Bible Readings for August 2, 2017

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 32:1–33:13; Romans 15:23–16:7; Psalm 25:16-22; and Proverbs 20:16-18. 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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2 Chronicles 32-33:13 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 32

King Sennacherib of Assyria Invades Judah

(2 Kings 18.13-37; Isaiah 36.1-22)

 ¹After King Hezekiah had faithfully obeyed the LORD's instructions by doing these things, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He attacked the fortified cities and thought he would capture every one of them.    ²As soon as Hezekiah learned that Sennacherib was planning to attack Jerusalem,
   ^3-4he and his officials worked out a plan to cut off the supply of water outside the city, so that the Assyrians would have no water when they came to attack. The officials got together a large work force that stopped up the springs and streams near Jerusalem.
   ⁵Hezekiah also had workers repair the broken sections of the city wall. Then they built defense towers and an outer wall to help protect the one already there. The landfill on the east side of David's City was also strengthened.
   He gave orders to make a large supply of weapons and shields,
   ⁶and he appointed army commanders over the troops. Then he gathered the troops together in the open area in front of the city gate and said to them:
   ⁷Be brave and confident! There's no reason to be afraid of King Sennacherib and his powerful army. We are much more powerful,
   ⁸because the LORD our God fights on our side. The Assyrians must rely on human power alone.
   These words encouraged the army of Judah.
   ⁹When Sennacherib and his troops were camped at the town of Lachish, he sent a message to Hezekiah and the people in Jerusalem. It said:
   ¹⁰I am King Sennacherib of Assyria, and I have Jerusalem surrounded. Do you think you can survive my attack?
   ¹¹Hezekiah your king is telling you that the LORD your God will save you from me. But he is lying, and you'll die of hunger and thirst.
   ¹²Didn't Hezekiah tear down all except one of the LORD's altars and places of worship? ^[a] And didn't he tell you people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship at that one place?
   ¹³You've heard what my ancestors and I have done to other nations. Were the gods of those nations able to defend their land against us?
   ¹⁴None of those gods kept their people safe from the kings of Assyria. Do you really think your God can do any better?
   ¹⁵Don't be fooled by Hezekiah! No god of any nation has ever been able to stand up to Assyria. Believe me, your God cannot keep you safe!
   ¹⁶The Assyrian officials said terrible things about the LORD God and his servant Hezekiah.
   ¹⁷Sennacherib's letter even made fun of the LORD. It said, "The gods of other nations could not save their people from Assyria's army, and neither will the God that Hezekiah worships."
   ¹⁸The officials said all these things in Hebrew, so that everyone listening from the city wall would understand and be terrified and surrender.
   ¹⁹The officials talked about the LORD God as if he were nothing but an ordinary god or an idol that someone had made.
   

The Death of King Sennacherib

(2 Kings 19.14-19,35-37; Isaiah 37.14-20; 37.36-38)

 ²⁰Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz asked the LORD for help,    ²¹and he sent an angel that killed every soldier and commander in the Assyrian camp.
   Sennacherib returned to Assyria, completely disgraced. Then one day he went into the temple of his god where some of his sons killed him.
   ²²The LORD rescued Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and also protected them from other enemies.
   ²³People brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and expensive gifts for Hezekiah, and from that day on, every nation on earth respected Hezekiah.
   

Hezekiah Gets Sick and Almost Dies

(2 Kings 20.1-11; Isaiah 38.1-8)

 ²⁴About this same time, Hezekiah got sick and was almost dead. He prayed, and the LORD gave him a sign that he would recover.    ²⁵But Hezekiah was so proud that he refused to thank the LORD for everything he had done for him. This made the LORD angry, and he punished Hezekiah and the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
   ²⁶Hezekiah and the people later felt sorry and asked the LORD to forgive them. So the LORD did not punish them as long as Hezekiah was king.
   

Hezekiah's Wealth

(2 Kings 20.12-19; Isaiah 39.1-8)

 ²⁷Hezekiah was very rich, and everyone respected him. He built special rooms to store the silver, the gold, the precious stones and spices, the shields, and the other valuable possessions.    ²⁸Storehouses were also built for his supply of grain, wine, and olive oil; barns were built for his cattle, and pens were put up for his sheep.
   ²⁹God made Hezekiah extremely rich, so he bought even more sheep, goats, and cattle. And he built towns where he could keep all these animals.
   ³⁰It was Hezekiah who built a tunnel that carried the water from Gihon Spring into the city of Jerusalem. In fact, everything he did was successful!
   ³¹Even when the leaders of Babylonia sent messengers to ask Hezekiah about the sign God had given him, God let Hezekiah give his own answer to test him and to see if he would remain faithful.
   

Hezekiah Dies

(2 Kings 20.20,21)

 ³²Everything else Hezekiah did while he was king, including how faithful he was to the LORD, is included in the records kept by Isaiah the prophet. These are written in The History of the Kings of Judah and Israel.    ³³When Hezekiah died, he was buried in the section of the royal tombs that was reserved for the most respected kings, ^[b] and everyone in Judah and Jerusalem honored him. His son Manasseh then became king.
   

2 Chronicles 33

King Manasseh of Judah

(2 Kings 21.1-9,17,18)

 ¹Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled fifty-five years from Jerusalem.    ²Manasseh disobeyed the LORD by following the disgusting customs of the nations that the LORD had forced out of Israel.
   ³He rebuilt the local shrines ^[c] that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He built altars for the god Baal and set up sacred poles ^[d] for worshiping the goddess Asherah. And he faithfully worshiped the stars in the sky.
   ⁴In the temple, where only the LORD was supposed to be worshiped, Manasseh built altars for pagan gods
   ⁵and for the stars. He placed these altars in both courtyards of the temple
   ^6-7and even set up a stone image of a foreign god. Manasseh practiced magic and witchcraft; he asked fortunetellers for advice and sacrificed his own sons in Hinnom Valley. He did many other sinful things and made the LORD very angry.
   Years ago, God had told David and Solomon:
   Jerusalem is the place I prefer above all others in Israel. It belongs to me, and there in the temple I will be worshiped forever.
   ⁸If my people will faithfully obey all the laws and teaching I gave to my servant Moses, I will never again force them to leave the land I gave to their ancestors.
   ⁹But the people of Judah and Jerusalem listened to Manasseh and did even more sinful things than the nations the LORD had wiped out.
   ¹⁰The LORD tried to warn Manasseh and the people about their sins, but they ignored the warning.
   ¹¹So he let Assyrian army commanders invade Judah and capture Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose and tied him up in chains, and they took him to Babylon.
   ¹²While Manasseh was held captive there, he asked the LORD God to forgive him and to help him.
   ¹³The LORD listened to Manasseh's prayer and saw how sorry he was, and so he let him go back to Jerusalem and rule as king. Manasseh knew from then on that the LORD was God.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 32:12 worship: Hezekiah actually had torn down the places where idols were worshiped, and he had told the people to worship the LORD at the one place of worship in Jerusalem. But the Assyrian leader was confused and thought these were also places where the LORD was supposed to be worshiped.
2. 2 Chronicles 32:33 in the section. . . reserved for the most respected kings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3. 2 Chronicles 33:3 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
4. 2 Chronicles 33:3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.

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Romans 15:23-16:7 (Contemporary English Version)

²³Now there is nothing left for me to do in this part of the world, and for years I have wanted to visit you. ²⁴So I plan to stop off on my way to Spain. Then after a short, but refreshing, visit with you, I hope you will quickly send me on.
    ^25-26I am now on my way to Jerusalem to deliver the money that the Lord's followers in Macedonia and Achaia collected for God's needy people. ²⁷This is something they really wanted to do. But sharing their money with the Jews was also like paying back a debt, because the Jews had already shared their spiritual blessings with the Gentiles. ²⁸After I have safely delivered this money, I will visit you and then go on to Spain. ²⁹And when I do arrive in Rome, I know it will be with the full blessings of Christ.
    ³⁰My friends, by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit, I beg you to pray sincerely with me and for me. ³¹Pray that God will protect me from the unbelievers in Judea, and that his people in Jerusalem will be pleased with what I am doing. ³²Ask God to let me come to you and have a pleasant and refreshing visit. ³³I pray that God, who gives peace, will be with all of you. Amen.
   

Romans 16

Personal Greetings

 ¹I have good things to say about Phoebe, who is a leader in the church at Cenchreae. ²Welcome her in a way that is proper for someone who has faith in the Lord and is one of God's own people. Help her in any way you can. After all, she has proved to be a respected leader for many others, including me.     ³Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. They have not only served Christ Jesus together with me, ⁴but they have even risked their lives for me. I am grateful for them and so are all the Gentile churches. ⁵Greet the church that meets in their home.
   Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first person in Asia to have faith in Christ.
    ⁶Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you.
    ⁷Greet my relatives ^[a] Andronicus and Junias, ^[b] who were in jail with me. They are highly respected by the apostles and were followers of Christ before I was.

Footnotes:

1. Romans 16:7 relatives: Or "Jewish friends."
2. Romans 16:7 Junias: Or "Junia." Some manuscripts have "Julia."

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Psalm 25:16-22 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶I am lonely and troubled.
   Show that you care
   and have pity on me.
    ¹⁷My awful worries keep growing.
   Rescue me from sadness.
    ¹⁸See my troubles and misery
   and forgive my sins.
    ¹⁹Look at all my enemies!
   See how much they hate me.
    ²⁰I come to you for shelter.
   Protect me, keep me safe,
   and don't disappoint me.
    ²¹I obey you with all my heart,
   and I trust you, knowing
   that you will save me.
    ²²Our God, please save Israel
   from all of its troubles.

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Proverbs 20:16-18 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶You deserve to lose your coat
   if you loan it to someone
   to guarantee payment
   for the debt of a stranger.
    ¹⁷The food you get by cheating
   may taste delicious,
   but it turns to gravel.
    ¹⁸Be sure you have sound advice
   before making plans
   or starting a war.

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Verse of the Day

“Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it.” - James 1:22

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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 Thought for the Day

American writer and social critic, James Baldwin wrote, “Perhaps I did not succumb to ideology … because I have never seen myself as a spokesman. I am a witness. In the church in which I was raised you were supposed to bear witness to the truth. Now, later on, you wonder what in the world the truth is, but you do know what a lie is.”

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A Joke for Today

My wife and I were comparing notes the other day. 'I have a higher IQ, did better on my SAT's, and make more money than you,' she pointed out.

'Yeah, but when you step back and look at the big picture, I’m still ahead,' I said.

She looked mystified. 'How do you figure?'

'I married better,' I replied.

Bible Readings for August 2, 2016

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 32:1–33:13; Romans 15:23–16:7; Psalm 25:16-22; and Proverbs 20:16-18. 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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2 Chronicles 32-33:13 (The Message)

2 Chronicles 32

 ¹ And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them.  ^2-4 When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?"
 ^5-6 Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate.
 ^6-8 Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!"
    Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines.
 ^9-15 Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: "A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks. Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, 'God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's lying—you're all going to end up dead. Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, 'There is only one legitimate place to worship'? Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you'll make out any better with your god? Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his barefaced lies; don't trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?"
 ¹⁶ The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God's servant Hezekiah.
 ¹⁷ Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: "The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse."
 ^18-19 The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission. They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples.
 ^20-21 King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him.
 ^22-23 God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah's stock soared.

²⁴ Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to God and was given a reassuring sign.
 ^25-26 But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made God angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived.
 ^27-31 Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich. Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart.

^32-33 The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor.
    Manasseh his son was the next king.

2 Chronicles 33

King Manasseh

 ^1-6Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. He ruled for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. In God's opinion he was a bad king—an evil king. He reintroduced all the moral rot and spiritual corruption that had been scoured from the country when God dispossessed the pagan nations in favor of the children of Israel. He rebuilt the sex-and-religion shrines that his father Hezekiah had torn down, he built altars and phallic images for the sex god Baal and the sex goddess Asherah and worshiped the cosmic powers, taking orders from the constellations. He built shrines to the cosmic powers and placed them in both courtyards of The Temple of God, the very Jerusalem Temple dedicated exclusively by God's decree to God's Name ("in Jerusalem I place my Name"). He burned his own sons in a sacrificial rite in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced witchcraft and fortunetelling. He held séances and consulted spirits from the underworld. Much evil—in God's view a career in evil. And God was angry.  ^7-8 As a last straw he placed a carved image of the sex goddess Asherah that he had commissioned in The Temple of God, a flagrant and provocative violation of God's well-known command to both David and Solomon, "In this Temple and in this city Jerusalem, my choice out of all the tribes of Israel, I place my Name—exclusively and forever." He had promised, "Never again will I let my people Israel wander off from this land I've given to their ancestors. But on this condition, that they keep everything I've commanded in the instructions my servant Moses passed on to them."
 ^9-10 But Manasseh led Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem off the beaten path into practices of evil exceeding even the evil of the pagan nations that God had earlier destroyed. When God spoke to Manasseh and his people about this, they ignored him.
 ^11-13 Then God directed the leaders of the troops of the king of Assyria to come after Manasseh. They put a hook in his nose, shackles on his feet, and took him off to Babylon. Now that he was in trouble, he went to his knees in prayer asking for help—total repentance before the God of his ancestors. As he prayed, God was touched; God listened and brought him back to Jerusalem as king. That convinced Manasseh that God was in control.

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Romans 15:23-16:7 (The Message)

 ^22-24And that's why it has taken me so long to finally get around to coming to you. But now that there is no more pioneering work to be done in these parts, and since I have looked forward to seeing you for many years, I'm planning my visit. I'm headed for Spain, and expect to stop off on the way to enjoy a good visit with you, and eventually have you send me off with God's blessing.
 ^25-29First, though, I'm going to Jerusalem to deliver a relief offering to the followers of Jesus there. The Greeks—all the way from the Macedonians in the north to the Achaians in the south—decided they wanted to take up a collection for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. They were happy to do this, but it was also their duty. Seeing that they got in on all the spiritual gifts that flowed out of the Jerusalem community so generously, it is only right that they do what they can to relieve their poverty. As soon as I have done this—personally handed over this "fruit basket"—I'm off to Spain, with a stopover with you in Rome. My hope is that my visit with you is going to be one of Christ's more extravagant blessings.
 ^30-33I have one request, dear friends: Pray for me. Pray strenuously with and for me—to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit—that I will be delivered from the lions' den of unbelievers in Judea. Pray also that my relief offering to the Jerusalem believers will be accepted in the spirit in which it is given. Then, God willing, I'll be on my way to you with a light and eager heart, looking forward to being refreshed by your company. God's peace be with all of you. Oh, yes!

Romans 16

 ^1-2Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She's a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She's helped many a person, including me.  ^3-5Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. They once put their lives on the line for me. And I'm not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, to say nothing of the church that meets in their house.
   Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first follower of Jesus in the province of Asia.
 ⁶Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be!
 ⁷Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders.

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Psalm 25:16-22 (The Message)

 ¹⁶ Look at me and help me!
   I'm all alone and in big trouble.

 ¹⁷ My heart and kidneys are fighting each other;
   Call a truce to this civil war.

 ¹⁸ Take a hard look at my life of hard labor,
   Then lift this ton of sin.

 ¹⁹ Do you see how many people
   Have it in for me?
   How viciously they hate me?

 ²⁰ Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;
   Don't let me down when I run to you.

 ²¹ Use all your skill to put me together;
   I wait to see your finished product.

 ²² God, give your people a break
   From this run of bad luck.

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Proverbs 20:16-18 (The Message)

 ¹⁶ Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger;
   beware of accepting what a transient has pawned.

 ¹⁷ Stolen bread tastes sweet,
   but soon your mouth is full of gravel.

 ¹⁸ Form your purpose by asking for counsel,
   then carry it out using all the help you can get.

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Verse of the Day
“Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it.” - James 1:22

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

African-American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic, James Baldwin wrote, “I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”