Bible Readings for April 10, 2019

Today our passages are Joshua 3:1-4:24; Luke 14:7-35; Psalm 80:1-19; and Proverbs 12:27-28. 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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Joshua 3-4:24 (Contemporary English Version)

Joshua 3

Israel Crosses the Jordan River

 ¹Early the next morning, Joshua and the Israelites packed up and left Acacia. They went to the Jordan River and camped there that night. ²Two days later ^[a] their leaders went through the camp, ^3-4shouting, " When you see some of the priests ^[b] carrying the sacred chest, you'll know it is time to cross to the other side. You've never been there before, and you won't know the way, unless you follow the chest. But don't get too close! Stay about half a mile back." ⁵Joshua told the people, " Make yourselves acceptable ^[c] to worship the LORD, because he is going to do some amazing things for us." ⁶Then Joshua turned to the priests and said, " Take the chest and cross the Jordan River ahead of us." So the priests picked up the chest by its carrying poles and went on ahead.     ⁷The LORD told Joshua, " Beginning today I will show the people that you are their leader, and they will know that I am helping you as I helped Moses. ⁸Now, tell the priests who are carrying the chest to go a little way into the river and stand there."
    ⁹Joshua spoke to the people:
   Come here and listen to what the LORD our God said he will do! ¹⁰The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites control the land on the other side of the river. But the living God will be with you and will force them out of the land when you attack. And now, God is going to prove that he's powerful enough to force them out. ^11-13Just watch the sacred chest that belongs to the LORD, the ruler of the whole earth. As soon as the priests carrying the chest step into the Jordan, the water will stop flowing and pile up as if someone had built a dam across the river.
   The LORD has also said that each of the twelve tribes should choose one man to represent it.
    ¹⁴The Israelites packed up and left camp. The priests carrying the chest walked in front, ¹⁵until they came to the Jordan River. The water in the river had risen over its banks, as it often does in springtime. ^[d] But as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, ^16-17the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed toward the Dead Sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over. 

Joshua 4

The People Set Up a Monument

 ¹After Israel had crossed the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua:     ^2-3Tell ^[e] one man from each of the twelve tribes to pick up a large rock from where the priests are standing. Then have the men set up those rocks as a monument at the place where you camp tonight. ⁴Joshua chose twelve men; he called them together, ⁵and told them:
   Go to the middle of the riverbed where the sacred chest is, and pick up a large rock. Carry it on your shoulder to our camp. There are twelve of you, so there will be one rock for each tribe. ^6-7Someday your children will ask, " Why are these rocks here?" Then you can tell them how the water stopped flowing when the chest was being carried across the river. These rocks will always remind our people of what happened here today.
    ⁸The men followed the instructions that the LORD had given Joshua. They picked up twelve rocks, one for each tribe, and carried them to the camp, where they put them down.
    ⁹Joshua had some other men set up a monument next to the place where the priests were standing. This monument was also made of twelve large rocks, and it is still there in the middle of the river.     

The People of Israel Set Up Camp at Gilgal

 ^10-13The army got ready for battle and crossed the Jordan. They marched quickly past the sacred chest ^[f] and into the desert near Jericho. Forty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh ^[g] led the way, as Moses had ordered. ^[h] The priests stayed right where they were until the army had followed the orders that the LORD had given Moses and Joshua. Then the army watched as the priests carried the chest the rest of the way across.     ^14-18" Joshua," the LORD said, " have the priests come up from the Jordan and bring the chest with them." So Joshua went over to the priests and told them what the LORD had said. And as soon as the priests carried the chest past the highest place that the floodwaters of the Jordan had reached, the river flooded its banks again.
   That's how the LORD showed the Israelites that Joshua was their leader. ^[i] For the rest of Joshua's life, they respected him as they had respected Moses. ¹⁹It was the tenth day of the first month ^[j] of the year when Israel crossed the Jordan River. They set up camp at Gilgal, which was east of the land controlled by Jericho. ²⁰The men who had carried the twelve rocks from the Jordan brought them to Joshua, and they made them into a monument. ²¹Then Joshua told the people: Years from now your children will ask you why these rocks are here. ^22-23Tell them, " The LORD our God dried up the Jordan River so we could walk across. He did the same thing here for us that he did for our people at the Red Sea, ^[k] ²⁴because he wants everyone on earth to know how powerful he is. And he wants us to worship only him." 

Footnotes:

1. Joshua 3:2 Two days later: The Hebrew text has " At the end of three days," two days after they had set up camp.
2. Joshua 3:3 the priests: The Hebrew text has " the priests, the Levites" ; priests belonged to the tribe of Levi.
3. Joshua 3:5 Make yourselves acceptable: People had to do certain things to make themselves acceptable to worship the LORD (see Leviticus 7.20,21; 15.2,33; 22.4-8; Deuteronomy 23.10,11).
4. Joshua 3:15 springtime: Or " harvest time" ; the grain harvest was in late spring.
5. Joshua 4:2 Joshua. . . Tell: Or " Joshua, you and the other leaders must tell."
6. Joshua 4:10 the sacred chest: The Hebrew text has " the LORD." The army was marching past the sacred chest, which was a symbol of God's throne on earth (see 1 Samuel 4.4 and Exodus 25.10-22; 37.1-9).
7. Joshua 4:10 Forty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh: Or " There were forty thousand soldiers altogether, and those from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh."
8. Joshua 4:10 Moses. . . ordered: See Numbers 32.16-32; Joshua 1.12-16.
9. Joshua 4:14 leader: See 3.7.
10. Joshua 4:19 first month: Abib (also called Nisan), the first month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-March to mid-April.
11. Joshua 4:22 Red Sea: See the note at 2.10.

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Luke 14:7-35 (Contemporary English Version)

How To Be a Guest

 ⁷Jesus saw how the guests had tried to take the best seats. So he told them:     ⁸When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the best place. Someone more important may have been invited. ⁹Then the one who invited you will come and say, "Give your place to this other guest!" You will be embarrassed and will have to sit in the worst place.
    ¹⁰When you are invited to be a guest, go and sit in the worst place. Then the one who invited you may come and say, "My friend, take a better seat!" You will then be honored in front of all the other guests. ¹¹If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.
    ¹²Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him:
   When you give a dinner or a banquet, don't invite your friends and family and relatives and rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return, and you will be paid back. ¹³When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴They cannot pay you back. But God will bless you and reward you when his people rise from death.     

The Great Banquet

(Matthew 22.1-10)

 ¹⁵After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, "The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God's kingdom!"     ¹⁶Jesus told him:
   A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. ¹⁷When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, "Everything is ready! Please come."
    ¹⁸One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, "I bought some land, and I've got to look it over. Please excuse me."
    ¹⁹Another guest said, "I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me."
    ²⁰Still another guest said, "I have just gotten married, and I can't be there."
    ²¹The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry that he said, "Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or crippled or blind or lame."
    ²²When the servant returned, he said, "Master, I've done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room for more people."
    ²³His master then told him, "Go out along the back roads and fence rows and make people come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!"     

Being a Disciple

(Matthew 10.37,38)

 ²⁵Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:     ²⁶You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life.
    ²⁷You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.
    ²⁸Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? ²⁹Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. ³⁰They will say, "You started building, but could not finish the job."
    ³¹What will a king do if he has only ten thousand soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with twenty thousand soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win? ³²If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off. ³³So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away everything you own.     

Salt and Light

(Matthew 5.13; Mark 9.50)

 ³⁴Salt is good, but if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made to taste salty again? ³⁵It is no longer good for the soil or even for the manure pile. People simply throw it out. If you have ears, pay attention!

 

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Psalm 80:1-19 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 80

(A psalm by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies of the Agreement.")

Help Our Nation

 ¹Shepherd of Israel, you lead    the descendants of Joseph,
   and you sit on your throne
   above the winged creatures. ^[a] Listen to our prayer
   and let your light shine
    ²for the tribes of Ephraim,
   Benjamin, and Manasseh.
   Save us by your power.
    ³Our God, make us strong again!
   Smile on us and save us.
    ⁴LORD God All-Powerful,
   how much longer
   will the prayers of your people
   make you angry?
    ⁵You gave us tears for food,
   and you made us drink them
   by the bowlful.
    ⁶Because of you,
   our enemies who live nearby
   laugh and joke about us.
    ⁷But if you smile on us,
   we will be saved.
    ⁸We were like a grapevine
   you brought out of Egypt.
   You chased other nations away
   and planted us here.
    ⁹Then you cleared the ground,
   and we put our roots deep,
   spreading over the land.
    ¹⁰Shade from this vine covered
   the mountains.
   Its branches
   climbed
   the mighty cedars
    ¹¹and stretched to the sea;
   its new growth reached
   to the river. ^[b] ¹²Our Lord, why have you
   torn down the wall
   from around the vineyard?
   You let everyone who walks by
   pick the grapes.
    ¹³Now the vine is gobbled down
   by pigs from the forest
   and other wild animals.
    ¹⁴God All-Powerful,
   please do something!
   Look down from heaven
   and see what's happening
   to this vine.
    ¹⁵With your own hands
   you planted its roots,
   and you raised it
   as your very own.
    ¹⁶Enemies chopped the vine down
   and set it on fire.
   Now show your anger
   and destroy them.
    ¹⁷But help the one who sits
   at your right side, ^[c] the one you raised
   to be your own.
    ¹⁸Then we will never turn away.
   Put new life into us,
   and we will worship you.
    ¹⁹LORD God All-Powerful,
   make us strong again!
   Smile on us and save us.
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 80:1 winged creatures: Two winged creatures made of gold were on the top of the sacred chest and were symbols of the LORD's throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18).
2. Psalm 80:11 the sea. . . the river: The Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River were part of the ideal boundaries for Israel.
3. Psalm 80:17 right side: See the note at 16.11.

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Proverbs 12:27-28 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁷Anyone too lazy to cook
   will starve,
   but a hard worker
   is a valuable treasure. ^[a] ²⁸Follow the road to life,
   and you won't be bothered
   by death.
    

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 12:27 but. . . treasure: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Verse of the Day

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” - Romans 5:6-8 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Irish writer, editor, critic, poet, painter and Irish nationalist, George William Russell wrote, “Love and hate have a magical transforming power. They are the great soul changers. We grow through their exercise into the likeness of what we contemplate.”

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A Joke for Today

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.

Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7 of your week.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

Get a new car for your spouse. It'll be a great trade!

Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.

Always try to be modest, and be proud of it!

Bible Readings for April 10, 2016

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 34:1–Joshua 2:24; Luke 13:22–14:6; Psalm 79:1-13; and Proverbs 12:26. 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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Deuteronomy 34 - Joshua 2:24 (The Message)

Deuteronomy 34

The Death of Moses

 ^1-3 Moses climbed from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the
peak of Pisgah facing Jericho. God showed him all the land from Gilead to Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh; all Judah reaching to the Mediterranean Sea; the Negev and the plains which encircle Jericho, City of Palms, as far south as Zoar.  ⁴ Then and there God said to him, "This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words 'I will give it to your descendants.' I've let you see it with your own eyes. There it is. But you're not going to go in."
 ^5-6 Moses died there in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of God, just as God said. God buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor. No one knows his burial site to this very day.
 ^7-8 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight was sharp; he still walked with a spring in his step. The People of Israel wept for Moses in the Plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
 ⁹ Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. The People of Israel listened obediently to him and did the same as when God had commanded Moses.
 ^10-12 No prophet has risen since in Israel like Moses, whom God knew face-to-face. Never since has there been anything like the signs and miracle-wonders that God sent him to do in Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land—nothing to compare with that all-powerful hand of his and all the great and terrible things Moses did as every eye in Israel watched.

Joshua 1

 ^1-9 After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses' assistant:    "Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I'm giving to the People of Israel. I'm giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It's all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I'll be with you. I won't give up on you; I won't leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."

The Taking of the Land

^10-11 Then Joshua gave orders to the people's leaders: "Go through the camp and give this order to the people: 'Pack your bags. In three days you will cross this Jordan River to enter and take the land God, your God, is giving you to possess.'"  ^12-15 Then Joshua addressed the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He said, "Remember what Moses the servant of God commanded you: God, your God, gives you rest and he gives you this land. Your wives, your children, and your livestock can stay here east of the Jordan, the country Moses gave you; but you, tough soldiers all, must cross the River in battle formation, leading your brothers, helping them until God, your God, gives your brothers a place of rest just as he has done for you. They also will take possession of the land that God, your God, is giving them. Then you will be free to return to your possession, given to you by Moses the servant of God, across the Jordan to the east."
 ^16-18 They answered Joshua: "Everything you commanded us, we'll do. Wherever you send us, we'll go. We obeyed Moses to the letter; we'll also obey you—we just pray that God, your God, will be with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who questions what you say and refuses to obey whatever you command him will be put to death. Strength! Courage!"

Joshua 2

Rahab

 ¹ Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out from Shittim two men as spies:    "Go. Look over the land. Check out Jericho." They left and arrived at the house of a harlot named Rahab and stayed there.
 ² The king of Jericho was told, "We've just learned that men arrived tonight to spy out the land. They're from the People of Israel."
 ³ The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you to stay the night in your house. They're spies; they've come to spy out the whole country."
 ^4-7 The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, two men did come to me, but I didn't know where they'd come from. At dark, when the gate was about to be shut, the men left. But I have no idea where they went. Hurry up! Chase them—you can still catch them!" (She had actually taken them up on the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that were spread out for her on the roof.) So the men set chase down the Jordan road toward the fords. As soon as they were gone, the gate was shut.
 ^8-11 Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, "I know that God has given you the land. We're all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how God dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below.
 ^12-13 "Now promise me by God. I showed you mercy; now show my family mercy. And give me some tangible proof, a guarantee of life for my father and mother, my brothers and sisters—everyone connected with my family. Save our souls from death!"
 ¹⁴ "Our lives for yours!" said the men. "But don't tell anyone our business. When God turns this land over to us, we'll do right by you in loyal mercy."
 ^15-16 She lowered them down out a window with a rope because her house was on the city wall to the outside. She told them, "Run for the hills so your pursuers won't find you. Hide out for three days and give your pursuers time to return. Then get on your way."
 ^17-20 The men told her, "In order to keep this oath you made us swear, here is what you must do: Hang this red rope out the window through which you let us down and gather your entire family with you in your house—father, mother, brothers, and sisters. Anyone who goes out the doors of your house into the street and is killed, it's his own fault—we aren't responsible. But for everyone within the house we take full responsibility. If anyone lays a hand on one of them, it's our fault. But if you tell anyone of our business here, the oath you made us swear is canceled—we're no longer responsible."
 ²¹ She said, "If that's what you say, that's the way it is," and sent them off. They left and she hung the red rope out the window.
 ²² They headed for the hills and stayed there for three days until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers had looked high and low but found nothing.
 ^23-24 The men headed back. They came down out of the hills, crossed the river, and returned to Joshua son of Nun and reported all their experiences. They told Joshua, "Yes! God has given the whole country to us. Everybody there is in a state of panic because of us."

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Luke 13:22-14:6 (The Message)

 ²²He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping on a steady course toward Jerusalem.

 ^23-25A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?"

   He said, "Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're not on my guest list.'

 ^26-27"You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.'

 ^28-30"That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in—and wondering what happened. This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last."

 ³¹Just then some Pharisees came up and said, "Run for your life! Herod's on the hunt. He's out to kill you!"

 ^32-35Jesus said, "Tell that fox that I've no time for him right now. Today and tomorrow I'm busy clearing out the demons and healing the sick; the third day I'm wrapping things up. Besides, it's not proper for a prophet to come to a bad end outside Jerusalem.

   Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killer of prophets,
      abuser of the messengers of God!
   How often I've longed to gather your children,
      gather your children like a hen,
   Her brood safe under her wings—
      but you refused and turned away!
   And now it's too late: You won't see me again
      until the day you say,
      'Blessed is he
      who comes in
      the name of God.'"

Luke 14

 ^1-3 One time when Jesus went for a Sabbath meal with one of the top leaders of the Pharisees, all the guests had their eyes on him, watching his every move. Right before him there was a man hugely swollen in his joints. So Jesus asked the religion scholars and Pharisees present, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath? Yes or no?"

 ^4-6They were silent. So he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. Then he said, "Is there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn't rush to pull him out immediately, not asking whether or not it was the Sabbath?" They were stumped. There was nothing they could say to that.

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Psalm 79:1-13 (The Message)

Psalm 79

An Asaph Psalm

 ^1-4 God! Barbarians have broken into your home, violated your holy temple,
      left Jerusalem a pile of rubble!
   They've served up the corpses of your servants
      as carrion food for birds of prey,
   Threw the bones of your holy people
      out to the wild animals to gnaw on.
   They dumped out their blood
      like buckets of water.
   All around Jerusalem, their bodies
      were left to rot, unburied.
   We're nothing but a joke to our neighbors,
      graffiti scrawled on the city walls.

 ^5-7 How long do we have to put up with this, God?
      Do you have it in for us for good?
      Will your smoldering rage never cool down?
   If you're going to be angry, be angry
      with the pagans who care nothing about you,
      or your rival kingdoms who ignore you.
   They're the ones who ruined Jacob,
      who wrecked and looted the place where he lived.

 ^8-10 Don't blame us for the sins of our parents.
      Hurry up and help us; we're at the end of our rope.
   You're famous for helping; God, give us a break.
      Your reputation is on the line.
   Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins—
      do what you're famous for doing!
   Don't let the heathen get by with their sneers:
      "Where's your God? Is he out to lunch?"
   Go public and show the godless world
      that they can't kill your servants and get by with it.

 ^11-13 Give groaning prisoners a hearing;
      pardon those on death row from their doom—you can do it!
   Give our jeering neighbors what they've got coming to them;
      let their God-taunts boomerang and knock them flat.
   Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for,
      will thank you over and over and over.
   We'll tell everyone we meet
      how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are!

 

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Proverbs 12:26 (The Message)

 ²⁶ A good person survives misfortune,
   but a wicked life invites disaster.

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Verse of the Day

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” - Romans 5:6-8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Irish writer, editor, critic, poet, artistic painter and Irish nationalist, George William Russell wrote, “We may fight against what is wrong, but if we allow ourselves to hate, that is to insure our spiritual defeat and our likeness to what we hate.”