Bible Readings for May 21, 2019

Today our passages are 1 Samuel 29:1–31:13; John 11:54–12:19; Psalm 118:1-18; and Proverbs 15:24-26. 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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1 Samuel 29-31:13 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Samuel 29

The Philistines Send David Back

 ¹The Philistines had brought their whole army to Aphek, ^[a] while Israel's army was camping near Jezreel Spring. ^2-3The Philistine rulers and their troops were marching past the Philistine army commanders in groups of a hundred and a thousand. When David and his men marched by at the end with Achish, the commanders said, "What are these worthless Israelites doing here?" "They are David's men," Achish answered. "David used to be one of Saul's officers, but he left Saul and joined my army a long time ago. I've never had even one complaint about him."     ⁴The Philistine army commanders were angry and shouted:
   Send David back to the town you gave him. We won't have him going into the battle with us. He could turn and fight against us! Saul would take David back as an officer if David brought him the heads of our soldiers. ⁵The Israelites even dance and sing,
   "Saul has killed
   a thousand enemies;
   David has killed
   ten thousand enemies!"
    ⁶Achish called David over and said:
   I swear by the living LORD that you've been honest with me, and I want you to fight by my side. I don't think you've done anything wrong from the day you joined me until this very moment. But the other Philistine rulers don't want you to come along. ⁷Go on back home and try not to upset them.
    ⁸"But what have I done?" David asked. "Do you know of anything I've ever done that would keep me from fighting the enemies of my king?" ^[b] ⁹Achish said:
   I believe that you're as good as an angel of God, but our army commanders have decided that you can't fight in this battle. ¹⁰You and your troops will have to go back to the town I gave you. ^[c] Get up and leave tomorrow morning as soon as it's light. I am pleased with you, so don't let any of this bother you. ^[d] ¹¹David and his men got up early in the morning and headed back toward Philistia, while the Philistines left for Jezreel.
    

1 Samuel 30

David Rescues His Soldiers' Families

 ¹It took David and his men three days to reach Ziklag. But while they had been away, the Amalekites had been raiding in the desert around there. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground, ²and had taken away the women and children. ³When David and his men came to Ziklag, they saw the burned-out ruins and learned that their families had been taken captive. ⁴They started crying and kept it up until they were too weak to cry any more. ⁵David's two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had been taken captive with everyone else.     ⁶David was desperate. His soldiers were so upset over what had happened to their sons and daughters that they were thinking about stoning David to death. But he felt the LORD God giving him strength, ⁷and he said to the priest, "Abiathar, let's ask God what to do."
   Abiathar brought everything he needed to get answers from God, and he went over to David. ⁸Then David asked the LORD, "Should I go after the people who raided our town? Can I catch up with them?"
   "Go after them," the LORD answered. "You will catch up with them, and you will rescue your families."
    ^9-10David led his six hundred men to Besor Gorge, but two hundred of them were too tired to go across. So they stayed behind, while David and the other four hundred men crossed the gorge.
    ¹¹Some of David's men found an Egyptian out in a field and took him to David. They gave the Egyptian some bread, and he ate it. Then they gave him a drink of water, ¹²some dried figs, and two handfuls of raisins. This was the first time in three days he had tasted food or water. Now he felt much better.
    ¹³"Who is your master?" David asked. "And where do you come from?"
   "I'm from Egypt," the young man answered. "I'm the servant of an Amalekite, but he left me here three days ago because I was sick. ¹⁴We had attacked some towns in the desert where the Cherethites live, in the area that belongs to Judah, and in the desert where the Caleb clan lives. And we burned down Ziklag."
    ¹⁵"Will you take me to those Amalekites?" David asked.
   "Yes, I will, if you promise with God as a witness that you won't kill me or hand me over to my master."
    ¹⁶He led David to the Amalekites. They were eating and drinking everywhere, celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah. ¹⁷David attacked just before sunrise the next day and fought until sunset. ^[e] Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels, but they were the only ones who escaped. ¹⁸David rescued his two wives and everyone else the Amalekites had taken from Ziklag. ¹⁹No one was missing--young or old, sons or daughters. David brought back everything that had been stolen, ²⁰including their livestock.
   David also took the sheep and cattle that the Amalekites had with them, but he kept these separate from the others. Everyone agreed that these would be David's reward.
    ²¹On the way back, David went to the two hundred men he had left at Besor Gorge, because they had been too tired to keep up with him. They came toward David and the people who were with him. When David was close enough, he greeted the two hundred men and asked how they were doing.
    ²²Some of David's men were good-for-nothings, and they said, "Those men didn't go with us to the battle, so they don't get any of the things we took back from the Amalekites. Let them take their wives and children and go!"
    ²³But David said:
   My friends, don't be so greedy with what the LORD has given us! The LORD protected us and gave us victory over the people who attacked. ²⁴Who would pay attention to you, anyway? Soldiers who stay behind to guard the camp get as much as those who go into battle.
    ²⁵David made this a law for Israel, and it has been the same ever since.
    ²⁶David went back to Ziklag with everything they had taken from the Amalekites. He sent some of these things as gifts to his friends who were leaders of Judah, and he told them, "We took these things from the LORD's enemies. Please accept them as a gift."
    ^27-31This is a list of the towns where David sent gifts: Bethel, ^[f] Ramoth in the Southern Desert, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Racal, the towns belonging to the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites, Hormah, Bor-Ashan, Athach, and Hebron. He also sent gifts to the other towns where he and his men had traveled. 

1 Samuel 31

Saul and His Sons Die

 ¹Meanwhile, the Philistines were fighting Israel at Mount Gilboa. Israel's soldiers ran from the Philistines, and many of them were killed. ²The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ³The fighting was fierce around Saul, and he was badly wounded by enemy arrows.     ⁴Saul told the soldier who carried his weapons, "Kill me with your sword! I don't want those worthless Philistines to torture me and make fun." But the soldier was afraid to kill him.
   Saul then took out his own sword; he stuck the blade into his stomach, and fell on it. ⁵When the soldier knew that Saul was dead, he killed himself in the same way.
    ⁶Saul was dead, his three sons were dead, and the soldier who carried his weapons was dead. They and all his soldiers died on that same day. ⁷The Israelites on the other side of Jezreel Valley ^[g] and the other side of the Jordan learned that Saul and his sons were dead. They saw that the Israelite army had run away. So they ran away too, and the Philistines moved into the towns the Israelites had left behind. ⁸The day after the battle, when the Philistines returned to the battlefield to take the weapons of the dead Israelite soldiers, they found Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. ^9-10The Philistines cut off Saul's head and pulled off his armor. Then they put his armor in the temple of the goddess Astarte, and they nailed his body to the city wall of Beth-Shan. They also sent messengers everywhere in Philistia to spread the good news in the temples of their idols and among their people.
    ¹¹The people who lived in Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul's body. ¹²So one night, some brave men from Jabesh went to Beth-Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons, then brought them back to Jabesh and burned them. ¹³They buried the bones under a small tree in Jabesh, and for seven days, they went without eating to show their sorrow.
    

Footnotes:

1. 1 Samuel 29:1 Aphek: The events of chapter 29 probably took place as the Philistine army was on its way to Shunem, which they reached in 28.4.
2. 1 Samuel 29:8 my king: David may be referring to either Saul or Achish.
3. 1 Samuel 29:10 go. . . you: One ancient translation; these words are not in the Hebrew text.
4. 1 Samuel 29:10 I am. . . bother you: One ancient translation; these words are not in the Hebrew text.
5. 1 Samuel 30:17 just. . . sunset: Or "at dusk, and fought until sunset on the next day."
6. 1 Samuel 30:27 Bethel: Or "Bethuel" (see Joshua 19.4).
7. 1 Samuel 31:7 Jezreel Valley: Hebrew "valley." Shunem (see 28.4) and Gilboa (see verse 1) were across the Jezreel Valley from each other.

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John 11:54-12:19 (Contemporary English Version)

⁵⁴Because of this plot against him, Jesus stopped going around in public. He went to the town of Ephraim, which was near the desert, and he stayed there with his disciples.
    ⁵⁵It was almost time for Passover. Many of the Jewish people who lived out in the country had come to Jerusalem to get themselves ready ^[a] for the festival. ⁵⁶They looked around for Jesus. Then when they were in the temple, they asked each other, "You don't think he will come here for Passover, do you?" ⁵⁷The chief priests and the Pharisees told the people to let them know if any of them saw Jesus. That is how they hoped to arrest him.
    

John 12

At Bethany

(Matthew 26.6-13; Mark 14.3-9)

 ¹Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. ²A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.     ³Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume ^[b] and poured it on Jesus' feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house. ⁴A disciple named Judas Iscariot ^[c] was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, ⁵"Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?" ⁶Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it. ⁷Jesus replied, "Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me."     

A Plot To Kill Lazarus

 ⁹A lot of people came when they heard that Jesus was there. They also wanted to see Lazarus, because Jesus had raised him from death. ¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus. ¹¹He was the reason that many of the Jewish leaders were turning from them and putting their faith in Jesus.     

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

(Matthew 21.1-11; Mark 11.1-11; Luke 19.28-40)

 ¹²The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, ¹³they took palm branches and went out to greet him. ^[d] They shouted, "Hooray! ^[e] God bless the one who comes    in the name of the Lord!
   God bless the King
   of Israel!"
    ¹⁴Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say,
    ¹⁵"People of Jerusalem,
   don't be afraid!
   Your King is now coming,
   and he is riding
   on a donkey."
    ¹⁶At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory, ^[f] they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would. ^17-18A crowd had come to meet Jesus because they had seen him call Lazarus out of the tomb. They kept talking about him and this miracle. ^[g] ¹⁹But the Pharisees said to each other, "There is nothing that can be done! Everyone in the world is following Jesus." 

Footnotes:

1. John 11:55 get themselves ready: The Jewish people had to do certain things to prepare themselves to worship God.
2. John 12:3 very expensive bottle of perfume: The Greek text has " expensive perfume made of pure spikenard," a plant used to make perfume.
3. John 12:4 Iscariot: See the note at 6.71.
4. John 12:13 took palm branches and went out to greet him: This was one way that the Jewish people welcomed a famous person.
5. John 12:13 Hooray: This translates a word that can mean " please save us." But it is most often used as a shout of praise to God.
6. John 12:16 had been given his glory: See the note at 7.39.
7. John 12:17 miracle: See the note at 2.11.

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Psalm 118:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 118

The LORD Is Always Merciful

 ¹Tell the LORD    how thankful you are,
   because he is kind
   and always merciful.
    ²Let Israel shout,
   "God is always merciful!"
    ³Let the family of Aaron
   the priest shout,
   "God is always merciful!"
    ⁴Let every true worshiper
   of the LORD shout,
   "God is always merciful!"
    ⁵When I was really hurting,
   I prayed to the LORD.
   He answered my prayer,
   and took my worries away.
    ⁶The LORD is on my side,
   and I am not afraid
   of what others can do to me.
    ⁷With the LORD on my side,
   I will defeat all
   of my hateful enemies.
    ⁸It is better to trust the LORD
   for protection
   than to trust anyone else,
    ⁹including strong leaders.
    ¹⁰Nations surrounded me,
   but I got rid of them
   by the power of the LORD.
    ¹¹They attacked from all sides,
   but I got rid of them
   by the power of the LORD.
    ¹²They swarmed around like bees,
   but by the power of the LORD,
   I got rid of them
   and their fiery sting.
    ¹³Their attacks were so fierce
   that I nearly fell,
   but the LORD helped me.
    ¹⁴My power and my strength
   come from the LORD,
   and he has saved me.
    ¹⁵From the tents of God's people
   come shouts of victory:
   "The LORD is powerful!
    ¹⁶With his mighty arm
   the LORD wins victories!
   The LORD is powerful!"
    ¹⁷And so my life is safe,
   and I will live to tell
   what the LORD has done.
    ¹⁸He punished me terribly,
   but he did not let death
   lay its hands on me. 

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Proverbs 15:24-26 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁴All who are wise follow a road
   that leads upward to life
   and away from death.
    ²⁵The LORD destroys the homes
   of those who are proud,
   but he protects the property
   of widows.
    ²⁶The LORD hates evil thoughts,
   but kind words please him. 

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Verse of the Day

“[Taking Sides]My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don't take sides. Always try to agree in what you think.” - 1 Corinthians 1:10 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Welsh composer and musician, Joseph Parry wrote, “Friendships that have stood the test of time and change are surely best.”

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A Joke for Today 

One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready for church, to which he replied, "I'm not going." 

"Why not?" she asked."I'll give you two good reasons," he said. "One, they don't like me, and two, I don't like them." 

His mother replied, "I'll give YOU two good reasons why you SHOULD go to church. One, you're 54 years old, and two, you're the pastor!"

Bible Readings for May 20, 2019

Today our passages are 1 Samuel 26:1–28:25; John 11:1-53; Psalm 117:1-2; and Proverbs 15:22-23. 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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1 Samuel 26-28:25 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Samuel 26

David Again Lets Saul Live

 ¹Once again, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} some people from Ziph went to Gibeah to talk with Saul. "David has a hideout on Mount Hachilah near Jeshimon out in the desert," they told him. ²Saul took three thousand of Israel's best soldiers and went to look for David there in Ziph Desert. ³Saul set up camp on Mount Hachilah, which is across the road from Jeshimon. But David was hiding out in the desert.    When David heard that Saul was following him, ⁴he sent some spies to find out if it was true. ⁵Then he sneaked up to Saul's camp. He noticed that Saul and his army commander Abner the son of Ner were sleeping in the middle of the camp, with soldiers sleeping all around them. ⁶David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab's brother Abishai, ^[b<="">] "Which one of you will go with me into Saul's camp?" "I will!" Abishai answered.
    ⁷That same night, David and Abishai crept into the camp. Saul was sleeping, and his spear was stuck in the ground not far from his head. Abner and the soldiers were sound asleep all around him.
    ⁸Abishai whispered, "This time God has let you get your hands on your enemy! I'll pin him to the ground with one thrust of his own spear."
    ⁹"Don't kill him!" David whispered back. "The LORD will punish anyone who kills his chosen king. ¹⁰As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD will kill Saul, or Saul will die a natural death or be killed in battle. ¹¹But I pray that the LORD will keep me from harming his chosen king. Let's grab his spear and his water jar and get out of here!"
    ¹²David took the spear and the water jar, then left the camp. None of Saul's soldiers knew what had happened or even woke up--the LORD had made all of them fall sound asleep. ¹³David and Abishai crossed the valley and went to the top of the next hill, where they were at a safe distance. ¹⁴"Abner!" David shouted toward Saul's army. "Can you hear me?"
   Abner shouted back. "Who dares disturb the king?"
    ¹⁵"Abner, what kind of a man are you?" David replied. "Aren't you supposed to be the best soldier in Israel? Then why didn't you protect your king? Anyone who went into your camp could have killed him tonight. ^[c<="">] 16You're a complete failure! I swear by the living LORD that you and your men deserve to die for not protecting the LORD's chosen king. Look and see if you can find the king's spear and the water jar that were near his head." ¹⁷Saul could tell it was David's voice, and he called out, "David, my son! Is that you?"
   "Yes it is, Your Majesty. ¹⁸Why are you after me? Have I done something wrong, or have I committed a crime? ¹⁹Please listen to what I have to say. If the LORD has turned you against me, maybe a sacrifice will make him change his mind. But if some people have turned you against me, I hope the LORD will punish them! They have forced me to leave the land that belongs to the LORD and have told me to worship foreign gods. ^[d<="">] 20Don't let me die in a land far away from the LORD. I'm no more important than a flea! Why should the king of Israel hunt me down as if I were a bird in the mountains?" ²¹"David, you had the chance to kill me today. But you didn't. I was very wrong about you. It was a terrible mistake for me to try to kill you. I've acted like a fool, but I'll never try to harm you again. You're like a son to me, so please come back."
    ²²"Your Majesty, here's your spear! Have one of your soldiers come and get it. ²³The LORD put you in my power today, but you are his chosen king and I wouldn't harm you. The LORD rewards people who are faithful and live right. ²⁴I saved your life today, and I pray that the LORD will protect me and keep me safe."
    ²⁵"David, my son, I pray that the Lord will bless you and make you successful!"
   Saul went back home. David also left,
    

1 Samuel 27

David in Philistia

 ¹but he thought to himself, "One of these days, Saul is going to kill me. The only way to escape from him is to go to Philistia. Then I'll be outside of Israel, and Saul will give up trying to catch me."     ^2-3David and his six hundred men went across the border to stay in Gath with King Achish the son of Maoch. His men brought their families with them. David brought his wife Ahinoam whose hometown was Jezreel, and he also brought his wife Abigail who had been married to Nabal from Carmel. ⁴When Saul found out that David had run off to Gath, he stopped trying to catch him.
    ⁵One day, David was talking with Achish and said, "If you are happy with me, then let me live in one of the towns in the countryside. I'm not important enough to live here with you in the royal city."
    ⁶Achish gave David the town of Ziklag that same day, and Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.
    ⁷David was in Philistia for a year and four months. ⁸The Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites lived in the area from Telam to Shur ^[e<="">] and on as far as Egypt, and David often attacked their towns. ⁹Whenever David and his men attacked a town, they took the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and the clothing, and killed everyone who lived there. After he returned from a raid, David always went to see Achish, ¹⁰who would ask, "Where did you attack today?" ^[f<="">]David would answer, "Oh, we attacked some desert town that belonged to the Judah tribe." Sometimes David would say, "Oh, we attacked a town in the desert where the Jerahmeel clan lives" or "We attacked a town in the desert where the Kenites ^[g<="">] live." ¹¹That's why David killed everyone in the towns he attacked. He thought, "If I let any of them live, they might come to Gath and tell what I've really been doing." David made these raids all the time he was in Philistia. ¹²But Achish trusted David and thought, "David's people must be furious with him. From now on he will have to take orders from me."
    

1 Samuel 28

Saul Talks with Samuel's Ghost

 ^1-3Samuel had died some time earlier, ^[h<="">] and people from all over Israel had attended his funeral in his hometown of Ramah. Meanwhile, Saul had been trying to get rid of everyone who spoke with the spirits of the dead. ^[i<="">] But one day the Philistines brought their soldiers together to attack Israel. Achish told David, "Of course, you know that you and your men must fight as part of our Philistine army."    David answered, "That will give you a chance to see for yourself just how well we can fight!"
   "In that case," Achish said, "you and your men will always be my bodyguards."
    ⁴The Philistines went to Shunem and set up camp. Saul called the army of Israel together, and they set up their camp in Gilboa. ⁵Saul took one look at the Philistine army and started shaking with fear. ⁶So he asked the LORD what to do. But the LORD would not answer, either in a dream or by a priest or a prophet. ⁷Then Saul told his officers, "Find me a woman who can talk to the spirits of the dead. I'll go to her and find out what's going to happen."
   His servants told him, "There's a woman at Endor who can talk to spirits of the dead."
    ⁸That night, Saul put on different clothing so nobody would recognize him. Then he and two of his men went to the woman, and asked, "Will you bring up the ghost of someone for us?"
    ⁹The woman said, "Why are you trying to trick me and get me killed? You know King Saul has gotten rid of everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead!"
    ¹⁰Saul replied, "I swear by the living LORD that nothing will happen to you because of this."
    ¹¹"Who do you want me to bring up?" she asked.
   "Bring up the ghost of Samuel," he answered.
    ¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. Then she turned to Saul and said, "You've tricked me! You're the king!"
    ¹³"Don't be afraid," Saul replied. "Just tell me what you see."
   She answered, "I see a spirit rising up out of the ground."
    ¹⁴"What does it look like?"
   "It looks like an old man wearing a robe."
   Saul knew it was Samuel, so he bowed down low.
    ¹⁵"Why are you bothering me by bringing me up like this?" Samuel asked.
   "I'm terribly worried," Saul answered. "The Philistines are about to attack me. God has turned his back on me and won't answer any more by prophets or by dreams. What should I do?"
    ¹⁶Samuel said:
   If the LORD has turned away from you and is now your enemy, don't ask me what to do. ¹⁷I've already told you: The LORD has sworn to take the kingdom from you and give it to David. And that's just what he's doing! ¹⁸When the LORD was angry with the Amalekites, he told you to destroy them, but you didn't do it. That's why the LORD is doing this to you. ¹⁹Tomorrow the LORD will let the Philistines defeat Israel's army, then you and your sons will join me down here in the world of the dead.
    ²⁰At once, Saul collapsed and lay stretched out on the floor, terrified at what Samuel had said. He was weak because he had not eaten anything since the day before.
    ²¹The woman came over to Saul, and when she saw that he was completely terrified, she said, "Your Majesty, I listened to you and risked my life to do what you asked. ²²Now please listen to me. Let me get you a little something to eat. It will give you strength for your walk back to camp."
    ²³"No, I won't eat!"
   But his officers and the woman kept on urging Saul, until he finally agreed. He got up off the floor and sat on the bed. ²⁴Right away the woman killed a calf that she had been fattening up. She cooked part of the meat and baked some thin bread. ^[j<="">] 25Then she served the food to Saul and his officers, who ate and left before daylight. 

Footnotes:

1. 1 Samuel 26:1 again: See 23.19.
2. 1 Samuel 26:6 Abishai: Hebrew "Abishai the son of Zeruiah." Zeruiah was David's older sister, so Abishai and Joab were David's nephews (see 1 Chronicles 2.12-17; 2 Samuel 17.25 and the note there).
3. 1 Samuel 26:15 Anyone. . . tonight: Or "Someone went into your camp to kill him tonight."
4. 1 Samuel 26:19 gods: In ancient times it was often believed that gods (even the God of Israel) could only be properly worshiped in their own countries, and only a country's gods should be worshiped in that country.
5. 1 Samuel 27:8 lived. . . Shur: One ancient translation; Hebrew "had lived for a long time in Shur."
6. 1 Samuel 27:10 Where. . . today: A few Hebrew manuscripts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and three ancient translations; most Hebrew manuscripts "Didn't you make a raid today?"
7. 1 Samuel 27:10 Jerahmeel. . . Kenites: These were clans of the Judah tribe.
8. 1 Samuel 28:1 earlier: See 25.1.
9. 1 Samuel 28:1 dead: Many people believed that it was possible to talk to spirits of the dead, and that these spirits could tell the future.
10. 1 Samuel 28:24 thin bread: Bread made without yeast, since there was no time for the bread to rise.

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John 11:1-53 (Contemporary English Version)

John 11

The Death of Lazarus

 ^1-2A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of Bethany. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the same Mary who later poured perfume on the Lord's head and wiped his feet with her hair. ³The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick.     ⁴When Jesus heard this, he said, "His sickness won't end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son."
    ⁵Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. ⁶But he stayed where he was for two more days. ⁷Then he said to his disciples, "Now we will go back to Judea."
    ⁸"Teacher," they said, "the people there want to stone you to death! Why do you want to go back?"
    ⁹Jesus answered, "Aren't there twelve hours in each day? If you walk during the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won't stumble. ¹⁰But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don't have any light." ¹¹Then he told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up."
    ¹²They replied, "Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better." ¹³Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep.
    ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead! ¹⁵I am glad that I wasn't there, because now you will have a chance to put your faith in me. Let's go to him."
    ¹⁶Thomas, whose nickname was "Twin," said to the other disciples, "Come on. Let's go, so we can die with him."     

Jesus Brings Lazarus to Life

 ¹⁷When Jesus got to Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁹and many people had come from the city to comfort Martha and Mary because their brother had died.     ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²Yet even now I know that God will do anything you ask."
    ²³Jesus told her, "Your brother will live again!"
    ²⁴Martha answered, "I know that he will be raised to life on the last day, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} when all the dead are raised." ²⁵Jesus then said, "I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. ²⁶And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?"
    ²⁷"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world."
    ²⁸After Martha said this, she went and privately said to her sister Mary, "The Teacher is here, and he wants to see you." ²⁹As soon as Mary heard this, she got up and went out to Jesus. ³⁰He was still outside the village where Martha had gone to meet him. ³¹Many people had come to comfort Mary, and when they saw her quickly leave the house, they thought she was going out to the tomb to cry. So they followed her.
    ³²Mary went to where Jesus was. Then as soon as she saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
    ³³When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset ³⁴and asked, "Where have you put his body?"
   They replied, "Lord, come and you will see."
    ³⁵Jesus started crying, ³⁶and the people said, "See how much he loved Lazarus."
    ³⁷Some of them said, "He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"
    ³⁸Jesus was still terribly upset. So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance. ³⁹Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, "Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will be a bad smell."
    ⁴⁰Jesus replied, "Didn't I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?"
    ⁴¹After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, "Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. ⁴²I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would believe that you sent me."
    ⁴³When Jesus had finished praying, he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face.
   Jesus then told the people, "Untie him and let him go."     

The Plot To Kill Jesus

(Matthew 26.1-5; Mark 14.1,2; Luke 22.1,2)

 ⁴⁵Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw the things that Jesus did, and they put their faith in him. ⁴⁶Others went to the Pharisees and told what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, "What should we do? This man is working a lot of miracles. ^[b<="">] 48If we don't stop him now, everyone will put their faith in him. Then the Romans will come and destroy our temple and our nation." ^[c<="">]49One of the council members was Caiaphas, who was also high priest that year. He spoke up and said, "You people don't have any sense at all! ⁵⁰Don't you know it is better for one person to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?" ⁵¹Caiaphas did not say this on his own. As high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation. ⁵²Yet Jesus would not die just for the Jewish nation. He would die to bring together all of God's scattered people. ⁵³From that day on, the council started making plans to put Jesus to death.     

Footnotes:

1. John 11:24 the last day: When God will judge all people.
2. John 11:47 miracles: See the note at 2.11.
3. John 11:48 destroy our temple and our nation: The Jewish leaders were afraid that Jesus would lead his followers to rebel against Rome and that the Roman army would then destroy their nation.

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Psalm 117:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 117

Come Praise the LORD

 ¹All of you nations,    come praise the LORD!
   Let everyone praise him.
    ²His love for us is wonderful;
   his faithfulness never ends.
   Shout praises to the LORD!

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Proverbs 15:22-23 (Contemporary English Version)

²²Without good advice
   everything goes wrong--
   it takes careful planning
   for things to go right.
    ²³Giving the right answer
   at the right time
   makes everyone happy.

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Verse of the Day

“God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ. Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Romans 15:5-6 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Australian nurse who promoted a controversial new approach to the treatment of poliomyelitis, Elizabeth Kenny wrote, “He who angers you conquers you.”

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A Joke for Today

They both had the same qualifications. In order to determine which individual to hire, the applicants were asked to take a test by the Department manager.

Upon completion of the test, both men missed only one of the questions.

The manager went to the first applicant and said, "Thank you for your interest, but we've decided to give the job to the other applicant."

"And why would you be doing that? We both got 9 questions correct," asked the rejected applicant.

"We have based our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you missed," said the Department manager.

"And just how would one incorrect answer be better than the other?" the rejected applicant inquired.

"Simple," said the Department manager, "Your fellow applicant put down on question #5, 'I don't know.' You put down, 'Neither do I.'"

Bible Readings for May 19, 2019

Today our passages are 1 Samuel 24:1–25:44; John 10:22-42; Psalm 116:1-9; and Proverbs 15:20-21. 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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1 Samuel 24-25:44 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Samuel 24

David Lets Saul Live

 ¹When Saul got back from fighting off the Philistines, he heard that David was in the desert around En-Gedi. ²Saul led three thousand of Israel's best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi. ³There were some sheep pens along the side of the road, and one of them was built around the entrance to a cave. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself.    David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave. ⁴They whispered to David, "The LORD told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day the LORD was talking about."
   David sneaked over and cut off a small piece ^[a] of Saul's robe, but Saul didn't notice a thing. ⁵Afterwards, David was sorry that he had even done that, ^6-7and he told his men, "Stop talking foolishly. We're not going to attack Saul. He's my king, and I pray that the LORD will keep me from doing anything to harm his chosen king." Saul left the cave and started down the road. ⁸Soon, David also got up and left the cave. "Your Majesty!" he shouted from a distance.
   Saul turned around to look. David bowed down very low ⁹and said:
   Your Majesty, why do you listen to people who say that I'm trying to harm you? ¹⁰You can see for yourself that the LORD gave me the chance to catch you in the cave today. Some of my men wanted to kill you, but I wouldn't let them do it. I told them, "I will not harm the LORD's chosen king!" ¹¹Your Majesty, look at what I'm holding. You can see that it's a piece of your robe. If I could cut off a piece of your robe, I could have killed you. But I let you live, and that should prove I'm not trying to harm you or to rebel. I haven't done anything to you, and yet you keep trying to ambush and kill me.
    ¹²I'll let the LORD decide which one of us has done right. I pray that the LORD will punish you for what you're doing to me, but I won't do anything to you. ¹³An old proverb says, "Only evil people do evil things," and so I won't harm you.
    ¹⁴Why should the king of Israel be out chasing me, anyway? I'm as worthless as a dead dog or a flea. ¹⁵I pray that the LORD will help me escape and show that I am in the right.
    ¹⁶"David, my son--is that you?" Saul asked. Then he started crying ¹⁷and said:
   David, you're a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness, even though I've been cruel to you. ¹⁸You've told me how you were kind enough not to kill me when the LORD gave you the chance. ¹⁹If you really were my enemy, you wouldn't have let me leave here alive. I pray that the LORD will give you a big reward for what you did today.
    ²⁰I realize now that you will be the next king, and a powerful king at that. ²¹Promise me with the LORD as your witness, that you won't wipe out my descendants. Let them live to keep my family name alive.
    ²²So David promised, and Saul went home. David and his men returned to their hideout.
    

1 Samuel 25

Samuel Dies

 ¹Samuel died, and people from all over Israel gathered to mourn for him when he was buried at his home ^[b] in Ramah. Meanwhile, David moved his camp to Paran Desert. ^[c]

Abigail Keeps David from Killing Innocent People

 ^2-3Nabal was a very rich man who lived in Maon. He owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, which he kept at Carmel. ^[d] His wife Abigail was sensible and beautiful, but he was from the Caleb clan ^[e] and was rough and mean. ⁴One day, Nabal was in Carmel, having his servants cut the wool from his sheep. David was in the desert when he heard about it. ^5-6So he sent ten men to Carmel with this message for Nabal:    I hope that you and your family are healthy and that all is going well for you. ⁷I've heard that you are cutting the wool from your sheep.
   When your shepherds were with us in Carmel, we didn't harm them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. ⁸Ask your shepherds, and they'll tell you the same thing.
   My servants are your servants, and you are like a father to me. This is a day for celebrating, ^[f] so please be kind and share some of your food with us. ⁹David's men went to Nabal and gave him David's message, then they waited for Nabal's answer.
    ¹⁰This is what he said:
   Who does this David think he is? That son of Jesse is just one more slave on the run from his master, and there are too many of them these days. ¹¹What makes you think I would take my bread, my water, and the meat that I've had cooked for my own servants ^[g] and give it to you? Besides, I'm not sure that David sent you! ^[h] ¹²The men returned to their camp and told David everything Nabal had said.
    ¹³"Everybody get your swords!" David ordered.
   They all strapped on their swords. Two hundred men stayed behind to guard the camp, but the other four hundred followed David.
    ^14-16Meanwhile, one of Nabal's servants told Abigail:
   David's men were often nearby while we were taking care of the sheep in the fields. They were very good to us, they never hurt us, and nothing was ever stolen from us while they were nearby. With them around day or night, we were as safe as we would have been inside a walled city.
   David sent some messengers from the desert to wish our master well, but he shouted insults at them. ¹⁷He's a bully who won't listen to anyone.
   Isn't there something you can do? Please think of something! Or else our master and his family and everyone who works for him are all doomed.
    ¹⁸Abigail quickly got together two hundred loaves of bread, two large clay jars of wine, the meat from five sheep, a large sack of roasted grain, a hundred handfuls of raisins, and two hundred handfuls of dried figs. She loaded all the food on donkeys ¹⁹and told her servants, "Take this on ahead, and I'll catch up with you." She didn't tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
    ²⁰Abigail was riding her donkey on the path that led around the hillside, when suddenly she met David and his men heading straight at her.
    ²¹David had just been saying, "I surely wasted my time guarding Nabal's things in the desert and keeping them from being stolen! I was good to him, and now he pays me back with insults. ²²I swear that by morning, there won't be a man or boy left from his family or his servants' families. I pray that God will punish me ^[i] if I don't do it!" ²³Abigail quickly got off her donkey and bowed down in front of David. ²⁴Then she said:
   Sir, please let me explain! ²⁵Don't pay any attention to that good-for-nothing Nabal. His name means "fool," and it really fits him!
   I didn't see the men you sent, ^26-27but please take this gift of food that I've brought and share it with your followers. The LORD has kept you from taking revenge and from killing innocent people. But I hope your enemies and anyone else who wants to harm you will end up like Nabal. I swear this by the living LORD and by your life.
    ²⁸Please forgive me if I say a little more. The LORD will always protect you and your family, because you fight for him. I pray that you won't ever do anything evil as long as you live. ²⁹The LORD your God will keep you safe when your enemies try to kill you. But he will snatch away their lives quicker than you can throw a rock from a sling.
    ³⁰The LORD has promised to do many good things for you, even to make you the ruler of Israel. The LORD will keep his promises to you, ³¹and now your conscience will be clear, because you won't be guilty of taking revenge and killing innocent people.
   When the LORD does all those good things for you, please remember me.
    ³²David told her:
   I praise the LORD God of Israel! He must have sent you to meet me today. ³³And you should also be praised. Your good sense kept me from taking revenge and killing innocent people. ³⁴If you hadn't come to meet me so quickly, every man and boy in Nabal's family and in his servants' families would have been killed by morning. I swear by the living LORD God of Israel who protected you that this is the truth.
    ³⁵David accepted the food Abigail had brought. "Don't worry," he said. "You can go home now. I'll do what you asked."
    ³⁶Abigail went back home and found Nabal throwing a party fit for a king. He was very drunk and feeling good, so she didn't tell him anything that night. ³⁷But when he sobered up the next morning, Abigail told him everything that had happened. Nabal had a heart attack, and he lay in bed as still as a stone. ³⁸Ten days later, the LORD took his life.
    ^39-40David heard that Nabal had died. "I praise the LORD!" David said. "He has judged Nabal guilty for insulting me. The LORD kept me from doing anything wrong, and he made sure that Nabal hurt only himself with his own evil."
   Abigail was still at Carmel. So David sent messengers to ask her if she would marry him.     

David and Abigail Are Married

 ⁴¹She bowed down and said, "I would willingly be David's slave and wash his servants' feet."     ⁴²Abigail quickly got ready and went back with David's messengers. She rode on her donkey, while five of her servant women walked alongside. She and David were married as soon as she arrived.
    ⁴³David had earlier married Ahinoam from the town of Jezreel, so both she and Abigail were now David's wives. ^[j]⁴⁴Meanwhile, Saul had arranged for Michal ^[k] to marry Palti the son of Laish, who came from the town of Gallim. 

Footnotes:

1. 1 Samuel 24:4 small piece: Hebrew "corner" or "lower hem."
2. 1 Samuel 25:1 at his home: Hebrew "in his house." Family tombs were sometimes underneath the house or in the courtyard of the home.
3. 1 Samuel 25:1 Paran Desert: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation "Maon Desert."
4. 1 Samuel 25:2 Carmel: About one mile north of Maon in the Southern Desert of Judah.
5. 1 Samuel 25:2 from the Caleb clan: Or "behaved like a dog."
6. 1 Samuel 25:8 celebrating: Cutting the wool from the sheep was a time for celebrating as well as for working.
7. 1 Samuel 25:11 servants: Hebrew "shearers," the servants who cut the wool from the sheep.
8. 1 Samuel 25:11 I'm not sure. . . sent you: Or "I don't know where you come from."
9. 1 Samuel 25:22 me: One ancient translation; Hebrew "my enemies."
10. 1 Samuel 25:43 wives: Having more than one wife was allowed in those times.
11. 1 Samuel 25:44 Michal: David's first wife (see 18.20--19.17).

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John 10:22-42 (Contemporary English Version)

Jesus Is Rejected

 ²²That winter, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Temple Festival. ²³One day he was walking in that part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch, ^[a] ²⁴and the people gathered all around him. They said, "How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!" ²⁵Jesus answered:    I have told you, and you refused to believe me. The things I do by my Father's authority show who I am. ²⁶But since you are not my sheep, you don't believe me.²⁷My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me, ²⁸and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father gave them to me, and he is greater than all others. ^[b] No one can snatch them from his hands, ³⁰and I am one with the Father. ³¹Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones in order to kill Jesus. ³²But he said, "I have shown you many good things that my Father sent me to do. Which one are you going to stone me for?"
    ³³They answered, "We are not stoning you because of any good thing you did. We are stoning you because you did a terrible thing. You are just a man, and here you are claiming to be God!"
    ³⁴Jesus replied:
   In your Scriptures doesn't God say, "You are gods"? ³⁵You can't argue with the Scriptures, and God spoke to those people and called them gods. ³⁶So why do you accuse me of a terrible sin for saying that I am the Son of God? After all, it is the Father who prepared me for this work. He is also the one who sent me into the world. ³⁷If I don't do as my Father does, you should not believe me. ³⁸But if I do what my Father does, you should believe because of that, even if you don't have faith in me. Then you will know for certain that the Father is one with me, and I am one with the Father.
    ³⁹Again they wanted to arrest Jesus. But he escaped ⁴⁰and crossed the Jordan to the place where John had earlier been baptizing. While Jesus was there, ⁴¹many people came to him. They were saying, "John didn't work any miracles, but everything he said about Jesus is true." ⁴²A lot of those people also put their faith in Jesus.
    

Footnotes:

1. John 10:23 Solomon's Porch: A public place with tall columns along the east side of the temple.
2. John 10:29 he is greater than all others: Some manuscripts have " they are greater than all others."

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Psalm 116:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 116

When the LORD Saves You from Death

 ¹I love you, LORD!    You answered my prayers.
    ²You paid attention to me,
   and so I will pray to you
   as long as I live.
    ³Death attacked from all sides,
   and I was captured
   by its painful chains.
   But when I was really hurting,
    ⁴I prayed and said,
   "LORD,
   please don't let me die!"
    ⁵You are kind, LORD,
   so good and merciful.
    ⁶You protect ordinary people,
   and when I was helpless,
   you saved me
    ⁷and treated me so kindly
   that I don't need
   to worry anymore.
    ⁸You, LORD, have saved
   my life from death,
   my eyes from tears,
   my feet from stumbling.
    ⁹Now I will walk at your side
   in this land of the living. 

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Proverbs 15:20-21 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁰Children with good sense
   make their parents happy,
   but foolish children
   are hateful to them.
    ²¹Stupidity brings happiness
   to senseless fools,
   but everyone with good sense
   follows the straight path.

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Verse of the Day

“But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.” - James 3:17-18 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Turkish army officer, revolutionary, and founder of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President from 1923 until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk wrote, “Greatness consists in deciding only what is necessary for the welfare of the country and making straight for the goal.”

 

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A Joke for Today

 

Church Bulletin Bloopers

 

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

 

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.

 

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

 

The Lutheran men's group will meet at 6 pm. Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.

 

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

 

This afternoon, there will be a meeting in the south and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

 

Tuesday at 4:00 pm there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

 

Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

 

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

 

Due to weather conditions, there will not be any “Women Worth Watching” this week.

 

The church is glad to have with us today as our guest minister the Rev. Shirley Green, who has Mrs. Green with him. After the service, we request that all remain in the sanctuary for the Hanging of the Greens.

Don't miss this Saturday's exhibit by Christian Martian Arts.