Bible Readings for January 28, 2016

Today our passages are Exodus 5:22–7:24; Matthew 18:23–19:12; Psalm 23:1-6; and Proverbs 5:22-23. 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.

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Exodus 5:22-7:24 (The Message)

 ^22-23 Moses went back to God and said, "My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me? From the moment I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, things have only gotten worse for this people. And rescue? Does this look like rescue to you?"

Exodus 6

 ¹ God said to Moses, "Now you'll see what I'll do to Pharaoh: With a strong hand he'll send them out free; with a strong hand he'll drive them out of his land."

 ^2-6 God continued speaking to Moses, reassuring him, "I am God. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The Strong God, but by my nameGod (I-Am-Present) I was not known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they lived as sojourners. But now I've heard the groanings of the Israelites whom the Egyptians continue to enslave and I've remembered my covenant. Therefore tell the Israelites:

 ^6-8 "I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I'll take you as my own people and I'll be God to you. You'll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I'll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God."

 ⁹ But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn't even hear him—they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.

 ^10-11 Then God said to Moses, "Go and speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he will release the Israelites from his land."

 ¹² Moses answered God, "Look—the Israelites won't even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter."

 ¹³ But God again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

The Family Tree of Moses and Aaron

¹⁴ These are the heads of the tribes:

   The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi—these are the families of Reuben.

 ¹⁵ The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Saul, the son of a Canaanite woman—these are the families of Simeon.

 ¹⁶ These are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their birth: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

 ¹⁷ The sons of Gershon by family: Libni and Shimei.

 ¹⁸ The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived to be 133.

 ¹⁹ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

   These are the sons of Levi in the order of their birth.

 ²⁰ Amram married his aunt Jochebed and she had Aaron and Moses. Amram lived to be 137.

 ²¹ The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.

 ²² The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

 ²³ Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she had Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

 ²⁴ The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites.

 ²⁵ Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she had Phinehas.

   These are the heads of the Levite families, family by family.

 ^26-27 This is the Aaron and Moses whom God ordered: "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt clan by clan." These are the men, Moses and Aaron, who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to release the Israelites from Egypt.

"I'll Make You as a God to Pharaoh"

²⁸ And that's how things stood when God next spoke to Moses in Egypt.

 ²⁹ God addressed Moses, saying, "I am God. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you."

 ³⁰ And Moses answered, "Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?"

Exodus 7

 ^1-5 God told Moses, "Look at me. I'll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh's back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country."

 ^6-7 Moses and Aaron did exactly what God commanded. Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

^8-9 Then God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, 'Prove yourselves. Perform a miracle,' then tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh: It will turn into a snake.'"

 ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what God commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake.

 ^11-12 Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their incantations: each man threw down his staff and they all turned into snakes. But then Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.

 ¹³ Yet Pharaoh was as stubborn as ever—he wouldn't listen to them, just as God had said.

Strike One: Blood

^14-18 God said to Moses: "Pharaoh is a stubborn man. He refuses to release the people. First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake and say to him, 'God, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened. This is how you'll know that I am God. I am going to take this staff that I'm holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood; the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won't be able to drink the Nile water.'"

 ¹⁹ God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water—so that they turn to blood.' There'll be blood everywhere in Egypt—even in the pots and pans."

 ^20-21 Moses and Aaron did exactly as God commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood. The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn't drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt.

 ^22-25 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them as God had said. He turned on his heel and went home, never giving it a second thought. But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn't drink the Nile water.

   Seven days went by after God had struck the Nile.

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Matthew 18:23-19:12 (The Message)

 ^23-25"The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.

 ^26-27"The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.

 ²⁸"The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, 'Pay up. Now!'

 ^29-31"The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.

 ^32-35"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy."

Matthew 19

Divorce

 ^1-2 When Jesus had completed these teachings, he left Galilee and crossed the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them. ³One day the Pharisees were badgering him: "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

 ^4-6He answered, "Haven't you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female? And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh—no longer two bodies but one. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart."

 ⁷They shot back in rebuttal, "If that's so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?"

 ^8-9Jesus said, "Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hard heartedness, but it is not part of God's original plan. I'm holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery."

 ¹⁰Jesus' disciples objected, "If those are the terms of marriage, we're stuck. Why get married?"

 ^11-12But Jesus said, "Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn't for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked—or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you're capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it."

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Psalm 23:1-6 (The Message)

Psalm 23

A David Psalm

 ^1-3 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
   You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
      you find me quiet pools to drink from.
   True to your word,
      you let me catch my breath
      and send me in the right direction.

 ⁴ Even when the way goes through
      Death Valley,
   I'm not afraid
      when you walk at my side.
   Your trusty shepherd's crook
      makes me feel secure.

 ⁵ You serve me a six-course dinner
      right in front of my enemies.
   You revive my drooping head;
      my cup brims with blessing.

 ⁶ Your beauty and love chase after me
      every day of my life.
   I'm back home in the house of God
      for the rest of my life.

 

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Proverbs 5:22-23 (The Message)

 ^21-23 Mark well that God doesn't miss a move you make;
   he's aware of every step you take.
The shadow of your sin will overtake you;
   you'll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.
Death is the reward of an undisciplined life;
   your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

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Verse of the Day

“God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth.” - John 4:24

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English writer and raconteur Augustus Hare wrote, “The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it.

Bible Readings for June 15, 2015

Today our passages are 1 Kings 14:1–15:24; Acts 10:1-23a; Psalm 132:1-3; and Proverbs 17:7-8. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. 

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1 Kings 14-15:24 (Contemporary English Version)

1 Kings 14

Jeroboam's Son Dies

 ¹About the same time, Abijah son of Jeroboam got sick. ^2-3Jeroboam told his wife:    Disguise yourself so no one will know you're my wife, then go to Shiloh, where the prophet Ahijah lives. Take him ten loaves of bread, some small cakes, and honey, and ask him what will happen to our son. He can tell you, because he's the one who told me I would become king.
    ⁴She got ready and left for Ahijah's house in Shiloh.
   Ahijah was now old and blind, ⁵but the LORD told him, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask about her son. I will tell you what to say to her."
   Jeroboam's wife came to Ahijah's house, pretending to be someone else. ⁶But when Ahijah heard her walking up to the door, he said:
   Come in! I know you're Jeroboam's wife--why are you pretending to be someone else? I have some bad news for you. ⁷Give your husband this message from the LORD God of Israel: "Jeroboam, you know that I, the LORD, chose you over anyone else to be the leader of my people Israel. ⁸I even took David's kingdom away from his family and gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David. He always obeyed me and did what was right.
    ⁹"You have made me very angry by rejecting me and making idols out of gold. Jeroboam, you have done more evil things than any king before you.
    ¹⁰"Because of this, I will destroy your family by killing every man and boy in it, whether slave or free. I will wipe out your family, just as fire burns up trash. ¹¹Dogs will eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country. I, the LORD, have spoken and will not change my mind!"
    ¹²That's the LORD's message to your husband. As for you, go back home, and right after you get there, your son will die. ¹³Everyone in Israel will mourn at his funeral. But he will be the last one from Jeroboam's family to receive a proper burial, because he's the only one the LORD God of Israel is pleased with.
    ¹⁴The LORD will soon choose a new king of Israel, who will destroy Jeroboam's family. And I mean very soon. ^{[a] 15}The people of Israel have made the LORD angry by setting up sacred poles ^[b] for worshiping the goddess Asherah. So the LORD will punish them until they shake like grass in a stream. He will take them out of the land he gave to their ancestors, then scatter them as far away as the Euphrates River. ¹⁶Jeroboam sinned and caused the Israelites to sin. Now the LORD will desert Israel. ¹⁷Jeroboam's wife left and went back home to the town of Tirzah. As soon as she set foot in her house, her son died. ¹⁸Everyone in Israel came and mourned at his funeral, just as the LORD's servant Ahijah had said.
   

Jeroboam Dies

 ¹⁹Everything else Jeroboam did while he was king, including the battles he won, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. ²⁰He was king of Israel for twenty-two years, then he died, and his son Nadab became king.    

King Rehoboam of Judah

(2 Chronicles 11.5--12.16)

 ²¹Rehoboam son of Solomon was forty-one years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled seventeen years from Jerusalem, the city where the LORD had chosen to be worshiped. His mother Naamah was from Ammon.     ²²The people of Judah disobeyed the LORD and made him even angrier than their ancestors had. ²³They also built their own local shrines ^[c] and stone images of foreign gods, and they set up sacred poles ^[d] for worshiping the goddess Asherah on every hill and in the shade of large trees. ²⁴Even worse, they allowed prostitutes ^[e] at the shrines, and followed the disgusting customs of the foreign nations that the LORD had forced out of Canaan. ²⁵After Rehoboam had been king for four years, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. ²⁶He took everything of value from the temple and the palace, including Solomon's gold shields.
    ²⁷Rehoboam had bronze shields made to replace the gold ones, and he ordered the guards at the city gates to keep them safe. ²⁸Whenever Rehoboam went to the LORD's temple, the guards carried the shields. But they always took them back to the guardroom as soon as he was finished.
    ²⁹Everything else Rehoboam did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ³⁰He and Jeroboam were constantly at war. ³¹Rehoboam's mother Naamah was from Ammon, but when Rehoboam died, he was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem. ^[f] His son Abijam then became king.

1 Kings 15

King Abijam of Judah

(2 Chronicles 13.1-22)

 ¹Abijam became king of Judah in Jeroboam's eighteenth year as king of Israel, ²and he ruled from Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.     ³Abijam did not truly obey the LORD his God as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he was sinful just like his father Rehoboam. ^4-5David had always obeyed the LORD's commands by doing right, except in the case of Uriah. ^[g] And since Abijam was David's great-grandson, the LORD kept Jerusalem safe and let Abijam have a son who would be the next king. ^6-7The war that had broken out between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued during the time that Abijam was king.
   Everything else Abijam did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. ⁸Abijam died and was buried in Jerusalem, ^[h] and his son Asa became king.

King Asa of Judah

(2 Chronicles 15.16--16.6,11-13)

 ⁹Asa became king of Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam's rule in Israel, ¹⁰and he ruled forty-one years from Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.     ¹¹Asa obeyed the LORD, as David had done. ¹²He forced the prostitutes ^[i] at the shrines to leave the country, and he got rid of the idols his ancestors had made. ¹³His own grandmother Maacah had made an idol of Asherah, and Asa took it and burned it in Kidron Valley. Then he removed Maacah from her position as queen mother. ^{[j] 14}As long as Asa lived, he was completely faithful to the LORD, even though he did not destroy the local shrines. ¹⁵He placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to the LORD.
    ¹⁶Asa was always at war with King Baasha of Israel. ¹⁷One time, Baasha invaded Judah and captured the town of Ramah. He started making the town stronger, so he could put troops there to stop people from going in and out of Judah.
    ¹⁸When Asa heard about this, he took the silver and gold from his palace and from the LORD's temple. He gave it to some of his officials and sent them to Damascus with this message for King Benhadad ^[k] of Syria: ¹⁹"Our fathers signed a peace treaty. Why don't we do the same thing? This silver and gold is a present for you. So, would you please break your treaty with Baasha and force him to leave my country?" ²⁰Benhadad did what Asa asked and sent the Syrian army into Israel. They captured the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel-Bethmaacah, and the territories of Chinneroth and Naphtali. ²¹When Baasha heard about it, he left Ramah and went back to Tirzah.
    ²²Asa ordered everyone in Judah to carry away the stones and wood Baasha had used to strengthen the town of Ramah. Then he used these same stones and wood to fortify the town of Geba in the territory of Benjamin and the town of Mizpah.
    ²³Everything else Asa did while he was king, including his victories and the towns he rebuilt, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. When he got older, he had a foot disease. ²⁴Asa died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors in Jerusalem. ^[l] His son Jehoshaphat then became king.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 14:14 And I mean very soon: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. 1 Kings 14:15 sacred poles: Or "trees," used as symbols of Asherah, the goddess of fertility.
3. 1 Kings 14:23 local shrines: See the note at 3.2.
4. 1 Kings 14:23 sacred poles: See the note at 14.15.
5. 1 Kings 14:24 prostitutes: Men and women sometimes served at the local shrines as prostitutes in the worship of Canaanite gods, but the LORD had forbidden the people of Israel to worship in this way (see Deuteronomy 23.17,18).
6. 1 Kings 14:31 Jerusalem: See the note at 2.10,11.
7. 1 Kings 15:4 Uriah: A Hittite who served in David's army; David had him killed so he could marry his wife Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 11.1-27).
8. 1 Kings 15:8 Jerusalem: See the note at 2.10,11.
9. 1 Kings 15:12 prostitutes: See the note at 14.24.
10. 1 Kings 15:13 queen mother: Or "the mother of the king," an important position in biblical times (see 2.19).
11. 1 Kings 15:18 Benhadad: Hebrew "Benhadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion."
12. 1 Kings 15:24 Jerusalem: Hebrew "the city of David his ancestor."

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Acts 10:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Acts 10

Peter and Cornelius

 ¹In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, who was the captain of a group of soldiers called "The Italian Unit." ²Cornelius was a very religious man. He worshiped God, and so did everyone else who lived in his house. He had given a lot of money to the poor and was always praying to God.     ³One afternoon at about three o'clock, ^[a] Cornelius had a vision. He saw an angel from God coming to him and calling him by name. ⁴Cornelius was surprised and stared at the angel. Then he asked, "What is this all about?" The angel answered, "God has heard your prayers and knows about your gifts to the poor. ⁵Now send some men to Joppa for a man named Simon Peter. ⁶He is visiting with Simon the leather maker, who lives in a house near the sea." ⁷After saying this, the angel left.
   Cornelius called in two of his servants and one of his soldiers who worshiped God. ⁸He explained everything to them and sent them off to Joppa.
    ⁹The next day about noon these men were coming near Joppa. Peter went up on the roof ^[b] of the house to pray ¹⁰and became very hungry. While the food was being prepared, he fell sound asleep and had a vision. ¹¹He saw heaven open, and something came down like a huge sheet held up by its four corners. ¹²In it were all kinds of animals, snakes, and birds. ¹³A voice said to him, "Peter, get up! Kill these and eat them." ¹⁴But Peter said, "Lord, I can't do that! I've never eaten anything that is unclean and not fit to eat." ^{[c] 15}The voice spoke to him again, "When God says that something can be used for food, don't say it isn't fit to eat."
    ¹⁶This happened three times before the sheet was suddenly taken back to heaven.
    ¹⁷Peter was still wondering what all of this meant, when the men sent by Cornelius came and stood at the gate. They had found their way to Simon's house ¹⁸and were asking if Simon Peter was staying there.
    ¹⁹While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three ^[d] men are here looking for you. ²⁰Hurry down and go with them. Don't worry, I sent them." ²¹Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?"
    ²²They answered, "Captain Cornelius sent us. He is a good man who worships God and is liked by the Jewish people. One of God's holy angels told Cornelius to send for you, so he could hear what you have to say." ²³Peter invited them to spend the night.
   The next morning, Peter and some of the Lord's followers in Joppa left with the men who had come from Cornelius.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 10:3 at about three o'clock: Probably while he was praying (see 3.1 and the note there).
2. Acts 10:9 roof: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof, which was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth.
3. Acts 10:14 unclean and not fit to eat: The Law of Moses taught that some foods were not fit to eat.
4. Acts 10:19 Three: One manuscript has "two;" some manuscripts have "some."

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Psalm 132:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 132

(A song for worship.)

The LORD Is Always with His People

 ¹Our LORD, don't forget David    and how he suffered.
    ²Mighty God of Jacob,
   remember how he promised:
    ³"I won't go home
   or crawl into bed

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Proverbs 17:7-8 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷It sounds strange for a fool
   to talk sensibly,
   but it's even worse
   for a ruler to tell lies.
    ⁸A bribe works miracles
   like a magic charm
   that brings good luck.

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Verse of the Day

“Make your father truly happy by living right and showing sound judgment.” - Proverbs 23:24

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

English writer and raconteur, Augustus Hare wrote, “The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it.”

Bible Readings for January 28, 2014

Today our passages are Exodus 5:22–7:24; Matthew 18:23–19:12; Psalm 23:1-6; and Proverbs 5:22-23. The readings are from the  The Message  by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Exodus 5:22-7:24 (The Message)

 ^22-23 Moses went back to God and said, "My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me? From the moment I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, things have only gotten worse for this people. And rescue? Does this look like rescue to you?"

Exodus 6

 ¹ God said to Moses, "Now you'll see what I'll do to Pharaoh: With a strong hand he'll send them out free; with a strong hand he'll drive them out of his land."  ^2-6 God continued speaking to Moses, reassuring him, "I am God. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The Strong God, but by my name God (I-Am-Present) I was not known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they lived as sojourners. But now I've heard the groanings of the Israelites whom the Egyptians continue to enslave and I've remembered my covenant. Therefore tell the Israelites:
 ^6-8 "I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I'll take you as my own people and I'll be God to you. You'll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I'll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God."
 ⁹ But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn't even hear him—they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.
 ^10-11 Then God said to Moses, "Go and speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he will release the Israelites from his land."
 ¹² Moses answered God, "Look—the Israelites won't even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter."
 ¹³ But God again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

The Family Tree of Moses and Aaron

¹⁴ These are the heads of the tribes:    The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi—these are the families of Reuben.
 ¹⁵ The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Saul, the son of a Canaanite woman—these are the families of Simeon.
 ¹⁶ These are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their birth: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
 ¹⁷ The sons of Gershon by family: Libni and Shimei.
 ¹⁸ The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived to be 133.
 ¹⁹ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.
   These are the sons of Levi in the order of their birth.
 ²⁰ Amram married his aunt Jochebed and she had Aaron and Moses. Amram lived to be 137.
 ²¹ The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.
 ²² The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
 ²³ Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she had Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
 ²⁴ The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites.
 ²⁵ Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she had Phinehas.
   These are the heads of the Levite families, family by family.
 ^26-27 This is the Aaron and Moses whom God ordered: "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt clan by clan." These are the men, Moses and Aaron, who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to release the Israelites from Egypt.

"I'll Make You as a God to Pharaoh"

²⁸ And that's how things stood when God next spoke to Moses in Egypt.  ²⁹ God addressed Moses, saying, "I am God. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you."
 ³⁰ And Moses answered, "Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?"

Exodus 7

 ^1-5 God told Moses, "Look at me. I'll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh's back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country."  ^6-7 Moses and Aaron did exactly what God commanded. Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

^8-9 Then God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, 'Prove yourselves. Perform a miracle,' then tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh: It will turn into a snake.'"
 ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what God commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake.
 ^11-12 Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their incantations: each man threw down his staff and they all turned into snakes. But then Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.
 ¹³ Yet Pharaoh was as stubborn as ever—he wouldn't listen to them, just as God had said.

Strike One: Blood

^14-18 God said to Moses: "Pharaoh is a stubborn man. He refuses to release the people. First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake and say to him, 'God, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened. This is how you'll know that I am God. I am going to take this staff that I'm holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood; the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won't be able to drink the Nile water.'"  ¹⁹ God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water—so that they turn to blood.' There'll be blood everywhere in Egypt—even in the pots and pans."
 ^20-21 Moses and Aaron did exactly as God commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood. The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn't drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt.
 ^22-25 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them as God had said. He turned on his heel and went home, never giving it a second thought. But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn't drink the Nile water.
   Seven days went by after God had struck the Nile.

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Matthew 18:23-19:12 (The Message)

 ^23-25"The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.

 ^26-27"The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.

 ²⁸"The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, 'Pay up. Now!'

 ^29-31"The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, 'Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.

 ^32-35"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy."

Matthew 19

Divorce

 ^1-2 When Jesus had completed these teachings, he left Galilee and crossed the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them. ³One day the Pharisees were badgering him: "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

 ^4-6He answered, "Haven't you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female? And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh—no longer two bodies but one. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart."

 ⁷They shot back in rebuttal, "If that's so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?"

 ^8-9Jesus said, "Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hard heartedness, but it is not part of God's original plan. I'm holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery."

 ¹⁰Jesus' disciples objected, "If those are the terms of marriage, we're stuck. Why get married?"

 ^11-12But Jesus said, "Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn't for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked—or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you're capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it."

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Psalm 23:1-6 (The Message)

Psalm 23

A David Psalm

 ^1-3 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
   You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
      you find me quiet pools to drink from.
   True to your word,
      you let me catch my breath
      and send me in the right direction.

 ⁴ Even when the way goes through
      Death Valley,
   I'm not afraid
      when you walk at my side.
   Your trusty shepherd's crook
      makes me feel secure.

 ⁵ You serve me a six-course dinner
      right in front of my enemies.
   You revive my drooping head;
      my cup brims with blessing.

 ⁶ Your beauty and love chase after me
      every day of my life.
   I'm back home in the house of God
      for the rest of my life.

 

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Proverbs 5:22-23 (The Message)

 ^21-23 Mark well that God doesn't miss a move you make;
   he's aware of every step you take.
The shadow of your sin will overtake you;
   you'll find yourself stumbling all over yourself in the dark.
Death is the reward of an undisciplined life;
   your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

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Verse of the Day

“God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth.” - John 4:24

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English writer and raconteur Augustus Hare wrote, “The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it.”