Bible Readings for December 18, 2019

Today our passages are Habakkuk 1:1–3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; and Proverbs 30:10. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.  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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Habakkuk 1-3:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Habakkuk 1

 ¹I am Habakkuk the prophet. And this is the message ^a] that the LORD gave me.

Habakkuk Complains to the LORD

 ²Our LORD, how long must I beg   for your help
   before you listen?
   How long before you save us
   from all this violence?
    ³Why do you make me watch
   such terrible injustice?
   Why do you allow violence,
   lawlessness,
   crime, and cruelty
   to spread everywhere?
    ⁴Laws cannot be enforced;
   justice is always the loser;
   criminals crowd out honest people
   and twist the laws around.   

The LORD Answers Habakkuk

 ⁵Look and be amazed   at what's happening
   among the nations!
   Even if you were told,
   you would never believe
   what's taking place now.
    ⁶I am sending the Babylonians.
   They are fierce and cruel--
   marching across the land,
   conquering cities and towns.
    ⁷How fearsome and frightening.
   Their only laws and rules
   are the ones they make up.
    ⁸Their cavalry troops are faster
   than leopards,
   more ferocious than wolves
   hunting at sunset,
   and swifter than hungry eagles
   suddenly swooping down.
    ⁹They are eager to destroy, ^b] and they gather captives
   like handfuls of sand.
    ¹⁰They make fun of rulers
   and laugh at fortresses,
   while building dirt mounds
   so they can capture cities. ^c] 11Then suddenly they disappear
   like a gust of wind--
   those sinful people who worship
   their own strength.   

Habakkuk Complains Again

 ¹²Holy LORD God, mighty rock, ^d] you are eternal,   and we ^e] are safe from death. You are using those Babylonians
   to judge and punish others. ^f] 13But you can't stand sin or wrong.
   So don't sit by in silence
   while they gobble down people
   who are better than they are.
    ¹⁴The people you put on this earth
   are like fish or reptiles
   without a leader.
    ¹⁵Then an enemy comes along
   and takes them captive
   with hooks and nets.
   It makes him so happy
    ¹⁶that he offers sacrifices
   to his fishing nets,
   because they make him rich
   and provide choice foods.
    ¹⁷Will he keep hauling in his nets
   and destroying nations
   without showing mercy?
   

Habakkuk 2

The LORD Answers Habakkuk Again

 ¹While standing guard   on the watchtower,
   I waited for the LORD's answer,
   before explaining the reason
   for my complaint. ^g] 2Then the LORD told me:
   "I will give you my message
   in the form of a vision.
   Write it clearly enough
   to be read at a glance.
    ³At the time I have decided,
   my words will come true.
   You can trust what I say
   about the future.
   It may take a long time,
   but keep on waiting--
   it will happen!
    ⁴"I, the LORD, refuse to accept
   anyone who is proud.
   Only those who live by faith
   are acceptable to me." ^h]

Trouble for Evil People

 ⁵Wine ^i] is treacherous, and arrogant people   are never satisfied.
   They are no less greedy
   than death itself--
   they open their mouths as wide
   as the world of the dead
   and swallow everyone.
    ⁶But they will be mocked
   with these words:
   You're doomed!
   You stored up stolen goods
   and cheated others
   of what belonged to them.
    ⁷But without warning,
   those you owe
   will demand payment.
   Then you will become
   a frightened victim.
    ⁸You robbed cities and nations
   everywhere on earth
   and murdered their people.
   Now those who survived
   will be as cruel to you.
    ⁹You're doomed!
   You made your family rich
   at the expense of others.
   You even said to yourself,
   "I'm above the law."
    ¹⁰But you will bring shame
   on your family
   and ruin to yourself
   for what you did to others.
    ¹¹The very stones and wood
   in your home
   will testify against you.
    ¹²You're doomed! You built a city
   on crime and violence.
    ¹³But the LORD All-Powerful
   sends up in flames
   what nations and people
   work so hard to gain.
    ¹⁴Just as water fills the sea,
   the land will be filled
   with people who know
   and honor the LORD.
    ¹⁵You're doomed!
   You get your friends drunk,
   just to see them naked.
    ¹⁶Now you will be disgraced
   instead of praised.
   The LORD will make you drunk,
   and when others see you naked,
   you will lose their respect.
    ¹⁷You destroyed trees and animals
   on Mount Lebanon;
   you were ruthless to towns
   and people everywhere.
   Now you will be terrorized.   

Idolatry Is Foolish

 ¹⁸What is an idol worth?   It's merely a false god.
   Why trust a speechless image
   made from wood or metal
   by human hands?
    ¹⁹What can you learn from idols
   covered with silver or gold?
   They can't even breathe.
   Pity anyone who says to an idol
   of wood or stone,
   "Get up and do something!"
    ²⁰Let all the world be silent--
   the LORD is present
   in his holy temple.
   

Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk's Prayer

 ¹This is my prayer: ^j] 2I know your reputation, LORD,   and I am amazed
   at what you have done.
   Please turn from your anger
   and be merciful;
   do for us what you did
   for our ancestors.
    ³You are the same Holy God
   who came from Teman
   and Paran ^k] to help us. The brightness of your glory
   covered the heavens,
   and your praises were heard
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁴Your glory shone like the sun,
   and light flashed from your hands,
   hiding your mighty power.
    ⁵Dreadful diseases and plagues
   marched in front
   and followed behind.
    ⁶When you stopped,
   the earth shook;
   when you stared,
   nations trembled;
   when you walked
   along your ancient paths,
   eternal mountains and hills
   crumbled and collapsed.
    ⁷The tents of desert tribes
   in Cushan and Midian ^l] were ripped apart.
    ⁸Our LORD, were you angry
   with the monsters
   of the deep? ^m] You attacked in your chariot
   and wiped them out.
    ⁹Your arrows were ready
   and obeyed your commands. ^n] You split the earth apart
   with rivers and streams;
    ¹⁰mountains trembled
   at the sight of you;
   rain poured from the clouds;
   ocean waves roared and rose.
    ¹¹The sun and moon stood still,
   while your arrows and spears
   flashed like lightning.
    ¹²In your furious anger,
   you trampled on nations
    ¹³to rescue your people
   and save your chosen one. ^o] You crushed a nation's ruler
   and stripped his evil kingdom
   of its power. ^p] 14His troops had come like a storm,
   hoping to scatter us
   and glad to gobble us down.
   To them we were refugees
   in hiding--
   but you smashed their heads
   with their own weapons. ^q] 15Then your chariots churned
   the waters of the sea.   

Habakkuk's Response to God's Message

 ¹⁶When I heard this message, ^r] I felt weak from fear,   and my lips quivered.
   My bones seemed to melt,
   and I stumbled around.
   But I will patiently wait.
   Someday those vicious enemies
   will be struck by disaster. ^s]

Trust in a Time of Trouble

 ¹⁷Fig trees may no longer bloom,   or vineyards produce grapes;
   olive trees may be fruitless,
   and harvest time a failure;
   sheep pens may be empty,
   and cattle stalls vacant--
    ¹⁸but I will still celebrate
   because the LORD God
   saves me.
    ¹⁹The LORD gives me strength.
   He makes my feet as sure
   as those of a deer,
   and he helps me stand
   on the mountains. ^t] To the music director:
   Use stringed instruments. 

Footnotes:

1. Habakkuk 1:1 message: Or "vision."
2. Habakkuk 1:9 eager to destroy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Habakkuk 1:10 dirt mounds. . . cities: Attacking armies often build dirt mounds against city walls to make it easier for them to climb the wall and capture the city.
4. Habakkuk 1:12 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has "rock," which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the LORD to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
5. Habakkuk 1:12 we: Hebrew; one ancient Jewish tradition "you."
6. Habakkuk 1:12 You. . . others: Or "You will judge and punish those Babylonians."
7. Habakkuk 2:1 I. . . complaint: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Habakkuk 2:4 Only. . . me: Or "But those who are acceptable to me will live because of their faithfulness."
9. Habakkuk 2:5 Wine: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls "Wealth."
10. Habakkuk 3:1 prayer: The Hebrew text adds "according to the shigionoth," which may mean a prayer of request or a prayer to be accompanied by a special musical instrument.
11. Habakkuk 3:3 Teman. . . Paran: Teman is a district in Edom, but the name is sometimes used of the whole country of Edom; Paran is the hill country along the western border of the Gulf of Aqaba. In Judges 5.4, the LORD is said to have marched from Edom to help his people; in Deuteronomy 33.2, Paran is mentioned in connection with the LORD's appearance at Sinai.
12. Habakkuk 3:7 Cushan and Midian: Tribes of the Arabian desert who were enemies of Israel.
13. Habakkuk 3:8 monsters of the deep: The Hebrew text has "rivers and oceans," which may stand for the powerful monsters that were thought to have lived there before the LORD defeated them.
14. Habakkuk 3:9 obeyed your commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
15. Habakkuk 3:13 chosen one: Or "chosen ones."
16. Habakkuk 3:13 You crushed. . . power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
17. Habakkuk 3:14 but you. . . weapons: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
18. Habakkuk 3:16 heard this message: Or "saw this vision."
19. Habakkuk 3:16 I will. . . disaster: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
20. Habakkuk 3:19 stand on the mountains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Revelation 9:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 9

 ¹When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star ^a] fall from the sky to earth. It was given the key to the tunnel that leads down to the deep pit. ²As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke. ³Locusts ^b] came out of the smoke and covered the earth. They were given the same power that scorpions have. ⁴The locusts were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or any tree. They were to punish only those people who did not have God's mark on their foreheads. ⁵The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion. ⁶In those days people will want to die, but they will not be able to. They will hope for death, but it will escape from them.    ⁷These locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns, and they had human faces. ⁸Their hair was like a woman's long hair, and their teeth were like those of a lion. ⁹On their chests they wore armor made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰Their tails were like a scorpion's tail with a stinger that had the power to hurt someone for five months. ¹¹Their king was the angel in charge of the deep pit. In Hebrew his name was Abaddon, and in Greek it was Apollyon. ^c] 12The first horrible thing has now happened! But wait. Two more horrible things will happen soon.
    ¹³Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice speak from the four corners of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. ¹⁴The voice spoke to this angel and said, "Release the four angels who are tied up beside the great Euphrates River." ¹⁵The four angels had been prepared for this very hour and day and month and year. Now they were set free to kill a third of all people.
    ¹⁶By listening, I could tell there were more than two hundred million of these war horses. ¹⁷In my vision their riders wore fiery-red, dark-blue, and yellow armor on their chests. The heads of the horses looked like lions, with fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. ¹⁸One-third of all people were killed by the three terrible troubles caused by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur. ¹⁹The horses had powerful mouths, and their tails were like poisonous snakes that bite and hurt.
    ²⁰The people who lived through these terrible troubles did not turn away from the idols they had made, and they did not stop worshiping demons. They kept on worshiping idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. Not one of these idols could see, hear, or walk. ²¹No one stopped murdering or practicing witchcraft or being immoral or stealing. 

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 9:1 star: In the ancient world, stars were often thought of as living beings, such as angels.
2. Revelation 9:3 Locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to crops.
3. Revelation 9:11 Abaddon. . . Apollyon: The Hebrew word "Abaddon" and the Greek word "Apollyon" each mean "destruction."

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Psalm 137:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 137

A Prayer for Revenge

 ¹Beside the rivers of Babylon   we thought about Jerusalem,
   and we sat down and cried.
    ²We hung our small harps
   on the willow ^a] trees. ³Our enemies had brought us here
   as their prisoners,
   and now they wanted us to sing
   and entertain them.
   They insulted us and shouted,
   "Sing about Zion!"
    ⁴Here in a foreign land,
   how can we sing
   about the LORD?
    ⁵Jerusalem, if I forget you,
   let my right hand go limp.
    ⁶Let my tongue stick
   to the roof of my mouth,
   if I don't think about you
   above all else.
    ⁷Our LORD, punish the Edomites!
   Because the day Jerusalem fell,
   they shouted,
   "Completely destroy the city!
   Tear down every building!"
    ⁸Babylon, you are doomed!
   I pray the Lord's blessings
   on anyone who punishes you
   for what you did to us.
    ⁹May the Lord bless everyone
   who beats your children
   against the rocks! 

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 137:2 willow: Or " poplar."

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Proverbs 30:10 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁰Don't tell a slave owner
   something bad
   about one
   of the slaves.
   That slave will curse you,
   and you will be in trouble.

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Verse of the Day

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to save his people. Our God has given us a mighty Savior from the family of David his servant. Long ago the Lord promised by the words of his holy prophets” - Luke 1:68-70

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English actress, Celia Johnson wrote, “Don't remember me as too nice or beautiful or funny, because then you'll be disappointed.”

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A Joke for Today

A guy walks into a post office one day to see a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing "Love" stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. He then takes out a perfume bottle and starts spraying scent all over them.

His curiosity getting the better of him, he goes up to the balding man and asks him what he is doing. The man says "I'm sending out 1,000 Valentine cards signed, 'Guess who?'"

"But why?" asks the man.

"I'm a divorce lawyer," the man replies.

Bible Readings for December 18, 2018

Today our passages are  Habakkuk 1:1–3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; and Proverbs 30:10. 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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Habakkuk 1-3:19 (The Message)

Habakkuk 1

Justice Is a Joke

 ^1-4 The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it: God, how long do I have to cry out for help
   before you listen?
How many times do I have to yell, "Help! Murder! Police!"
   before you come to the rescue?
Why do you force me to look at evil,
   stare trouble in the face day after day?
Anarchy and violence break out,
   quarrels and fights all over the place.
Law and order fall to pieces.
   Justice is a joke.
The wicked have the righteous hamstrung
   and stand justice on its head. 

God Says, "Look!"

 ^5-11"Look around at the godless nations.
   Look long and hard. Brace yourself for a shock.
Something's about to take place
   and you're going to find it hard to believe.
I'm about to raise up Babylonians to punish you,
   Babylonians, fierce and ferocious—
World-conquering Babylon,
   grabbing up nations right and left,
A dreadful and terrible people,
   making up its own rules as it goes.
Their horses run like the wind,
   attack like bloodthirsty wolves.
A stampede of galloping horses
   thunders out of nowhere.
They descend like vultures
   circling in on carrion.
They're out to kill. Death is on their minds.
   They collect victims like squirrels gathering nuts.
They mock kings,
   poke fun at generals,
Spit on forts,
   and leave them in the dust.
They'll all be blown away by the wind.
   Brazen in sin, they call strength their god." 

Why Is God Silent Now?

 ^12-13God, you're from eternity, aren't you?
   Holy God, we aren't going to die, are we?
God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work?
   Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline?
But you can't be serious!
   You can't condone evil!
So why don't you do something about this?
   Why are you silent now?
This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous
   and you stand around and watch!  ^14-16You're treating men and women
   as so many fish in the ocean,
Swimming without direction,
   swimming but not getting anywhere.
Then this evil Babylonian arrives and goes fishing.
   He pulls in a good catch.
He catches his limit and fills his creel—
   a good day of fishing! He's happy!
He praises his rod and reel,
   piles his fishing gear on an altar and worships it!
It's made his day,
   and he's going to eat well tonight!
 ¹⁷Are you going to let this go on and on?
   Will you let this Babylonian fisherman
Fish like a weekend angler,
   killing people as if they're nothing but fish? 

Habakkuk 2

 ¹ What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon.
I'll wait to see what God says,
   how he'll answer my complaint. 

Full of Self, but Soul-Empty

 ^2-3And then God answered: "Write this.
   Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
   so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
   pointing to what's coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
   And it doesn't lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
   It's on its way. It will come right on time.  ⁴"Look at that man, bloated by self-importance—
   full of himself but soul-empty.
But the person in right standing before God
   through loyal and steady believing
   is fully alive, really alive.
 ^5-6"Note well: Money deceives.
   The arrogant rich don't last.
They are more hungry for wealth
   than the grave is for cadavers.
Like death, they always want more,
   but the 'more' they get is dead bodies.
They are cemeteries filled with dead nations,
   graveyards filled with corpses.
Don't give people like this a second thought.
   Soon the whole world will be taunting them:
 ^6-8"'Who do you think you are—
   getting rich by stealing and extortion?
How long do you think
   you can get away with this?'
Indeed, how long before your victims wake up,
   stand up and make you the victim?
You've plundered nation after nation.
   Now you'll get a taste of your own medicine.
All the survivors are out to plunder you,
   a payback for all your murders and massacres.
 ^9-11"Who do you think you are—
   recklessly grabbing and looting,
Living it up, acting like king of the mountain,
   acting above it all, above trials and troubles?
You've engineered the ruin of your own house.
   In ruining others you've ruined yourself.
You've undermined your foundations,
   rotted out your own soul.
The bricks of your house will speak up and accuse you.
   The woodwork will step forward with evidence.
 ^12-14"Who do you think you are—
   building a town by murder, a city with crime?
Don't you know that God-of-the-Angel-Armies
   makes sure nothing comes of that but ashes,
Makes sure the harder you work
   at that kind of thing, the less you are?
Meanwhile the earth fills up
   with awareness of God's glory
   as the waters cover the sea.
 ^15-17"Who do you think you are—
   inviting your neighbors to your drunken parties,
Giving them too much to drink,
   roping them into your sexual orgies?
You thought you were having the time of your life.
   Wrong! It's a time of disgrace.
All the time you were drinking,
   you were drinking from the cup of God's wrath.
You'll wake up holding your throbbing head, hung over—
   hung over from Lebanon violence,
Hung over from animal massacres,
   hung over from murder and mayhem,
From multiple violations
   of place and people.
 ^18-19"What's the use of a carved god
   so skillfully carved by its sculptor?
What good is a fancy cast god
   when all it tells is lies?
What sense does it make to be a pious god-maker
   who makes gods that can't even talk?
Who do you think you are—
   saying to a stick of wood, 'Wake up,'
Or to a dumb stone, 'Get up'?
   Can they teach you anything about anything?
There's nothing to them but surface.
   There's nothing on the inside.
 ²⁰"But oh! God is in his holy Temple!
   Quiet everyone—a holy silence. Listen!" 

Habakkuk 3

God Racing on the Crest of the Waves

 ^1-2 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra: God, I've heard what our ancestors say about you,
   and I'm stopped in my tracks, down on my knees.
Do among us what you did among them.
   Work among us as you worked among them.
And as you bring judgment, as you surely must,
   remember mercy.  ^3-7God's on his way again,
   retracing the old salvation route,
Coming up from the south through Teman,
   the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Skies are blazing with his splendor,
   his praises sounding through the earth,
His cloud-brightness like dawn, exploding, spreading,
   forked-lightning shooting from his hand—
   what power hidden in that fist!
Plague marches before him,
   pestilence at his heels!
He stops. He shakes Earth.
   He looks around. Nations tremble.
The age-old mountains fall to pieces;
   ancient hills collapse like a spent balloon.
The paths God takes are older
   than the oldest mountains and hills.
I saw everyone worried, in a panic:
   Old wilderness adversaries,
Cushan and Midian, were terrified,
   hoping he wouldn't notice them.
 ^8-16God, is it River you're mad at?
   Angry at old River?
Were you raging at Sea when you rode
   horse and chariot through to salvation?
You unfurled your bow
   and let loose a volley of arrows.
   You split Earth with rivers.
Mountains saw what was coming.
   They twisted in pain.
Flood Waters poured in.
   Ocean roared and reared huge waves.
Sun and Moon stopped in their tracks.
   Your flashing arrows stopped them,
   your lightning-strike spears impaled them.
Angry, you stomped through Earth.
   Furious, you crushed the godless nations.
You were out to save your people,
   to save your specially chosen people.
You beat the stuffing
   out of King Wicked,
Stripped him naked
   from head to toe,
Set his severed head on his own spear
   and blew away his army.
Scattered they were to the four winds—
   and ended up food for the sharks!
You galloped through the Sea on your horses,
   racing on the crest of the waves.
When I heard it, my stomach did flips.
   I stammered and stuttered.
My bones turned to water.
   I staggered and stumbled.
I sit back and wait for Doomsday
   to descend on our attackers.
 ^17-19Though the cherry trees don't blossom
   and the strawberries don't ripen,
Though the apples are worm-eaten
   and the wheat fields stunted,
Though the sheep pens are sheepless
   and the cattle barns empty,
I'm singing joyful praise to God.
   I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on God's Rule to prevail,
   I take heart and gain strength.
I run like a deer.
   I feel like I'm king of the mountain!
   (For congregational use, with a full orchestra.)

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Revelation 9:1-21 (The Message)

Revelation 9

 ^1-2The fifth Angel trumpeted. I saw a Star plummet from Heaven to earth. The Star was handed a key to the Well of the Abyss. He unlocked the Well of the Abyss—smoke poured out of the Well, billows and billows of smoke, sun and air in blackout from smoke pouring out of the Well.  ^3-6Then out of the smoke crawled locusts with the venom of scorpions. They were given their orders: "Don't hurt the grass, don't hurt anything green, don't hurt a single tree—only men and women, and then only those who lack the seal of God on their foreheads." They were ordered to torture but not kill, torture them for five months, the pain like a scorpion sting. When this happens, people are going to prefer death to torture, look for ways to kill themselves. But they won't find a way—death will have gone into hiding.
 ^7-11The locusts looked like horses ready for war. They had gold crowns, human faces, women's hair, the teeth of lions, and iron breastplates. The sound of their wings was the sound of horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. Their tails were equipped with stings, like scorpion tails. With those tails they were ordered to torture the human race for five months. They had a king over them, the Angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, in Greek, Apollyon—"Destroyer."
 ¹²The first doom is past. Two dooms yet to come.
 ^13-14The sixth Angel trumpeted. I heard a voice speaking to the sixth Angel from the horns of the Golden Altar before God: "Let the Four Angels loose, the Angels confined at the great River Euphrates."
 ^15-19The Four Angels were untied and let loose, Four Angels all prepared for the exact year, month, day, and even hour when they were to kill a third of the human race. The number of the army of horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard the count and saw both horses and riders in my vision: fiery breastplates on the riders, lion heads on the horses breathing out fire and smoke and brimstone. With these three weapons—fire and smoke and brimstone—they killed a third of the human race. The horses killed with their mouths and tails; their serpentlike tails also had heads that wreaked havoc.
 ^20-21The remaining men and women who weren't killed by these weapons went on their merry way—didn't change their way of life, didn't quit worshiping demons, didn't quit centering their lives around lumps of gold and silver and brass, hunks of stone and wood that couldn't see or hear or move. There wasn't a sign of a change of heart. They plunged right on in their murderous, occult, promiscuous, and thieving ways.

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Psalm 137:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 137

    Alongside Babylon's rivers we sat on the banks; we cried and cried,
      remembering the good old days in Zion.
   Alongside the quaking aspens
      we stacked our unplayed harps;
   That's where our captors demanded songs,
      sarcastic and mocking:
      "Sing us a happy Zion song!"

 ^4-6 Oh, how could we ever sing God's song
      in this wasteland?
   If I ever forget you, Jerusalem,
      let my fingers wither and fall off like leaves.
   Let my tongue swell and turn black
      if I fail to remember you,
   If I fail, O dear Jerusalem,
      to honor you as my greatest.

 ^7-9 God, remember those Edomites,
      and remember the ruin of Jerusalem,
   That day they yelled out,
      "Wreck it, smash it to bits!"
   And you, Babylonians—ravagers!
      A reward to whoever gets back at you
      for all you've done to us;
   Yes, a reward to the one who grabs your babies
      and smashes their heads on the rocks!

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Proverbs 30:10 (The Message)

 ¹⁰ Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers
   behind their backs;
They'll accuse you of being underhanded,
   and then you'll be the guilty one!

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Verse of the Day

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to save his people. Our God has given us a mighty Savior from the family of David his servant. Long ago the Lord promised by the words of his holy prophets” - Luke 1:68-70 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

British politician, statesman, army officer, and writer, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955, Winston Churchill wrote, “Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.”

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A Joke for Today

 went to a psychiatrist. "Doc," he said, "I've got trouble. Every time I get into bed, I think there's somebody under it. I get under the bed, I think there's somebody on top of it. Top, under, top, under ... you gotta help me, I'm going crazy!"

"Just put yourself in my hands for two years," said the shrink. "Come to me three times a week, and I'll cure your fears."

"How much do you charge?"

"A hundred dollars per visit."

"I'll sleep on it," said Shakey.

Six months later the doctor met Shakey on the street.

"Why didn't you ever come to see me again?" asked the psychiatrist.

"For a hundred buck's a visit? A bartender cured me for ten dollars."

"Is that so! How?"

"He told me to cut the legs off the bed!"

Bible Readings for December 18, 2017

Today our passages are Habakkuk 1:1–3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; and Proverbs 30:10. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version.  The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Habakkuk 1-3:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Habakkuk 1

 ¹I am Habakkuk the prophet. And this is the message ^a] that the LORD gave me.

Habakkuk Complains to the LORD

 ²Our LORD, how long must I beg   for your help
   before you listen?
   How long before you save us
   from all this violence?
    ³Why do you make me watch
   such terrible injustice?
   Why do you allow violence,
   lawlessness,
   crime, and cruelty
   to spread everywhere?
    ⁴Laws cannot be enforced;
   justice is always the loser;
   criminals crowd out honest people
   and twist the laws around.
   

The LORD Answers Habakkuk

 ⁵Look and be amazed   at what's happening
   among the nations!
   Even if you were told,
   you would never believe
   what's taking place now.
    ⁶I am sending the Babylonians.
   They are fierce and cruel--
   marching across the land,
   conquering cities and towns.
    ⁷How fearsome and frightening.
   Their only laws and rules
   are the ones they make up.
    ⁸Their cavalry troops are faster
   than leopards,
   more ferocious than wolves
   hunting at sunset,
   and swifter than hungry eagles
   suddenly swooping down.
    ⁹They are eager to destroy, ^b] and they gather captives
   like handfuls of sand.
    ¹⁰They make fun of rulers
   and laugh at fortresses,
   while building dirt mounds
   so they can capture cities. ^c] 11Then suddenly they disappear
   like a gust of wind--
   those sinful people who worship
   their own strength.
   

Habakkuk Complains Again

 ¹²Holy LORD God, mighty rock, ^d] you are eternal,   and we ^e] are safe from death. You are using those Babylonians
   to judge and punish others. ^f] 13But you can't stand sin or wrong.
   So don't sit by in silence
   while they gobble down people
   who are better than they are.
    ¹⁴The people you put on this earth
   are like fish or reptiles
   without a leader.
    ¹⁵Then an enemy comes along
   and takes them captive
   with hooks and nets.
   It makes him so happy
    ¹⁶that he offers sacrifices
   to his fishing nets,
   because they make him rich
   and provide choice foods.
    ¹⁷Will he keep hauling in his nets
   and destroying nations
   without showing mercy?
   

Habakkuk 2

The LORD Answers Habakkuk Again

 ¹While standing guard   on the watchtower,
   I waited for the LORD's answer,
   before explaining the reason
   for my complaint. ^g] 2Then the LORD told me:
   "I will give you my message
   in the form of a vision.
   Write it clearly enough
   to be read at a glance.
    ³At the time I have decided,
   my words will come true.
   You can trust what I say
   about the future.
   It may take a long time,
   but keep on waiting--
   it will happen!
    ⁴"I, the LORD, refuse to accept
   anyone who is proud.
   Only those who live by faith
   are acceptable to me." ^h]

Trouble for Evil People

 ⁵Wine ^i] is treacherous, and arrogant people   are never satisfied.
   They are no less greedy
   than death itself--
   they open their mouths as wide
   as the world of the dead
   and swallow everyone.
    ⁶But they will be mocked
   with these words:
   You're doomed!
   You stored up stolen goods
   and cheated others
   of what belonged to them.
    ⁷But without warning,
   those you owe
   will demand payment.
   Then you will become
   a frightened victim.
    ⁸You robbed cities and nations
   everywhere on earth
   and murdered their people.
   Now those who survived
   will be as cruel to you.
    ⁹You're doomed!
   You made your family rich
   at the expense of others.
   You even said to yourself,
   "I'm above the law."
    ¹⁰But you will bring shame
   on your family
   and ruin to yourself
   for what you did to others.
    ¹¹The very stones and wood
   in your home
   will testify against you.
    ¹²You're doomed! You built a city
   on crime and violence.
    ¹³But the LORD All-Powerful
   sends up in flames
   what nations and people
   work so hard to gain.
    ¹⁴Just as water fills the sea,
   the land will be filled
   with people who know
   and honor the LORD.
    ¹⁵You're doomed!
   You get your friends drunk,
   just to see them naked.
    ¹⁶Now you will be disgraced
   instead of praised.
   The LORD will make you drunk,
   and when others see you naked,
   you will lose their respect.
    ¹⁷You destroyed trees and animals
   on Mount Lebanon;
   you were ruthless to towns
   and people everywhere.
   Now you will be terrorized.
   

Idolatry Is Foolish

 ¹⁸What is an idol worth?   It's merely a false god.
   Why trust a speechless image
   made from wood or metal
   by human hands?
    ¹⁹What can you learn from idols
   covered with silver or gold?
   They can't even breathe.
   Pity anyone who says to an idol
   of wood or stone,
   "Get up and do something!"
    ²⁰Let all the world be silent--
   the LORD is present
   in his holy temple.
   

Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk's Prayer

 ¹This is my prayer: ^j] 2I know your reputation, LORD,   and I am amazed
   at what you have done.
   Please turn from your anger
   and be merciful;
   do for us what you did
   for our ancestors.
    ³You are the same Holy God
   who came from Teman
   and Paran ^k] to help us. The brightness of your glory
   covered the heavens,
   and your praises were heard
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁴Your glory shone like the sun,
   and light flashed from your hands,
   hiding your mighty power.
    ⁵Dreadful diseases and plagues
   marched in front
   and followed behind.
    ⁶When you stopped,
   the earth shook;
   when you stared,
   nations trembled;
   when you walked
   along your ancient paths,
   eternal mountains and hills
   crumbled and collapsed.
    ⁷The tents of desert tribes
   in Cushan and Midian ^l] were ripped apart.
    ⁸Our LORD, were you angry
   with the monsters
   of the deep? ^m] You attacked in your chariot
   and wiped them out.
    ⁹Your arrows were ready
   and obeyed your commands. ^n] You split the earth apart
   with rivers and streams;
    ¹⁰mountains trembled
   at the sight of you;
   rain poured from the clouds;
   ocean waves roared and rose.
    ¹¹The sun and moon stood still,
   while your arrows and spears
   flashed like lightning.
    ¹²In your furious anger,
   you trampled on nations
    ¹³to rescue your people
   and save your chosen one. ^o] You crushed a nation's ruler
   and stripped his evil kingdom
   of its power. ^p] 14His troops had come like a storm,
   hoping to scatter us
   and glad to gobble us down.
   To them we were refugees
   in hiding--
   but you smashed their heads
   with their own weapons. ^q] 15Then your chariots churned
   the waters of the sea.
   

Habakkuk's Response to God's Message

 ¹⁶When I heard this message, ^r] I felt weak from fear,   and my lips quivered.
   My bones seemed to melt,
   and I stumbled around.
   But I will patiently wait.
   Someday those vicious enemies
   will be struck by disaster. ^s]

Trust in a Time of Trouble

 ¹⁷Fig trees may no longer bloom,   or vineyards produce grapes;
   olive trees may be fruitless,
   and harvest time a failure;
   sheep pens may be empty,
   and cattle stalls vacant--
    ¹⁸but I will still celebrate
   because the LORD God
   saves me.
    ¹⁹The LORD gives me strength.
   He makes my feet as sure
   as those of a deer,
   and he helps me stand
   on the mountains. ^t] To the music director:
   Use stringed instruments.
   

Footnotes:

1. Habakkuk 1:1 message: Or "vision."
2. Habakkuk 1:9 eager to destroy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. Habakkuk 1:10 dirt mounds. . . cities: Attacking armies often build dirt mounds against city walls to make it easier for them to climb the wall and capture the city.
4. Habakkuk 1:12 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has "rock," which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the LORD to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
5. Habakkuk 1:12 we: Hebrew; one ancient Jewish tradition "you."
6. Habakkuk 1:12 You. . . others: Or "You will judge and punish those Babylonians."
7. Habakkuk 2:1 I. . . complaint: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Habakkuk 2:4 Only. . . me: Or "But those who are acceptable to me will live because of their faithfulness."
9. Habakkuk 2:5 Wine: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls "Wealth."
10. Habakkuk 3:1 prayer: The Hebrew text adds "according to the shigionoth," which may mean a prayer of request or a prayer to be accompanied by a special musical instrument.
11. Habakkuk 3:3 Teman. . . Paran: Teman is a district in Edom, but the name is sometimes used of the whole country of Edom; Paran is the hill country along the western border of the Gulf of Aqaba. In Judges 5.4, the LORD is said to have marched from Edom to help his people; in Deuteronomy 33.2, Paran is mentioned in connection with the LORD's appearance at Sinai.
12. Habakkuk 3:7 Cushan and Midian: Tribes of the Arabian desert who were enemies of Israel.
13. Habakkuk 3:8 monsters of the deep: The Hebrew text has "rivers and oceans," which may stand for the powerful monsters that were thought to have lived there before the LORD defeated them.
14. Habakkuk 3:9 obeyed your commands: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
15. Habakkuk 3:13 chosen one: Or "chosen ones."
16. Habakkuk 3:13 You crushed. . . power: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
17. Habakkuk 3:14 but you. . . weapons: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
18. Habakkuk 3:16 heard this message: Or "saw this vision."
19. Habakkuk 3:16 I will. . . disaster: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
20. Habakkuk 3:19 stand on the mountains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Revelation 9:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Revelation 9

 ¹When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star ^a] fall from the sky to earth. It was given the key to the tunnel that leads down to the deep pit. ²As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke. ³Locusts ^b] came out of the smoke and covered the earth. They were given the same power that scorpions have. ⁴The locusts were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or any tree. They were to punish only those people who did not have God's mark on their foreheads. ⁵The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion. ⁶In those days people will want to die, but they will not be able to. They will hope for death, but it will escape from them.    ⁷These locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns, and they had human faces. ⁸Their hair was like a woman's long hair, and their teeth were like those of a lion. ⁹On their chests they wore armor made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰Their tails were like a scorpion's tail with a stinger that had the power to hurt someone for five months. ¹¹Their king was the angel in charge of the deep pit. In Hebrew his name was Abaddon, and in Greek it was Apollyon. ^c] 12The first horrible thing has now happened! But wait. Two more horrible things will happen soon.
    ¹³Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice speak from the four corners of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. ¹⁴The voice spoke to this angel and said, "Release the four angels who are tied up beside the great Euphrates River." ¹⁵The four angels had been prepared for this very hour and day and month and year. Now they were set free to kill a third of all people.
    ¹⁶By listening, I could tell there were more than two hundred million of these war horses. ¹⁷In my vision their riders wore fiery-red, dark-blue, and yellow armor on their chests. The heads of the horses looked like lions, with fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. ¹⁸One-third of all people were killed by the three terrible troubles caused by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur. ¹⁹The horses had powerful mouths, and their tails were like poisonous snakes that bite and hurt.
    ²⁰The people who lived through these terrible troubles did not turn away from the idols they had made, and they did not stop worshiping demons. They kept on worshiping idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. Not one of these idols could see, hear, or walk. ²¹No one stopped murdering or practicing witchcraft or being immoral or stealing.
   

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 9:1 star: In the ancient world, stars were often thought of as living beings, such as angels.
2. Revelation 9:3 Locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to crops.
3. Revelation 9:11 Abaddon. . . Apollyon: The Hebrew word "Abaddon" and the Greek word "Apollyon" each mean "destruction."

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Psalm 137:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 137

A Prayer for Revenge

 ¹Beside the rivers of Babylon   we thought about Jerusalem,
   and we sat down and cried.
    ²We hung our small harps
   on the willow ^a] trees. ³Our enemies had brought us here
   as their prisoners,
   and now they wanted us to sing
   and entertain them.
   They insulted us and shouted,
   "Sing about Zion!"
    ⁴Here in a foreign land,
   how can we sing
   about the LORD?
    ⁵Jerusalem, if I forget you,
   let my right hand go limp.
    ⁶Let my tongue stick
   to the roof of my mouth,
   if I don't think about you
   above all else.
    ⁷Our LORD, punish the Edomites!
   Because the day Jerusalem fell,
   they shouted,
   "Completely destroy the city!
   Tear down every building!"
    ⁸Babylon, you are doomed!
   I pray the Lord's blessings
   on anyone who punishes you
   for what you did to us.
    ⁹May the Lord bless everyone
   who beats your children
   against the rocks!
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 137:2 willow: Or " poplar."

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Proverbs 30:10 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁰Don't tell a slave owner
   something bad
   about one
   of the slaves.
   That slave will curse you,
   and you will be in trouble.

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Verse of the Day

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to save his people. Our God has given us a mighty Savior from the family of David his servant. Long ago the Lord promised by the words of his holy prophets” - Luke 1:68-70

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder, Ty Cobb wrote, “The great trouble with baseball today is that most of the players are in the game for the money and that's it, not for the love of it, the excitement of it, the thrill of it.”

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A Joke for the Day

The visiting church school supervisor asks little Johnny during Bible class who broke down the walls of Jericho. Little Johnny replies that he does not know, but it definitely is not him.

The supervisor, taken aback by this lack of basic Bible knowledge, goes to the school principal and relates the whole incident.

The principal replies that he knows little Johnny, as well as his whole family very well and can vouch for them, and if little Johnny said that he did not do it, he, as principal is satisfied that it is the truth.

Even more appalled, the inspector goes to the Regional Head of Education and relates the whole story.

After listening, he replies: "I can't see why you are making such a big issue out of this; just get three quotes and fix the darn wall!"