Bible Readings for November 3, 2016

Today our passages are Ezekiel 7:1–9:11; Hebrews 5:1-14; Psalm 105:1-15; and Proverbs 26:28. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 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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Ezekiel 7-9:11 (The Message)

Ezekiel 7

Fate Has Caught Up with You

 ^1-4 God's Word came to me, saying, "You, son of man—God, the Master, has this Message for the land of Israel: "'Endtime.
   The end of business as usual for everyone.
It's all over. The end is upon you.
   I've launched my anger against you.
I've issued my verdict on the way you live.
   I'll make you pay for your disgusting obscenities.
I won't look the other way,
   I won't feel sorry for you.
I'll make you pay for the way you've lived:
   Your disgusting obscenities will boomerang on you,
   and you'll realize that I am God.'  ^5-9"I, God, the Master, say:
   'Disaster after disaster! Look, it comes!
Endtime—
   the end comes.
The end is ripe. Watch out, it's coming!
   This is your fate, you who live in this land.
Time's up.
   It's zero hour.
No dragging of feet now,
   no bargaining for more time.
Soon now I'll pour my wrath on you,
   pay out my anger against you,
Render my verdict on the way you've lived,
   make you pay for your disgusting obscenities.
I won't look the other way,
   I won't feel sorry for you.
I'll make you pay for the way you've lived.
   Your disgusting obscenities will boomerang on you.
Then you'll realize
   that it is I, God, who have hit you.
 ^10-13"'Judgment Day!
   Fate has caught up with you.
The scepter outsized and pretentious,
   pride bursting all bounds,
Violence strutting,
   brandishing the evil scepter.
But there's nothing to them,
   and nothing will be left of them.
Time's up.
   Countdown: five, four, three, two...
Buyer, don't crow; seller, don't worry:
   Judgment wrath has turned the world topsy-turvy.
The bottom has dropped out of buying and selling.
   It will never be the same again.
But don't fantasize an upturn in the market.
   The country is bankrupt because of its sins,
   and it's not going to get any better.
 ^14-16"'The trumpet signals the call to battle:
   "Present arms!"
But no one marches into battle.
   My wrath has them paralyzed!
On the open roads you're killed,
   or else you go home and die of hunger and disease.
Either get murdered out in the country
   or die of sickness or hunger in town.
Survivors run for the hills.
   They moan like doves in the valleys,
Each one moaning
   for his own sins.
 ^17-18"'Every hand hangs limp,
   every knee turns to rubber.
They dress in rough burlap—
   sorry scarecrows,
Shifty and shamefaced,
   with their heads shaved bald.
 ^19-27"'They throw their money into the gutters.
   Their hard-earned cash stinks like garbage.
They find that it won't buy a thing
   they either want or need on Judgment Day.
They tripped on money
   and fell into sin.
Proud and pretentious with their jewels,
   they deck out their vile and vulgar no-gods in finery.
   I'll make those god-obscenities a stench in their nostrils.
I'll give away their religious junk—
   strangers will pick it up for free,
   the godless spit on it and make jokes.
I'll turn my face so I won't have to look
   as my treasured place and people are violated,
As violent strangers walk in
   and desecrate place and people—
A bloody massacre,
   as crime and violence fill the city.
I'll bring in the dregs of humanity
   to move into their houses.
I'll put a stop to the boasting and strutting
   of the high-and-mighty,
And see to it that there'll be nothing holy
   left in their holy places.
Catastrophe descends. They look for peace,
   but there's no peace to be found—
Disaster on the heels of disaster,
   one rumor after another.
They clamor for the prophet to tell them what's up,
   but nobody knows anything.
Priests don't have a clue;
   the elders don't know what to say.
The king holds his head in despair;
   the prince is devastated.
The common people are paralyzed.
   Gripped by fear, they can't move.
I'll deal with them where they are,
   judge them on their terms.
   They'll know that I am God.'"

Ezekiel 8

The Spirit Carried Me in Visions

 ^1-4 In the sixth year, in the sixth month and the fifth day, while I was sitting at home meeting with the leaders of Judah, it happened that the hand of my Master, God, gripped me. When I looked, I was astonished. What I saw looked like a man—from the waist down like fire and from the waist up like highly burnished bronze. He reached out what looked like a hand and grabbed me by the hair. The Spirit swept me high in the air and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple's inside court where the image of the sex goddess that makes God so angry had been set up. Right before me was the Glory of the God of Israel, exactly like the vision I had seen out on the plain.  ⁵ He said to me, "Son of man, look north." I looked north and saw it: Just north of the entrance loomed the altar of the sex goddess, Asherah, that makes God so angry.
 ⁶ Then he said, "Son of man, do you see what they're doing? Outrageous obscenities! And doing them right here! It's enough to drive me right out of my own Temple. But you're going to see worse yet."
 ⁷ He brought me to the door of the Temple court. I looked and saw a gaping hole in the wall.
 ⁸ He said, "Son of man, dig through the wall."
    I dug through the wall and came upon a door.
 ⁹ He said, "Now walk through the door and take a look at the obscenities they're engaging in."
 ^10-11 I entered and looked. I couldn't believe my eyes: Painted all over the walls were pictures of reptiles and animals and monsters—the whole pantheon of Egyptian gods and goddesses—being worshiped by Israel. In the middle of the room were seventy of the leaders of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in the middle. Each held his censer with the incense rising in a fragrant cloud.
 ¹² He said, "Son of man, do you see what the elders are doing here in the dark, each one before his favorite god-picture? They tell themselves, 'God doesn't see us. God has forsaken the country.'"
 ¹³ Then he said, "You're going to see worse yet."
 ^14-15 He took me to the entrance at the north gate of the Temple of God. I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz, the Babylonian fertility god. He said, "Have you gotten an eyeful, son of man? You're going to see worse yet."
 ¹⁶ Finally, he took me to the inside court of the Temple of God. There between the porch and the altar were about twenty-five men. Their backs were to God's Temple. They were facing east, bowing in worship to the sun.
 ^17-18 He said, "Have you seen enough, son of man? Isn't it bad enough that Judah engages in these outrageous obscenities? They fill the country with violence and now provoke me even further with their obscene gestures. That's it. They have an angry God on their hands! From now on, no mercy. They can shout all they want, but I'm not listening."

Ezekiel 9

A Mark on the Forehead

 ¹ Then I heard him call out loudly, "Executioners, come! And bring your deadly weapons with you."  ² Six men came down the road from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying his lethal weapon. With them was a man dressed in linen with a writing case slung from his shoulder. They entered and stood by the bronze altar. ^3-4 The Glory of the God of Israel ascended from his usual place above the cherubim-angels, moved to the threshold of the Temple, and called to the man with the writing case who was dressed in linen: "Go through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is in anguish over the outrageous obscenities being done in the city."
 ^5-6 I listened as he went on to address the executioners: "Follow him through the city and kill. Feel sorry for no one. Show no compassion. Kill old men and women, young men and women, mothers and children. But don't lay a hand on anyone with the mark. Start at my Temple."
    They started with the leaders in front of the Temple.
 ^7-8 He told the executioners, "Desecrate the Temple. Fill it with corpses. Then go out and continue the killing." So they went out and struck the city.
    While the massacre went forward, I was left alone. I fell on my face in prayer: "Oh, oh, God, my Master! Are you going to kill everyone left in Israel in this pouring out of your anger on Jerusalem?"
 ^9-10 He said, "The guilt of Israel and Judah is enormous. The land is swollen with murder. The city is bloated with injustice. They all say, 'God has forsaken the country. He doesn't see anything we do.' Well, I do see, and I'm not feeling sorry for any of them. They're going to pay for what they've done."
 ¹¹ Just then, the man dressed in linen and carrying the writing case came back and reported, "I've done what you told me."

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Hebrews 5:1-14 (The Message)

Hebrews 5

 ^1-3Every high priest selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it's like from his own experience. But that also means that he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the peoples'.  ^4-6No one elects himself to this honored position. He's called to it by God, as Aaron was. Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, "You're my Son; today I celebrate you!" In another place God declares, "You're a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek."
 ^7-10While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God's Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.

Re-Crucifying Jesus

 ^11-14I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.

 

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Psalm 105:1-15 (The Message)

Psalm 105

    Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name!
      Tell everyone you meet what he has done!
   Sing him songs, belt out hymns,
      translate his wonders into music!
   Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs,
      you who seek God. Live a happy life!
   Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works;
      be alert for signs of his presence.
   Remember the world of wonders he has made,
      his miracles, and the verdicts he's rendered—
         O seed of Abraham, his servant,
         O child of Jacob, his chosen.

 ^7-15 He's God, our God,
      in charge of the whole earth.
   And he remembers, remembers his Covenant—
      for a thousand generations he's been as good as his word.
   It's the Covenant he made with Abraham,
      the same oath he swore to Isaac,
   The very statute he established with Jacob,
      the eternal Covenant with Israel,
   Namely, "I give you the land.
      Canaan is your hill-country inheritance."
   When they didn't count for much,
      a mere handful, and strangers at that,
   Wandering from country to country,
      drifting from pillar to post,
   He permitted no one to abuse them.
      He told kings to keep their hands off:
   "Don't you dare lay a hand on my anointed,
      don't hurt a hair on the heads of my prophets."

 

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Proverbs 26:28 (The Message)

 ²⁸ Liars hate their victims;
   flatterers sabotage trust.

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Verse of the Day

“[Obey Rulers]Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power.” - Romans 13:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

French philosopher, author, and journalist, Albert Camus wrote, “Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.”

Bible Readings for September 22, 2016

Today our passages are Isaiah 39:1–41:16; Ephesians 1:1-23; Psalm 66:1-20; and Proverbs 23:26-28. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 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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Isaiah 39-41:16 (The Message)

Isaiah 39

There Will Be Nothing Left

 ¹ Sometime later, King Merodach-baladan son of Baladan of Babylon sent messengers with greetings and a gift to Hezekiah. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and was now well.  ²Hezekiah received the messengers warmly. He took them on a tour of his royal precincts, proudly showing them all his treasures: silver, gold, spices, expensive oils, all his weapons—everything out on display. There was nothing in his house or kingdom that Hezekiah didn't show them.
 ³Later the prophet Isaiah showed up. He asked Hezekiah, "What were these men up to? What did they say? And where did they come from?"
   Hezekiah said, "They came from a long way off, from Babylon."
 ⁴"And what did they see in your palace?"
   "Everything," said Hezekiah. "I showed them the works, opened all the doors and impressed them with it all."
 ^5-7Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Now listen to this Message from God-ofthe-Angel-Armies: I have to warn you, the time is coming when everything in this palace, along with everything your ancestors accumulated before you, will be hauled off to Babylon. God says that there will be nothing left. Nothing. And not only your things but your sons. Some of your sons will be taken into exile, ending up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
 ⁸Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, "Good. If God says so, it's good." Within himself he was thinking, "But surely nothing bad will happen in my lifetime. I'll enjoy peace and stability as long as I live."

Isaiah 40

Messages of Comfort

Prepare for God's Arrival

 ^1-2 "Comfort, oh comfort my people,"
   says your God.
"Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,
   but also make it very clear
That she has served her sentence,
   that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
She's been punished enough and more than enough,
   and now it's over and done with."  ^3-5Thunder in the desert!
   "Prepare for God's arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
   a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys,
   level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts,
   clear out the rocks.
Then God's bright glory will shine
   and everyone will see it.
   Yes. Just as God has said."
 ^6-8A voice says, "Shout!"
   I said, "What shall I shout?"
   "These people are nothing but grass,
   their love fragile as wildflowers.
The grass withers, the wildflowers fade,
   if God so much as puffs on them.
   Aren't these people just so much grass?
True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade,
   but our God's Word stands firm and forever."
 ^9-11Climb a high mountain, Zion.
   You're the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.
   You're the preacher of good news.
   Speak loud and clear. Don't be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah,
   "Look! Your God!"
Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power,
   ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back his enemies
   and reward those who have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,
   gathering the lambs in his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them,
   leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.

The Creator of All You Can See or Imagine

 ^12-17Who has scooped up the ocean
   in his two hands,
   or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger,
Who has put all the earth's dirt in one of his baskets,
   weighed each mountain and hill?
Who could ever have told God what to do
   or taught him his business?
What expert would he have gone to for advice,
   what school would he attend to learn justice?
What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows,
   showed him how things work?
Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket,
   a mere smudge on a window.
Watch him sweep up the islands
   like so much dust off the floor!
There aren't enough trees in Lebanon
   nor enough animals in those vast forests
   to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship.
All the nations add up to simply nothing before him—
   less than nothing is more like it. A minus.  ^18-20So who even comes close to being like God?
   To whom or what can you compare him?
Some no-god idol? Ridiculous!
   It's made in a workshop, cast in bronze,
Given a thin veneer of gold,
   and draped with silver filigree.
Or, perhaps someone will select a fine wood—
   olive wood, say—that won't rot,
Then hire a woodcarver to make a no-god,
   giving special care to its base so it won't tip over!
 ^21-24Have you not been paying attention?
   Have you not been listening?
Haven't you heard these stories all your life?
   Don't you understand the foundation of all things?
God sits high above the round ball of earth.
   The people look like mere ants.
He stretches out the skies like a canvas—
   yes, like a tent canvas to live under.
He ignores what all the princes say and do.
   The rulers of the earth count for nothing.
Princes and rulers don't amount to much.
   Like seeds barely rooted, just sprouted,
They shrivel when God blows on them.
   Like flecks of chaff, they're gone with the wind.
 ^25-26"So—who is like me?
   Who holds a candle to me?" says The Holy.
Look at the night skies:
   Who do you think made all this?
Who marches this army of stars out each night,
   counts them off, calls each by name
—so magnificent! so powerful!—
   and never overlooks a single one?
 ^27-31Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
   or, whine, Israel, saying,
"God has lost track of me.
   He doesn't care what happens to me"?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?
God doesn't come and go. God lasts.
   He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.
   And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
   gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
   young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
   They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don't get tired,
   they walk and don't lag behind.

Isaiah 41

Do You Feel Like a Lowly Worm?

 ¹ "Quiet down, far-flung ocean islands. Listen! Sit down and rest, everyone. Recover your strength.
Gather around me. Say what's on your heart.
   Together let's decide what's right.  ^2-3"Who got things rolling here,
   got this champion from the east on the move?
Who recruited him for this job,
   then rounded up and corralled the nations
   so he could run roughshod over kings?
He's off and running,
   pulverizing nations into dust,
   leaving only stubble and chaff in his wake.
He chases them and comes through unscathed,
   his feet scarcely touching the path.
 ⁴"Who did this? Who made it happen?
   Who always gets things started?
I did. God. I'm first on the scene.
   I'm also the last to leave.
 ^5-7"Far-flung ocean islands see it and panic.
   The ends of the earth are shaken.
   Fearfully they huddle together.
They try to help each other out,
   making up stories in the dark.
The godmakers in the workshops
   go into overtime production, crafting new models of no-gods,
Urging one another on—'Good job!' 'Great design!'—
   pounding in nails at the base
   so that the things won't tip over.
 ^8-10"But you, Israel, are my servant.
   You're Jacob, my first choice,
   descendants of my good friend Abraham.
I pulled you in from all over the world,
   called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
Telling you, 'You're my servant, serving on my side.
   I've picked you. I haven't dropped you.'
Don't panic. I'm with you.
   There's no need to fear for I'm your God.
I'll give you strength. I'll help you.
   I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
 ^11-13"Count on it: Everyone who had it in for you
   will end up out in the cold—
   real losers.
Those who worked against you
   will end up empty-handed—
   nothing to show for their lives.
When you go out looking for your old adversaries
   you won't find them—
Not a trace of your old enemies,
   not even a memory.
That's right. Because I, your God,
   have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go.
I'm telling you, 'Don't panic.
   I'm right here to help you.'
 ^14-16"Do you feel like a lowly worm, Jacob?
   Don't be afraid.
Feel like a fragile insect, Israel?
   I'll help you.
I, God, want to reassure you.
   The God who buys you back, The Holy of Israel.
I'm transforming you from worm to harrow,
   from insect to iron.
As a sharp-toothed harrow you'll smooth out the mountains,
   turn those tough old hills into loamy soil.
You'll open the rough ground to the weather,
   to the blasts of sun and wind and rain.
But you'll be confident and exuberant,
   expansive in The Holy of Israel!

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Ephesians 1:1-23 (The Message)

Ephesians 1

 ^1-2I, Paul, am under God's plan as an apostle, a special agent of Christ Jesus, writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus. I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ.

The God of Glory

 ^3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.  ^7-10Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
 ^11-12It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
 ^13-14It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.
 ^15-19That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
 ^20-23All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

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Psalm 66:1-20 (The Message)

Psalm 66

    All together now—applause for God! Sing songs to the tune of his glory,
      set glory to the rhythms of his praise.
   Say of God, "We've never seen anything like him!"
      When your enemies see you in action,
      they slink off like scolded dogs.
   The whole earth falls to its knees—
      it worships you, sings to you,
      can't stop enjoying your name and fame.

 ^5-6 Take a good look at God's wonders—
      they'll take your breath away.
   He converted sea to dry land;
      travelers crossed the river on foot.
      Now isn't that cause for a song?

 ⁷ Ever sovereign in his high tower, he keeps
      his eye on the godless nations.
   Rebels don't dare
      raise a finger against him.

 ^8-12 Bless our God, O peoples!
      Give him a thunderous welcome!
   Didn't he set us on the road to life?
      Didn't he keep us out of the ditch?
   He trained us first,
      passed us like silver through refining fires,
   Brought us into hardscrabble country,
      pushed us to our very limit,
   Road-tested us inside and out,
      took us to hell and back;
   Finally he brought us
      to this well-watered place.

 ^13-15 I'm bringing my prizes and presents to your house.
      I'm doing what I said I'd do,
   What I solemnly swore I'd do
      that day when I was in so much trouble:
   The choicest cuts of meat
      for the sacrificial meal;
   Even the fragrance
      of roasted lamb is like a meal!
   Or make it an ox
      garnished with goat meat!

 ^16-20 All believers, come here and listen,
      let me tell you what God did for me.
   I called out to him with my mouth,
      my tongue shaped the sounds of music.
   If I had been cozy with evil,
      the Lord would never have listened.
   But he most surely did listen,
      he came on the double when he heard my prayer.
   Blessed be God: he didn't turn a deaf ear,
      he stayed with me, loyal in his love.

 

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Proverbs 23:26-28 (The Message)

17

 ²⁶ Dear child, I want your full attention;
   please do what I show you.

 ^27-28 A whore is a bottomless pit;
   a loose woman can get you in deep trouble fast.
She'll take you for all you've got;
   she's worse than a pack of thieves.

 

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Verse of the Day

“[The Good News Is for Jews and Gentiles]Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you.” - Romans 15:7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

French philosopher, author, and journalist, Albert Camus wrote, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

Bible Readings for January 10, 2014

Today our passages are Genesis 23:1–24:51; Matthew 8:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; and Proverbs 3:1-6. The readings are from the  The Message  by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Genesis 23-24:51 (The Message)

Genesis 23

 ^1-2 Sarah lived 127 years. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept.  ^3-4 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites: "I know I'm only an outsider here among you, but sell me a burial plot so that I can bury my dead decently."
 ^5-6 The Hittites responded, "Why, you're no mere outsider here with us, you're a prince of God! Bury your dead wife in the best of our burial sites. None of us will refuse you a place for burial."
 ^7-9 Then Abraham got up, bowed respectfully to the people of the land, the Hittites, and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a proper burial, intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar. Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, the one at the end of his land. Ask him to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as witnesses."
 ^10-11 Ephron was part of the local Hittite community. Then Ephron the Hittite spoke up, answering Abraham with all the Hittites who were part of the town council listening: "Oh no, my master! I couldn't do that. The field is yours—a gift. I'll give it and the cave to you. With my people as witnesses, I give it to you. Bury your deceased wife."
 ^12-13 Abraham bowed respectfully before the assembled council and answered Ephron: "Please allow me—I want to pay the price of the land; take my money so that I can go ahead and bury my wife."
 ^14-15 Then Ephron answered Abraham, "If you insist, master. What's four hundred silver shekels between us? Now go ahead and bury your wife."
 ¹⁶ Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid out the sum that Ephron had named before the town council of Hittites—four hundred silver shekels at the current exchange rate.
 ^17-20 That's how Ephron's field next to Mamre—the field, its cave, and all the trees within its borders—became Abraham's property. The town council of Hittites witnessed the transaction. Abraham then proceeded to bury his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah that is next to Mamre, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. The field and its cave went from the Hittites into Abraham's possession as a burial plot.

Genesis 24

Isaac and Rebekah

 ¹ Abraham was now an old man. God had blessed Abraham in every way.  ^2-4 Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh and swear by God—God of Heaven, God of Earth—that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here, but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac."
 ⁵ The servant answered, "But what if the woman refuses to leave home and come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?"
 ^6-8 Abraham said, "Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back there. God, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, 'I'm giving this land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son. And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there."
 ⁹ So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn oath.
 ^10-14 The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water. He prayed, "O God, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels'—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."
 ^15-17 It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder. The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please, can I have a sip of water from your jug?"
 ^18-21 She said, "Certainly, drink!" And she held the jug so that he could drink. When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your camels, too, until they've drunk their fill." She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels.
   The man watched, silent. Was this God's answer? Had God made his trip a success or not?
 ^22-23 When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her. He asked her, "Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father's house for us to stay the night?"
 ^24-25 She said, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor. And there's plenty of room in our house for you to stay—and lots of straw and feed besides."
 ^26-27 At this the man bowed in worship before God and prayed, "Blessed be God, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you've been to my master; you've held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master's brother!"
 ²⁸ And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother's house what had happened.
 ^29-31 Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister and had heard her say, "The man said this and this and this to me." So he went to the man and there he was, still standing with his camels at the spring. Laban welcomed him: "Come on in, blessed of God! Why are you standing out here? I've got the house ready for you; and there's also a place for your camels."
 ^32-33 So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed. Water was brought to bathe the feet of the man and the men with him. Then Laban brought out food. But the man said, "I won't eat until I tell my story."
   Laban said, "Go ahead; tell us."
 ^34-41 The servant said, "I'm the servant of Abraham. God has blessed my master—he's a great man; God has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. And then to top it off, Sarah, my master's wife, gave him a son in her old age and he has passed everything on to his son. My master made me promise, 'Don't get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live. No, go to my father's home, back to my family, and get a wife for my son there.' I said to my master, 'But what if the woman won't come with me?' He said, 'God before whom I've walked faithfully will send his angel with you and he'll make things work out so that you'll bring back a wife for my son from my family, from the house of my father. Then you'll be free from the oath. If you go to my family and they won't give her to you, you will also be free from the oath.'
 ^42-44 "Well, when I came this very day to the spring, I prayed, 'God, God of my master Abraham, make things turn out well in this task I've been given. I'm standing at this well. When a young woman comes here to draw water and I say to her, Please, give me a sip of water from your jug, and she says, Not only will I give you a drink, I'll also water your camels—let that woman be the wife God has picked out for my master's son.'
 ^45-48 "I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said, 'Please, can I have a drink?' She didn't hesitate. She held out her jug and said, 'Drink; and when you're finished I'll also water your camels.' I drank, and she watered the camels. I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.' I gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms, and bowed in worship to God. I praised God, the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight to the door of my master's family to get a wife for his son.
 ⁴⁹ "Now, tell me what you are going to do. If you plan to respond with a generous yes, tell me. But if not, tell me plainly so I can figure out what to do next."
 ^50-51 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is totally from God. We have no say in the matter, either yes or no. Rebekah is yours: Take her and go; let her be the wife of your master's son, as God has made plain."

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Matthew 8:1-17 (The Message)

Matthew 8

He Carried Our Diseases

 ^1-2 Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in his ears. Then a leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, "Master, if you want to, you can heal my body."

 ^3-4Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."

 ^5-6As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain."

 ⁷Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him."

 ^8-9"Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; to another, 'Come,' and he comes; to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

 ^10-12Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions—streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then those who grew up 'in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened."

 ¹³Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well.

 ^14-15By this time they were in front of Peter's house. On entering, Jesus found Peter's mother-in-law sick in bed, burning up with fever. He touched her hand and the fever was gone. No sooner was she up on her feet than she was fixing dinner for him.

 ^16-17That evening a lot of demon-afflicted people were brought to him. He relieved the inwardly tormented. He cured the bodily ill. He fulfilled Isaiah's well-known sermon:

   He took our illnesses,
   He carried our diseases.

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Psalm 9:13-20 (The Message)

 ^13-14 Be kind to me, God;
      I've been kicked around long enough.
   Once you've pulled me back
      from the gates of death,
   I'll write the book on Hallelujahs;
      on the corner of Main and First
      I'll hold a street meeting;
   I'll be the song leader; we'll fill the air
      with salvation songs.

 ^15-16 They're trapped, those godless countries,
      in the very snares they set,
   Their feet all tangled
      in the net they spread.
   They have no excuse;
      the way God works is well-known.
   The cunning machinery made by the wicked
      has maimed their own hands.

 ^17-20 The wicked bought a one-way
      ticket to hell.
   No longer will the poor be nameless—
      no more humiliation for the humble.
   Up, God! Aren't you fed up with their empty strutting?
      Expose these grand pretensions!
   Shake them up, God!
      Show them how silly they look.

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Proverbs 3:1-6 (The Message)

Proverbs 3

Don't Assume You Know It All

 ^1-2 Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands.
They'll help you live a long, long time,
   a long life lived full and well.

 ^3-4 Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
   Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
   in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

 ^5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
   Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
   your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
   give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
   your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
   don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that God corrects;
   a father's delight is behind all this.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“Always live as God's holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. That's why the Scriptures say, "I am the holy God, and you must be holy too.” - 1 Peter 1:15-16

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Algerian-French Nobel Prize winning author, journalist, and philosopher, Albert Camus wrote, “Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.”