ESV: One-Year Tract Bible Reading Plan

July 3: Joshua 5, Psalms 132-134, Isaiah 65, Matthew 13

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

Joshua 5 (Listen)

The New Generation Circumcised

5:1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

First Passover in Canaan

While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

The Commander of the LORD's Army

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Psalms 132-134 (Listen)

The LORD Has Chosen Zion

A Song of Ascents.

132:1 Remember, O LORD, in David's favor,
  all the hardships he endured,
how he swore to the LORD
  and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
“I will not enter my house
  or get into my bed,
I will not give sleep to my eyes
  or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the LORD,
  a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
“Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool!”

Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
  you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
  and let your saints shout for joy.
For the sake of your servant David,
  do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

The LORD swore to David a sure oath
  from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
  I will set on your throne.
If your sons keep my covenant
  and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
  shall sit on your throne.”

For the LORD has chosen Zion;
  he has desired it for his dwelling place:
“This is my resting place forever;
  here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provisions;
  I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
  and her saints will shout for joy.
There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
  I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
  but on him his crown will shine.”

When Brothers Dwell in Unity

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
  when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
  running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
  running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
  which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
  life forevermore.

Come, Bless the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

134:1 Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the LORD!

May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!

Isaiah 65 (Listen)

Judgment and Salvation

65:1 I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;
  I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, “Here am I, here am I,”
  to a nation that was not called by my name.
I spread out my hands all the day
  to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
  following their own devices;
a people who provoke me
  to my face continually,
sacrificing in gardens
  and making offerings on bricks;
who sit in tombs,
  and spend the night in secret places;
who eat pig's flesh,
  and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;
who say, “Keep to yourself,
  do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”
These are a smoke in my nostrils,
  a fire that burns all the day.
Behold, it is written before me:
  “I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will indeed repay into their bosom
  both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together,
says the LORD;
because they made offerings on the mountains
  and insulted me on the hills,
I will measure into their bosom
  payment for their former deeds.”

Thus says the LORD:
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
  and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,
  for there is a blessing in it,’
so I will do for my servants' sake,
  and not destroy them all.
I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,
  and from Judah possessors of my mountains;
my chosen shall possess it,
  and my servants shall dwell there.
Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,
  and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
  for my people who have sought me.
But you who forsake the LORD,
  who forget my holy mountain,
who set a table for Fortune
  and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
I will destine you to the sword,
  and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,
because, when I called, you did not answer;
  when I spoke, you did not listen,
but you did what was evil in my eyes
  and chose what I did not delight in.”

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
“Behold, my servants shall eat,
  but you shall be hungry;
behold, my servants shall drink,
  but you shall be thirsty;
behold, my servants shall rejoice,
  but you shall be put to shame;
behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,
  but you shall cry out for pain of heart
  and shall wail for breaking of spirit.
You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,
  and the Lord GOD will put you to death,
  but his servants he will call by another name.
So that he who blesses himself in the land
  shall bless himself by the God of truth,
and he who takes an oath in the land
  shall swear by the God of truth;
because the former troubles are forgotten
  and are hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

“For behold, I create new heavens
  and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
  or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
  in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
  and her people to be a gladness.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
  and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
  and the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
  an infant who lives but a few days,
  or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the young man shall die a hundred years old,
  and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
  they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
  they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
  and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain
  or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,
  and their descendants with them.
Before they call I will answer;
  while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
  the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
  and dust shall be the serpent's food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
  in all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD.

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] 5:3 Gibeath-haaraloth means the hill of the foreskins
[2] 5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew for to roll
[3] 132:11 Hebrew of your fruit of the womb
[4] 133:1 Or dwell together
[5] 65:1 Or that did not call upon
[6] 65:7 Or I will first measure their payment into their bosom
[7] 65:22 Hebrew shall wear out
[8] 65:23 Or for sudden terror
[9] 13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear
[10] 13:21 Or stumbles
[11] 13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed
[12] 13:27 Greek bondservants; also verse 28
[13] 13:35 Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet

July 2: Joshua 4, Psalms 129-131, Isaiah 64, Matthew 12

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

Joshua 4 (Listen)

Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

4:1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the LORD told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

The people passed over in haste. And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the people. The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Psalms 129-131 (Listen)

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of Ascents.

129:1 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—
  let Israel now say—
“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
  yet they have not prevailed against me.
The plowers plowed upon my back;
  they made long their furrows.”
The LORD is righteous;
  he has cut the cords of the wicked.
May all who hate Zion
  be put to shame and turned backward!
Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
  which withers before it grows up,
with which the reaper does not fill his hand
  nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
nor do those who pass by say,
  “The blessing of the LORD be upon you!
  We bless you in the name of the LORD!”

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

130:1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
  and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
  more than watchmen for the morning,
  more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the LORD!
  For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
  and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
  from all his iniquities.

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

131:1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
  my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
  too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
  like a weaned child with its mother;
  like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.

Isaiah 64 (Listen)

64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
  that the mountains might quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
  and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
  and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
  you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard
  or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
  who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
  those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
  in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
  and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
  and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
  who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
  and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
  we are the clay, and you are our potter;
  we are all the work of your hand.
Be not so terribly angry, O LORD,
  and remember not iniquity forever.
  Behold, please look, we are all your people.
Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
  Zion has become a wilderness,
  Jerusalem a desolation.
Our holy and beautiful house,
  where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
  and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD?
  Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

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] 4:8 Or to rest
[2] 4:24 Or all the days
[3] 129:1 Or Often; also verse 2
[4] 64:2 Ch 64:1 in Hebrew
[5] 64:5 Or in your ways is continuance, that we might be saved
[6] 64:7 Masoretic Text; Septuagint, Syriac, Targum have delivered us into
[7] 64:11 Or holy and glorious
[8] 12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you”

July 1: Joshua 3, Psalms 126-128, Isaiah 63, Matthew 11

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

Joshua 3 (Listen)

Israel Crosses the Jordan

3:1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Psalms 126-128 (Listen)

Restore Our Fortunes, O LORD

A Song of Ascents.

126:1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
  we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
  and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
  “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
  we are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
  like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
  shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
  bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
  bringing his sheaves with him.

Unless the LORD Builds the House

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
  those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
  the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
  and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
  for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
  the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
  are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
  who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
  when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

128:1 Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
  within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
  around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
  who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion!
  May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
  all the days of your life!
May you see your children's children!
  Peace be upon Israel!

Isaiah 63 (Listen)

The LORD's Day of Vengeance

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom,
  in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
  marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
  mighty to save.”

Why is your apparel red,
and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?

“I have trodden the winepress alone,
  and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
  and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifeblood spattered on my garments,
  and stained all my apparel.
For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
  and my year of redemption had come.
I looked, but there was no one to help;
  I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
  and my wrath upheld me.
I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
  I made them drunk in my wrath,
  and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

The LORD's Mercy Remembered

I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD,
  the praises of the LORD,
according to all that the LORD has granted us,
  and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
  according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
  children who will not deal falsely.”
  And he became their Savior.
In all their affliction he was afflicted,
  and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
  he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

But they rebelled
  and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
  and himself fought against them.
Then he remembered the days of old,
  of Moses and his people.
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
  with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
  his Holy Spirit,
who caused his glorious arm
  to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
  to make for himself an everlasting name,
  who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
  they did not stumble.
Like livestock that go down into the valley,
  the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
So you led your people,
  to make for yourself a glorious name.

Prayer for Mercy

Look down from heaven and see,
  from your holy and beautiful habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
  The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
  are held back from me.
For you are our Father,
  though Abraham does not know us,
  and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O LORD, are our Father,
  our Redeemer from of old is your name.
O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways
  and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
  the tribes of your heritage.
Your holy people held possession for a little while;
  our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
  like those who are not called by your name.

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] 3:4 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[2] 3:11 Hebrew the ark of the covenant, the Lord of all the earth
[3] 127:4 Or sons
[4] 127:5 Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate
[5] 63:3 Or their juice; also verse 6
[6] 63:4 Or the year of my redeemed
[7] 63:9 Or he did not afflict
[8] 63:11 Or Then his people remembered the days of old, of Moses
[9] 63:15 Or holy and glorious
[10] 63:18 Or They have dispossessed your holy people for a little while
[11] 11:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[12] 11:8 Or Why then did you go out? To see a man . . .
[13] 11:9 Some manuscripts Why then did you go out? To see a prophet?
[14] 11:12 Or has been coming violently
[15] 11:15 Some manuscripts omit to hear
[16] 11:19 Some manuscripts children (compare Luke 7:35)
[17] 11:26 Or for so it pleased you well

June 30: Joshua 2, Psalms 123-125, Isaiah 62, Matthew 10

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

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.”

Psalms 123-125 (Listen)

Our Eyes Look to the LORD Our God

A Song of Ascents.

123:1 To you I lift up my eyes,
  O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
  look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
  to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
  till he has mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
  for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough
  of the scorn of those who are at ease,
  of the contempt of the proud.

Our Help Is in the Name of the LORD

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

124:1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—
  let Israel now say—
if it had not been the LORD who was on our side
  when people rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
  when their anger was kindled against us;
then the flood would have swept us away,
  the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone
  the raging waters.

Blessed be the LORD,
  who has not given us
  as prey to their teeth!
We have escaped like a bird
  from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
  and we have escaped!

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

The LORD Surrounds His People

A Song of Ascents.

125:1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
  which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
  so the LORD surrounds his people,
  from this time forth and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
  on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
  their hands to do wrong.
Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
  and to those who are upright in their hearts!
But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
  the LORD will lead away with evildoers!
  Peace be upon Israel!

Isaiah 62 (Listen)

Zion's Coming Salvation

62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
  and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
  and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness,
  and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
  that the mouth of the LORD will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
  and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
  and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
  and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
  and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
  so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
  so shall your God rejoice over you.

On your walls, O Jerusalem,
  I have set watchmen;
all the day and all the night
  they shall never be silent.
You who put the LORD in remembrance,
  take no rest,
and give him no rest
  until he establishes Jerusalem
  and makes it a praise in the earth.
The LORD has sworn by his right hand
  and by his mighty arm:
“I will not again give your grain
  to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink your wine
  for which you have labored;
but those who garner it shall eat it
  and praise the LORD,
and those who gather it shall drink it
  in the courts of my sanctuary.”

Go through, go through the gates;
  prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
  clear it of stones;
  lift up a signal over the peoples.
Behold, the LORD has proclaimed
  to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
  “Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
  and his recompense before him.”
And they shall be called The Holy People,
  The Redeemed of the LORD;
and you shall be called Sought Out,
  A City Not Forsaken.

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] 2:1 Or had sent
[2] 2:8 Hebrew they
[3] 2:10 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
[4] 2:16 Or had said
[5] 62:4 Hebrew Azubah
[6] 62:4 Hebrew Shemamah
[7] 62:4 Hebrew Hephzibah
[8] 62:4 Hebrew Beulah
[9] 62:9 Or in my holy courts
[10] 10:3 Some manuscripts Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus
[11] 10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[12] 10:10 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
[13] 10:24 Greek bondservant; also verse 25
[14] 10:25 Greek lacks will they malign
[15] 10:28 Greek Gehenna
[16] 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)

June 29: Joshua 1, Psalms 120-122, Isaiah 61, Matthew 9

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

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.”

Psalms 120-122 (Listen)

Deliver Me, O LORD

A Song of Ascents.

120:1 In my distress I called to the LORD,
  and he answered me.
Deliver me, O LORD,
  from lying lips,
  from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given to you,
  and what more shall be done to you,
  you deceitful tongue?
A warrior's sharp arrows,
  with glowing coals of the broom tree!

Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
  that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Too long have I had my dwelling
  among those who hate peace.
I am for peace,
  but when I speak, they are for war!

My Help Comes from the LORD

A Song of Ascents.

121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil;
  he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
  your going out and your coming in
  from this time forth and forevermore.

Let Us Go to the House of the LORD

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

122:1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!

Jerusalem—built as a city
  that is bound firmly together,
to which the tribes go up,
  the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
  to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
There thrones for judgment were set,
  the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
  “May they be secure who love you!
Peace be within your walls
  and security within your towers!”
For my brothers and companions' sake
  I will say, “Peace be within you!”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
  I will seek your good.

Isaiah 61 (Listen)

The Year of the LORD's Favor

61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
  because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
  he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
  and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
  and the day of vengeance of our God;
  to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
  to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
  the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
  the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
  they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
  the devastations of many generations.

Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
  foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
but you shall be called the priests of the LORD;
  they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
  and in their glory you shall boast.
Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
  instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
  they shall have everlasting joy.

For I the LORD love justice;
  I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
  and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
  and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
  that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
  my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
  he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
  and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
  and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
  to sprout up before all the nations.

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] 1:7 Or may act wisely
[2] 122:4 Or as a testimony for
[3] 61:1 Or afflicted
[4] 61:1 Or the opening [of the eyes] to those who are blind; Septuagint and recovery of sight to the blind
[5] 61:3 Or that he may display his beauty
[6] 61:8 Or robbery with a burnt offering
[7] 9:4 Some manuscripts perceiving
[8] 9:10 Greek he
[9] 9:14 Some manuscripts add much, or often
[10] 9:22 Greek from that hour

June 28: Deuteronomy 33-34, Psalm 119:145-176, Isaiah 60, Matthew 8

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

Deuteronomy 33-34 (Listen)

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.”

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.

Psalm 119:145-176 (Listen)

Qoph

With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD!
  I will keep your statutes.
I call to you; save me,
  that I may observe your testimonies.
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
  I hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
  that I may meditate on your promise.
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
  O LORD, according to your justice give me life.
They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
  they are far from your law.
But you are near, O LORD,
  and all your commandments are true.
Long have I known from your testimonies
  that you have founded them forever.

Resh

Look on my affliction and deliver me,
  for I do not forget your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me;
  give me life according to your promise!
Salvation is far from the wicked,
  for they do not seek your statutes.
Great is your mercy, O LORD;
  give me life according to your rules.
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
  but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
I look at the faithless with disgust,
  because they do not keep your commands.
Consider how I love your precepts!
  Give me life according to your steadfast love.
The sum of your word is truth,
  and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Sin and Shin

Princes persecute me without cause,
  but my heart stands in awe of your words.
I rejoice at your word
  like one who finds great spoil.
I hate and abhor falsehood,
  but I love your law.
Seven times a day I praise you
  for your righteous rules.
Great peace have those who love your law;
  nothing can make them stumble.
I hope for your salvation, O LORD,
  and I do your commandments.
My soul keeps your testimonies;
  I love them exceedingly.
I keep your precepts and testimonies,
  for all my ways are before you.

Taw

Let my cry come before you, O LORD;
  give me understanding according to your word!
Let my plea come before you;
  deliver me according to your word.
My lips will pour forth praise,
  for you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your word,
  for all your commandments are right.
Let your hand be ready to help me,
  for I have chosen your precepts.
I long for your salvation, O LORD,
  and your law is my delight.
Let my soul live and praise you,
  and let your rules help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
  for I do not forget your commandments.

Isaiah 60 (Listen)

The Future Glory of Israel

60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
  and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
  and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
  and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
  and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
  they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
  and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
  your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
  the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
  the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
  all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
  and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you;
  the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
they shall come up with acceptance on my altar,
  and I will beautify my beautiful house.

Who are these that fly like a cloud,
  and like doves to their windows?
For the coastlands shall hope for me,
  the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring your children from afar,
  their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the LORD your God,
  and for the Holy One of Israel,
  because he has made you beautiful.

Foreigners shall build up your walls,
  and their kings shall minister to you;
for in my wrath I struck you,
  but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
Your gates shall be open continually;
  day and night they shall not be shut,
that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
  with their kings led in procession.
For the nation and kingdom
  that will not serve you shall perish;
  those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
  the cypress, the plane, and the pine,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary,
  and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
The sons of those who afflicted you
  shall come bending low to you,
and all who despised you
  shall bow down at your feet;
they shall call you the City of the LORD,
  the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
  with no one passing through,
I will make you majestic forever,
  a joy from age to age.
You shall suck the milk of nations;
  you shall nurse at the breast of kings;
and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior
  and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
  and instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
  instead of stones, iron.
I will make your overseers peace
  and your taskmasters righteousness.
Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
  devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation,
  and your gates Praise.

The sun shall be no more
  your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
  give you light;
but the LORD will be your everlasting light,
  and your God will be your glory.
Your sun shall no more go down,
  nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
  and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Your people shall all be righteous;
  they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
  that I might be glorified.
The least one shall become a clan,
  and the smallest one a mighty nation;
I am the LORD;
  in its time I will hasten it.

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] 33:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew them
[2] 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
[3] 33:3 Septuagint; Hebrew peoples
[4] 33:3 Hebrew your
[5] 33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
[6] 33:7 Probable reading; Hebrew With his hands he contended
[7] 33:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks Give to Levi
[8] 33:12 Septuagint; Hebrew dwells in safety by him. He
[9] 33:13 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Targum; Hebrew with the dew
[10] 33:17 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Samaritan; Masoretic Text His firstborn bull
[11] 33:23 Or west
[12] 33:27 Or a dwelling place
[13] 33:27 Revocalization of verse 27 yields He subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old
[14] 33:28 Hebrew the abode of Jacob was alone
[15] 60:5 Hebrew your heart shall tremble and grow wide
[16] 60:19 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Targum add by night
[17] 60:19 Or your beauty
[18] 60:21 Or that I might display my beauty
[19] 8:2 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
[20] 8:3 Greek he
[21] 8:9 Greek bondservant
[22] 8:10 Some manuscripts not even in Israel
[23] 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes
[24] 8:28 Greek daimonizomai; also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons

June 27: Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 119:121-144, Isaiah 59, Matthew 7

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:01:00 -0700

Deuteronomy 32 (Listen)

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.”

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.”

Psalm 119:121-144 (Listen)

Ayin

I have done what is just and right;
  do not leave me to my oppressors.
Give your servant a pledge of good;
  let not the insolent oppress me.
My eyes long for your salvation
  and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
  and teach me your statutes.
I am your servant; give me understanding,
  that I may know your testimonies!
It is time for the LORD to act,
  for your law has been broken.
Therefore I love your commandments
  above gold, above fine gold.
Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
  I hate every false way.

Pe

Your testimonies are wonderful;
  therefore my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of your words gives light;
  it imparts understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant,
  because I long for your commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
  as is your way with those who love your name.
Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
  and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
Redeem me from man's oppression,
  that I may keep your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant,
  and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams of tears,
  because people do not keep your law.

Tsadhe

Righteous are you, O LORD,
  and right are your rules.
You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness
  and in all faithfulness.
My zeal consumes me,
  because my foes forget your words.
Your promise is well tried,
  and your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
  yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is righteous forever,
  and your law is true.
Trouble and anguish have found me out,
  but your commandments are my delight.
Your testimonies are righteous forever;
  give me understanding that I may live.

Isaiah 59 (Listen)

Evil and Oppression

59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
  or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation
  between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
  so that he does not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood
  and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
  your tongue mutters wickedness.
No one enters suit justly;
  no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
  they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
They hatch adders' eggs;
  they weave the spider's web;
he who eats their eggs dies,
  and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
Their webs will not serve as clothing;
  men will not cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
  and deeds of violence are in their hands.
Their feet run to evil,
  and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
  desolation and destruction are in their highways.
The way of peace they do not know,
  and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked;
  no one who treads on them knows peace.

Therefore justice is far from us,
  and righteousness does not overtake us;
we hope for light, and behold, darkness,
  and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
We grope for the wall like the blind;
  we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
  among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
We all growl like bears;
  we moan and moan like doves;
we hope for justice, but there is none;
  for salvation, but it is far from us.
For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
  and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
  and we know our iniquities:
transgressing, and denying the LORD,
  and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
  conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
Justice is turned back,
  and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
  and uprightness cannot enter.
Truth is lacking,
  and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

Judgment and Redemption

The LORD saw it, and it displeased him
  that there was no justice.
He saw that there was no man,
  and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
  and his righteousness upheld him.
He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
  and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
  and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.
According to their deeds, so will he repay,
  wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
  to the coastlands he will render repayment.
So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west,
  and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,
  which the wind of the LORD drives.

“And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.

“And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Matthew 7 (Listen)

Judging Others

7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

“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] 32:8 Or territories
[2] 32:8 Compare Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text Israel
[3] 32:14 That is, with the best
[4] 32:14 Hebrew with the kidney fat
[5] 32:18 Or fathered
[6] 32:35 Septuagint and I will repay
[7] 32:36 Septuagint judge
[8] 32:41 Hebrew the lightning of my sword
[9] 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text Rejoice his people, O nations
[10] 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text servants
[11] 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks He repays those who hate him
[12] 32:43 Or atones for
[13] 32:43 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew his land his people
[14] 32:44 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew Hoshea
[15] 59:15 Hebrew and it was evil in his eyes
[16] 59:19 Hebrew a narrow river
[17] 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy