Today our passages are 1 Chronicles 15:1–16:36; Romans 1:18-32; Psalm 10:1-15; and Proverbs 19:6-7. 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.
1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17 (Contemporary English Version)
David Appoints Worship Leaders at Jerusalem and Gibeon
37David chose Asaph and the Levites in his clan to be in charge of the daily worship at the place where the sacred chest was kept. 38Obed-Edom and sixty-eight of his relatives were their assistants, and Hosah and Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun were the guards.
39David also chose Zadok the
priest and his relatives who were priests to serve at the LORD's sacred tent at
Gibeon. 40They were to offer sacrifices
on the altar every morning and evening, just as the LORD had commanded in the
Law he gave Israel. 41Heman and
Jeduthun were their assistants, as well as the other men who had been chosen to
praise the LORD for his never-ending love. 42Heman and Jeduthun were also responsible for blowing the
trumpets, and for playing the cymbals and other instruments during worship at
the tent. The Levites in Jeduthun's clan were the guards at Gibeon.
43After that, everyone went
home, and David went home to his family.
1 Chronicles 17
The LORD's Message to David
(2 Samuel 7.1-17)
1Soon after David moved into his new palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest is kept in a tent."
2Nathan replied, "The LORD is
with you--do what you want."
3That night, the LORD told
Nathan 4to go to David and tell him:
David, you are my servant, so listen carefully: You are not the one to
build a temple for me. 5I didn't live
in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don't live in one now.
A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 6I chose special leaders and told them to be
like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of
them about building a cedar temple for me?
7David, this is what I, the LORD
All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care
of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people. 8Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies
right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in
the world.
9I have given my people Israel a
land of their own where they can live in peace. They will no longer have to
tremble with fear--evil nations won't bother them, as they did 10when I let judges rule my people, and I
will keep your enemies from attacking you.
Now I promise that like you, your descendants will be kings. 11I'll choose one of your sons to be king
when you reach the end of your life and are buried beside your ancestors. I'll
make him a strong ruler, 12and no one
will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a
temple for me. 13I will be like a
father to him, and he will be like a son to me. I will never put an end to my
agreement with him, as I put an end to my agreement with Saul, who was king
before you. 14I will make sure that
your son and his descendants will rule my people and my kingdom forever.
15Nathan told David exactly what
the LORD had said.
David Gives Thanks to the LORD
(2 Samuel 7.18-29)
16David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. He sat there and prayed:
LORD God, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us,
17and yet you have promised to do even
more for my descendants. You are treating me as if I am a very important person.
[a]
18I am your servant, and you know my
thoughts. What else can I say, except that you have honored me? 19It was your choice to do these wonderful
things for me and to make these promises. 20No other god is like you, LORD--you alone are God.
Everything we have heard about you is true. 21And there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the
nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by
using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of
your land, so that your people could live here. 22You have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you
have become their God.
23LORD God, please do what you
promised me and my descendants. 24Then
you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, "The LORD All-Powerful rules
Israel and is their God."
My kingdom will be strong, 25because you are my God, and you have promised that my
descendants will be kings. That's why I have the courage to pray to you like
this, even though I am only your servant.
26You are the LORD God, and you
have made this good promise to me. 27Now please bless my descendants forever, and let them
always be your chosen kings. You have already blessed my family, and I know you
will bless us forever.
1 Chronicles 18
A List of David's Victories in War
(2 Samuel 8.1-14)
1Later, David attacked and defeated the Philistines. He captured their town of Gath and the nearby villages.
2David also defeated the
Moabites, and so they had to accept him as their ruler and pay taxes to him.
3While King Hadadezer of Zobah
was trying to gain control of the territory near the Euphrates River, David met
him in battle at Hamath and defeated him. 4David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand
chariot drivers, and twenty thousand soldiers. And he crippled all but one
hundred of the horses.
5When troops from the Syrian
kingdom of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of
them. 6Then David stationed some of his
troops in Damascus, and the people there had to accept David as their ruler and
pay taxes to him.
Everywhere David went, the LORD helped him win battles.
7Hadadezer's officers had
carried gold shields, but David took these shields and brought them back to
Jerusalem. 8He also took a lot of
bronze from the cities of Tibhath and Cun, which had belonged to Hadadezer.
Later, Solomon used this bronze to make the large bowl called the Sea, and to
make the pillars and other furnishings for the temple.
9-10King Tou of Hamath and King
Hadadezer had been enemies. So when Tou heard that David had defeated
Hadadezer's whole army, he sent his son Hadoram to congratulate David on his
victory. Hadoram also brought him gifts made of gold, silver, and bronze. 11David gave these gifts to the LORD, just
as he had done with the silver and gold he had captured from Edom, Moab, Ammon,
Philistia, and Amalek.
12Abishai the son of Zeruiah
defeated the Edomite army in Salt Valley and killed eighteen thousand of their
troops. 13Then he stationed troops in
Edom, and the people there had to accept David as their ruler.
Everywhere David went, the LORD gave him victory in war.
A List of David's Officials
(2 Samuel 8.15-18)
14David ruled all Israel with fairness and justice.
15Joab the son of Zeruiah was
the commander in chief of the army.
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept the government records.
16Zadok the son of Ahitub and
Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests.
Shavsha was the secretary.
17Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
was the commander of David's bodyguard. [b]
David's sons were his highest-ranking officials.
Footnotes:
- 1 Chronicles 17:17 You are treating me. . . person: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 1 Chronicles 18:17 David's bodyguard: The Hebrew text has "the Cherethites and the Pelethites," who were foreign soldiers hired by David to be his bodyguard.
Romans 2:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)
Romans 2
God's Judgment Is Fair
1Some of you accuse others of doing wrong. But there is no excuse for what you do. When you judge others, you condemn yourselves, because you are guilty of doing the very same things. 2We know that God is right to judge everyone who behaves in this way. 3Do you really think God won't punish you, when you behave exactly like the people you accuse? 4You surely don't think much of God's wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don't you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?
5But you are stubborn and
refuse to turn to God. So you are making things even worse for yourselves on
that day when he will show how angry he is and will judge the world with
fairness. 6God will reward each of us
for what we have done. 7He will give
eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good in the hope of
receiving glory, honor, and life that lasts forever. 8But he will show how angry and furious he can be with
every selfish person who rejects the truth and wants to do evil. 9All who are wicked will be punished with
trouble and suffering. It doesn't matter if they are Jews or Gentiles. 10But all who do right will be rewarded
with glory, honor, and peace, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 11God doesn't have any favorites!
12Those people who don't know
about God's Law will still be punished for what they do wrong. And the Law will
be used to judge everyone who knows what it says. 13God accepts those who obey his Law, but not those who
simply hear it.
14Some people naturally obey
the Law's commands, even though they don't have the Law. 15This proves that the conscience is like a law written in
the human heart. And it will show whether we are forgiven or condemned, 16when God appoints Jesus Christ to judge
everyone's secret thoughts, just as my message says.
The Jews and the Law
17Some of you call yourselves Jews. You trust in the Law and take pride in God. 18By reading the Scriptures you learn how God wants you to behave, and you discover what is right. 19You are sure that you are a guide for the blind and a light for all who are in the dark. 20And since there is knowledge and truth in God's Law, you think you can instruct fools and teach young people.
21But how can you teach others
when you refuse to learn? You preach that it is wrong to steal. But do you
steal? 22You say people should be
faithful in marriage. But are you faithful? You hate idols, yet you rob their
temples. 23You take pride in the Law,
but you disobey the Law and bring shame to God. 24It is just as the Scriptures tell us, "You have made
foreigners say insulting things about God."
Psalm 10:16-18 (Contemporary English Version)
16Our LORD, you will always rule,
but nations will vanish
from the earth.
17You listen to the longings
of those who suffer.
You offer them hope,
and you pay attention
to their cries for help.
18You defend orphans
and everyone else in need,
so that no one on earth
can terrify others again.
Proverbs 19:8-9 (Contemporary English Version)
8Do yourself a favor
by having good sense--
you will be glad you did.
9Dishonest witnesses and liars
will be destroyed.
“If you obey me, I will keep loving you, just as my Father keeps loving me,
because I have obeyed him.” - John
15:10
Today's passage is from the Contemporary
English Version.
Thought for the Day
English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occult philosopher, and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, John Dee wrote, “It is by the straight line and the circle that the first and most simple example and representation of all things may be demonstrated, whether such things be either non-existent or merely hidden under Nature's veils.”
A Joke for Today
A small town prosecuting barrister called his first witness to the stand in a trial - a attractive middle aged lady. He approached her and asked, "Ms. Jones, do you know me?"She responded, "I do know you Mr. Leigh. I've known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a rising big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?"
She again replied, "Why, yes I do. I've known Mr. Knowles since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He's lazy, bigoted, he has a drinking problem. The man can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him."
At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both barristers to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, "If either of you asks her if she knows me, you'll be jailed for contempt!"
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