Today our passages are Judges 8:18–9:21;
Luke 23:44–24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; and Proverbs 14:9-10. The readings are from
The Message by Eugene H.
Peterson.
Judges 8:18-9:21 (The Message)
18 He
then addressed Zebah and Zalmunna: "Tell me about the men you killed at Tabor."
"They were men much like you," they said, "each one like a king's son."
19 Gideon said, "They were my brothers, my mother's sons. As God lives, if you had let them live, I would let you live."
20 Then he spoke to Jether, his firstborn: "Get up and kill them." But he couldn't do it, couldn't draw his sword. He was afraid—he was still just a boy.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Do it yourself—if you're man enough!" And Gideon did it. He stepped up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. Then he took the crescents that hung on the necks of their camels.
22 The Israelites said, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson. You have saved us from Midian's tyranny."
23 Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you, nor will my son. God will reign over you."
24 Then Gideon said, "But I do have one request. Give me, each of you, an earring that you took as plunder." Ishmaelites wore gold earrings, and the men all had their pockets full of them.
25-26 They said, "Of course. They're yours!"
They spread out a blanket and each man threw his plundered earrings on it. The gold earrings that Gideon had asked for weighed about forty-three pounds—and that didn't include the crescents and pendants, the purple robes worn by the Midianite kings, and the ornaments hung around the necks of their camels.
27 Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it.
28 Midian's tyranny was broken by the Israelites; nothing more was heard from them. The land was quiet for forty years in Gideon's time.
29-31 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and lived in his house. Gideon had seventy sons. He fathered them all—he had a lot of wives! His concubine, the one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech.
32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
4-5 They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of Baal-of-theCovenant. With the money he hired some reckless riffraff soldiers and they followed along after him. He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his half brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal—seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor.
6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered at the Oak by the Standing Stone at Shechem and crowned Abimelech king.
7-9 When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and shouted:
Listen to me, leaders of Shechem.
And let God listen to you!
The trees set out one day
to anoint a king for themselves.
They said to Olive Tree,
"Rule over us."
But Olive Tree told them,
"Am I no longer good for making oil
That gives glory to gods and men,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
10-11 The trees then said to Fig Tree,
"You come and rule over us."
But Fig Tree said to them,
"Am I no longer good for making sweets,
My mouthwatering sweet fruits,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
12-13 The trees then said to Vine,
"You come and rule over us."
But Vine said to them,
"Am I no longer good for making wine,
Wine that cheers gods and men,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
14-15 All the trees then said to Tumbleweed,
"You come and reign over us."
But Tumbleweed said to the trees:
"If you're serious about making me your king,
Come and find shelter in my shade.
But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed
and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!"
16-20 "Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when you made Abimelech king? Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, did for him what he deserved? My father fought for you, risked his own life, and rescued you from Midian's tyranny, and you have, just now, betrayed him. You massacred his sons—seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, the son by his maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative. If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated Jerub-Baal today, then enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you. But if not, let fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And let fire break from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech."
21 And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
God rules. On your toes, everybody! He
rules from his angel throne—take notice!
God looms majestic in Zion,
He towers in splendor over all the big names.
Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you!
Holy. Yes, holy.
4-5 Strong King, lover of justice,
You laid things out fair and square;
You set down the foundations in Jacob,
Foundation stones of just and right ways.
Honor God, our God; worship his rule!
Holy. Yes, holy.
6-9 Moses and Aaron were his priests,
Samuel among those who prayed to him.
They prayed to God and he answered them;
He spoke from the pillar of cloud.
And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them.
And then God, our God, answered them
(But you were never soft on their sins).
Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain.
Holy. Yes, holy is God our God.
9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong,
but a moral life is a favored life.
10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends
will be an outsider at their celebrations.
"They were men much like you," they said, "each one like a king's son."
19 Gideon said, "They were my brothers, my mother's sons. As God lives, if you had let them live, I would let you live."
20 Then he spoke to Jether, his firstborn: "Get up and kill them." But he couldn't do it, couldn't draw his sword. He was afraid—he was still just a boy.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Do it yourself—if you're man enough!" And Gideon did it. He stepped up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. Then he took the crescents that hung on the necks of their camels.
22 The Israelites said, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson. You have saved us from Midian's tyranny."
23 Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you, nor will my son. God will reign over you."
24 Then Gideon said, "But I do have one request. Give me, each of you, an earring that you took as plunder." Ishmaelites wore gold earrings, and the men all had their pockets full of them.
25-26 They said, "Of course. They're yours!"
They spread out a blanket and each man threw his plundered earrings on it. The gold earrings that Gideon had asked for weighed about forty-three pounds—and that didn't include the crescents and pendants, the purple robes worn by the Midianite kings, and the ornaments hung around the necks of their camels.
27 Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it.
28 Midian's tyranny was broken by the Israelites; nothing more was heard from them. The land was quiet for forty years in Gideon's time.
29-31 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and lived in his house. Gideon had seventy sons. He fathered them all—he had a lot of wives! His concubine, the one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech.
32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Abimelech
33-35 Gideon was hardly cool in the tomb when the People of Israel had gotten off track and were prostituting themselves to Baal—they made Baal-of-the-Covenant their god. The People of Israel forgot all about God, their God, who had saved them from all their enemies who had hemmed them in. And they didn't keep faith with the family of Jerub-Baal (Gideon), honoring all the good he had done for Israel.Judges 9
1-2Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his uncles and all his mother's relatives and said to them, "Ask all the leading men of Shechem, 'What do you think is best, that seventy men rule you—all those sons of Jerub-Baal—or that one man rule? You'll remember that I am your own flesh and blood.'" 3 His mother's relatives reported the proposal to the leaders of Shechem. They were inclined to take Abimelech. "Because," they said, "he is, after all, one of us."4-5 They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of Baal-of-theCovenant. With the money he hired some reckless riffraff soldiers and they followed along after him. He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his half brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal—seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor.
6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered at the Oak by the Standing Stone at Shechem and crowned Abimelech king.
7-9 When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and shouted:
Listen to me, leaders of Shechem.
And let God listen to you!
The trees set out one day
to anoint a king for themselves.
They said to Olive Tree,
"Rule over us."
But Olive Tree told them,
"Am I no longer good for making oil
That gives glory to gods and men,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
10-11 The trees then said to Fig Tree,
"You come and rule over us."
But Fig Tree said to them,
"Am I no longer good for making sweets,
My mouthwatering sweet fruits,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
12-13 The trees then said to Vine,
"You come and rule over us."
But Vine said to them,
"Am I no longer good for making wine,
Wine that cheers gods and men,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
14-15 All the trees then said to Tumbleweed,
"You come and reign over us."
But Tumbleweed said to the trees:
"If you're serious about making me your king,
Come and find shelter in my shade.
But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed
and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!"
16-20 "Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when you made Abimelech king? Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, did for him what he deserved? My father fought for you, risked his own life, and rescued you from Midian's tyranny, and you have, just now, betrayed him. You massacred his sons—seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, the son by his maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative. If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated Jerub-Baal today, then enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you. But if not, let fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And let fire break from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech."
21 And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
Luke 23:44-24:12 (The Message)
44-46By now it was noon. The whole earth
became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple
curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my
life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last.
47When the captain there saw what happened,
he honored God: "This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!"
48-49All who had come around as spectators
to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with
grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had
followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.
50-54There was a man by the name of Joseph,
a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He
had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was
the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of
God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he
wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a
tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to
begin.
55-56The women who had been companions of
Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus' body was
placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested
quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.
Luke 24
Looking for the Living One in a Cemetery
1-3At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the
women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found
the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once
inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus.
4-8They were puzzled, wondering what to
make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over
them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men
said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but
raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he
had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise
up?" Then they remembered Jesus' words.
9-11They left the tomb and broke the news
of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother
of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the
apostles, but the apostles didn't believe a word of it, thought they were making
it all up.
12But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to
the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that's all. He
walked away puzzled, shaking his head.
Psalm 99:1-9 (The Message)
Psalm 99
God looms majestic in Zion,
He towers in splendor over all the big names.
Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you!
Holy. Yes, holy.
4-5 Strong King, lover of justice,
You laid things out fair and square;
You set down the foundations in Jacob,
Foundation stones of just and right ways.
Honor God, our God; worship his rule!
Holy. Yes, holy.
6-9 Moses and Aaron were his priests,
Samuel among those who prayed to him.
They prayed to God and he answered them;
He spoke from the pillar of cloud.
And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them.
And then God, our God, answered them
(But you were never soft on their sins).
Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain.
Holy. Yes, holy is God our God.
Proverbs 14:9-10 (The Message)
9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong,
but a moral life is a favored life.
10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends
will be an outsider at their celebrations.
Verse of the Day
“and think the
same way that Christ Jesus thought: Christ was truly God. But he did not try to
remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he
became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a
cross.” - Philippians 2:5-8
Today's passage is from the
Contemporary English Version.
Thought
for the Day
Chinese philosopher, Zhuangzi wrote, “Happiness is
the absence of the striving for happiness.”
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