Bible Readings for March 8, 2019

Today our passages are Numbers 10:1–11:23; Mark 14:1-21; Psalm 51:1-19; and Proverbs 10:31-32. The readings are 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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Numbers 10-11:23 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 10

The Silver Trumpets

 ¹The LORD told Moses:     ²Have someone make two trumpets out of hammered silver. These will be used to call the people together and to give the signal for moving your camp. ³If both trumpets are blown, everyone is to meet with you at the entrance to the sacred tent. ⁴But if just one is blown, only the twelve tribal leaders need to come together. 
    ^5-6Give a signal on a trumpet when it is time to break camp. The first blast will be the signal for the tribes camped on the east side, and the second blast will be the signal for those on the south. ⁷But when you want everyone to come together, sound a different signal on the trumpet. ⁸The priests of Aaron's family will be the ones to blow the trumpets, and this law will never change. 
    ⁹Whenever you go into battle against an enemy attacking your land, give a warning signal on the trumpets. Then I, the LORD, will hear it and rescue you. ¹⁰During the celebration of the New Moon Festival and other religious festivals, sound the trumpets while you offer sacrifices. This will be a reminder that I am the LORD your God.     

The Israelites Begin Their Journey

 ¹¹On the twentieth day of the second month ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} of that same year, the cloud over the sacred tent moved on. ¹²So the Israelites broke camp and left the Sinai Desert. And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert. ^[b<="">] 13This was the first time the LORD had told Moses to command the people of Israel to move on. ¹⁴Judah and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out first, carrying their banner. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the leader of the Judah tribe, ¹⁵Nethanel son of Zuar was the leader of the Issachar tribe, ¹⁶and Eliab son of Helon was the leader of the Zebulun tribe.     ¹⁷The sacred tent had been taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites carried it, marching behind the Judah camp. 
    ¹⁸Reuben and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out second, carrying their banner. Elizur son of Shedeur was the leader of the Reuben tribe, ¹⁹Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was the leader of the Simeon tribe, ²⁰and Eliasaph son of Deuel was the leader of the Gad tribe. 
    ²¹Next were the Kohathites, carrying the objects for the sacred tent, which was to be set up before they arrived at the new camp. 
    ²²Ephraim and the tribes that camped alongside it marched next, carrying their banner. Elishama son of Ammihud was the leader of the Ephraim tribe, ²³Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was the leader of the Manasseh tribe, ²⁴and Abidan son of Gideoni was the leader of the Benjamin tribe. 
    ²⁵Dan and the tribes that camped alongside it were to protect the Israelites against an attack from behind, and so they marched last, carrying their banner. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the leader of the tribe of Dan, ²⁶Pagiel son of Ochran was the leader of the Asher tribe, ²⁷and Ahira son of Enan was the leader of the Naphtali tribe. 
    ²⁸This was the order in which the Israelites marched each time they moved their camp. 
    ²⁹Hobab ^[c<="">] the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, was there. And Moses said to him, " We're leaving for the place the LORD has promised us. He has said that all will go well for us. So come along, and we will make sure that all goes well for you." ³⁰" No, I won't go," Hobab answered. " I'm returning home to be with my own people." 
    ³¹" Please go with us!" Moses said. " You can be our guide because you know the places to camp in the desert. ³²Besides that, if you go, we will give you a share of the good things the LORD gives us." 
    ³³The people of Israel began their journey from Mount Sinai. ^[d<="">] They traveled three days, and the Levites who carried the sacred chest led the way, so the LORD could show them where to camp. ³⁴And the cloud always stayed with them. ³⁵Each day as the Israelites began their journey, Moses would pray, " Our LORD, defeat your enemies and make them run!" ³⁶And when they stopped to set up camp, he would pray, " Our LORD, stay close to Israel's thousands and thousands of people." 
    

Numbers 11

The Israelites Complain

 ¹One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The LORD heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.     ²When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out. ³They named the place " Burning," ^[e<="">] because in his anger the LORD had set their camp on fire. 

The People Grumble about Being Hungry

 ⁴One day some worthless foreigners among the Israelites became greedy for food, and even the Israelites themselves began moaning, " We don't have any meat! ⁵In Egypt we could eat all the fish we wanted, and there were cucumbers, melons, onions, and garlic. ⁶But we're starving out here, and the only food we have is this manna."     ⁷The manna was like small whitish seeds ^8-9and tasted like something baked with sweet olive oil. It appeared at night with the dew. In the morning the people would collect the manna, grind or crush it into flour, then boil it and make it into thin wafers. 
    ¹⁰The Israelites stood around their tents complaining. Moses heard them and was upset that they had made the LORD angry. ¹¹He prayed: 
   I am your servant, LORD, so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? You've made me responsible for all these people, ¹²but they're not my children. You told me to nurse them along and to carry them to the land you promised their ancestors. ¹³They keep whining for meat, but where can I get meat for them? ¹⁴This job is too much for me. How can I take care of all these people by myself? ¹⁵If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!     

Seventy Leaders Are Chosen To Help Moses

 ¹⁶The LORD said to Moses:    Choose seventy of Israel's respected leaders and go with them to the sacred tent. ¹⁷While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself. 
    ¹⁸As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat. ^19-20In fact, they will have meat day after day for a whole month--not just a few days, or even ten or twenty. They turned against me and wanted to return to Egypt. Now they will eat meat until they get sick of it. 
    ²¹Moses replied, " At least six hundred thousand grown men are here with me. How can you say there will be enough meat to feed them and their families for a whole month? ²²Even if we butchered all of our sheep and cattle, or caught every fish in the sea, we wouldn't have enough to feed them." 
    ²³The LORD answered, " I can do anything! Watch and you'll see my words come true." 
    

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 10:11 second month: See the note at 1.1.
2. Numbers 10:12 the Paran Desert: Probably a general name for the northernmost part of the Sinai Desert.
3. Numbers 10:29 Hobab: Hebrew " Hobab son of Reuel."
4. Numbers 10:33 Mount Sinai: Hebrew " the LORD's mountain."
5. Numbers 11:3 Burning: Or " Taberah."

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Mark 14:1-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Mark 14

A Plot To Kill Jesus

(Matthew 26.1-5; Luke 22.1,2; John 11.45-53)

 ¹It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Thin Bread. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were planning how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. ²They were saying, "We must not do it during the festival, because the people will riot."     

At Bethany

(Matthew 26.6-13; John 12.1-8)

 ³Jesus was eating in Bethany at the home of Simon, who once had leprosy, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} when a woman came in with a very expensive bottle of sweet-smelling perfume. ^[b<="">] After breaking it open, she poured the perfume on Jesus' head. ⁴This made some of the guests angry, and they complained, "Why such a waste? ⁵We could have sold this perfume for more than three hundred silver coins and given the money to the poor!" So they started saying cruel things to the woman.     ⁶But Jesus said: 
   Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ⁷You will always have the poor with you. And whenever you want to, you can give to them. But you won't always have me here with you. ⁸She has done all she could by pouring perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. ⁹You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.     

Judas and the Chief Priests

(Matthew 26.14-16; Luke 22.3-6)

 ¹⁰Judas Iscariot ^[c<="">] was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests and offered to help them arrest Jesus. ¹¹They were glad to hear this, and they promised to pay him. So Judas started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.     

Jesus Eats with His Disciples

(Matthew 26.17-25; Luke 22.7-14,21-23; John 13.21-30)

 ¹²It was the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, and the Passover lambs were being killed. Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?"     ¹³Jesus said to two of the disciples, "Go into the city, where you will meet a man carrying a jar of water. ^[d<="">] Follow him, ¹⁴and when he goes into a house, say to the owner, `Our teacher wants to know if you have a room where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.' ¹⁵The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room furnished and ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there." 
    ¹⁶The two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal. 
    ^17-18While Jesus and the twelve disciples were eating together that evening, he said, "The one who will betray me is now eating with me." 
    ¹⁹This made the disciples sad, and one after another they said to Jesus, "You surely don't mean me!" 
    ²⁰He answered, "It is one of you twelve men who is eating from this dish with me. ²¹The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But it is going to be terrible for the one who betrays me. That man would be better off if he had never been born." 
    

Footnotes:

1. Mark 14:3 leprosy: In biblical times the word "leprosy" was used for many different skin diseases.
2. Mark 14:3 sweet-smelling perfume: The Greek text has "perfume made of pure spikenard," a plant used to make perfume.
3. Mark 14:10 Iscariot: See the note at 3.19.
4. Mark 14:13 a man carrying a jar of water: A male slave carrying water could mean that the family was rich.

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Psalm 51:1-19 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 51

(For the music leader. A psalm by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had been with Bathsheba.)

A Prayer for Forgiveness

 ¹You are kind, God!    Please have pity on me. 
   You are always merciful! 
   Please wipe away my sins. 
    ²Wash me clean from all 
   of my sin and guilt. 
    ³I know about my sins, 
   and I cannot forget 
   my terrible guilt. 
    ⁴You are really the one 
   I have sinned against; 
   I have disobeyed you 
   and have done wrong. 
   So it is right and fair for you 
   to correct and punish me. 
    ⁵I have sinned and done wrong 
   since the day I was born. 
    ⁶But you want complete honesty, 
   so teach me true wisdom. 
    ⁷Wash me with hyssop ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} until I am clean 
   and whiter than snow. 
    ⁸Let me be happy and joyful! 
   You crushed my bones, 
   now let them celebrate. 
    ⁹Turn your eyes from my sin 
   and cover my guilt. 
    ¹⁰Create pure thoughts in me 
   and make me faithful again. 
    ¹¹Don't chase me away from you 
   or take your Holy Spirit 
   away from me. 
    ¹²Make me as happy as you did 
   when you saved me; 
   make me want to obey! 
    ¹³I will teach sinners your Law, 
   and they will return to you. 
    ¹⁴Keep me from any deadly sin. 
   Only you can save me! 
   Then I will shout and sing 
   about your power to save. 
    ¹⁵Help me to speak, 
   and I will praise you, Lord. 
    ¹⁶Offerings and sacrifices 
   are not what you want. 
    ¹⁷The way to please you 
   is to feel sorrow 
   deep in our hearts. 
   This is the kind of sacrifice 
   you won't refuse. 
    ¹⁸Please be willing, Lord, 
   to help the city of Zion 
   and to rebuild its walls. 
    ¹⁹Then you will be pleased 
   with the proper sacrifices, 
   and we will offer bulls 
   on your altar once again. 
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 51:7 hyssop: A small bush with bunches of small, white flowers. It was sometimes used as a symbol for making a person clean from sin.

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Proverbs 10:31-32 (Contemporary English Version)

³¹Honest people speak sensibly,
   but deceitful liars
   will be silenced.
    ³²If you obey the Lord,
   you will always know
   the right thing to say.
   But no one will trust you
   if you tell lies.

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Verse of the Day

“[Paul Gives Thanks]Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932, and as Acting Chief Justice of the United States in January–February 1930, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. wrote, “The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts, but learning how to make facts live.”

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A Joke for Today

A woman was telling her friend, "It was I who made my husband a millionaire."

"And what was he before you married him?" asked the friend. 

The woman replied, "A billionaire."

Bible Readings for January 21, 2019

Today our passages are Genesis 42:18–43:34; Matthew 13:47–14:12; Psalm 18:16-36; and Proverbs 4:7-10. The readings are 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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Genesis 42:18-43:34 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸before saying to them:
Since I respect God, I'll give you a chance to save your lives. ¹⁹If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in jail, and the rest of you can take the grain back to your starving families. ²⁰But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I'll know that you are telling the truth, and you won't be put to death.
Joseph's brothers agreed ²¹and said to one another, "We're being punished because of Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in, but we refused to help him when he begged us. That's why these terrible things are happening."
²²Reuben spoke up, "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for killing him."
²³They did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter. ²⁴Joseph turned away from them and cried, but soon he turned back and spoke to them again. Then he had Simeon tied up and taken away while they watched. 

Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan

²⁵Joseph gave orders for his brothers' grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money ^[a] to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done, ²⁶they each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left. ²⁷When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and right away he saw his moneybag. ²⁸"Here's my money!" he told his brothers. "Right here in my sack." They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, "What has God done to us?"
²⁹When they returned to the land of Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened to them:
³⁰The governor of Egypt was rude and treated us like spies. ³¹But we told him, "We're honest men, not spies. ³²We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and the other is dead."
³³Then the governor of Egypt told us, "I'll find out if you really are honest. Leave one of your brothers here with me, while you take the grain to your starving families. ³⁴But bring your youngest brother to me, so I can be certain that you are honest men and not spies. After that, I'll let your other brother go free, and you can stay here and trade."
³⁵When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob, ³⁶who said, "You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me."
³⁷Reuben spoke up, "Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I will bring him back."
³⁸But Jacob said, "I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. ^[b] I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame." 

Genesis 43

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin

¹The famine in Canaan got worse, ²until finally, Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had bought in Egypt. So Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy some more grain." ^3-5Judah replied, "The governor strictly warned us that we would not be allowed to see him unless we brought our youngest brother with us. If you let us take Benjamin along, we will go and buy grain. But we won't go without him!"
⁶Jacob asked, "Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the governor you had another brother?"
⁷They answered, "He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. He wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?"
⁸Then Judah said to his father, "Let Benjamin go with me, and we will leave right away, so that none of us will starve to death. ⁹I promise to bring him back safely, and if I don't, you can blame me as long as I live. ¹⁰If we had not wasted all this time, we could already have been there and back twice."
¹¹Their father said:
If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. ^[c]¹²Also take along twice the amount of money for the grain, because there must have been some mistake when the money was put back in your sacks. ¹³Take Benjamin with you and leave right away. ¹⁴When you go in to see the governor, I pray that God All-Powerful will be good to you and that the governor will let your other brother and Benjamin come back home with you. If I must lose my children, I suppose I must.
¹⁵The brothers took the gifts, twice the amount of money, and Benjamin. Then they hurried off to Egypt. When they stood in front of Joseph, ¹⁶he saw Benjamin and told the servant in charge of his house, "Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and cook it, so they can eat with me at noon."
¹⁷The servant did as he was told and took the brothers to Joseph's house. ¹⁸But on the way they got worried and started thinking, "We are being taken there because of the money that was put back in our sacks last time. He will arrest us, make us his slaves, and take our donkeys."
¹⁹So when they arrived at Joseph's house, they said to the servant in charge, ²⁰"Sir, we came to Egypt once before to buy grain. ²¹But when we stopped for the night, we each found in our grain sacks the exact amount we had paid. We have brought that money back, ²²together with enough money to buy more grain. We don't know who put the money in our sacks."
²³"It's all right," the servant replied. "Don't worry. The God you and your father worship must have put the money there, because I received your payment in full." Then he brought Simeon out to them.
²⁴The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. He also tended their donkeys. ²⁵The brothers got their gifts ready to give to Joseph at noon, since they had heard they were going to eat there.
²⁶When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought, and they bowed down to him. ²⁷After Joseph had asked how they were, he said, "What about your elderly father? Is he still alive?"
²⁸They answered, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And again they bowed down to Joseph.
²⁹When Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, he said, "This must be your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son."
³⁰Right away he rushed off to his room and cried because of his love for Benjamin. ³¹After washing his face and returning, he was able to control himself and said, "Serve the meal!"
³²Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at another. The Egyptians sat at yet another table, because Egyptians felt it was disgusting to eat with Hebrews. ³³To the surprise of Joseph's brothers, they were seated in front of him according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest. ³⁴They were served food from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was given five times as much as each of the others. So Joseph's brothers drank with him and had a good time.

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 42:25money: Probably in the form of small pieces of silver and/or other precious or semi-precious metals; there were no coins or paper money at this time.
2. Genesis 42:38only son I have left: Jacob had only two sons by Rachel, his favorite wife.
3. Genesis 43:11honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds: Some of these foods were still available in Canaan, but the main food was bread, and there was no grain to make bread.

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Matthew 13:47-14:12 (Contemporary English Version)

A Fish Net

⁴⁷The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a net is thrown into a lake and catches all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When the net is full, it is dragged to the shore, and the fishermen sit down to separate the fish. They keep the good ones, but throw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹That's how it will be at the end of time. Angels will come and separate the evil people from the ones who have done right. ⁵⁰Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

New and Old Treasures

⁵¹Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, "Yes, we do." ⁵²So he told them, "Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom." 

The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

(Mark 6.1-6; Luke 4.16-30)

⁵³When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he left ⁵⁴and went to his hometown. He taught in their meeting place, and the people were so amazed that they asked, "Where does he get all this wisdom and the power to work these miracles? ⁵⁵Isn't he the son of the carpenter? Isn't Mary his mother, and aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? ⁵⁶Don't his sisters still live here in our town? How can he do all this?" ⁵⁷So the people were very unhappy because of what he was doing. But Jesus said, "Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their own family." ⁵⁸And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there. 

Matthew 14

The Death of John the Baptist

(Mark 6.14-29; Luke 9.7-9)

¹About this time Herod the ruler ^[a] heard the news about Jesus ²and told his officials, "This is John the Baptist! He has come back from death, and that's why he has the power to work these miracles." ^3-4Herod had earlier arrested John and had him chained and put in prison. He did this because John had told him, "It isn't right for you to take Herodias, the wife of your brother Philip." ⁵Herod wanted to kill John. But the people thought John was a prophet, and Herod was afraid of what they might do. ⁶When Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests. She pleased Herod ⁷so much that he swore to give her whatever she wanted. ⁸But the girl's mother told her to say, "Here on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!"
⁹The king was sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. So he ordered a guard ¹⁰to go to the prison and cut off John's head. ¹¹It was taken on a platter to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ¹²John's followers took his body and buried it. Then they told Jesus what had happened.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 14:1Herod the ruler: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great (see 2.1).

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Psalm 18:16-36 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
¹⁷You rescued me from enemies,
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
¹⁸On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
¹⁹When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
²⁰You are good to me, LORD,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
²¹I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
²²I keep your laws in mind
and never look away
from your teachings.
²³I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
²⁴You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
²⁵You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
²⁶With all who are sincere,
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
²⁷You rescue the humble,
but you put down all
who are proud.
²⁸You, the LORD God,
keep my lamp burning
and turn darkness to light.
²⁹You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
³⁰Your way is perfect, LORD,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
³¹You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock. ^[a]³²You give me strength
and guide me right.
³³You make my feet run as fast
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
³⁴You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
³⁵You alone are my shield.
Your right hand supports me,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
³⁶You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 18:31mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 4:7-10 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷The best thing about Wisdom
is Wisdom herself;
good sense is more important
than anything else.
⁸If you value Wisdom
and hold tightly to her,
great honors will be yours.
⁹It will be like wearing
a glorious crown
of beautiful flowers. 

The Right Way and the Wrong Way

¹⁰My child, if you listen and obey my teachings,
you will live a long time.

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Verse of the Day

“You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life.” - Galatians 6:7-8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for Today

American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 until his assassination in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

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A Joke for Today

On the outskirts of town, there was a big old pecan tree by the cemetery fence. One day two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts. "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me," said one boy. Several were dropped and rolled down toward the fence. 

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." He just knew what it was. "Oh my," he shuddered, it's Satan and the Lord dividing the souls at the cemetery. He jumped back on his bike and rode off.

Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along. "Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard. Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls." The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk." When the boy insisted, though, the man hobbled to the cemetery. 

Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' the truth. Let's see if we can see the devil himself." Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of Satan. At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. And one last one for you. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence, and we'll be done." 

They say the old guy made it back to town five minutes before the boy.

Bible Readings for December 16, 2018

Today our passages are Micah 5:1–7:20; Revelation 7:1-17; Psalm 135:1-21; and Proverbs 30:5-6. 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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Micah 5-7:20 (The Message)

Micah 5

The Leader Who Will Shepherd-Rule Israel

¹ But for now, prepare for the worst, victim daughter! The siege is set against us.
They humiliate Israel's king,
slapping him around like a rag doll. ^2-4But you, Bethlehem, David's country,
the runt of the litter—
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule Israel.
He'll be no upstart, no pretender.
His family tree is ancient and distinguished.
Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes
until the birth pangs are over and the child is born,
And the scattered brothers come back
home to the family of Israel.
He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God's strength,
centered in the majesty of God-Revealed.
And the people will have a good and safe home,
for the whole world will hold him in respect—
Peacemaker of the world!
^5-6And if some bullying Assyrian shows up,
invades and violates our land, don't worry.
We'll put him in his place, send him packing,
and watch his every move.
Shepherd-rule will extend as far as needed,
to Assyria and all other Nimrod-bullies.
Our shepherd-ruler will save us from old or new enemies,
from anyone who invades or violates our land.
⁷The purged and select company of Jacob will be
like an island in the sea of peoples.
They'll be like dew from God,
like summer showers
Not mentioned in the weather forecast,
not subject to calculation or control.
^8-9Yes, the purged and select company of Jacob will be
like an island in the sea of peoples,
Like the king of beasts among wild beasts,
like a young lion loose in a flock of sheep,
Killing and devouring the lambs
and no one able to stop him.
With your arms raised in triumph over your foes,
your enemies will be no more!
^10-15"The day is coming"
—God's Decree—
"When there will be no more war. None.
I'll slaughter your war horses and demolish your chariots.
I'll dismantle military posts
and level your fortifications.
I'll abolish your religious black markets,
your underworld traffic in black magic.
I will smash your carved and cast gods
and chop down your phallic posts.
No more taking control of the world,
worshiping what you do or make.
I'll root out your sacred sex-and-power centers
and destroy the God-defiant.
In raging anger, I'll make a clean sweep
of godless nations who haven't listened." 

Micah 6

What God Is Looking For

^1-2 Listen now, listen to God: "Take your stand in court.
If you have a complaint, tell the mountains;
make your case to the hills.
And now, Mountains, hear God's case;
listen, Jury Earth—
For I am bringing charges against my people.
I am building a case against Israel. ^3-5"Dear people, how have I done you wrong?
Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer!
I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt;
I paid a good price to get you out of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you—
and Aaron and Miriam to boot!
Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull,
and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him.
Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal.
Keep all God's salvation stories fresh and present."
^6-7How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
⁸But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.
⁹Attention! God calls out to the city!
If you know what's good for you, you'll listen.
So listen, all of you!
This is serious business.
^10-16"Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth
you've piled up by cheating and fraud?
Do you think I'll tolerate shady deals
and shifty scheming?
I'm tired of the violent rich
bullying their way with bluffs and lies.
I'm fed up. Beginning now, you're finished.
You'll pay for your sins down to your last cent.
No matter how much you get, it will never be enough—
hollow stomachs, empty hearts.
No matter how hard you work, you'll have nothing to show for it—
bankrupt lives, wasted souls.
You'll plant grass
but never get a lawn.
You'll make jelly
but never spread it on your bread.
You'll press apples
but never drink the cider.
You have lived by the standards of your king, Omri,
the decadent lifestyle of the family of Ahab.
Because you've slavishly followed their fashions,
I'm forcing you into bankruptcy.
Your way of life will be laughed at, a tasteless joke.
Your lives will be derided as futile and fake." 

Micah 7

Stick Around to See What God Will Do

^1-6 I'm overwhelmed with sorrow! sunk in a swamp of despair!
I'm like someone who goes to the garden
to pick cabbages and carrots and corn
And returns empty-handed,
finds nothing for soup or sandwich or salad.
There's not a decent person in sight.
Right-living humans are extinct.
They're all out for one another's blood,
animals preying on each other.
They've all become experts in evil.
Corrupt leaders demand bribes.
The powerful rich
make sure they get what they want.
The best and brightest are thistles.
The top of the line is crabgrass.
But no longer: It's exam time.
Look at them slinking away in disgrace!
Don't trust your neighbor,
don't confide in your friend.
Watch your words,
even with your spouse.
Neighborhoods and families are falling to pieces.
The closer they are—sons, daughters, in-laws—
The worse they can be.
Your own family is the enemy. ⁷But me, I'm not giving up.
I'm sticking around to see what God will do.
I'm waiting for God to make things right.
I'm counting on God to listen to me. 

Spreading Your Wings

^8-10Don't, enemy, crow over me.
I'm down, but I'm not out.
I'm sitting in the dark right now,
but God is my light.
I can take God's punishing rage.
I deserve it—I sinned.
But it's not forever. He's on my side
and is going to get me out of this.
He'll turn on the lights and show me his ways.
I'll see the whole picture and how right he is.
And my enemy will see it, too,
and be discredited—yes, disgraced!
This enemy who kept taunting,
"So where is this God of yours?"
I'm going to see it with these, my own eyes—
my enemy disgraced, trash in the gutter. ^11-13Oh, that will be a day! A day for rebuilding your city,
a day for stretching your arms, spreading your wings!
All your dispersed and scattered people will come back,
old friends and family from faraway places,
From Assyria in the east to Egypt in the west,
from across the seas and out of the mountains.
But there'll be a reversal for everyone else—massive depopulation—
because of the way they lived, the things they did.
^14-17Shepherd, O God, your people with your staff,
your dear and precious flock.
Uniquely yours in a grove of trees,
centered in lotus land.
Let them graze in lush Bashan
as in the old days in green Gilead.
Reproduce the miracle-wonders
of our exodus from Egypt.
And the godless nations: Put them in their place—
humiliated in their arrogance, speechless and clueless.
Make them slink like snakes, crawl like cockroaches,
come out of their holes from under their rocks
And face our God.
Fill them with holy fear and trembling.
^18-20Where is the god who can compare with you—
wiping the slate clean of guilt,
Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear,
to the past sins of your purged and precious people?
You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long,
for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most.
And compassion is on its way to us.
You'll stamp out our wrongdoing.
You'll sink our sins
to the bottom of the ocean.
You'll stay true to your word to Father Jacob
and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham—
Everything you promised our ancestors
from a long time ago.

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Revelation 7:1-17 (The Message)

Revelation 7

The Servants of God

¹ Immediately I saw Four Angels standing at the four corners of earth, standing steady with a firm grip on the four winds so no wind would blow on earth or sea, not even rustle a tree. ^2-3Then I saw another Angel rising from where the sun rose, carrying the seal of the Living God. He thundered to the Four Angels assigned the task of hurting earth and sea, "Don't hurt the earth! Don't hurt the sea! Don't so much as hurt a tree until I've sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!" ^4-8I heard the count of those who were sealed: 144,000! They were sealed out of every Tribe of Israel: 12,000 sealed from Judah, 12,000 from Reuben, 12,000 from Gad, 12,000 from Asher, 12,000 from Naphtali, 12,000 from Manasseh, 12,000 from Simeon, 12,000 from Levi, 12,000 from Issachar, 12,000 from Zebulun, 12,000 from Joseph, 12,000 sealed from Benjamin.
^9-12I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there—all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb and heartily singing:

Salvation to our God on his Throne!
Salvation to the Lamb!
All who were standing around the Throne—Angels, Elders, Animals— fell on their faces before the Throne and worshiped God, singing:

Oh, Yes!
The blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving,
The honor and power and strength,
To our God forever and ever and ever!
Oh, Yes!
^13-14Just then one of the Elders addressed me: "Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?" Taken aback, I said, "O Sir, I have no idea—but you must know."
^14-17Then he told me, "These are those who come from the great tribulation, and they've washed their robes, scrubbed them clean in the blood of the Lamb. That's why they're standing before God's Throne. They serve him day and night in his Temple. The One on the Throne will pitch his tent there for them: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat. The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them, will lead them to spring waters of Life. And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes."

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Psalm 135:1-21 (The Message)

Psalm 135

Hallelujah! Praise the name of God,
praise the works of God.
All you priests on duty in God's temple,
serving in the sacred halls of our God,
Shout "Hallelujah!" because God's so good,
sing anthems to his beautiful name.
And why? Because God chose Jacob,
embraced Israel as a prize possession.

^5-12 I, too, give witness to the greatness of God,
our Lord, high above all other gods.
He does just as he pleases—
however, wherever, whenever.
He makes the weather—clouds and thunder,
lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north.
He struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
both human and animal firstborn.
He made Egypt sit up and take notice,
confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles.
Yes, he struck down great nations,
he slew mighty kings—
Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan—
every last one of the Canaanite kings!
Then he turned their land over to Israel,
a gift of good land to his people.

^13-18 God, your name is eternal,
God, you'll never be out-of-date.
God stands up for his people,
God holds the hands of his people.
The gods of the godless nations are mere trinkets,
made for quick sale in the markets:
Chiseled mouths that can't talk,
painted eyes that can't see,
Carved ears that can't hear—
dead wood! cold metal!
Those who make and trust them
become like them.

^19-21 Family of Israel, bless God!
Family of Aaron, bless God!
Family of Levi, bless God!
You who fear God, bless God!
Oh, blessed be God of Zion,
First Citizen of Jerusalem!
Hallelujah!

 

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Proverbs 30:5-6 (The Message)

^5-6 The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true;
he protects everyone who runs to him for help.
So don't second-guess him;
he might take you to task and show up your lies."

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Verse of the Day

“[Mary's Song of Praise]Mary said: With all my heart I praise the Lord, and I am glad because of God my Savior. God All-Powerful has done great things for me, and his name is holy.” - Luke 1:46-47, 49

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for Day

American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”