Bible Readings for April 21, 2017

Today our passages are Joshua 22:21–23:16; Luke 20:27-47; Psalm 89:14-37; and Proverbs 13:17-19. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

 

 

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Joshua 22:21-23:16 (Contemporary English Version)

²¹The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered:
    ²²The LORD is the greatest God! We ask him to be our witness, because he knows whether or not we were rebellious or unfaithful when we built that altar. If we were unfaithful, then we pray that God won't rescue us today. Let us tell you why we built that altar, ²³and we ask the LORD to punish us if we are lying. We didn't build it so we could turn our backs on the LORD. We didn't even build it so we could offer animal or grain sacrifices to please the LORD or ask his blessing.
    ^24-25We built that altar because we were worried. Someday your descendants might tell our descendants, " The LORD made the Jordan River the boundary between us Israelites and you people of Reuben and Gad. The LORD is Israel's God, but you're not part of Israel, so you can't take part in worshiping the LORD."
   Your descendants might say that and try to make our descendants stop worshiping and obeying the LORD. ²⁶That's why we decided to build the altar. It isn't for offering sacrifices, not even sacrifices to please the LORD. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 27-29}To build another altar for offering sacrifices would be the same as turning our backs on the LORD and rebelling against him. We could never do that! No, we built the altar to remind us and you and the generations to come that we will worship the LORD. And so we will keep bringing our sacrifices to the LORD's altar, there in front of his sacred tent. Now your descendants will never be able to say to our descendants, " You can't worship the LORD." But if they do say this, our descendants can answer back, " Look at this altar our ancestors built! It's like the LORD's altar, but it isn't for offering sacrifices. It's here to remind us and you that we belong to the LORD, just as much as you do."
    ^30-31Phinehas and the clan leaders were pleased when they heard the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh explain why they had built the altar. Then Phinehas told them, " Today we know that the LORD is helping us. You have not been unfaithful to him, and this means that the LORD will not be angry with us."
    ³²Phinehas and the clan leaders left Gilead and went back to Canaan to tell the Israelites about their meeting with the Reuben and Gad tribes. ³³The Israelites were happy and praised God. There was no more talk about going to war and wiping out the tribes of Reuben and Gad.
    ³⁴The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar " A Reminder to Us All That the LORD Is Our God." ^[b<="">]

Joshua 23

Joshua's Farewell Speech

 ¹The LORD let Israel live in peace with its neighbors for a long time, and Joshua lived to a ripe old age. ²One day he called a meeting of the leaders of the tribes of Israel, including the old men, the judges, and the officials. Then he told them:    I am now very old. ³You have seen how the LORD your God fought for you and helped you defeat the nations who lived in this land. ^4-5There are still some nations left, but the LORD has promised you their land. So when you attack them, he will make them run away. I have already divided their land among your tribes, as I did with the land of the nations I defeated between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
    ⁶Be sure that you carefully obey everything written in The Book of the Law ^[c<="">] of Moses and do exactly what it says. ⁷Don't have anything to do with the nations that live around you. Don't worship their gods or pray to their idols or make promises in the names of their gods. ⁸Be as faithful to the LORD as you have always been.
    ⁹When you attacked powerful nations, the LORD made them run away, and no one has ever been able to stand up to you. ¹⁰Any one of you can defeat a thousand enemy soldiers, because the LORD God fights for you, just as he promised. ¹¹Be sure to always love the LORD your God. ^12-13Don't ever turn your backs on him by marrying people from the nations that are left in the land. Don't even make friends with them. I tell you that if you are friendly with those nations, the LORD won't chase them away when you attack. Instead, they'll be like a trap for your feet, a whip on your back, and thorns in your eyes. And finally, none of you will be left in this good land that the LORD has given you.
    ¹⁴I will soon die, as everyone must. But deep in your hearts you know that the LORD has kept every promise he ever made to you. Not one of them has been broken. ^15-16Yes, when the LORD makes a promise, he does what he has promised. But when he makes a threat, he will also do what he has threatened. The LORD is our God. He gave us this wonderful land and made an agreement with us that we would worship only him. But if you worship other gods, it will make the LORD furious. He will start getting rid of you, and soon not one of you will be left in this good land that he has given you.
   

Footnotes:

1. Joshua 22:26 sacrifices to please the LORD: See the note at 8.30-32.
2. Joshua 22:34 named. . . God: Or " gave a name to the altar. They explained, This altar is here to remind us all that the LORD is our God " ; most Hebrew manuscripts. A few Hebrew manuscripts and one ancient translation " named the altar Reminder. They explained, This altar is here to remind us all that the LORD is our God. "
3. Joshua 23:6 Law: See the note at 8.30-32.

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Luke 20:27-47 (Contemporary English Version)

Life in the Future World

(Matthew 22.23-33; Mark 12.18-27)

 ²⁷The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus ²⁸and said:    Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.
    ²⁹There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. ³⁰The second one married his brother's widow, and he also died without having any children. ³¹The same thing happened to the third one. Finally, all seven brothers married that woman and died without having any children. ³²At last the woman died. ³³When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers had married her.
    ³⁴Jesus answered:
   The people in this world get married. ³⁵But in the future world no one who is worthy to rise from death will either marry ³⁶or die. They will be like the angels and will be God's children, because they have been raised to life.
    ³⁷In the story about the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. He said, "The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 38}So the Lord isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned. ³⁹Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses said, "Teacher, you have given a good answer!" ⁴⁰From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any questions.
   

About David's Son

(Matthew 22.41-46; Mark 12.35-37)

 ⁴¹Jesus asked, "Why do people say that the Messiah will be the son of King David? ^{[b<="">] 42}In the book of Psalms, David himself says, `The Lord said to my Lord,    Sit at my right side ^{[c<="">]
    43}until I make your enemies
   into a footstool for you.'
    ⁴⁴David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, so how can the Messiah be his son?"
   

Jesus and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

(Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-54)

 ⁴⁵While everyone was listening to Jesus, he said to his disciples:     ⁴⁶Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes, and they like to be greeted in the market. They want the front seats in the meeting places and the best seats at banquets. ⁴⁷But they cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. These teachers will be punished most of all.
   

Footnotes:

1. Luke 20:37 " The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" : Jesus argues that if God is worshiped by these three, they must be alive, because he is the God of the living.
2. Luke 20:41 the son of King David: See the note at 18.38.
3. Luke 20:42 right side: The place of power and honor.

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Psalm 89:14-37 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴Your kingdom is ruled
   by justice and fairness
   with love and faithfulness
   leading the way.
    ¹⁵Our LORD, you bless those
   who join in the festival
   and walk in the brightness
   of your presence.
    ¹⁶We are happy all day
   because of you,
   and your saving power
   brings honor to us.
    ¹⁷Your own glorious power
   makes us strong,
   and because of your kindness,
   our strength increases.
    ¹⁸Our LORD and our King,
   the Holy One of Israel,
   you are truly our shield.
    ¹⁹In a vision, you once said
   to your faithful followers:
   "I have helped a mighty hero.
   I chose him from my people
   and made him famous.
    ²⁰David, my servant, is the one
   I chose to be king,
    ²¹and I will always be there
   to help and strengthen him.
    ²²"No enemy will outsmart David,
   and he won't be defeated
   by any hateful people.
    ²³I will strike down and crush
   his troublesome enemies.
    ²⁴He will always be able
   to depend on my love,
   and I will make him strong
   with my own power.
    ²⁵I will let him rule the lands
   across the rivers and seas.
    ²⁶He will say to me,
   `You are my Father
   and my God,
   as well as the mighty rock ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} where I am safe.'
    ²⁷"I have chosen David
   as my first-born son,
   and he will be the ruler
   of all kings on earth.
    ²⁸My love for him will last,
   and my agreement with him
   will never be broken.
    ²⁹"One of David's descendants
   will always be king,
   and his family will rule
   until the sky disappears.
    ³⁰Suppose some of his children
   should reject my Law
   and refuse my instructions.
    ³¹Or suppose they should disobey
   all of my teachings.
    ³²Then I will correct
   and punish them
   because of their sins.
    ³³But I will always love David
   and faithfully keep all
   of my promises to him.
    ³⁴"I won't break my agreement
   or go back on my word.
    ³⁵I have sworn once and for all
   by my own holy name,
   and I won't lie to David.
    ³⁶His family will always rule.
   I will let his kingdom last
   as long as the sun ³⁷and moon
   appear in the sky."
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 89:26 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2. 

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Proverbs 13:17-19 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁷Whoever delivers your message
   can make things better
   or worse for you.
    ¹⁸All who refuse correction
   will be poor and disgraced;
   all who accept correction
   will be praised.
    ¹⁹It's a good feeling
   to get what you want,
   but only a stupid fool
   hates to turn from evil.

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Verse of the Day

“and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father gave them to me, and he is greater than all others. No one can snatch them from his hands, and I am one with the Father.” - John 10:28-30

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels have become classics of English literature, Charlotte Brontë wrote, “It is not violence that best overcomes hate — nor vengeance that most certainly heals injury. … Read the New Testament, and observe what Christ says, and how he acts — make his word your rule, and his conduct your example. … Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you and despitefully use you.”