Bible Readings for November 8, 2017

Today our passages are Ezekiel 18:1–19:14; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalm 106:32-48; and Proverbs 27:10.  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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Ezekiel 18-19:14 (Contemporary English Version)

Ezekiel 18

Those Who Sin Will Die

 ¹The LORD said:    ²Ezekiel, I hear the people of Israel using the old saying,
   "Sour grapes eaten by parents
   leave a sour taste
   in the mouths
   of their children."
    ³Now tell them that I am the LORD God, and as surely as I live, that saying will no longer be used in Israel. ⁴The lives of all people belong to me--parents as well as children. Only those who sin will be put to death.
    ⁵Suppose there is a truly good man who always does what is fair and right. ⁶He refuses to eat meat sacrificed to foreign gods at local shrines or to worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman having her monthly period. ⁷He never cheats or robs anyone and always returns anything taken as security for a loan; he gives food and clothes to the poor ⁸and doesn't charge interest when lending money. He refuses to do anything evil; he is fair to everyone ⁹and faithfully obeys my laws and teachings. This man is good, and I promise he will live.
    ¹⁰But suppose this good man has an evil son who is violent and commits sins ¹¹his father never did. He eats meat at local shrines, has sex with someone else's wife, ¹²cheats the poor, and robs people. He keeps what is given to him as security for a loan. He worships idols, does disgusting things, ¹³and charges high interest when lending money. An evil man like that will certainly not live. He is the one who has done these horrible sins, so it's his own fault that he will be put to death.
    ¹⁴But suppose this evil man has a son who sees his father do these things and refuses to act like him. ¹⁵He doesn't eat meat at local shrines or worship Israel's idols, and he doesn't have sex with someone else's wife. ¹⁶He never cheats or robs anyone and doesn't even demand security for a loan. He gives food and clothes to the poor ¹⁷and refuses to do anything evil ^a] or to charge interest. And he obeys all my laws and teachings. Such a man will live. His own father sinned, but this good man will not be put to death for the sins of his father. ¹⁸It is his father who will die for cheating and robbing and doing evil. ¹⁹You may wonder why a son isn't punished for the sins of his father. It is because the son does what is right and obeys my laws. ²⁰Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won't suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won't suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do.
    ²¹Suppose wicked people stop sinning and start obeying my laws and doing right. They won't be put to death. ²²All their sins will be forgiven, and they will live because they did right. ²³I, the LORD God, don't like to see wicked people die. I enjoy seeing them turn from their sins and live.
    ²⁴But when good people start sinning and doing disgusting things, will they live? No! All their good deeds will be forgotten, and they will be put to death because of their sins.
    ²⁵You people of Israel accuse me of being unfair! But listen--I'm not unfair; you are! ²⁶If good people start doing evil, they must be put to death, because they have sinned. ²⁷And if wicked people start doing right, they will save themselves from punishment. ²⁸They will think about what they've done and stop sinning, and so they won't be put to death. ²⁹But you still say that I am unfair. You are the ones who have done wrong and are unfair!
    ³⁰I will judge each of you for what you've done. So stop sinning, or else you will certainly be punished. ³¹Give up your evil ways and start thinking pure thoughts. And be faithful to me! Do you really want to be put to death for your sins? ³²I, the LORD God, don't want to see that happen to anyone. So stop sinning and live!
   

Ezekiel 19

A Funeral Song for Israel's Leaders

The LORD said:

 ¹Ezekiel, sing a funeral song for two of Israel's leaders: ^b] 2Your mother was a brave lioness   who raised her cubs
   among lions.
    ³She taught one of them to hunt,
   and he learned to eat people.
    ⁴When the nations heard of him,
   they trapped him in a pit,
   then they used hooks
   to drag him to Egypt.
    ⁵His mother waited
   for him to return.
   But soon she lost all hope
   and raised another cub,
   who also became fierce.
    ⁶He hunted with other lions
   and learned to eat people.
    ⁷He destroyed fortresses ^c] and ruined towns;
   his mighty roar
   terrified everyone.
    ⁸Nations plotted to kill him,
   and people came from all over
   to spread out a net
   and catch him in a trap.
    ⁹They put him in a cage
   and took him to Babylonia.
   The lion was locked away,
   so that his mighty roar
   would never again be heard
   on Israel's hills.
    ¹⁰Your mother was a vine ^d] growing near a stream.
   There was plenty of water,
   so she was filled with branches
   and with lots of fruit.
    ¹¹Her strong branches
   became symbols of authority,
   and she was taller
   than all other trees--
   everyone could see how strong
   and healthy she was.
    ¹²But in anger, I pulled her up
   by the roots
   and threw her to the ground,
   where the scorching desert wind
   dried out her fruit.
   Her strong branches wilted
   and burned up.
    ¹³Then she was planted
   in a hot, dry desert,
    ¹⁴where her stem caught fire,
   and flames burned
   her branches and fruit.
   Not one strong branch is left;
   she is stripped bare.
   This funeral song must be sung with sorrow.
   

Footnotes:

1. Ezekiel 18:17 evil: One ancient translation; Hebrew "for the poor."
2. Ezekiel 19:1 two of Israel's leaders: Probably Jehoahaz (ruled three months in 609 B.C.) and Jehoiachin (ruled three months in 598 B.C.) or Zedekiah (598-586 B.C.).
3. Ezekiel 19:7 He destroyed fortresses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Ezekiel 19:10 Your mother was a vine: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Hebrews 9:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Hebrews 9

The Tent in Heaven

 ¹The first promise that was made included rules for worship and a tent for worship here on earth. ²The first part of the tent was called the holy place, and a lampstand, a table, and the sacred loaves of bread were kept there.    ³Behind the curtain was the most holy place. ⁴The gold altar that was used for burning incense was in this holy place. The gold-covered sacred chest was also there, and inside it were three things. First, there was a gold jar filled with manna. ^a]Then there was Aaron's walking stick that sprouted. ^b] Finally, there were the flat stones with the Ten Commandments written on them. ⁵On top of the chest were the glorious creatures with wings ^c] opened out above the place of mercy. ^d] Now isn't the time to go into detail about these things. ⁶But this is how everything was when the priests went each day into the first part of the tent to do their duties. ⁷However, only the high priest could go into the second part of the tent, and he went in only once a year. Each time he carried blood to offer for his sins and for any sins that the people had committed without meaning to.
    ⁸All of this is the Holy Spirit's way of saying that no one could enter the most holy place while the tent was still the place of worship. ⁹This also has a meaning for today. It shows that we cannot make our consciences clear by offering gifts and sacrifices. ¹⁰These rules are merely about such things as eating and drinking and ceremonies for washing ourselves. And rules about physical things will last only until the time comes to change them for something better.
   

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 9:4 manna: When the people of Israel were wandering through the desert, the Lord provided them with food that could be made into thin wafers. This food was called manna, which in Hebrew means "What is it?"
2. Hebrews 9:4 Aaron's walking stick that sprouted: According to Numbers 17.1-11, Aaron's walking stick sprouted and produced almonds to show that the Lord was pleased with him and Moses.
3. Hebrews 9:5 glorious creatures with wings: Two of these creatures (called "cherubim" in Hebrew and Greek) with outspread wings were on top of the sacred chest and were symbols of God's throne.
4. Hebrews 9:5 place of mercy: The lid of the sacred chest, which was thought to be God's throne on earth.

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Psalm 106:32-48 (Contemporary English Version)

³²At Meribah Spring ^a] they turned against you
   and made you furious.
    ³³Then Moses got into trouble
   for speaking in anger.
    ³⁴Our LORD, they disobeyed you
   by refusing to destroy
   the nations.
    ³⁵Instead they were friendly
   with those foreigners
   and followed their customs.
    ³⁶Then they fell into the trap
   of worshiping idols.
    ³⁷They sacrificed their sons
   and their daughters
   to demons
    ³⁸and to the gods of Canaan.
   Then they poured out the blood
   of these innocent children
   and made the land filthy.
    ³⁹By doing such gruesome things,
   they also became filthy.
    ⁴⁰Finally, LORD, you were angry
   and terribly disgusted
   with your people.
    ⁴¹So you put them in the power
   of nations
   that hated them.
    ⁴²They were mistreated and abused
   by their enemies,
    ⁴³but you saved them
   time after time.
   They were determined to rebel,
   and their sins caused
   their downfall.
    ⁴⁴You answered their prayers
   when they were in trouble.
    ⁴⁵You kept your agreement
   and were so merciful
    ⁴⁶that their enemies
   had pity on them.
    ⁴⁷Save us, LORD God!
   Bring us back
   from among the nations.
   Let us celebrate and shout
   in praise of your holy name.
    ⁴⁸LORD God of Israel,
   you deserve to be praised
   forever and ever.
   Let everyone say, "Amen!
   Shout praises to the LORD!"
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 106:32 Meribah Spring: See the note at 81.7.

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Proverbs 27:10 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁰Don't desert an old friend
   of your family
   or visit your relatives
   when you are in trouble.
   A friend nearby is better
   than relatives far away.

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Verse of the Day

“But if you don't want to worship the LORD, then choose right now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you're living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you'll worship their gods. I won't. My family and I are going to worship and obey the LORD!” - Joshua 24:15

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English anchoress and an important Christian mystic and theologian, Julian of Norwich wrote, “The fulness of joy is to behold God in all: for by the same blessed Might, Wisdom, and Love, that He made all-thing, to the same end our good Lord leadeth it continually, and thereto Himself shall bring it; and when it is time we shall see it.”

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A Joke for Today

One day at a busy airport, the passengers on a commercial airliner are seated waiting for the pilot to show up so they can get under way.

The pilot and copilot finally appear in the rear of the plane and begin walking up to the cockpit through the center aisle. Both appear to be blind; the pilot is using a white cane, bumping into passengers right and left as he stumbles down the aisle. The copilot is using a guide dog. Both have their eyes covered with sunglasses.

At first, the passengers do not react thinking that it must be some sort of practical joke. After a few minutes though, the engines start revving, and the airplane begins moving down the runway.
The passengers look at each other with some uneasiness. They start whispering among themselves and look desperately to the stewardesses for reassurance.

Yet, the plane starts accelerating rapidly, and people begin panicking. Some passengers are praying, and as the plane gets closer and closer to the end of the runway, the voices are becoming more and more hysterical.

When the plane has less than twenty feet of runway left, there is a sudden change in the pitch of the shouts as everyone screams at once. At the very last moment, the plane lifts off and is airborne.

Up in the cockpit, the copilot breathes a sigh of relief and tells the pilot: "You know, one of these days the passengers aren't going to scream, and we aren't going to know when to take off!"