Podcasts about Ekron

Next Gen Prophets with Craig and Colette Toach

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 8:00

Do you want victory in your battle? Then, you need to have the right perspective. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are in 1 Samuel 17. I've titled this chapter "Battling Giants." David comes upon the line of battle between the Philistines and Israelites. He is ushered before King Saul, and today, he heads onto the battlefield. Let's read 41-54: And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field." Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand." When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. — 1 Samuel 17:31-40. There are two perspectives here that make this moment glorious. One | David Sees The Crime. The crime in this situation is not taunting; it's more specific. The crime is "cursing David and Israel, who are sons of Abraham, by foreign gods." Cursing was a crime of spiritual significance, and David understood this. This moment is a battle over a theological injustice between a divine God and human opinions of God. David happens to be the only one who sees the crime and is willing to act in faith. In our battles, it is essential to see the spiritual injustice. We often don't think about this, and our conflicts become a battle of opinions. We end up fighting with others over personal opinions and injuring each other. I have done this numerous times in my life with friends, family, and business associates, and I have many regrets. I would have responded differently if I had just slowed down and seen the situation spiritually. But here, David gets it right. He has a unique perspective on the situation. He sees the crime and the spiritual resolution and that he needs to be the mouthpiece and manifestation of the solution. Start looking at your battle spiritually. Two | David Sees The Purpose. David understands this battle is over the "name of the Lord," fought with supernatural weapons and "not with sword or spear," so that "all the earth may know there is a God in Israel." David sees the purpose of the fight. It's not a fight between two armies or two people. It's a fight between injustice and a God of justice. If we look at the battle any other way, it will bring glory to David, his skill, training, weapons, and courage, distracting attention from God, who used David to accomplish a divine purpose. God will condescend to use us all, but he does it so the earth will know his glory—it's never for our glory. If we can learn this lesson and embrace God's purpose, God might condescend to use us more. The key is learning to see from a spiritual perspective and how God wants to use situations for his purpose and glory, not our own. The lesson for us is two-fold: See your battle spiritually. See God's purpose in your battle. And then remember, with God, you are never overwhelmed or overpowered, regardless of the size of the opponent, the weapons of your opponent, or the expanse of their psychological and verbal attack. We have a God who fights with weapons, and in a way, that man does not see for the glory of his name. #BattlingGiants, #SpiritualWarfare, #FaithOverFear Ask This: In your current battles, are you seeing the spiritual significance behind the conflict, or are you focused on personal opinions and outcomes? How might viewing your situation through a spiritual lens change your response? How can you ensure that the victories in your life bring glory to God rather than yourself? What steps can you take to align your actions with God's purpose in your struggles? Do This: See your battle with the right perspective. Pray This: Lord, help me see my battles through Your eyes and recognize the spiritual significance in every conflict. Give me the strength to fight not for my glory, but for Yours, trusting in Your power and purpose. Amen. Play This: Battle Belongs

How Do I Find Intimacy with Jesus in the Chaos (S2 Ep22)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 13:57

Prophets CRAVE intimacy with Jesus! It's the force that pushes to overcome trials. Face the spirit of rejection & embrace our prophetic destiny. In today's podcast we give you the key to intimacy amid chaos. David's defeat of Goliath was the catalyst to defeat the philistines. It was his tribe with their swords at ready that assured his victory. Grab hold of your tribe in your pursuit of destiny. Lean on your intimacy with Jesus to create your path forward. Enroll Here for Prophetic Mentorship: www.myprophetictribe.com A Message From Your Big Bro & Sis - "You're being accelerated at a rapid pace. Allow your tribe to assure your victory!" - Prophets Michael & Deborah-Anne Velthuysen Connect With Us - Deborah's Facbook: https://www.facebook.com/DAVelthuysen/ - Michael's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.velthuysen - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MyPropheticTribe Scripture Used In This Podcast - __"**52** And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. **52 **Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. **53 **Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. **54 **And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent."__ - 1 Samuel 17:51-54 (NKJV) Support #NextGen Prophets 2.0 Podcast & Impact Other #NextGen Prophets Keep up to Date: - #NextGen Prophets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nextgenprophets - #NextGen Prophets Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextgenprophets Where To Meet Us: - Orlando, FL - Dulles, VA - Dallas, TX - Chat us for dates! Support the Your Big Bro & Sis: - Credit Card: https://ddock.co/T9NZ2QH23M - Zelle: wateringhole@gmrn.org - CashApp: $GlobalMinistryR - PayPal: paypal@gmrn.org

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How Do I Find Intimacy with Jesus in the Chaos (S2 Ep22)

Next Gen Prophets with Craig and Colette Toach

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 13:57

Prophets CRAVE intimacy with Jesus! It's the force that pushes to overcome trials. Face the spirit of rejection & embrace our prophetic destiny. In today's podcast we give you the key to intimacy amid chaos. David's defeat of Goliath was the catalyst to defeat the philistines. It was his tribe with their swords at ready that assured his victory. Grab hold of your tribe in your pursuit of destiny. Lean on your intimacy with Jesus to create your path forward. Enroll Here for Prophetic Mentorship: www.myprophetictribe.com A Message From Your Big Bro & Sis - "You're being accelerated at a rapid pace. Allow your tribe to assure your victory!" - Prophets Michael & Deborah-Anne Velthuysen Connect With Us - Deborah's Facbook: https://www.facebook.com/DAVelthuysen/ - Michael's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.velthuysen - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MyPropheticTribe Scripture Used In This Podcast - __"**52** And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. **52 **Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. **53 **Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. **54 **And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent."__ - 1 Samuel 17:51-54 (NKJV) Support #NextGen Prophets 2.0 Podcast & Impact Other #NextGen Prophets Keep up to Date: - #NextGen Prophets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nextgenprophets - #NextGen Prophets Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextgenprophets Where To Meet Us: - Orlando, FL - Dulles, VA - Dallas, TX - Chat us for dates! Support the Your Big Bro & Sis: - Credit Card: https://ddock.co/T9NZ2QH23M - Zelle: wateringhole@gmrn.org - CashApp: $GlobalMinistryR - PayPal: paypal@gmrn.org

July 17, 2024: Day 4 of Week 16

New Hope Daily SOAP - Daily Devotional Bible Reading

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2024 9:21

Daily Dose of Hope July 17, 2024 Day 4 of Week 16 Scripture: 1 Samuel 3-5; Psalm 23; Acts 6 Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading. It's Wednesday and I hope you will join us for Recharge in the Garage tonight. It is such an incredible time of worship followed by small groups. I will be with our prayer group tonight, lifting up our world, nation, community, and church. We would love to have you join us. Now, let's get to our Scripture. We will start with I Samuel, chapter 3. We see the transition between Samuel as boy to Samuel as prophet. God calls Samuel multiple times but Samuel doesn't know where the voice is coming from. It doesn't immediately dawn on Eli, the priest, either that the voice belongs to God. We can kind of see how far Eli has drifted from God by his lack of insight. By the third time God calls Samuel, Eli realizes that it is the voice of the Lord. He tells Samuel to go back to bed and answer God, telling God that his servant is listening. Samuel heads back to bed and this time when God calls him, Samuel responds that he is listening. God reveals to young Samuel how he plans to basically eliminate the house of Eli. Eli and his descendants will face severe consequences for the sins of Eli's sons and for Eli's lack of discipline, as he failed to hold his sons accountable for their deplorable actions against God. Essentially Eli put his boys before God, breaking the first commandment. In the morning, Eli asks Samuel about the vision. You can only imagine Samuel's hesitation at sharing this information with the priest who raised him. I'm sure that Samuel loved Eli. How very difficult it is to be brutally honest with those we love, especially if we know it will hurt them and cause pain. And yet, Eli insisted and Samuel told him everything that would occur. There seems to be a kind of resignation about Eli; Eli knows that he has sinned, that his children sinned, and he accepts the consequence. What's interesting is that he doesn't fight it or defend himself. He says “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.” In the end, Eli's faith is strong. If God has made this decision, then it must be just. Have you ever been in a position in which you were forced to share a hard truth with someone you love? What was that experience like? I've had a lot of hard conversations with people I care about. I think it's something that requires practice but more than anything, it requires prayer. At times, I've begged God for just the right words, His words and not mine, and that the other person would have eyes to see and ears to hear. On the flip side, I've also had people speak hard truth to me. Maybe you've been there too. That also requires a lot of prayer and a lot of humility. Being willing to share truth also means being open to hearing it. Hard stuff, friends. Moving on to chapter 4…After a certain period of time passes, the Israelites find themselves in a vicious battle with the Philistines. It is through this warfare that the House of Eli is obliterated. So what happened? The Israelites were losing badly, which they understood to mean that the Lord was not with them. In response, they decide to bring the Ark of the Covenant, where the very presence of God dwelt, right onto the battlefield. Either they thought this would scare the Philistines (which it did to a certain extent) or they thought it would strongarm God into allowing Israel the victory. But the plan failed. Many Israelites lost their lives, Eli's sons were killed, the Philistines won and they stole the Ark of the Covenant. God had his own agenda and far be it from the Israelites to think they could manipulate that. How often have we thought we might be able to manipulate God into doing what we want? We bargain, we beg, and we even connive. And yet God calls us to submit, to trust him with our whole life. Is there something in your life right now that you need to simply lay down before God? By chapter 5, it looks like the Philistines are sorry they took the Ark of the Covenant. After defeating the Israelites in battle, the Philistines are more than happy to take the Ark and simply add another god to the mix of deities they worshipped. At first, they put the Ark next to one of their pagan gods, Dagon, in the town of Ashdod. The next day, Dagon was found on the ground, prostrate. After putting this idol back upright, they then find it back on the ground, decapitated and with its hands cut off. But God wasn't done, as he inflicted the people of the town with a plague of horrible tumors. In response, the Ark is moved, first to Gath and then to Ekron. In each place, people begin dying or being inflicted with tumors. Eventually, they decide that the Ark of the Covenant needs to go back to where it belongs. What's interesting to me is that the Philistine people knew that the incident with Dagan, the tumors, and the deaths were all related to the presence of the God of Israel. They recognized the power of God but they didn't turn to God. They saw what God could do but they still didn't turn away from their idols and worship him. How often do people see the power of God in their lives and yet not respond in any meaningful way? Yes, I think this happens today as well. I'm thinking of people I know who get terribly ill or are in a horrific accident, ask for prayers, and then are miraculously healed. They see the power of God at work in their life! While there may be some initial thankfulness and turning toward God, it eventually fades and they go on with life as normal. May we recognize the power of the one and only God in our midst and turn toward him. God help us. Today, I definitely want to spend some time on the psalm. It's one of my favorites – Psalm 23. This is a psalm of David and it is absolutely beautiful. While we often read this psalm during funerals, it might be better used to talk about how we live rather than how we die. God is the one who protects and guides us. God is the one who brings peace, even when we are face to face with our enemies. He is our shepherd. He is the one who takes care of me and provides me with what I need. And what do I lack – nothing. This is a psalm I have memorized and I would encourage you to memorize it as well. When things seem worrisome or anxiety grips you, this psalm, repeated over and over again, can bring such amazing peace. In Acts 6, we see the choosing of the first deacons to serve the widows from both the Greek and Jewish communities. The apostles felt strongly they needed to keep preaching and teaching but they knew someone needed to be in charge of serving those in need. Stephen is chosen to lead the group who would ensure all of the early believers are fed. This is such a great model for solving a problem in the church. They had an issue, they came together and discussed it civilly, and a solution is chosen. No drama. But later in the chapter, things take a turn for the worse. Stephen is being targeted by the Sanhedrin. They don't like how the Gospel is spreading. I wonder if the Jewish leaders are beginning to feel like things are getting out of control. They see the church growing and they don't have a way to stop it. Stephen is exhibiting extraordinary wisdom. How do you fight against that? Well, you cheat and lie. And that's exactly what they did. More tomorrow. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Kings - The Downfall of the King - Part 3

Walk in Truth

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 26:01

“After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite...” (2 Kings 1) Part 3 of 3 Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture. Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com Donate: www.walkintruth.com

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Kings - The Downfall of the King - Part 2

Walk in Truth

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 26:01

“After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite...” (2 Kings 1) Part 2 of 3 Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture. Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com Donate: www.walkintruth.com

god lord israel bible truth walk kings downfall moab equipping king part ekron tishbite now ahaziah

Kings - The Downfall of the King - Part 1

Walk in Truth

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 26:01

“After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite...” (2 Kings 1) Part 1 of 3 Welcome to Walk in Truth! These are the Bible teachings of Pastor Michael Lantz. Equipping you to reach out with God's truth to all people. And how to apply that truth to today's issues, trends, and culture. Leave your question or comment contact@walkintruth.com Donate: www.walkintruth.com

god lord israel bible truth walk kings downfall moab equipping king part ekron tishbite now ahaziah

The Book of Matthew; an Introduction – Part IIb

BIBLE IN TEN

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 12:28

Thursday, 4 July 2024 The Book of Matthew; an Introduction – Part IIb The list of books of the Bible that match the corresponding chapters of the Book of Matthew continues here: ------------------------ *1 Samuel (9th book) contains the following – “As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him” 1 Samuel 9:13. Matthew 9:13 says – “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” *The fact that sacrifice is mentioned, in both paragraphs 9:13 shows a pattern by itself, but in a deeper parallel we see the following, again from 1 Samuel – “So Samuel said: ‘Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.'” 1 Samuel 15:22 Saul was first shown the importance of sacrifice in 1 Samuel 9, but he failed to make the distinction between mere sacrifice and the more important aspect of following the Lord. Jesus had to again teach this lesson to Israel's leaders in Matthew 9:13. ---------------------- *2 Samuel (10th book) says – “Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” 2 Samuel 12:10. Here's the parallel in Matthew – “...and ‘a man's enemies will be those of his own household” Matthew 10:36. ---------------------- *1 Kings (11th book) mentions Elijah for the first time in the Bible, and although Elijah is mentioned many times in Matthew, he is first introduced in Matthew 11:14. “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.” Interestingly, in 1 Kings 18:14, it says: “...Elijah is here.” Notice both occur in the 14th verse. *A second parallel in 1 Kings is this – “And he said to them, ‘What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, “Lighten the yoke which your father put on us”'?” 1 Kings 12:9 Now read Matthew 11:29 – “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.” Notice not just the “yoke” parallel from the 11th book and the 11th chapter, but notice the numbers without the word “Kings” – 11:29 and 11:29 ----------------------- *2 Kings (12th book) describes the history of Israel as a divided kingdom, meaning Israel in the north and Judah in the south, each with its own kings and slowly divergent cultures. The chronology continues through the destruction of first the northern kingdom and culminates in the destruction and exile of the southern kingdom. Matthew 12:25 states the following – “But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.'” *A second link is found in 2 Kings 1:2 – “Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, ‘Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.'” Now read Matthew 12:24 – “Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.'” *A third link is found in 2 Kings 11:5 – “Then he commanded them, saying, ‘This is what you shall do: One-third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall be keeping watch over the king's house…'” In Matthew 12:5 we read – “Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?” Notice the numerical pattern as both are in verse 5. It's interesting concerning the number of links in the books of Kings because Matthew's book details Jesus as Israel's King. ------------------------- *1 Chronicles (13th book) it says – “Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God , over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver” 1 Chronicles 29:3. Matthew 13:52 says – “Then He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.'” ------------------------- *2 Chronicles 16:10 (14th book) says – “Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.” The parallel is what King Herod did in Matthew 14:10, “So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.” Both occur in verse 10. Prophets of righteousness really had it tough. God bless them! --------------------- *Ezra (15th book) 3:5 discusses freewill offerings given to the glory of God – “Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and those of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the LORD.” This is contrasted with the inappropriate gifts of the Pharisees in Matthew 15:5 – “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”'” Matthew 15:5. Again, notice that the parallels are both contained in verse 5. ----------------------- *Nehemiah (16th book) is concerned primarily with the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem after the exile. In fact, the entire 3rd chapter concerns the gate building. Nehemiah's efforts were not overcome by the forces of evil. Matthew 16:18 says – “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” ----------------------- *Esther (17th book) teaches us the importance of fasting to seek God's face and His favor, saying – “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Esther 4:16 Matthew 17:20, 21 says – “So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.'” Life application: As noted in the previous life application, the book divisions, chapter divisions, and verse divisions in the Christian Bible did not exist at the time of Matthew. And yet, most honest Christian evaluators of the Bible would agree that these patterns are real and that they seem to point to more than just random chance. And yet, many of those same people will dismiss various doctrines that supposedly arose later in the church age. For example, dispensationalism is called everything from poor theology to outright heresy by some. Those scholars believe the church has replaced Israel and that the modern state of Israel is an aberration. They then attack those who originally proposed the doctrine of dispensationalism, saying that it is a new and aberrant teaching that only came into existence around the 1800s. But if dispensationalism is true, it doesn't matter when it was “discovered,” just as the dating of the discovery of these patterns in Matthew is irrelevant. But two points should be considered. The first is that many of those who dismiss dispensationalism because it is new teach doctrines that are only one or two hundred years older, such as Calvinism. In the span of the church age this is like the difference between children that are one and two years old. Thus, their thinking is biased, skewed, and flawed. Second, however, is that Paul taught the dispensational model in Romans 9-11. It is clearly revealed elsewhere explicitly, and it is typologically seen again and again in the Old Testament. A review of the sermons by the Superior Word from Genesis, Joshua, and Judges in particular clearly and unambiguously portray the dispensational model. Don't be swayed by people who have not thought through the entire panorama of what God is doing in and through chronological history. God has not rejected Israel! The church has not replaced Israel! And, finally, the modern state of Israel, even if it is not right with God at this time, is placed back in the land of Israel for the fulfillment of God's purposes, just as the dispensational model reveals. Lord God, though we are unfaithful, You are always faithful. You will never reject those with whom You have covenanted. And what a blessing it is to know this. Since the day we met Jesus, we have continued to err and stray. But He remains faithful to us every step of the way. Super-duper and Hooray! Praise God for Jesus, our faithful Lord. Amen.

Elijah Confronts King Ahaziah

Arise and Abide

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 15:00

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally delve into 2 Kings 1:1-18, exploring the dramatic encounter between the prophet Elijah and King Ahaziah of Israel. Following the death of King Ahab, his son Ahaziah ascends to the throne, only to face a dire injury that prompts him to seek guidance from Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, instead of the God of Israel. Curtis and Sally provide context by reflecting on the powerful story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, emphasizing the themes of faith and reliance on God during times of crisis. They then transition to the narrative in 2 Kings, highlighting how King Ahaziah's actions mirror his father's disobedience and idolatry. Through a detailed reading of the scripture, the hosts discuss Elijah's bold confrontation with Ahaziah's messengers and the subsequent divine judgment. Elijah's unwavering faith and God's miraculous protection through the descent of heavenly fire illustrate the consequences of turning away from God and the supremacy of His authority over earthly powers. Curtis and Sally also draw parallels between Elijah's story and the teachings of Jesus, particularly focusing on the importance of understanding God's heart and purpose through the lens of Christ's life and ministry. The episode concludes with reflections on the themes of repentance, God's mercy, and the assurance of His protection for those who faithfully serve Him. Listeners are encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty and to seek His guidance in all circumstances.

The Battle Is The Lord's

Trinity Presbyterian Church

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2024

1 Samuel 17:1-58 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Val-ley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the oth-er side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Phil-istines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze ar-mor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and even-ing. 17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your broth-ers are well, and bring some token from them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Phil-istine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shep-herd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have de-fied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.” 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the com-mander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

god lord israel battle jerusalem valley goliath bethlehem philistines abner inquire gath shammah elah eliab abinadab ekron ephes shaaraim now eliab

The Only Path To National Renewal | 1 Samuel 7:12-17

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024 5:51

Have you had enough and want a change in our church and country? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are in 1 Samuel 7. I've titled this chapter "Stand Up And Make A Declaration." After two decades had passed, Samuel called the nation to repent. He gathered them at Mizpah for national repentance. As they do, the Philistines surround to attack, and God responds with a mighty sound, and then the Israelites follow suit and drive the Philistines away. Let's listen to how they respond and God's reward for their return in 1 Samuel 7:12-17: Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord. — 1 Samuel 7:12-17 Repentance Effects Everyone The effect of this call to repentance is profound. It has a long-lasting impact on three groups of people. First, on the Philistines, who were subdued and restrained for the rest of Samuel's life. Second, on the Amorites (a.k.a. the Canaanites), who ceased to be a threat because of Israel's victory over their common enemy, the Philistines. Third, on the Israelites, who witnessed firsthand the deliverance by God in the most vulnerable of moments. Don't forget that Israel was about to be wiped out. The entire nation was gathered in a valley unarmed, fasted, and emotionally vulnerable. Their enemy was armed and ready on every side. Their only hope was divine intervention, and God did intervene. Repentance Is Personal & Corporate I talk to many people in our time who want to see change happen in the church and our country. Based on what we have read in this chapter, I am convinced we think about the path to this change all wrong. The path to change is not with a better preacher, policy, politician, or president. The path to change is repentance, both personal and corporate. This means: If you want change in your family, you need to repent and call your family to repentance. If you want change in your church, your pastor needs to repent and call the church to repentance. If you want change in your denomination, the head of your denomination needs to repent and then call the churches to repentance. What happened in this moment can still happen today. It can happen right now with you. Make Is Personal I know someone reading this today who feels just like Israel felt here in the middle of Chapter 7. You feel hopeless. You feel alone. You feel surrounded by an enemy who is perched to annihilate you. If that is you, I am telling you, there is hope. Turn or return to God. Reject the meaningless ideologies and idols that have let you down and call upon the only God who saves. Repentance is when we bring our sinful motivations, thoughts, and actions to God and ask God to take a stand. We are not taking a stand—we are going low—but asking God to take a stand. The benefits are great because those who repent will be rescued, freed from fear, and established in the Lord's territory. Eventually, you will see that your repentance will impact everyone around you. #RepentanceAndRestoration #DivineIntervention #EbenezerStone Ask This: How can you personally apply the principle of repentance, both individually and within your community or family, to seek God's intervention in areas where you need His help? Reflecting on Samuel's leadership and the Israelites' response to God's deliverance, what steps can you take to establish "Ebenezer stones" in your own life—symbols of God's faithfulness and deliverance—to remind you of His ongoing work and presence? Do This: Repent. Pray This: Father, I come before you with a humble heart, seeking your forgiveness and guidance. Help me embrace repentance, trusting in your mercy and power to restore and bring peace to my life and community. Amen. Play This: Nothing Else.

Turn Your Confusion Into Clarity | 1 Samuel 6:13-16

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 5:21

Here is something you should always do when walking into a confusing season. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 6. I've titled this chapter "From Confusion to Clarity." In chapter 6, after enduring the consequences of holding the Ark of God for seven months—plagued by both the Black Plague and severe hemorrhoids—the Philistines decided they couldn't bear it any longer. Their solution was to send the Ark back. They placed it on a cart led by a couple of milk cows and watched as it returned to Israel. Here's what unfolds next in verses 13-16: Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron. — 1 Samuel 6:13-16 Intriguing Details This is a pretty interesting moment. The Philistines are satisfied with returning the Ark of God, and the Israelites are also satisfied with its return. But there are four details worth noting: The five kings of Philistine followed behind the Ark of God the entire way back to Israel. The town it comes to is called Beth-Shemesh, the closest Israelite town. The cows stop at a great stone, which they took as a divine sign that God wanted a sacrifice to be made. They strip down the cart and sacrifice the animals as burnt offerings right there on the spot. Then the five kings return. But the most intriguing detail was the town it came to: Beth-Shemesh. This town was not just any Israelite town; it was the home of the priestly tribe, the Levites. This tribe should have been especially careful in following Torah guidelines regarding the proper treatment of the Ark of God. However, in the coming verse, we see that in their excitement, they will fail to adhere to the appropriate care of the Ark of God (Num 4:15, 1 Chr 15:11–15). Strict Obedience When we seek clarity in confusion, we must commit ourselves to strict obedience to God. The priesthood, led by Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, had strayed. Their sinful actions led to the capture of the Ark of God. After its return, we would have expected Israel and the priesthood to repent and resume strict adherence to the Law's customs during the seven months that followed. However, as we will see in the coming verses, they drifted too far. Pain and punishment were about to become their harsh teachers. Our Strict Obedience If you are going through a confusing time in your life, let the wisdom of these Scriptures train you. It's essential to make every effort to obey God strictly. Nothing makes a confusing situation worse than sinful reactions; it only brings unnecessary attention to yourself and your sin. So, if you are facing a difficult divorce, recent layoff, financial crisis, or family conflict, stop making stupid and sinful choices. Instead, strive to be as strictly obedient in this season as possible. Seek the wisdom you need in the Word of God and only make right and righteous decisions. This will prevent further complications and bring clarity to your confusion. If this happens to be you today. Here's a prayer for you today: God, give me clarity in my time of confusion. May my actions and reactions be in strict alignment with your Word and ways. Amen. #ClarityThroughObedience #SeekingGodsWisdom #FromConfusionToClarity Ask This: How can we maintain strict obedience to God's Word in the midst of confusion or challenging circumstances in our own lives? Reflecting on the story of Beth-shemesh and their response to the Ark's return, what steps can we take to ensure our reactions to God's interventions align with His will and bring clarity rather than confusion? Do This: Be obedient in seasons of confusion. Pray This: Father, grant me the strength to obey Your Word diligently in times of uncertainty, seeking clarity and wisdom in every decision I make. Guide my steps and actions to reflect Your will, bringing honor to Your name and peace to my heart. Amen. Play This: Clarity.

When Moving the Problem Isn't Enough | 1 Samuel 5:8-10

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2024 4:43

Are you just moving your problems around? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 5. I've titled this chapter "Clearing The Path To Glory." So far, in Chapter 5, we've discovered that the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and took it back to Ashdod, and now it's given everyone in the land a bad case of hemorrhoids, and here is what happens next in verses 8-10: So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” — 1 Samuel 5:8-10 When we began this chapter, we said five different lords governed five Philistine cities. What is happening here is one lord is passing it to the next until they finally concur that one lord is using the box to kill off another lord and his people. The irreverent capture of the Ark of the Covenant has led to disease, death, disorder, conspiracy, and conflict. God has worked the Philistines over without Israel needing to lift a finger. If they only would have just trusted the Lord! But there is an excellent lesson in this. We are all prone to move our problems around. I know I do this. You do, too. When we encounter problems, we instinctively look first for natural solutions. We find ways to rectify the situation by making corrections and adjustments. Once in a while, it works, but that does not necessarily mean it worked. It might have only been a temporary solution to a larger problem that we have moved around or moved for someone else to deal with. The people of Ashdod and Gath rid themselves of a problem, but they have not rectified it. They have merely moved it from themselves to someone else, and the people of Ekron are wise to this. They don't want to inherit a problem that demands a divine solution they are unwilling to accept. Had they just acknowledged God and accepted their wrong, they might have dealt with the situation and resolved it. But they were unwilling to acknowledge God or their sin, so instead, they moved the problem around. Today, when you face a problem, instead of looking at every problem as a natural issue needing your incredible solution, consider the potential for a divine problem and divine solution. Look at the situation in the same way God would. Most of the time, the issue arises because of some sin (personal or corporate), causing a problem you haven't yet identified. Look first for that, diagnose it, and then respond to it. You will get to the heart of the core issue much faster, and it's far better than continually moving it around. #TrustGod, #DivineSolutions, #BiblicalWisdom Ask This: In what areas of your life are you tempted to seek natural solutions instead of seeking God's divine intervention? How can you start inviting God into these situations today? Reflect on a time when you moved a problem around instead of addressing the root issue. What steps can you take to ensure you confront and resolve issues with God's guidance in the future? Do This: Look for a divine solution first. Pray This: Father, help me recognize when I rely on my solutions instead of seeking Your divine guidance. Grant me the wisdom to address the root of my problems and the faith to trust in Your perfect plan. Amen. Play This: God Of Miracles.

god lord israel moving covenant reflect amen ark problem solving 1 samuel philistines gath ashdod ekron daily devo vince miller

The Disciple of the Heavy Hand of God | 1 Samuel 5

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2024 4:38

How do you respond to God's discipline? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 5. This chapter recounts the Philistines' capture of the Ark and the subsequent divine intervention that led it back to its rightful place. I've titled this chapter "Clearing The Path To Glory." At the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this chapter, Israel has sustained severe losses. The wife of Phinehas summarized it well: The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured. — 1 Samuel 4:22 The sad ending in Chapter 4 marks an abrupt conclusion to a once glorious period for Israel. It represents a dark time of profound loss for God's people. If you have experienced a similar moment in your life, you understand the feeling it brings. These moments are characterized by darkness and overwhelming despair, often leaving one uncertain of how to react. But then we come upon the key verse of Chapter 5. Verse 6 reads: The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. — 1 Samuel 5:6 The "heavy hand of God" is the great metaphor of this chapter. It describes God's tangible involvement in human affairs in profound and mysterious ways. But this metaphor takes us back to another place where similar language was used—Egypt. In the book of Exodus, God's "heavy hand" is displayed numerous times through mighty plaques against the Pharaoh that deliver his people from bondage (Exodus 3:19-20; 6:1; 9:3; 15:6-7). God's "heavy hand" had been an image of the forceful discipline he used to bring about his glory. Thus, in the previous chapter, we witness God's "heavy hand" against Israel. Then, in this chapter, we witness His "heavy hand" against the Philistines. I couldn't help but notice that Israel regrets God's "heavy hand" against them but then relishes His "heavy hand" against others. God disciplines us all. Sometimes, his hand is heavy, and other times, it is light. He disciplines us in public or private, great or small, and it always has a purpose. His discipline directs us to his glory. You see, God's glory never fades, but we fail to reflect it. He does not need us to sustain it, but he does want us to know it, enjoy it, celebrate it, praise it, never abuse it, use it, misuse it, and defame it. The key is submitting to his discipline. In Chapter 5, we will see the Ark of God move from Philistine town to town until it returns to Shiloh. (There is a map in the video today illustrating the journey). It is carried from Shiloh to battle at Ebenezer. Then, it is captured and taken into Philistine territory in Ashdod. Then, it is carried down to Gath, next to Ekron, and finally returned to Shiloh. Some mysterious "heavy-handed" events occur that hold fascinating lessons for us. And you will have to join us for the next six days to discover them. God Never Sits Second Chair. When Idols Fall, Don't Prop Them Up. What Idol Do You Fear? When God Becomes a Pain in Your Butt. Don't Move Your Problem Around. The Return of The Lord. #GodsDiscipline, #SpiritualGrowth, #DivineIntervention Ask This: How do you typically respond when faced with challenges or discipline, whether from God or otherwise? Reflecting on Israel's journey with the Ark in 1 Samuel 5, what lessons can you apply to your life regarding embracing God's discipline and seeking His glory? Do This: Submit to God's discipline and know his Glory. Pray This: Lord, help me to embrace Your discipline with humility and trust, knowing that Your guiding hand leads me closer to Your glory each day. Grant me the wisdom and strength to learn from Your lessons and reflect Your love to those around me. Amen. Play This: The Heart of Worship.

God's Power Is Not Your Pleasure | 1 Samuel 4:1-4

Trinity Presbyterian Church

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2024 6:32

God's power is not your pleasure. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 4. I've titled this chapter "Misusing Divine Power." Today, I am reading verse 1-4, which states: Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. — 1 Samuel 4:1-4 The contention between Israel and the Philistines will continue throughout this book, so it might be helpful to understand the tension between these two peoples. The Philistines and the Israelites, both relatively new to the region, emerged around the same time. The Philistines settled primarily in the coastal plain to the west of the hill country, establishing their dominance in five main cities: Ekron, Ashdod, Gath, Ashkelon, and Gaza. Each city was governed by a Philistine lord or king. This geographical and political context is crucial to understanding the dynamics of the conflict between these two peoples. When we begin Chapter Four, a battle unfolds. But since we have just started reading 1 Samuel, we would be wrong to think this was the first battle. This loss was only one of many battles that had been going on for some 200 years through the time of the Judges. For Israel, this loss in battle was one of many, and it was the last straw that broke the camel's back. You can see Israel returns to Shiloh conflicted about this. They concluded they were defeated by "the Lord" and not by the Philistines, which is perfect theology—making their theology right and their subsequent response wrong. The issue at hand for the Israelites is "Why?" Why has the Lord allowed this to continue for the last 200 years, even though they entered the land with such a promise of prosperity? The "Why" is probably threefold: The disobedience as a nation. The disobedience of Eli and his sons. The promise of punishment to Eli and his house is prophesied by Samuel. But rather than exploring the answer to "why" and seeing the connection to their disobedience, they took matters into their own hands. They decided if God would not use his power to give them victory, they would use his power for themselves. In failing to see God's "why," their theology makes a radical turn. They change their minds about what God is and is not able and capable of doing and make themselves the enemy of God. Listen to their reasoning again: "Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” Initially, they proclaimed God did it. But now they deduce God's proximity is too far; therefore, they do something they should not have done—remove the ark of God from Shiloh. In the coming days, you will see the result of this wrong decision. This happens to believers on a personal level all the time. We are fine with God being sovereign and in total control of the events in our lives until we don't understand the "why." When his "why" evades us, we become irritated because we can only sustain so many losses until we change our minds about what God is or is not doing. We justify ourselves, assuming we are innocent of sin, and then take matters into our own hands because we don't like the mystery and the faith required when there is no answer to the "why." If you find yourself in this place today, wondering why things are happening, rest assured that there is an answer. God knows it and will reveal it in time. However, be careful not to misuse God's power for your own pleasure, as this could lead to an uncomfortable and challenging lesson. Instead of asking "why," have faith in God's timing and power and focus on the more important question: "How can I obey God today?"

god lord israel pleasure judges gaza faith in god israelites 1 samuel philistines ebenezer gath phinehas ashdod ashkelon hophni ekron daily devo vince miller

No Atheists in a Foxhole?

Every Word

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2024 1:00

It will come naturally. “And Ahaziah [King of Israel] fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, ‘Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.'” - 2 Kings 1:2 (KJV)

israel kings atheists kjv foxhole ekron baalzebub

1 Samuel 17 Devotional

Mission City Church

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 11:48

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six[a] cubits[b] and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels[c] of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.[d] 13 The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening. 17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah[e] of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21 And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. 24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before. 31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.” 48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath[f] and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”56 And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57 And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

god lord israel jerusalem valley goliath bethlehem devotional philistines 1 samuel 17 abner inquire gath shammah elah eliab abinadab ekron ephes shaaraim now eliab

The Battle Against Idolatry

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2024

1 Samuel 7:3-17 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and di-rect your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only. 5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the peo-ple of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pur-sued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their terri-tory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. 15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.

god lord israel battle idolatry bethel philistines ebenezer shen gilgal amorites ramah gath mizpah baals so samuel ekron ashtaroth

December 29: Zechariah 6–9; Psalm 148; Revelation 18–19

ESV: Every Day in the Word

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 20:11

Old Testament: Zechariah 6–9 Zechariah 6–9 (Listen) A Vision of Four Chariots 6 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong.1 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.” The Crown and the Temple 9 And the word of the LORD came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there2 shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”' 14 And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem,3 Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.” A Call for Justice and Mercy 7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” 4 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?'” 8 And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.4 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. 13 “As I5 called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.” The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion 8 And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” 9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. 12 For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13 And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” 14 For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” 18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. 20 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'” Judgment on Israel's Enemies 9 The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel,62 and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.3 Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets.4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;6 a mixed people7 shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.7 I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes. The Coming King of Zion 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River8 to the ends of the earth.11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword. The Lord Will Save His People 14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.15 The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. 16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women. Footnotes [1] 6:3 Or and the fourth chariot strong dappled horses [2] 6:13 Or he [3] 6:14 An alternate spelling of Heldai (verse 10) [4] 7:11 Hebrew and made their ears too heavy to hear [5] 7:13 Hebrew he [6] 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord [7] 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard [8] 9:10 That is, the Euphrates (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 148 Psalm 148 (Listen) Praise the Name of the Lord 148 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created.6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.1 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!10 Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children! 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 148:6 Or it shall not be transgressed (ESV) New Testament: Revelation 18–19 Revelation 18–19 (Listen) The Fall of Babylon 18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.3 For all nations have drunk1 the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.'8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.” 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.2 14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” 15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” 19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” 21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more,23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.

December 29: Zechariah 6–9; John 19:17–42; Psalm 148; Proverbs 31:1–9

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2023 16:29

Old Testament: Zechariah 6–9 Zechariah 6–9 (Listen) A Vision of Four Chariots 6 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong.1 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.” The Crown and the Temple 9 And the word of the LORD came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there2 shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”' 14 And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem,3 Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.” A Call for Justice and Mercy 7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” 4 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?'” 8 And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.4 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. 13 “As I5 called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.” The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion 8 And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” 9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. 12 For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13 And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” 14 For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” 18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. 20 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'” Judgment on Israel's Enemies 9 The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel,62 and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.3 Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets.4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;6 a mixed people7 shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.7 I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes. The Coming King of Zion 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River8 to the ends of the earth.11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword. The Lord Will Save His People 14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.15 The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. 16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women. Footnotes [1] 6:3 Or and the fourth chariot strong dappled horses [2] 6:13 Or he [3] 6:14 An alternate spelling of Heldai (verse 10) [4] 7:11 Hebrew and made their ears too heavy to hear [5] 7:13 Hebrew he [6] 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord [7] 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard [8] 9:10 That is, the Euphrates (ESV) New Testament: John 19:17–42 John 19:17–42 (Listen) 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,' but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.'” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.1 But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. The Death of Jesus 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Jesus' Side Is Pierced 31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” Jesus Is Buried 38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus2 by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds3 in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. Footnotes [1] 19:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin [2] 19:39 Greek him [3] 19:39 Greek one hundred litras; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 148 Psalm 148 (Listen) Praise the Name of the Lord 148 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created.6 And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.1 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!10 Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children! 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 148:6 Or it shall not be transgressed (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 31:1–9 Proverbs 31:1–9 (Listen) The Words of King Lemuel 31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 What are you doing, my son?1 What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;27 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.39 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Footnotes [1] 31:2 Hebrew What, my son? [2] 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul [3] 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away (ESV)

December 28: Zechariah 7–9; Revelation 19

ESV: Read through the Bible

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2023 12:20

Morning: Zechariah 7–9 Zechariah 7–9 (Listen) A Call for Justice and Mercy 7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, 3 saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” 4 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?'” 8 And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.1 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. 13 “As I2 called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts, 14 “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.” The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion 8 And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” 9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. 12 For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13 And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” 14 For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” 18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. 20 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'” Judgment on Israel's Enemies 9 The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel,32 and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.3 Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets.4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;6 a mixed people4 shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.7 I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes. The Coming King of Zion 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River5 to the ends of the earth.11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword. The Lord Will Save His People 14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.15 The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. 16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women. Footnotes [1] 7:11 Hebrew and made their ears too heavy to hear [2] 7:13 Hebrew he [3] 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord [4] 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard [5] 9:10 That is, the Euphrates (ESV) Evening: Revelation 19 Revelation 19 (Listen) Rejoicing in Heaven 19 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” The Marriage Supper of the Lamb 6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said1 to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The Rider on a White Horse 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in2 blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule3 them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave,4 both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence5 had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. Footnotes [1] 19:9 Greek he said [2] 19:13 Some manuscripts sprinkled with [3] 19:15 Greek shepherd [4] 19:18 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [5] 19:20 Or on its behalf (ESV)

December 27: Zephaniah 1—Haggai 2; Psalm 146; Revelation 13–15

ESV: Every Day in the Word

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2023 24:08

Old Testament: Zephaniah 1—Haggai 2 Zephaniah 1–3 (Listen) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. The Coming Judgment on Judah 2 “I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.3 “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble1 with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,5 those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom,26 those who have turned back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.” The Day of the Lord Is Near 7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.8 And on the day of the LORD's sacrifice— “I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire.9 On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master's3 house with violence and fraud. 10 “On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills.11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders4 are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off.12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent,5 those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.'13 Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.” 14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.15 A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. 17 I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. Judgment on Judah's Enemies 2 Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation,2 before the decree takes effect6 —before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD.3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;7 seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. 5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows8 for shepherds and folds for flocks.7 The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. 8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory.9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts.11 The LORD will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. 12 You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.14 Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts;9 even the owl and the hedgehog10 shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist. Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations 3 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!2 She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. 3 Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.5 The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. 6 “I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant.7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your11 dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.'12 But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. 8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. The Conversion of the Nations 9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. 11 “On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.12 But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,13 those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Israel's Joy and Restoration 14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.1319 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD. The Command to Rebuild the Temple 1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” 3 Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” The People Obey the Lord 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD's message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. The Coming Glory of the Temple 2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.'” Blessings for a Defiled People 10&am

December 27: Zephaniah 1—Haggai 2; John 18:1–27; Psalm 146; Proverbs 30:32

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2023 19:48

Old Testament: Zephaniah 1—Haggai 2 Zephaniah 1–3 (Listen) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. The Coming Judgment on Judah 2 “I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.3 “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble1 with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,5 those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom,26 those who have turned back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.” The Day of the Lord Is Near 7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.8 And on the day of the LORD's sacrifice— “I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire.9 On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master's3 house with violence and fraud. 10 “On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills.11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders4 are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off.12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent,5 those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.'13 Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.” 14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.15 A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. 17 I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. Judgment on Judah's Enemies 2 Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation,2 before the decree takes effect6 —before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD.3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;7 seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. 5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows8 for shepherds and folds for flocks.7 The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. 8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory.9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts.11 The LORD will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. 12 You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.14 Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts;9 even the owl and the hedgehog10 shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist. Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations 3 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!2 She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. 3 Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.5 The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. 6 “I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant.7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your11 dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.'12 But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. 8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. The Conversion of the Nations 9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. 11 “On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.12 But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,13 those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Israel's Joy and Restoration 14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.1319 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD. The Command to Rebuild the Temple 1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” 3 Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” The People Obey the Lord 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD's message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. The Coming Glory of the Temple 2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.'” Blessings for a Defiled People 10&am

December 24: Zephaniah 1–3; Revelation 15

ESV: Read through the Bible

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2023 10:36

Morning: Zephaniah 1–3 Zephaniah 1–3 (Listen) 1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. The Coming Judgment on Judah 2 “I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.3 “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble1 with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,5 those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom,26 those who have turned back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.” The Day of the Lord Is Near 7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.8 And on the day of the LORD's sacrifice— “I will punish the officials and the king's sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire.9 On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master's3 house with violence and fraud. 10 “On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills.11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders4 are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off.12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent,5 those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.'13 Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.” 14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.15 A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. 17 I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth. Judgment on Judah's Enemies 2 Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation,2 before the decree takes effect6 —before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD.3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;7 seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. 5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows8 for shepherds and folds for flocks.7 The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. 8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory.9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts.11 The LORD will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. 12 You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.14 Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts;9 even the owl and the hedgehog10 shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist. Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations 3 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!2 She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. 3 Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.5 The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. 6 “I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant.7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your11 dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.'12 But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. 8 “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. The Conversion of the Nations 9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. 11 “On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.12 But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,13 those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Israel's Joy and Restoration 14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.1319 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD. Footnotes [1] 1:3 Or stumbling blocks (that is, idols) [2] 1:5 Or their king [3] 1:9 Or their Lord's [4] 1:11 Or all the people of Canaan [5] 1:12 Hebrew are thickening on the dregs [of their wine] [6] 2:2 Hebrew gives birth [7] 2:3 Or who carry out his judgment [8] 2:6 Or caves [9] 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation [10] 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain [11] 3:7 Hebrew her [12] 3:7 Hebrew her [13] 3:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain (ESV) Evening: Revelation 15 Revelation 15 (Listen) The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues 15 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. 2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!14 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you,

December 22: 2 Chronicles 26; Revelation 13; Zechariah 9; John 12

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2023 16:01

With family: 2 Chronicles 26; Revelation 13 2 Chronicles 26 (Listen) Uzziah Reigns in Judah 26 And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. 3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5 He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. 6 He went out and made war against the Philistines and broke through the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. 7 God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal and against the Meunites. 8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them. 10 And he built towers in the wilderness and cut out many cisterns, for he had large herds, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. 11 Moreover, Uzziah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions according to the numbers in the muster made by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. 12 The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses of mighty men of valor was 2,600. 13 Under their command was an army of 307,500, who could make war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14 And Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging. 15 In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. Uzziah's Pride and Punishment 16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor, 18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God.” 19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy1 broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the LORD had struck him. 21 And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. 23 And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son reigned in his place. Footnotes [1] 26:19 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 (ESV) Revelation 13 (Listen) The First Beast 13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” 5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,1 that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.2 And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear: 10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. The Second Beast 11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,3 and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of4 the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,5 to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.6 Footnotes [1] 13:6 Or tabernacle [2] 13:7 Some manuscripts omit this sentence [3] 13:12 Or on its behalf [4] 13:14 Or on behalf of [5] 13:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [6] 13:18 Some manuscripts 616 (ESV) In private: Zechariah 9; John 12 Zechariah 9 (Listen) Judgment on Israel's Enemies 9 The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel,12 and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.3 Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets.4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;6 a mixed people2 shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.7 I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes. The Coming King of Zion 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River3 to the ends of the earth.11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword. The Lord Will Save His People 14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.15 The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. 16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women. Footnotes [1] 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord [2] 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard [3] 9:10 That is, the Euphrates (ESV) John 12 (Listen) Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany 12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound1 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii2 and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it3 for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” The Plot to Kill Lazarus 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus4 was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The Triumphal Entry 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Some Greeks Seek Jesus 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up 27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” The Unbelief of the People When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. Jesus Came to Save the World 44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” Footnotes [1] 12:3 Greek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams [2] 12:5 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer [3] 12:7 Or Leave her alone; she intended to keep it [4] 12:9 Greek he (ESV)

god jesus christ fear world father lord israel man law walk pride revelation greek blessed jerusalem jews chronicles lamb judgment rejoice enemies gaza passover behold lazarus pharisees hebrew plot punishment leviticus unbelief galilee grain damascus john 12 lord god sir hosanna triumphal entry angle tyre philistines preface esv jesus came 2 chronicles leprosy coming king ammonites sidon bethsaida euphrates uzziah gath zechariah 9 king uzziah hananiah jebusites amaziah ashdod philistia ashkelon o zion amoz ekron arabians mary anoints jesus and jotham jabneh and uzziah some greeks seek jesus then uzziah gurbaal

December 20: Amos 1–5; Psalm 140; 1 John 3–5

israel bible judges gaza hamas palestinians peoples philistines bce king saul gaza strip archaeologists mediterranean sea judean gath ashdod philistia ashkelon ekron

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2023 24:21

Old Testament: Amos 1–5 Amos 1–5 (Listen) 1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds1 of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years2 before the earthquake. Judgment on Israel's Neighbors 2 And he said: “The LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.” 3 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,3 because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.5 I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,4 and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the LORD. 6 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom.7 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds.8 I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” says the Lord GOD. 9 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.” 11 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.” 13 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.14 So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;15 and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes5 together,” says the LORD. 2 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,6 because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom.2 So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its princes7 with him,” says the LORD. Judgment on Judah 4 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.5 So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.” Judgment on Israel 6 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned;8 they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined. 9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?” declares the LORD. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.' 13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.14 Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life;15 he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day,” declares the LORD. Israel's Guilt and Punishment 3 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?4 Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing?5 Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing?6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? 7 “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?” 9 Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.”10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.” 11 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “An adversary shall surround the land and bring down8 your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered.” 12 Thus says the LORD: “As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part9 of a bed. 13 “Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob,” declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,14 “that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.15 I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses10 shall come to an end,” declares the LORD. 4 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!'2 The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.3 And you shall go out through the breaches, each one straight ahead; and you shall be cast out into Harmon,” declares the LORD. 4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days;5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!” declares the Lord GOD. Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord 6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 7 “I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither;8 so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 9 “I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 10 “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses,11 and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 11 “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand12 plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” 13 For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name! Seek the Lord and Live 5 Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: 2 “Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.” 3 For thus says the Lord GOD: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.” 4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;5 but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.” 6 Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,7 O you who turn justice to wormwood13 and cast down righteousness to the earth! 8

Peoples of the Bible: The Philistines

Bible Fiber

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2023 11:53

The Philistines were an ancient people of uncertain origins. They settled in the southern coastal region of ancient Canaan around the 12th century BCE. They formed a confederation of five coastal cities: Gath, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gaza, and Ashdod. The modern-day equivalent of their former territory covers most of the Gaza Strip and coastal Israel. Archaeologists would love to excavate ancient Philistia, but that has not been feasible over the last couple of decades under Hamas rule. However, as we learn about the complex web of underground tunnels crisscrossing Gaza, I wonder how many Philistine artifacts the Palestinian laborers lost or destroyed. Surely, they came across Philistine material remains, even if they did not know it. Maybe one day, there will be a Gaza version of the Temple Mount Sifting Project in Israel, where they can wet sift all the debris from the Gaza tunnels. Of course, that is in the unforeseeable future. Back to ancient Philistia. The five cities are called the Philistine Pentapolis. Each city had their own political leader, which meant they each enjoyed a combination of independence and alliance. On the west, the Mediterranean Sea bordered their territory, and their eastern border was the Shephelah, or the Judean hill country. The way their five cities ran up and down the coast meant they shared a long border with Judah. Keep that in mind when you read the biblical story of Samson. Samson frequently went back and forth between Judean and Philistine territory with little trouble (Judges 14-16). Before David became king, he also took advantage of the porous border between Philistia and Judah when he was trying to hide from King Saul (1 Sam. 27).

December 14: Amos 1–3; Revelation 5

ESV: Read through the Bible

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023 9:42

Morning: Amos 1–3 Amos 1–3 (Listen) 1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds1 of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years2 before the earthquake. Judgment on Israel's Neighbors 2 And he said: “The LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.” 3 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,3 because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.5 I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,4 and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the LORD. 6 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom.7 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds.8 I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” says the Lord GOD. 9 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.” 11 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.” 13 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.14 So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;15 and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes5 together,” says the LORD. 2 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,6 because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom.2 So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its princes7 with him,” says the LORD. Judgment on Judah 4 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.5 So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.” Judgment on Israel 6 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned;8 they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined. 9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars and who was as strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.10 Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?” declares the LORD. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.' 13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.14 Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life;15 he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day,” declares the LORD. Israel's Guilt and Punishment 3 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?4 Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing?5 Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing?6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? 7 “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?” 9 Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.”10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.” 11 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “An adversary shall surround the land and bring down8 your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered.” 12 Thus says the LORD: “As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part9 of a bed. 13 “Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob,” declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,14 “that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.15 I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses10 shall come to an end,” declares the LORD. Footnotes [1] 1:1 Or sheep breeders [2] 1:1 Or during two years [3] 1:3 Hebrew I will not turn it back; also verses 6, 9, 11, 13 [4] 1:5 Or On [5] 1:15 Or officials [6] 2:1 Hebrew I will not turn it back; also verses 4, 6 [7] 2:3 Or officials [8] 3:11 Hebrew An adversary, one who surrounds the land—he shall bring down [9] 3:12 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [10] 3:15 Or and many houses (ESV) Evening: Revelation 5 Revelation 5 (Listen) The Scroll and the Lamb 5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (ESV)

god lord israel revelation jerusalem valley lion lamb flight guilt worthy root judgment gaza syria behold amen hebrew punishment neighbors scroll damascus lord god bethel moab proclaim tyre philistines revelation 5 assemble esv weep gilead edom teman ammonites jeroboam joash uzziah kir rabbah aven ashdod tekoa amorite hazael ashkelon ekron kerioth israel's neighbors israel's guilt

December 10: 2 Chronicles 10; Revelation 1; Zephaniah 2; Luke 24

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2023 14:29

With family: 2 Chronicles 10; Revelation 1 2 Chronicles 10 (Listen) The Revolt Against Rehoboam 10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men,1 who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us'?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us'; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'” 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 14 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,2 who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. Footnotes [1] 10:6 Or the elders; also verses 8, 13 [2] 10:18 Spelled Adoram in 1 Kings 12:18 (ESV) Revelation 1 (Listen) Prologue 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants1 the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. Greeting to the Seven Churches 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail2 on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Vision of the Son of Man 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Footnotes [1] 1:1 for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for servant later in this verse [2] 1:7 Or mourn (ESV) In private: Zephaniah 2; Luke 24 Zephaniah 2 (Listen) Judgment on Judah's Enemies 2 Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation,2 before the decree takes effect1 —before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD.3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;2 seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. 5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows3 for shepherds and folds for flocks.7 The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. 8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory.9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts.11 The LORD will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. 12 You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert.14 Herds shall lie down in her midst, all kinds of beasts;4 even the owl and the hedgehog5 shall lodge in her capitals; a voice shall hoot in the window; devastation will be on the threshold; for her cedar work will be laid bare.15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist. Footnotes [1] 2:2 Hebrew gives birth [2] 2:3 Or who carry out his judgment [3] 2:6 Or caves [4] 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation [5] 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain (ESV) Luke 24 (Listen) The Resurrection 24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. On the Road to Emmaus 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles1 from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Jesus Appears to His Disciples 36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,2 43 and he took it and ate before them. 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for3 the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The Ascension 50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God. Footnotes [1] 24:13 Greek sixty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters [2] 24:42 Some manuscripts add and some honeycomb [3] 24:47 Some manuscripts and (ESV)

November 12: 2 Kings 25; Hebrews 7; Psalm 144; Amos 1

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2023 13:13

With family: 2 Kings 25; Hebrews 7 2 Kings 25 (Listen) Fall and Captivity of Judah 25 And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. 2 So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. 7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon. 8 In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. 13 And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, 15 the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. 16 As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,1 and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework. 18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; 19 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and five men of the king's council who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the city. 20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land. Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah 22 And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor. 23 Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. 24 And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” 25 But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. Jehoiachin Released from Prison 27 And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed2 Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, 30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived. Footnotes [1] 25:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 25:27 Hebrew reign, lifted up the head of (ESV) Hebrews 7 (Listen) The Priestly Order of Melchizedek 7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers,1 though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Jesus Compared to Melchizedek 11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.'” 22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost2 those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. Footnotes [1] 7:5 Or brothers and sisters [2] 7:25 That is, completely; or at all times (ESV) In private: Psalm 144; Amos 1 Psalm 144 (Listen) My Rock and My Fortress Of David. 144 Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples1 under me. 3 O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. 5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke!6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them!7 Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters, from the hand of foreigners,8 whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,10 who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 12 May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;13 may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;14 may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;2 may there be no cry of distress in our streets!15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD! Footnotes [1] 144:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people [2] 144:14 Hebrew with no breaking in or going out (ESV) Amos 1 (Listen) 1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds1 of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years2 before the earthquake. Judgment on Israel's Neighbors 2 And he said: “The LORD roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.” 3 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,3 because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.5 I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,4 and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the LORD. 6 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom.7 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds.8 I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” says the Lord GOD. 9 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.” 11 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.” 13 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.14 So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;15 and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes5 together,” says the LORD. Footnotes [1] 1:1 Or sheep breeders [2] 1:1 Or during two years [3] 1:3 Hebrew I will not turn it back; also verses 6, 9, 11, 13 [4] 1:5 Or On [5] 1:15 Or officials (ESV)

god jesus christ live lord israel man fall kings evil psalm blessed jerusalem prison jews touch hebrews valley rescue flash babylon judgment gaza syria hebrew salem neighbors stretch o lord damascus lord god zephaniah melchizedek o god 2 kings tyre philistines ishmael bow esv nebuchadnezzar hebrews 7 captivity gilead aquila edom teman king nebuchadnezzar ammonites most high god dead sea scrolls jeroboam levitical joash uzziah chaldeans kir zedekiah rabbah aven mizpah ashdod tekoa chaldean hazael ashkelon syriac gedaliah ekron jehoiachin king zedekiah my rock johanan priestly order jesus compared nethaniah riblah israel's neighbors tanhumeth many hebrew babylon nebuzaradan maacathite and gedaliah so jehoiachin

October 31: Jeremiah 25–26; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 1

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 14:30

Old Testament: Jeremiah 25–26 Jeremiah 25–26 (Listen) Seventy Years of Captivity 25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. 4 You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5 saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. 6 Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.' 7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm. 8 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 10 Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste. 13 I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.” The Cup of the Lord's Wrath 15 Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.” 17 So I took the cup from the LORD's hand, and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, all his people, 20 and all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and all the kings of the land of the Philistines (Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod); 21 Edom, Moab, and the sons of Ammon; 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; 26 all the kings of the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of Babylon1 shall drink. 27 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.' 28 “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink! 29 For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.' 30 “You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: “‘The LORD will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword, declares the LORD.' 32 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, disaster is going forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth! 33 “And those pierced by the LORD on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the ground. 34 “Wail, you shepherds, and cry out, and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come, and you shall fall like a choice vessel.35 No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock.36 A voice—the cry of the shepherds, and the wail of the lords of the flock! For the LORD is laying waste their pasture,37 and the peaceful folds are devastated because of the fierce anger of the LORD.38 Like a lion he has left his lair, for their land has become a waste because of the sword of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.” Jeremiah Threatened with Death 26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. 4 You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.'” 7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant'?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. 10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the LORD. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” 12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.” Jeremiah Spared from Death 16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” 17 And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “‘Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.' 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.” 20 There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. 21 And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, 23 and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people. 24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death. Footnotes [1] 25:26 Hebrew Sheshach, a code name for Babylon (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 111 Psalm 111 (Listen) Great Are the Lord's Works 111 1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful.5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations.7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;8 they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Footnotes [1] 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet (ESV) New Testament: 1 Corinthians 1 1 Corinthians 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Divisions in the Church 10 I appeal to you, brothers,1 by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Christ the Wisdom and Power of God 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach2 to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,3 not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being4 might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him5 you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Footnotes [1] 1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 11, 26 [2] 1:21 Or the folly of preaching [3] 1:26 Greek according to the flesh [4] 1:29 Greek no flesh [5] 1:30 Greek And from him (ESV)

god jesus christ death thanksgiving father church lord power israel media wisdom holy psalm greek corinthians jerusalem praise jews new testament babylon gaza behold hebrew gentiles wrath 1 corinthians pharaoh corinth divisions moab arabia tyre esv nebuchadnezzar greeting captivity edom apollos ammon amon sidon elam gaius for christ cephas chaldeans uz psalm 111 is christ wail ashdod jehoiakim buz zimri psalm psalm sosthenes ekron crispus shemaiah dedan king jehoiakim lord stand old testament jeremiah great are did hezekiah jeremiah spared sheshach then king jehoiakim

October 20: 2 Kings 1; 2 Thessalonians 1; Psalms 110–111; Daniel 5