  on the day he musters them;
  the cypress spears are brandished.
The chariots race madly through the streets;
  they rush to and fro through the squares;
they gleam like torches;
  they dart like lightning.
He remembers his officers;
  they stumble as they go,
they hasten to the wall;
  the siege tower is set up.
The river gates are opened;
  the palace melts away;
its mistress is stripped; she is carried off,
  her slave girls lamenting,
moaning like doves
  and beating their breasts.
Nineveh is like a pool
  whose waters run away.
“Halt! Halt!” they cry,
  but none turns back.
Plunder the silver,
  plunder the gold!
There is no end of the treasure
  or of the wealth of all precious things.

Desolate! Desolation and ruin!
  Hearts melt and knees tremble;
anguish is in all loins;
  all faces grow pale!
Where is the lions' den,
  the feeding place of the young lions,
where the lion and lioness went,
  where his cubs were, with none to disturb?
The lion tore enough for his cubs
  and strangled prey for his lionesses;
he filled his caves with prey
  and his dens with torn flesh.

Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.

Woe to Nineveh

3:1 Woe to the bloody city,
  all full of lies and plunder—
  no end to the prey!
The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel,
  galloping horse and bounding chariot!
Horsemen charging,
  flashing sword and glittering spear,
hosts of slain,
  heaps of corpses,
dead bodies without end—
  they stumble over the bodies!
And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute,
  graceful and of deadly charms,
who betrays nations with her whorings,
  and peoples with her charms.

Matthew 10 (Listen)

The Twelve Apostles

10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Have No Fear

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
[2] 33:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew them
[3] 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
[4] 33:3 Septuagint; Hebrew peoples
[5] 33:3 Hebrew your
[6] 33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
[7] 33:7 Probable reading; Hebrew With his hands he contended
[8] 33:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks Give to Levi
[9] 33:12 Septuagint; Hebrew dwells in safety by him. He
[10] 33:13 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Targum; Hebrew with the dew
[11] 33:17 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Samaritan; Masoretic Text His firstborn bull
[12] 33:23 Or west
[13] 33:27 Or a dwelling place
[14] 33:27 Revocalization of verse 27 yields He subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old
[15] 33:28 Hebrew the abode of Jacob was alone
[16] 2:1 Hebrew gird your loins
[17] 2:5 Or the mantelet
[18] 2:7 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered its mistress is uncertain
[19] 2:7 Or exiled
[20] 2:8 Compare Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
[21] 2:13 Hebrew her
[22] 10:3 Some manuscripts Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus
[23] 10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[24] 10:10 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
[25] 10:24 Greek bondservant; also verse 25
[26] 10:25 Greek lacks will they malign
[27] 10:28 Greek Gehenna
[28] 10:29 Greek assarion, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)

This reading plan is from the ESV Study Bible.

June 30: Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, Deuteronomy 31:30-32:47, Nahum 1, Matthew 9

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (Listen)

The Vanity of Wisdom

I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.

I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Deuteronomy 31:30-32:47 (Listen)

The Song of Moses

Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:

32:1 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
  and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
May my teaching drop as the rain,
  my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
  and like showers upon the herb.
For I will proclaim the name of the LORD;
  ascribe greatness to our God!

“The Rock, his work is perfect,
  for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
  just and upright is he.
They have dealt corruptly with him;
  they are no longer his children because they are blemished;
  they are a crooked and twisted generation.
Do you thus repay the LORD,
  you foolish and senseless people?
Is not he your father, who created you,
  who made you and established you?
Remember the days of old;
  consider the years of many generations;
ask your father, and he will show you,
  your elders, and they will tell you.
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
  when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
  according to the number of the sons of God.
But the LORD's portion is his people,
  Jacob his allotted heritage.

“He found him in a desert land,
  and in the howling waste of the wilderness;
he encircled him, he cared for him,
  he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
  that flutters over its young,
spreading out its wings, catching them,
  bearing them on its pinions,
the LORD alone guided him,
  no foreign god was with him.
He made him ride on the high places of the land,
  and he ate the produce of the field,
and he suckled him with honey out of the rock,
  and oil out of the flinty rock.
Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock,
  with fat of lambs,
rams of Bashan and goats,
  with the very finest of the wheat—
  and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.

“But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked;
  you grew fat, stout, and sleek;
then he forsook God who made him
  and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods;
  with abominations they provoked him to anger.
They sacrificed to demons that were no gods,
  to gods they had never known,
to new gods that had come recently,
  whom your fathers had never dreaded.
You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you,
  and you forgot the God who gave you birth.

“The LORD saw it and spurned them,
  because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.
And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them;
  I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
  children in whom is no faithfulness.
They have made me jealous with what is no god;
  they have provoked me to anger with their idols.
So I will make them jealous with those who are no people;
  I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
For a fire is kindled by my anger,
  and it burns to the depths of Sheol,
devours the earth and its increase,
  and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

“‘And I will heap disasters upon them;
  I will spend my arrows on them;
they shall be wasted with hunger,
  and devoured by plague
  and poisonous pestilence;
I will send the teeth of beasts against them,
  with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.
Outdoors the sword shall bereave,
  and indoors terror,
for young man and woman alike,
  the nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces;
  I will wipe them from human memory,”
had I not feared provocation by the enemy,
  lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant,
  it was not the LORD who did all this.”’

“For they are a nation void of counsel,
  and there is no understanding in them.
If they were wise, they would understand this;
  they would discern their latter end!
How could one have chased a thousand,
  and two have put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
  and the LORD had given them up?
For their rock is not as our Rock;
  our enemies are by themselves.
For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
  and from the fields of Gomorrah;
their grapes are grapes of poison;
  their clusters are bitter;
their wine is the poison of serpents
  and the cruel venom of asps.

“‘Is not this laid up in store with me,
  sealed up in my treasuries?
Vengeance is mine, and recompense,
  for the time when their foot shall slip;
for the day of their calamity is at hand,
  and their doom comes swiftly.’
For the LORD will vindicate his people
  and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
  and there is none remaining, bond or free.
Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods,
  the rock in which they took refuge,
who ate the fat of their sacrifices
  and drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you;
  let them be your protection!

“‘See now that I, even I, am he,
  and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
  I wound and I heal;
  and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
For I lift up my hand to heaven
  and swear, As I live forever,
if I sharpen my flashing sword
  and my hand takes hold on judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries
  and will repay those who hate me.
I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
  and my sword shall devour flesh—
with the blood of the slain and the captives,
  from the long-haired heads of the enemy.’

“Rejoice with him, O heavens;
  bow down to him, all gods,
for he avenges the blood of his children
  and takes vengeance on his adversaries.
He repays those who hate him
  and cleanses his people's land.”

Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Nahum 1 (Listen)

1:1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

God's Wrath Against Nineveh

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
  the LORD is avenging and wrathful;
the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries
  and keeps wrath for his enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
  and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
  and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
  he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
  the bloom of Lebanon withers.
The mountains quake before him;
  the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
  the world and all who dwell in it.

Who can stand before his indignation?
  Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
  and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
The LORD is good,
  a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
  But with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
  and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
What do you plot against the LORD?
  He will make a complete end;
  trouble will not rise up a second time.
For they are like entangled thorns,
  like drunkards as they drink;
  they are consumed like stubble fully dried.
From you came one
  who plotted evil against the LORD,
  a worthless counselor.

Thus says the LORD,
“Though they are at full strength and many,
  they will be cut down and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,
  I will afflict you no more.
And now I will break his yoke from off you
  and will burst your bonds apart.”

The LORD has given commandment about you:
“No more shall your name be perpetuated;
from the house of your gods I will cut off
the carved image and the metal image.
I will make your grave, for you are vile.”

Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him
  who brings good news,
  who publishes peace!
Keep your feasts, O Judah;
  fulfill your vows,
for never again shall the worthless pass through you;
  he is utterly cut off.

Matthew 9 (Listen)

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

9:1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

A Question About Fasting

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went through all that district.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak

As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 1:13 The Hebrew term denotes the center of one's inner life, including mind, will, and emotions
[2] 1:14 Or a feeding on wind; compare Hosea 12:1 (so throughout Ecclesiastes)
[3] 32:8 Or territories
[4] 32:8 Compare Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text Israel
[5] 32:14 That is, with the best
[6] 32:14 Hebrew with the kidney fat
[7] 32:18 Or fathered
[8] 32:35 Septuagint and I will repay
[9] 32:36 Septuagint judge
[10] 32:41 Hebrew the lightning of my sword
[11] 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text Rejoice his people, O nations
[12] 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text servants
[13] 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks He repays those who hate him
[14] 32:43 Or atones for
[15] 32:43 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew his land his people
[16] 32:44 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew Hoshea
[17] 1:8 Hebrew of her place
[18] 1:15 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
[19] 9:4 Some manuscripts perceiving
[20] 9:10 Greek he
[21] 9:14 Some manuscripts add much, or often
[22] 9:22 Greek from that hour

This reading plan is from the ESV Study Bible.

June 29: Ecclesiastes 1:4-11, Deuteronomy 31:1-29, Micah 7:14-20, Matthew 8

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Ecclesiastes 1:4-11 (Listen)

A generation goes, and a generation comes,
  but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
  and hastens to the place where it rises.
The wind blows to the south
  and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
  and on its circuits the wind returns.
All streams run to the sea,
  but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
  there they flow again.
All things are full of weariness;
  a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
  nor the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be,
  and what has been done is what will be done,
  and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
  “See, this is new”?
It has been already
  in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance of former things,
  nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
  among those who come after.

Deuteronomy 31:1-29 (Listen)

Joshua to Succeed Moses

31:1 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ The LORD your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken. And the LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

The Reading of the Law

Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel

And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. And the LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

“Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.

And the LORD commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, “Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death! Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

Micah 7:14-20 (Listen)

Shepherd your people with your staff,
  the flock of your inheritance,
who dwell alone in a forest
  in the midst of a garden land;
let them graze in Bashan and Gilead
  as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
  I will show them marvelous things.
The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
  their ears shall be deaf;
they shall lick the dust like a serpent,
  like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;
  they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God,
  and they shall be in fear of you.

God's Steadfast Love and Compassion

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
  and passing over transgression
  for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
  because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
  he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
  into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
  and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
  from the days of old.

Matthew 8 (Listen)

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8:1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

The Faith of a Centurion

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Jesus Heals Many

And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

The Cost of Following Jesus

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 1:5 Or and returns panting
[2] 1:11 Or former people
[3] 1:11 Or later people
[4] 7:14 Hebrew of Carmel
[5] 7:15 Hebrew him
[6] 7:19 Hebrew their
[7] 8:2 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[8] 8:3 Greek he
[9] 8:9 Greek bondservant
[10] 8:10 Some manuscripts not even in Israel
[11] 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes
[12] 8:28 Greek daimonizomai; also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons

This reading plan is from the ESV Study Bible.

June 28: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Micah 7:1-13, Matthew 7:13-29

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 (Listen)

All Is Vanity

1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (Listen)

The Choice of Life and Death

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Micah 7:1-13 (Listen)

Wait for the God of Salvation

7:1 Woe is me! For I have become
  as when the summer fruit has been gathered,
  as when the grapes have been gleaned:
there is no cluster to eat,
  no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
The godly has perished from the earth,
  and there is no one upright among mankind;
they all lie in wait for blood,
  and each hunts the other with a net.
Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
  the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
  thus they weave it together.
The best of them is like a brier,
  the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;
  now their confusion is at hand.
Put no trust in a neighbor;
  have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth
  from her who lies in your arms;
for the son treats the father with contempt,
  the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
  a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
  I will wait for the God of my salvation;
  my God will hear me.

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
  when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
  the LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD
  because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
  and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
  I shall look upon his vindication.
Then my enemy will see,
  and shame will cover her who said to me,
  “Where is the LORD your God?”
My eyes will look upon her;
  now she will be trampled down
  like the mire of the streets.

A day for the building of your walls!
  In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
In that day they will come to you,
  from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River,
  from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
But the earth will be desolate
  because of its inhabitants,
  for the fruit of their deeds.

Matthew 7:13-29 (Listen)

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Authority of Jesus

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 1:1 Or Convener, or Collector; Hebrew Qoheleth (so throughout Ecclesiastes)
[2] 1:2 Hebrew vapor (so throughout Ecclesiastes)
[3] 30:16 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God
[4] 30:16 Or his just decrees
[5] 7:5 Hebrew bosom
[6] 7:12 Hebrew he
[7] 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy

This reading plan is from the ESV Study Bible.