Bible Readings for March 12, 2019

Today our passages are Numbers 16:41–18:32; Mark 16:1-20; Psalm 55:1-23; and Proverbs 11:7. 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 16:41-18:32 (Contemporary English Version)

The Israelites Rebel and Are Punished

 ⁴¹The next day the people of Israel again complained against Moses and Aaron, " The two of you killed some of the LORD's people!"

    ⁴²As the people crowded around them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the sacred tent, and the LORD appeared in his glory in the cloud covering the tent. ⁴³So Moses and Aaron walked to the front of the tent, ⁴⁴where the LORD said to them, ⁴⁵" Stand back! I am going to wipe out these Israelites once and for all."

   They immediately bowed down and prayed. ⁴⁶Then Moses told Aaron, " Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the LORD, so they can be forgiven. The LORD is very angry, and people have already started dying!"

    ^47-48Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the LORD and asked him to forgive the people's sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it. ⁴⁹But fourteen thousand seven hundred Israelites were dead, not counting those who had died with Korah and his followers.

    ⁵⁰Aaron walked back and stood with Moses at the sacred tent.

   

Numbers 17

Aaron's Walking Stick Blooms and Produces Almonds

 ¹The LORD told Moses:

    ^2-3Call together the twelve tribes of Israel and tell the leader of each tribe to write his name on the walking stick he carries as a symbol of his authority. Make sure Aaron's name is written on the one from the Levi tribe, then collect all the sticks.

    ⁴Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you. ⁵I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won't have to listen to any more complaints about you.

    ⁶Moses told the people what the LORD had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron's from the Levi tribe. ⁷Moses took them and placed them in the LORD's sacred tent.

    ⁸The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron's stick. ⁹Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.

    ¹⁰But the LORD told Moses, " Put Aaron's stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think about rebelling. If these people don't stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out." ¹¹Moses did what he was told.

    ¹²The Israelites cried out to Moses, " We're done for ¹³and doomed if we even get near the sacred tent!"

   

Numbers 18

The Duties of the Priests and Levites

 ¹The LORD said to Aaron:

   You, your sons, and the other Levites of the Kohath clan, are responsible for what happens at the sacred tent. ^a] And you and your sons will be responsible for what the priests do. ²The Levites are your relatives and are here to help you in your service at the tent. ³You must see that they perform their duties. But if they go near any of the sacred objects or the altar, all of you will die. ⁴No one else is allowed to take care of the sacred tent or to do anything connected with it. ⁵Follow these instructions, so I won't become angry and punish the Israelites ever again. ⁶I alone chose the Levites from all the other tribes to belong to me, and I have given them to you as your helpers. ⁷But only you and your sons can serve as priests at the altar and in the most holy place. Your work as priests is a gift from me, and anyone else who tries to do that work must be put to death.   

The Priests' Share of Offerings Given to the LORD

(Deuteronomy 18.1-8)

 ^8-9The LORD said to Aaron:

   I have put you in charge of the sacred gifts and sacrifices that the Israelites bring to me. And from now on, you, your sons, and your descendants will receive part of the sacrifices for sin, as well as part of the grain sacrifices, and the sacrifices to make things right. Your share of these sacrifices will be the parts not burned on the altar. ¹⁰Since these things are sacred, they must be eaten near the sacred tent, but only men are allowed to eat them.

    ¹¹You will also receive part of the special gifts and offerings that the Israelites bring to me. Any member of your family who is clean and acceptable for worship can eat these things. ¹²For example, when the Israelites bring me the first batches of oil, wine, and grain, you can have the best parts of those gifts. ¹³And the first part of the crops from their fields and vineyards also belongs to you. The people will offer this to me, then anyone in your family who is clean may have some of it.

    ¹⁴Everything in Israel that has been completely dedicated to me ^b] will now belong to you. ¹⁵The first-born son in every Israelite family, as well as the first-born males of their flocks and herds, belong to me. But a first-born son and every first-born donkey ^c] must be bought back from me. ¹⁶The price for a first-born son who is at least one month old will be five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ¹⁷However, all first-born cattle, sheep, and goats belong to me and cannot be bought back. Splatter their blood on the altar and send their fat up in smoke, so I can smell it and be pleased. ¹⁸You are allowed to eat the meat of those animals, just as you can eat the choice ribs and the right hind leg of the special sacrifices. ¹⁹From now on, the sacred offerings that the Israelites give to me will belong to you, your sons, and your daughters. This is my promise to you and your descendants, and it will never change.

    ²⁰You will not receive any land in Israel as your own. I am the LORD, and I will give you whatever you need.   

What the Levites Receive

The LORD said to Aaron:

 ²¹Ten percent of the Israelites' crops and one out of every ten of their newborn animals belong to me. But I am giving all this to the Levites as their pay for the work they do at the sacred tent. ^22-23They are the only ones allowed to work at the tent, and they must not let anyone else come near it. Those who do must be put to death, and the Levites will also be punished. This law will never change.

   Since the Levites won't be given any land in Israel as their own, ²⁴they will be given the crops and newborn animals that the Israelites offer to me.   

What the Levites Must Give

 ²⁵The LORD told Moses ²⁶to say to the Levites:

   When you receive from the people of Israel ten percent of their crops and newborn animals, you must offer a tenth of that to me. ²⁷Just as the Israelites give me part of their grain and wine, you must set aside part of what you receive ²⁸as an offering to me. That amount must then be given to Aaron, ²⁹so the best of what you receive will be mine.

    ³⁰After you have dedicated the best parts to me, you can eat the rest, just as the Israelites eat part of their grain and wine after offering them to me. ^d]31Your share may be eaten anywhere by anyone in your family, because it is your pay for working at the sacred tent. ³²You won't be punished for eating it, as long as you have already offered the best parts to me. The gifts and sacrifices brought by the people must remain sacred, and if you eat any part of them before they are offered to me, you will be put to death.

   

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 18:1 are responsible. . . sacred tent: Or " are to make sure that no one gets near the sacred tent."
2. Numbers 18:14 that has been completely dedicated to me: This translates a Hebrew word that describes property and things that were taken away from humans and given to God forever. Sometimes such things had to be completely destroyed (see Joshua 6.15-19).
3. Numbers 18:15 donkey: The Hebrew text has " unclean animal," which probably refers to a donkey (see Exodus 13.13; 34.20).
4. Numbers 18:30 just as the Israelites. . . to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Mark 16:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Mark 16

Jesus Is Alive

(Matthew 28.1-8; Luke 24.1-12; John 20.1-10)

 ¹After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. ²Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. ³On their way, they were asking one another, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?" ⁴But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!

    ⁵The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed.

    ⁶The man said, "Don't be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn't here. You can see the place where they put his body. ⁷Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you."

    ⁸When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.

   

ONE OLD ENDING

TO MARK'S GOSPEL ^a]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

(Matthew 28.9,10; John 20.11-18)

 ⁹Very early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen to life, he appeared to Mary Magdalene. Earlier he had forced seven demons out of her. ¹⁰She left and told his friends, who were crying and mourning. ¹¹Even though they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him, they would not believe it.   

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

(Luke 24.13-35)

 ¹²Later, Jesus appeared in another form to two disciples, as they were on their way out of the city. ¹³But when these disciples told what had happened, the others would not believe.   

What Jesus' Followers Must Do

(Matthew 28.16-20; Luke 24.36-49; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)

 ¹⁴Afterwards, Jesus appeared to his eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them because they were too stubborn to believe the ones who had seen him after he had been raised to life. ¹⁵Then he told them:

   Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. ¹⁶Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned. ¹⁷Everyone who believes me will be able to do wonderful things. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak new languages. ¹⁸They will handle snakes and will drink poison and not be hurt. They will also heal sick people by placing their hands on them.   

Jesus Returns to Heaven

(Luke 24.50-53; Acts 1.9-11)

 ¹⁹After the Lord Jesus had said these things to the disciples, he was taken back up to heaven where he sat down at the right side ^b] of God. ²⁰Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true.   

ANOTHER OLD ENDING

TO MARK'S GOSPEL ^c]

 ^9-10The women quickly told Peter and his friends what had happened. Later, Jesus sent the disciples to the east and to the west with his sacred and everlasting message of how people can be saved forever.

   

Footnotes:

1. Mark 16:9 One Old Ending to Mark's Gospel: Verses 9-20 are not in some manuscripts.
2. Mark 16:19 right side: See the note at 12.36.
3. Mark 16:9 Another Old Ending to Mark's Gospel: Some manuscripts and early translations have both this shorter ending and the longer one (verses 9-20).

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Psalm 55:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 55

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)

Betrayed by a Friend

 ¹Listen, God, to my prayer!

   Don't reject my request.

    ²Please listen and help me.

   My thoughts are troubled,

   and I keep groaning

    ³because my loud enemies

   shout and attack.

   They treat me terribly

   and hold angry grudges.

    ⁴My heart is racing fast,

   and I am afraid of dying.

    ⁵I am trembling with fear,

   completely terrified.

    ⁶I wish I had wings

   like a dove,

   so I could fly far away

   and be at peace.

    ⁷I would go and live

   in some distant desert.

    ⁸I would quickly find shelter

   from howling winds

   and raging storms.

    ⁹Confuse my enemies, Lord!

   Upset their plans.

   Cruelty and violence

   are all I see in the city,

    ¹⁰and they are like guards

   on patrol day and night.

   The city is full of trouble,

   evil, ¹¹and corruption.

   Troublemakers and liars

   freely roam the streets.

    ¹²My enemies are not the ones

   who sneer and make fun.

   I could put up with that

   or even hide from them.

    ¹³But it was my closest friend,

   the one I trusted most.

    ¹⁴We enjoyed being together,

   and we went with others

   to your house, our God.

    ¹⁵All who hate me are controlled

   by the power of evil.

   Sentence them to death

   and send them down alive

   to the world of the dead.

    ¹⁶I ask for your help, LORD God,

   and you will keep me safe.

    ¹⁷Morning, noon, and night

   you hear my concerns

   and my complaints.

    ¹⁸I am attacked from all sides,

   but you will rescue me

   unharmed by the battle.

    ¹⁹You have always ruled,

   and you will hear me.

   You will defeat my enemies

   because they won't turn

   and worship you.

    ²⁰My friend turned against me

   and broke his promise.

    ²¹His words were smoother

   than butter,

   and softer

   than olive oil.

   But hatred filled his heart,

   and he was ready to attack

   with a sword.

    ²²Our LORD, we belong to you.

   We tell you what worries us,

   and you won't let us fall.

    ²³But what about those people

   who are cruel and brutal?

   You will throw them down

   into the deepest pit

   long before their time.

   I trust you, LORD!

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Proverbs 11:7 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷When the wicked die,

   their hopes die with them.

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Verse of the Day

“God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” - 2 Peter 1:4

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Italian writer, poet, journalist, playwright and soldier during World War I, Gabriele D'Annunzio wrote, “Limit to courage? There is no limit to courage.”

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A Joke for Today

Murphy's Laws

Murphy's First Law: Nothing is as easy as it looks. 

Murphy's Second Law: Everything takes longer than you think. 

Murphy's Third Law: In any field of scientific endeavor, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. 

Murphy's Fourth Law: If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. 

Murphy's Fifth Law: If anything just cannot go wrong, it will anyway. 

Murphy's Sixth Law: If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop. 

Murphy's Seventh Law: Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse. 

Murphy's Eighth Law: If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. 

Murphy's Ninth Law: Nature always sides with the hidden flaw. 

Murphy's Tenth Law: It is impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so ingenious. 

O'Toole's Commentary on Murphy's Laws: Murphy was an optimist.

Bible Readings for March 11, 2019

Today our passages are Numbers 15:17–16:40; Mark 15:1-47; Psalm 54:1-7; and Proverbs 11:5-6. 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 15:17-16:40 (Contemporary English Version)

^17-19When you eat food in the land that I am giving you, remember to set aside some of it as an offering to me. ²⁰From the first batch of bread dough that you make after each new grain harvest, make a loaf of bread and offer it to me, just as you offer grain. ²¹All your descendants must follow this law and offer part of the first batch of bread dough.
^22-23The LORD also told Moses to tell the people what must be done if they ever disobey his laws:
²⁴If all of you disobey one of my laws without meaning to, you must offer a bull as a sacrifice to please me, together with a grain sacrifice, a wine offering, and a goat as a sacrifice for sin. ²⁵Then the priest will pray and ask me to forgive you. And since you did not mean to do wrong, and you offered sacrifices, ²⁶the sin of everyone--both Israelites and foreigners among you--will be forgiven.
²⁷But if one of you does wrong without meaning to, you must sacrifice a year-old female goat as a sacrifice for sin. ²⁸The priest will then ask me to forgive you, and your sin will be forgiven.
²⁹The law will be the same for anyone who does wrong without meaning to, whether an Israelite or a foreigner living among you.
^30-31But if one of you does wrong on purpose, whether Israelite or foreigner, you have sinned against me by disobeying my laws. You will be sent away and will no longer live among the people of Israel. 

A Man Put to Death for Gathering Firewood on the Sabbath

³²Once, while the Israelites were traveling through the desert, a man was caught gathering firewood on the Sabbath. ^[a]³³He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and the rest of the community. ³⁴But no one knew what to do with him, so he was not allowed to leave. ³⁵Then the LORD said to Moses, " Tell the people to take that man outside the camp and stone him to death!" ³⁶So he was killed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Tassels on the People's Clothes

³⁷The LORD told Moses ³⁸to say to the people of Israel, " Sew tassels onto the bottom edge of your clothes and tie a purple string to each tassel. ^39-40These will remind you that you must obey my laws and teachings. And when you do, you will be dedicated to me and won't follow your own sinful desires. ⁴¹I am the LORD your God who led you out of Egypt."

Numbers 16

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Lead a Rebellion

^1-2Korah son of Izhar was a Levite from the Kohathite clan. One day he called together Dathan, Abiram, and On ^[b] from the Reuben tribe, and the four of them decided to rebel against Moses. So they asked two hundred fifty respected Israelite leaders for their support, and together they went to Moses ³and Aaron and said, " Why do you think you're so much better than anyone else? We're part of the LORD's holy people, and he's with all of us. What makes you think you're the only ones in charge?" ⁴When Moses heard this, he knelt down to pray. ^[c]⁵Then he said to Korah and his followers: Tomorrow morning the LORD will show us the person he has chosen to be his priest, and that man will faithfully serve him. ^6-7Korah, now here is what you and your followers must do: Get some fire pans, fill them with coals and incense, and place them near the sacred tent. And the man the LORD chooses will be his priest. ^[d] Korah, this time you Levites have gone too far! ^8-9You know that the God of Israel has chosen you Levites from all Israel to serve him by being in charge of the sacred tent and by helping the community to worship in the proper way. What more do you want? ¹⁰The LORD has given you a special responsibility, and now, Korah, you think you should also be his priest. ¹¹You and your followers have rebelled against the LORD, not against Aaron.
¹²Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they sent back this message: " We won't come! ¹³It's bad enough that you took us from our rich farmland in Egypt to let us die here in the desert. Now you also want to boss us around! ¹⁴You keep promising us rich farmlands with fertile fields and vineyards--but where are they? Stop trying to trick these people. No, we won't come to see you."
¹⁵Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, " Don't listen to these men! I haven't done anything wrong to them. I haven't taken as much as a donkey."
¹⁶Then he said to Korah, " Tomorrow you and your followers must go with Aaron to the LORD's sacred tent. ¹⁷Each of you take along your fire pan with incense in it and offer the incense to the LORD."
¹⁸The next day the men placed incense and coals in their fire pans and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the sacred tent. ¹⁹Meanwhile, Korah had convinced the rest of the Israelites to rebel against their two leaders.
When that happened, the LORD appeared in all his glory ²⁰and said to Moses and Aaron, ²¹" Get away from the rest of the Israelites so I can kill them right now!"
²²But the two men bowed down and prayed, " Our God, you gave these people life. Why would you punish everyone here when only one man has sinned?"
²³The LORD answered Moses, ²⁴" Tell the people to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."
²⁵Moses walked over to Dathan and Abiram, and the other leaders of Israel followed. ²⁶Then Moses warned the people, " Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them or you'll be wiped out." ²⁷So everyone moved away from those tents, except Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families.
²⁸Moses said to the crowd, " The LORD has chosen me and told me to do these things--it wasn't my idea. And here's how you will know: ²⁹If these men die a natural death, it means the LORD hasn't chosen me. ³⁰But suppose the LORD does something that has never been done before. For example, what if a huge crack appears in the ground, and these men and their families fall into it and are buried alive, together with everything they own? Then you will know they have turned their backs on the LORD!"
³¹As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up ^32-33and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone.
³⁴The rest of the Israelites heard their screams, so they ran off, shouting, " We don't want that to happen to us!"
³⁵Suddenly the LORD sent a fire that burned up the two hundred fifty men who had offered incense to him.
³⁶Then the LORD said to Moses, ³⁷" Tell Aaron's son Eleazar to take the fire pans from the smoldering fire and scatter the coals. The pans are now sacred, ³⁸because they were used for offering incense to me. Have them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar. Those men died because of their sin, and now their fire pans will become a warning for the rest of the community."
³⁹Eleazar collected the pans and had them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar, ⁴⁰just as the LORD had told Moses. The pans were a warning to the Israelites that only Aaron's descendants would be allowed to offer incense to the LORD. Anyone else who tried would be punished like Korah and his followers.

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 15:32a man. . . Sabbath: No work was to be done on the Sabbath (see Exodus 31.12-17).
2. Numbers 16:1Dathan, Abiram, and On: Hebrew " Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth."
3. Numbers 16:4he knelt down to pray: Or " he fell to his knees in sorrow."
4. Numbers 16:6Get some fire pans. . . his priest: Only priests could offer incense at the sacred altar; anyone else who tried would be killed. In this case, the man who lived would be the one the LORD had chosen.

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Mark 15:1-47 (Contemporary English Version)

Mark 15

Pilate Questions Jesus

(Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Luke 23.1-5; John 18.28-38)

¹Early the next morning the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met together with the whole Jewish council. They tied up Jesus and led him off to Pilate. ²He asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Those are your words," Jesus answered.
³The chief priests brought many charges against Jesus. ⁴Then Pilate questioned him again, "Don't you have anything to say? Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?" ⁵But Jesus did not answer, and Pilate was amazed. 

The Death Sentence

(Matthew 27.15-26; Luke 23.13-25; John 18.39--19.16)

⁶During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. ⁷And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. ⁸The crowd now came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did. ⁹Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?" ¹⁰Pilate knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.
¹¹But the chief priests told the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas.
¹²Then Pilate asked the crowd, "What do you want me to do with this man you say is ^[a] the king of the Jews?"
¹³They yelled, "Nail him to a cross!"
¹⁴Pilate asked, "But what crime has he done?"
"Nail him to a cross!" they yelled even louder.
¹⁵Pilate wanted to please the crowd. So he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross. 

Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

(Matthew 27.27-30; John 19.2,3)

¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus inside the courtyard of the fortress ^[b] and called together the rest of the troops. ¹⁷They put a purple robe ^[c] on him, and on his head they placed a crown that they had made out of thorn branches. ¹⁸They made fun of Jesus and shouted, "Hey, you king of the Jews!" ¹⁹Then they beat him on the head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt down and pretended to worship him. ²⁰When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross. ²¹Simon from Cyrene happened to be coming in from a farm, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. 

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Matthew 27.31-44; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)

²²The soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha, which means "Place of a Skull." ^[d]²³There they gave him some wine mixed with a drug to ease the pain, but he refused to drink it. ²⁴They nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. ²⁵It was about nine o'clock in the morning when they nailed him to the cross. ²⁶On it was a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, "This is the King of the Jews." ^27-28The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left. ^[e]
²⁹People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and shouted, "Ha! So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days. ³⁰Save yourself and come down from the cross!"
³¹The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses also made fun of Jesus. They said to each other, "He saved others, but he can't save himself. ³²If he is the Messiah, the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross! Then we will see and believe." The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus. 

The Death of Jesus

(Matthew 27.45-56; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)

³³About noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o'clock. ³⁴Then about that time Jesus shouted, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" ^[f] which means, "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?" ³⁵Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, "He is calling for Elijah." ^[g]³⁶One of them ran and grabbed a sponge. After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, "Let's wait and see if Elijah will come ^[h] and take him down!" ³⁷Jesus shouted and then died.
³⁸At once the curtain in the temple ^[i] tore in two from top to bottom.
³⁹A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, "This man really was the Son of God!"
^40-41Some women were looking on from a distance. They had come with Jesus to Jerusalem. But even before this they had been his followers and had helped him while he was in Galilee. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joseph were two of these women. Salome was also one of them. 

Jesus Is Buried

(Matthew 27.57-61; Luke 23.50-56; John 19.38-42)

⁴²It was now the evening before the Sabbath, and the Jewish people were getting ready for that sacred day. ⁴³A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a highly respected member of the Jewish council, and he was also waiting for God's kingdom to come. ⁴⁴Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he called in the army officer to find out if Jesus had been dead very long. ⁴⁵After the officer told him, Pilate let Joseph have Jesus' body.
⁴⁶Joseph bought a linen cloth and took the body down from the cross. He had it wrapped in the cloth, and he put it in a tomb that had been cut into solid rock. Then he rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb.
⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body was placed.

Footnotes:

1. Mark 15:12 this man you say is: These words are not in some manuscripts.
2. Mark 15:16 fortress: The place where the Roman governor stayed. It was probably at Herod's palace west of Jerusalem, though it may have been Fortress Antonia, north of the temple, where the Roman troops were stationed.
3. Mark 15:17 purple robe: This was probably a Roman soldier's robe.
4. Mark 15:22 Place of a Skull: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull.
5. Mark 15:27 left: Some manuscripts add, "So the Scriptures came true which say, `He was accused of being a criminal.' "
6. Mark 15:34 Eloi. . . sabachthani: These words are in Aramaic, a language spoken in Palestine during the time of Jesus.
7. Mark 15:35 Elijah: The name "Elijah" sounds something like "Eloi," which means "my God."
8. Mark 15:36 see if Elijah will come: See the note at 6.15.
9. Mark 15:38 curtain in the temple: There were two curtains in the temple. One was at the entrance, and the other separated the holy place from the most holy place that the Jewish people thought of as God's home on earth. The second curtain is probably the one which is meant.

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Psalm 54:1-7 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 54

(For the music leader. Use with stringed instruments. A special psalm that David wrote when the people of Ziph went to Saul and said, "David is hiding here with us.")

Trusting God in Times of Trouble

¹Save me, God, by your power and prove that I am right.
²Listen to my prayer
and hear what I say.
³Cruel strangers have attacked
and want me dead.
Not one of them cares
about you.
⁴You will help me, Lord God,
and keep me from falling;
⁵you will punish my enemies
for their evil deeds.
Be my faithful friend
and destroy them.
⁶I will bring a gift
and offer a sacrifice
to you, LORD.
I will praise your name
because you are good.
⁷You have rescued me
from all of my troubles,
and my own eyes have seen
my enemies fall.

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Proverbs 11:5-6 (Contemporary English Version)

⁵If you are truly good,
you will do right;
if you are wicked,
you will be destroyed
by your own sin.
⁶Honesty can keep you safe,
but if you can't be trusted,
you trap yourself.

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Verse of the Day

“You know that the LORD your God is the only true God. So love him and obey his commands, and he will faithfully keep his agreement with you and your descendants for a thousand generations.” - Deuteronomy 7:9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American engineer, inventor and science administrator, Vannevar Bush wrote, Fear cannot be banished, but it can be calm and without panic; it can be mitigated by reason and evaluation. 

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A Joke for Today

A man speaks frantically into the phone, "My wife is pregnant, and her contractions are only two minutes apart!" 

"Is this her first child?" the doctor queries. 

"No, you idiot!" the man shouts. "This is her husband!" 

Bible Readings for March 10, 2019

Today our passages are Numbers 14:1–15:16; Mark 14:53-72; Psalm 53:1-6; and Proverbs 11:4. 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 14-15:16 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 14

The Israelites Rebel against Moses

 ¹After the Israelites heard the report from the twelve men who had explored Canaan, the people cried all night ²and complained to Moses and Aaron, " We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert! ³Is the LORD leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We'd be better off in Egypt." ⁴Then they said to one another, " Let's choose our own leader and go back."     ⁵Moses and Aaron bowed down to pray in front of the crowd. ⁶Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow ⁷and said:
   We saw the land ourselves, and it's very good. ⁸If we obey the LORD, he will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey. ⁹So don't rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The LORD is on our side, and they won't stand a chance against us!
    ¹⁰The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the LORD appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.     

Moses Prays for the People

 ¹¹The LORD said to Moses, " I have done great things for these people, and they still reject me by refusing to believe in my power. ¹²So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs."     ^13-16Moses replied:
   With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don't destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren't powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.
    ¹⁷Show us your great power, LORD. You promised ¹⁸that you love to show mercy and kindness. And you said that you are very patient, but that you will punish everyone guilty of doing wrong--not only them but their children and grandchildren as well.
    ¹⁹You are merciful, and you treat people better than they deserve. So please forgive these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.
    ²⁰Then the LORD said to Moses:
   In answer to your prayer, I do forgive them. ²¹But as surely as I live and my power has no limit, ^22-23I swear that not one of these Israelites will enter the land I promised to give their ancestors. These people have seen my power in Egypt and in the desert, but they will never see Canaan. They have disobeyed and tested me too many times.
    ²⁴But my servant Caleb isn't like the others. So because he has faith in me, I will allow him to cross into Canaan, and his descendants will settle there.
    ²⁵Now listen, Moses! The Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys of Canaan. ^[a] And tomorrow morning, you'll need to turn around and head back into the desert toward the Red Sea. ^[b] 

The Israelites Are Punished for Complaining

 ²⁶The LORD told Moses and Aaron ^27-28to give this message to the people of Israel:    You sinful people have complained against me too many times! Now I swear by my own life that I will give you exactly what you wanted. ^[c]²⁹You will die right here in the desert, and your dead bodies will cover the ground. You have insulted me, and none of you men who are over twenty years old ³⁰will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give you as your own--only Caleb and Joshua ^[d] will go in. ³¹You were worried that your own children would be captured. But I, the LORD, will let them enter the land you have rejected. ³²You will die here in the desert! ³³Your children will wander around in this desert forty years, suffering because of your sins, until all of you are dead. ³⁴I will cruelly punish you every day for the next forty years--one year for each day that the land was explored. ³⁵You sinful people who ganged up against me will die here in the desert.
    ³⁶Ten of the men sent to explore the land had brought back bad news and had made the people complain against the LORD. ³⁷So he sent a deadly disease that killed those men, ³⁸but he let Joshua and Caleb live.     

The Israelites Fail To Enter Canaan

(Deuteronomy 1.41-45)

 ³⁹The people of Israel were very sad after Moses gave them the LORD's message. ⁴⁰So they got up early the next morning and got ready to head toward the hill country of Canaan. They said, " We were wrong to complain about the LORD. Let's go into the land that he promised us."     ⁴¹But Moses replied, " You're disobeying the LORD! Your plan won't work, ^42-43so don't even try it. The LORD refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. The Amalekites and the Canaanites are your enemies, and they will attack and defeat you."
    ⁴⁴But the Israelites ignored Moses ^[e] and marched toward the hill country, even though the sacred chest and Moses did not go with them. ⁴⁵The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down from the hill country, defeated the Israelites, and chased them as far as the town of Hormah. 

Numbers 15

Laws about Sacrifices

 ¹The LORD told Moses ²to give the Israelites the following laws about offering sacrifices:     ³Bulls or rams or goats ^[f]are the animals that you may burn on the altar as sacrifices to please me. ^[g] You may also offer sacrifices voluntarily or because you made a promise, or because they are part of your regular religious ceremonies. The smell of the smoke from these sacrifices is pleasing to me. ^4-5If you sacrifice a young ram or goat, you must also offer two pounds of your finest flour mixed with a quart of olive oil as a grain sacrifice. A quart of wine must also be poured on the altar.
    ^6-7And if the animal is a full-grown ram, you must offer four pounds of flour mixed with one and a half quarts of olive oil. One and a half quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me.
    ⁸If a bull is offered as a sacrifice to please me or to ask my blessing, ^[h] ⁹you must offer six pounds of flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil. ¹⁰Two quarts of wine must also be poured on the altar. The smell of this smoke is pleasing to me. ^11-13If you are a native Israelite, you must obey these rules each time you offer a bull, a ram, or a goat as a sacrifice. ¹⁴And the foreigners who live among you must also follow these rules. ^15-16This law will never change. I am the LORD, and I consider all people the same, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living among you.
    

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 14:25 The Amalekites and the Canaanites. . . valleys of Canaan: That is, all possible ways into Canaan were blocked.
2. Numbers 14:25 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Aqaba, since the term is extended to include the northeastern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
3. Numbers 14:27 wanted: See verse 2.
4. Numbers 14:30 Caleb and Joshua: Hebrew " Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun."
5. Numbers 14:44 ignored Moses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6. Numbers 15:3 goats: See the note at 7.12-83.
7. Numbers 15:3 sacrifices to please me: See the note at 6.11.
8. Numbers 15:8 to ask my blessing: See the note at 6.14.

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Mark 14:53-72 (Contemporary English Version)

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

(Matthew 26.57-68; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)

 ⁵³Jesus was led off to the high priest. Then the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses all met together. ⁵⁴Peter had followed at a distance. And when he reached the courtyard of the high priest's house, he sat down with the guards to warm himself beside a fire.     ⁵⁵The chief priests and the whole council tried to find someone to accuse Jesus of a crime, so they could put him to death. But they could not find anyone to accuse him. ⁵⁶Many people did tell lies against Jesus, but they did not agree on what they said. ⁵⁷Finally, some men stood up and lied about him. They said, ⁵⁸"We heard him say he would tear down this temple that we built. He also claimed that in three days he would build another one without any help." ⁵⁹But even then they did not agree on what they said.
    ⁶⁰The high priest stood up in the council and asked Jesus, "Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?" ⁶¹But Jesus kept quiet and did not say a word. The high priest asked him another question, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the glorious God?" ^[a]
    ⁶²"Yes, I am!" Jesus answered.
   "Soon you will see
   the Son of Man
   sitting at the right side ^[b]
   of God All-Powerful,
   and coming with the clouds
   of heaven."
    ⁶³At once the high priest ripped his robe apart and shouted, "Why do we need more witnesses? ⁶⁴You heard him claim to be God! What is your decision?" They all agreed that he should be put to death.
    ⁶⁵Some of the people started spitting on Jesus. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists, and said, "Tell us who hit you!" Then the guards took charge of Jesus and beat him.     

Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

(Matthew 26.69-75; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)

 ⁶⁶While Peter was still in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came up ⁶⁷and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, "You were with Jesus from Nazareth!"     ⁶⁸Peter replied, "That isn't true! I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any idea what you mean." He went out to the gate, and a rooster crowed. ^[c]
    ⁶⁹The servant girl saw Peter again and said to the people standing there, "This man is one of them!"
    ⁷⁰"No, I'm not!" Peter replied.
   A little while later some of the people said to Peter, "You certainly are one of them. You're a Galilean!"
    ⁷¹This time Peter began to curse and swear, "I don't even know the man you're talking about!"
    ⁷²Right away the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." So Peter started crying.
    

Footnotes:

1. Mark 14:61 Son of the glorious God: "Son of God" was one of the titles used for the kings of Israel.
2. Mark 14:62 right side: See the note at 12.36.
3. Mark 14:68 a rooster crowed: These words are not in some manuscripts.

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Psalm 53:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 53

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "Mahalath." (Psalm 53 Mahalath: Or " For flutes," one possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.) )

No One Can Ignore God

 ¹Only a fool would say,    "There is no God!"
   People like that are worthless!
   They are heartless and cruel
   and never do right.
    ²From heaven God
   looks down to see
   if anyone is wise enough
   to search for him.
    ³But all of them
   are crooked and corrupt.
   Not one of them does right.
    ⁴Won't you lawbreakers learn?
   You refuse to pray,
   and you gobble down
   the people of God.
    ⁵But you will be terrified
   worse than ever before.
   God will scatter the bones
   of his enemies,
   and you will be ashamed
   when God rejects you.
    ⁶I long for someone from Zion
   to come and save Israel!
   Our God, when you bless
   your people again,
   Jacob's family will be glad,
   and Israel will celebrate.

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Proverbs 11:4 (Contemporary English Version)

⁴When God is angry,
   money won't help you.
   Obeying God is the only way
   to be saved from death.

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Verse of the Day

“Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.” - 1 Peter 3:15 

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist and social theorist, Simone de Beauvoir wrote, “I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth - and truth rewarded me.”