Bible Readings for February 9, 2015

Today our passages are Exodus 29:1–30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; and Proverbs 8:14-26. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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Exodus 29-30:10 (Contemporary English Version)

Exodus 29

Instructions for Ordaining Priests

(Leviticus 8.1-36)

¹When you ordain one of Aaron's sons as my priest, choose a young bull and two rams that have nothing wrong with them. ²Then from your finest flour make three batches of dough without yeast. Shape some of it into larger loaves, some into smaller loaves mixed with olive oil, and the rest into thin wafers brushed with oil. ³Put all of this bread in a basket and bring it when you come to sacrifice the three animals to me. ⁴Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the sacred tent and have them wash themselves. ⁵Dress Aaron in the priestly shirt, the robe that goes under the sacred vest, the vest itself, the breastpiece, and the sash. ⁶Put on his turban with its narrow strip of engraved gold ⁷and then ordain him by pouring olive oil on his head.
⁸Next, dress Aaron's sons in their special shirts ⁹and caps and their sashes, ^[a] then ordain them, because they and their descendants will always be priests. ¹⁰Lead the bull to the entrance of the sacred tent, where Aaron and his sons will lay their hands on its head. ¹¹Kill the bull near my altar in front of the tent. ¹²Use a finger to smear some of its blood on each of the four corners of the altar and pour out the rest of the blood on the ground next to the altar. ¹³Then take the fat from the animal's insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and send them up in smoke on the altar. ¹⁴But the meat, the skin, and the food still in the bull's stomach must be burned outside the camp as an offering to ask forgiveness for the sins of the priests. ^[b]15Bring one of the rams to Aaron and his sons and have them lay their hands on its head. ¹⁶Kill the ram and splatter its blood against all four sides of the altar. ¹⁷Cut up the ram, wash its insides and legs, and lay all of its parts on the altar, including the head. ¹⁸Then make sure that the whole animal goes up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.
¹⁹Bring the other ram to Aaron and his sons and have them lay their hands on its head. ²⁰Kill the ram and place some of its blood on Aaron's right ear lobe, his right thumb, and the big toe of his right foot. Do the same for each of his sons and splatter the rest of the blood against the four sides of the altar. ²¹Then take some of the blood from the altar, mix it with the oil used for ordination, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his clothes, and also on his sons and their clothes. This will show that they and their clothes have been dedicated to me.
²²This ram is part of the ordination service. So remove its right hind leg, ^[c] its fat tail, the fat on its insides, as well as the lower part of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat. ²³Take one loaf of each kind of bread ^[d] from the basket, ²⁴and put this bread, together with the meat, into the hands of Aaron and his sons. Then they will lift it all up ^[e] to show that it is dedicated to me. ²⁵After this, the meat and bread are to be placed on the altar and sent up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. ²⁶You may eat the choice ribs from this second ram, but you must first lift them up ^[f] to show that this meat is dedicated to me. ^27-28In the future, when anyone from Israel offers the ribs and a hind leg of a ram either to ordain a priest or to ask for my blessing, the meat belongs to me, but it may be eaten by the priests. This law will never change.
^29-30After Aaron's death, his priestly clothes are to be handed down to each descendant who succeeds him as high priest, and these clothes must be worn during the seven-day ceremony of ordination.
³¹Boil the meat of the ordination ram in a sacred place, ³²then have Aaron and his sons eat it together with the three kinds of bread at the entrance to the sacred tent. ³³At their ordination, a ceremony of forgiveness was performed for them with this sacred food, and only they have the right to eat it. ³⁴If any of the sacred food is left until morning, it must be burned up.
³⁵Repeat this ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons seven days in a row, just as I have instructed you. ³⁶Each day you must offer a bull as a sacrifice for sin and as a way of purifying the altar. In addition, you must smear the altar with olive oil to make it completely holy. ³⁷Do this for seven days, and the altar will become so holy that anyone who touches it will become holy.
The LORD said:

Daily Sacrifices

(Leviticus 6.8-13; Numbers 28.1-8)

³⁸Each day you must sacrifice two lambs a year old, ³⁹one in the morning and one in the evening. ^40-41With each lamb offer two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of pure olive oil, and also pour out a quart of wine as an offering. The smell of this sacrifice on the fires of the altar will be pleasing to me. ^42-43You and your descendants must always offer this sacrifice on the altar at the entrance to the sacred tent. People of Israel, I will meet and speak with you there, and my shining glory will make the place holy. ⁴⁴Because of who I am, the tent will become sacred, and Aaron and his sons will become worthy to serve as my priests. ⁴⁵I will live among you as your God, ⁴⁶and you will know that I am the LORD your God, the one who rescued you from Egypt, so that I could live among you.
The LORD said to Moses:

Exodus 30

The Altar for Burning Incense

(Exodus 37.25-28)

¹Build an altar of acacia wood where you can burn incense. ²Make it eighteen inches square and thirty-six inches high, and make each of its four corners stick up like the horn of a bull. ³Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it. ⁴Then below the edging on opposite sides attach two gold rings through which you can put the poles for carrying the altar. ⁵These poles are also to be made of acacia wood covered with gold. ⁶Put the altar in front of the inside curtain of the sacred tent. The chest with the place of mercy ^[g] is kept behind that curtain, and I will talk with you there. ^7-8From now on, when Aaron tends the lamp each morning and evening, he must burn sweet-smelling incense to me on the altar. ⁹Burn only the proper incense on the altar and never use it for grain sacrifices or animal sacrifices or drink offerings. ¹⁰Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing on its four corners ^[h] the blood of an animal sacrificed for sin, and this practice must always be followed. The altar is sacred because it is dedicated to me.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 29:9their sashes: One ancient translation; Hebrew " the sashes of Aaron and his sons."
2. Exodus 29:14for the sins of the priests: When a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins was made for someone other than priests, the part that was not burned on the altar could be eaten by the priests (see Leviticus 5.13; 6.26).
3. Exodus 29:22right hind leg: This was usually given to the officiating priest (see Leviticus 7.33).
4. Exodus 29:23each kind of bread: See verses 2,3.
5. Exodus 29:24lift it all up: Or " wave it all."
6. Exodus 29:26three kinds of bread: See verses 2,3.
7. Exodus 30:6place of mercy: See the note at 26.34.
8. Exodus 30:10four corners: See 27.2; 30.2.

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Matthew 26:14-46 (Contemporary English Version)

Judas and the Chief Priests

(Mark 14.10,11; Luke 22.3-6)

¹⁴Judas Iscariot ^[a] was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests ¹⁵and asked, "How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?" They paid Judas thirty silver coins, ¹⁶and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.

Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples

(Mark 14.12-21; Luke 22.7-13; John 13.21-30)

¹⁷On the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?" ¹⁸Jesus told them to go to a certain man in the city and tell him, "Our teacher says, `My time has come! I want to eat the Passover meal with my disciples in your home.' " ¹⁹They did as Jesus told them and prepared the meal.
^20-21When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, "One of you will surely hand me over to my enemies."
²²The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, "Lord, you can't mean me!"
²³He answered, "One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born."
²⁵Judas said, "Teacher, you surely don't mean me!"
"That's what you say!" Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him.

The Lord's Supper

(Mark 14.22-26; Luke 22.14-23; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)

²⁶During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body." ²⁷Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and drink it. ²⁸This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven. ²⁹From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom." ³⁰Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Peter's Promise

(Mark 14.27-31; Luke 22.31-34; John 13.36-38)

³¹Jesus said to his disciples, "During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say, `I will strike down
the shepherd,
and the sheep
will be scattered.'
³²But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you."
³³Peter spoke up, "Even if all the others reject you, I never will!"
³⁴Jesus replied, "I promise you that before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me." ³⁵But Peter said, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you."
All the others said the same thing.

Jesus Prays

(Mark 14.32-42; Luke 22.39-46)

³⁶Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." ³⁷Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. ^[b] He was very sad and troubled, ³⁸and he said to them, "I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me." ³⁹Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. ^[c] But do what you want, and not what I want." ⁴⁰He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, "Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? ⁴¹Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak."
⁴²Again Jesus went to pray and said, "My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want."
⁴³Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. ⁴⁴He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
⁴⁵Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? ^[d] The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. ⁴⁶Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here."

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 26:14Iscariot: See the note at 10.4.
2. Matthew 26:37the two brothers, James and John: The Greek text has "the two sons of Zebedee" (see 27.56).
3. Matthew 26:39having me drink from this cup: In the Scriptures "to drink from a cup" sometimes means to suffer (see the note at 20.22).
4. Matthew 26:45Are you still sleeping and resting: Or "You may as well keep on sleeping and resting."

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Psalm 31:19-24 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁹You are wonderful,
and while everyone watches,
you store up blessings for all
who honor and trust you.
²⁰You are their shelter
from harmful plots,
and you are their protection
from vicious gossip.
²¹I will praise you, LORD,
for showing great kindness
when I was like a city
under attack.
²²I was terrified and thought,
"They've chased me
far away from you!"
But you answered my prayer
when I shouted for help.
²³All who belong to the LORD,
show how you love him.
The LORD protects the faithful,
but he severely punishes
everyone who is proud.
²⁴All who trust the LORD,
be cheerful and strong.

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Proverbs 8:14-26 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴I am strong,
and I offer
sensible advice
and sound judgment.
¹⁵By my power kings govern,
and rulers make laws
that are fair.
¹⁶Every honest leader rules
with help from me.
¹⁷I love everyone who loves me,
and I will be found by all
who honestly search.
¹⁸I can make you rich and famous,
important and successful.
¹⁹What you receive from me
is more valuable
than even the finest gold
or the purest silver.
²⁰I always do what is right,
²¹and I give great riches
to everyone who loves me.
²²From the beginning,
I was with the LORD. ^[a] I was there before he began
²³to create the earth.
At the very first,
the LORD gave life to ^[b] me. ²⁴When I was born,
there were no oceans
or springs of water.
²⁵My birth was before
mountains were formed
or hills were put in place.
²⁶It happened long before God
had made the earth
or any of its fields
or even the dust.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 8:22From the beginning. . . with the L(ORD: Or " In the very beginning, the LORD created me."
2. Proverbs 8:23gave life to: Or " formed."

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Verse of the Day

 

“[When Christ Returns]My dear friends, we always have good reason to thank God for you, because your faith in God and your love for each other keep growing all the time.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

American head coach of men's college basketball, Dean Smith wrote, “If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.”