Bible Readings for June 4, 2016

Today our passages are 2 Samuel 22:21–23:23; Acts 2:1-47; Psalm 122:1-9; and Proverbs 16:19-20. 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.

---

2 Samuel 22:21-23:23 (The Message)

^21-25 God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I cleaned up my act,
he gave me a fresh start.
Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways;
I haven't taken God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works,
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
^26-28 You stick by people who stick with you,
you're straight with people who're straight with you,
You're good to good people,
you shrewdly work around the bad ones.
You take the side of the down-and-out,
but the stuck-up you take down a peg.
^29-31 Suddenly, God, your light floods my path,
God drives out the darkness.
I smash the bands of marauders,
I vault the high fences.
What a God! His road
stretches straight and smooth.
Every God-direction is road-tested.
Everyone who runs toward him
Makes it.
^32-46 Is there any god like God?
Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me well,
then aimed me in the right direction?
Now I run like a deer;
I'm king of the mountain.
He shows me how to fight;
I can bend a bronze bow!
You protect me with salvation-armor;
you touch me and I feel ten feet tall.
You cleared the ground under me
so my footing was firm.
When I chased my enemies I caught them;
I didn't let go till they were dead men.
I nailed them; they were down for good;
then I walked all over them.
You armed me well for this fight;
you smashed the upstarts.
You made my enemies turn tail,
and I wiped out the haters.
They cried "uncle"
but Uncle didn't come;
They yelled for God
and got no for an answer.
I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.
I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.
You rescued me from a squabbling people;
you made me a leader of nations.
People I'd never heard of served me;
the moment they got wind of me they submitted.
They gave up; they came trembling from their hideouts.
^47-51 Live, God! Blessing to my Rock,
my towering Salvation-God!
This God set things right for me
and shut up the people who talked back.
He rescued me from enemy anger.
You pulled me from the grip of upstarts,
You saved me from the bullies.
That's why I'm thanking you, God,
all over the world.
That's why I'm singing songs
that rhyme your name.
God's king takes the trophy;
God's chosen is beloved.
I mean David and all his children—
always.

2 Samuel 23

¹ These are David's last words:
The voice of the son of Jesse,
the voice of the man God took to the top,
Whom the God of Jacob made king,
and Israel's most popular singer!
^2-7 God's Spirit spoke through me,
his words took shape on my tongue.
The God of Israel spoke to me,
Israel's Rock-Mountain said,
"Whoever governs fairly and well,
who rules in the Fear-of-God,
Is like first light at daybreak
without a cloud in the sky,
Like green grass carpeting earth,
glistening under fresh rain."
And this is just how my regime has been,
for God guaranteed his covenant with me,
Spelled it out plainly
and kept every promised word—
My entire salvation,
my every desire.
But the devil's henchmen are like thorns
culled and piled as trash;
Better not try to touch them;
keep your distance with a rake or hoe.
They'll make a glorious bonfire!
⁸ This is the listing of David's top men.
Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred—killed them all in a day.
^9-10 Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted—but he never let go of his sword! A big win for God that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the cleanup.
^11-12 Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God!
^13-17 One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God, saying, "There is no way, God, that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it.
This is the sort of thing that the Three did.
^18-19 Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three. He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three.
^20-21 Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion. Another time he killed a formidable Egyptian. The Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip and killed him with his own spear.
^22-23 These are the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada is famous for. But neither did he ever get ranked with the Three. He was held in greatest respect among the Thirty, but he never got included with the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

---

Acts 2:1-47 (The Message)

Acts 2

A Sound Like a Strong Wind

^1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. ^5-11There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
"They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!"
¹²Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"
¹³Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."

Peter Speaks Up

^14-21That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk—it's only nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:

"In the Last Days," God says,
"I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I'll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they'll prophesy.
I'll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved." ^22-28"Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:

I saw God before me for all time.
Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side.
I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I've pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you'll never dump me in Hades;
I'll never even smell the stench of death.
You've got my feet on the life-path,
with your face shining sun-joy all around.
^29-36"Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say,

God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet."
"All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross."
³⁷Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
^38-39Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites."
⁴⁰He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!"
^41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
^43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
^46-47They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

---

Psalm 122:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 122

A Pilgrim Song of David

^1-2 When they said, "Let's go to the house of God," my heart leaped for joy.
And now we're here, O Jerusalem,
inside Jerusalem's walls!

^3-5 Jerusalem, well-built city,
built as a place for worship!
The city to which the tribes ascend,
all God's tribes go up to worship,
To give thanks to the name of God—
this is what it means to be Israel.
Thrones for righteous judgment
are set there, famous David-thrones.

^6-9 Pray for Jerusalem's peace!
Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!
Friendly insiders, get along!
Hostile outsiders, keep your distance!
For the sake of my family and friends,
I say it again: live in peace!
For the sake of the house of our God, God,
I'll do my very best for you.

 

---

 

Proverbs 16:19-20 (The Message)

¹⁹ It's better to live humbly among the poor
than to live it up among the rich and famous.

²⁰ It pays to take life seriously;
things work out when you trust in God.

---

Verse of the Day
“Your power is great, and your glory is seen everywhere in heaven and on earth. You are king of the entire world,” - 1 Chronicles 29:11

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

 

Thought for Day

French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement, Victor Hugo wrote, “Life is the flower for which love is the honey.”

Bible Readings for February 26, 2015

Today our passages are Leviticus 19:1–20:21; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42:1-11; and Proverbs 10:17. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.  

---

Leviticus 19-20:21 (Contemporary English Version)

Leviticus 19

Moral and Religious Laws

 ¹The LORD told Moses ²to say to the community of Israel:    I am the LORD your God. I am holy, and you must be holy too! ^3-4Respect your father and your mother, honor the Sabbath, and don't make idols or images. I am the LORD your God.
    ⁵When you offer a sacrifice to ask my blessing, ^[a] be sure to follow my instructions. ⁶You may eat the meat either on the day of the sacrifice or on the next day, but you must burn anything left until the third day. ⁷If you eat any of it on the third day, the sacrifice will be disgusting to me, and I will reject it. ⁸In fact, you will be punished for not respecting what I say is holy, and you will no longer belong to the community of Israel. ⁹When you harvest your grain, always leave some of it standing along the edges of your fields and don't pick up what falls on the ground. ¹⁰Don't strip your grapevines clean or gather the grapes that fall off the vines. Leave them for the poor and for those foreigners who live among you. I am the LORD your God.
    ¹¹Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others.
    ¹²Do not misuse my name by making promises you don't intend to keep. I am the LORD your God.
    ¹³Do not steal anything or cheat anyone, and don't fail to pay your workers at the end of each day. ^{[b] 14}I am the LORD your God, and I command you not to make fun of the deaf or to cause a blind person to stumble.
    ¹⁵Be fair, no matter who is on trial--don't favor either the poor or the rich.
    ¹⁶Don't be a gossip, but never hesitate to speak up in court, especially if your testimony can save someone's life. ^{[c] 17}Don't hold grudges. On the other hand, it's wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting. ¹⁸Stop being angry and don't try to take revenge. I am the LORD, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.
    ¹⁹Breed your livestock animals only with animals of the same kind, and don't plant two kinds of seed in the same field or wear clothes made of different kinds of material.
    ²⁰If a man has sex with a slave woman who is promised in marriage to someone else, he must pay a fine, but they are not to be put to death. After all, she was still a slave at the time. ^{[d] 21-22}The man must bring a ram to the entrance of the sacred tent and give it to a priest, who will then offer it as a sacrifice to me, so the man's sins will be forgiven. ²³After you enter the land, you will plant fruit trees, but you are not to eat any of their fruit for the first three years. ²⁴In the fourth year the fruit must be set apart, as an expression of thanks ²⁵to me, the LORD God. Do this, and in the fifth year, those trees will produce an abundant harvest of fruit for you to eat.
    ²⁶Don't eat the blood of any animal.
   Don't practice any kind of witchcraft.
    ^27-28I forbid you to shave any part of your head or beard or to cut and tattoo yourself as a way of worshiping the dead.
    ²⁹Don't let your daughters serve as temple prostitutes--this would bring disgrace both to them and the land.
    ³⁰I command you to respect the Sabbath and the place where I am worshiped.
    ³¹Don't make yourselves disgusting to me by going to people who claim they can talk to the dead.
    ³²I command you to show respect for older people and to obey me with fear and trembling.
    ³³Don't mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. ³⁴Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself. Remember, you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
    ^35-36Use honest scales and don't cheat when you weigh or measure anything.
   I am the LORD your God. I rescued you from Egypt, ³⁷and I command you to obey my laws.
   

Leviticus 20

Penalties for Disobeying God's Laws

 ¹The LORD told Moses ²to say to the community of Israel:    Death by stoning is the penalty for any citizens or foreigners in the country who sacrifice their children to the god Molech. ³They have disgraced both the place where I am worshiped and my holy name, and so I will turn against them and no longer let them belong to my people. ⁴Some of you may let them get away with human sacrifice, ⁵but not me. If any of you worship Molech, I will turn against you and your entire family, and I will no longer let you belong to my people.
    ⁶I will be your enemy if you go to someone who claims to speak with the dead, and I will destroy you from among my people. ⁷Dedicate yourselves to me and be holy because I am the LORD your God. ⁸I have chosen you as my people, and I expect you to obey my laws.
    ⁹If you curse your father or mother, you will be put to death, and it will be your own fault.
    ¹⁰If any of you men have sex with another man's wife, both you and the woman will be put to death.
    ¹¹Having sex with one of your father's wives disgraces him. So both you and the woman will be put to death, just as you deserve. ¹²It isn't natural to have sex with your daughter-in-law, and both of you will be put to death, just as you deserve. ¹³It's disgusting for men to have sex with one another, and those who do will be put to death, just as they deserve. ¹⁴It isn't natural for a man to marry both a mother and her daughter, and so all three of them will be burned to death. ^15-16If any of you have sex with an animal, both you and the animal will be put to death, just as you deserve.
    ¹⁷If you marry one of your sisters, you will be punished, and the two of you will be disgraced by being openly forced out of the community. ¹⁸If you have sex with a woman during her monthly period, both you and the woman will be cut off from the people of Israel. ¹⁹The sisters of your father and mother are your own relatives, and you will be punished for having sex with any of them. ²⁰If you have sex with your uncle's wife, neither you nor she will ever have any children. ²¹And if you marry your sister-in-law, neither of you will ever have any children. ^[e]

Footnotes:

1. Leviticus 19:5 sacrifice. . . to ask my blessing: See the note at 3.1.
2. Leviticus 19:13 to pay. . . end of each day: Day laborers needed their wages to buy food for their evening meal, which was the main meal of the day.
3. Leviticus 19:16 but never. . . someone's life: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
4. Leviticus 19:20 time: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.
5. Leviticus 20:21 And. . . children: According to Deuteronomy 25.5,6 a man was supposed to marry his brother's widow if his brother had died without having children. Otherwise, such marriages were forbidden (see also Matthew 22.23-33; Mark 12.18-27; Luke 20.27-40).

---

Mark 8:11-38 (Contemporary English Version)

A Sign from Heaven

(Matthew 16.1-4)

 ¹¹The Pharisees came out and started an argument with Jesus. They wanted to test him by asking for a sign from heaven. ¹²Jesus groaned and said, "Why are you always looking for a sign? I can promise you that you will not be given one!" ¹³Then he left them. He again got into a boat and crossed over to the other side of the lake.    

The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

(Matthew 16.5-12)

 ¹⁴The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod." ^{[a]     16}The disciples talked this over and said to each other, "He must be saying this because we don't have any bread."
    ¹⁷Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you talking about not having any bread? Don't you understand? Are your minds still closed? ¹⁸Are your eyes blind and your ears deaf? Don't you remember ¹⁹how many baskets of leftovers you picked up when I fed those five thousand people with only five small loaves of bread?"
   "Yes," the disciples answered. "There were twelve baskets."
    ²⁰Jesus then asked, "And how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up when I broke seven small loaves of bread for those four thousand people?"
   "Seven," they answered.
    ²¹"Don't you know what I am talking about by now?" Jesus asked.
   

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

 ²²As Jesus and his disciples were going into Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch the man. ²³Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man's eyes. He placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything. ²⁴The man looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees walking around."     ²⁵Once again Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes, and this time the man stared. His eyes were healed, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶Jesus said to him, "You may return home now, but don't go into the village."
   

Who Is Jesus?

(Matthew 16.13-20; Luke 9.18-21)

 ²⁷Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the town of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "What do people say about me?"     ²⁸The disciples answered, "Some say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah. ^[b] Others say you are one of the prophets."
    ²⁹Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say I am?"
   "You are the Messiah!" Peter replied.
    ³⁰Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about him.
   

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Matthew 16.21-28; Luke 9.22-27)

 ³¹Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, "The nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life." ³²Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.    Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. ³³But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, "Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like God."
    ³⁴Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:
   If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. ³⁵If you want to save your life, ^[c] you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. ³⁶What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? ³⁷What could you give to get back your soul?
    ³⁸Don't be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
   

Footnotes:

1. Mark 8:15 Herod: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
2. Mark 8:28 Elijah: See the note at 6.15.
3. Mark 8:35 life: In verses 35-37 the same Greek word is translated "life," "yourself," and "soul."

---

Psalm 42:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 42

BOOK II

(Psalms 42-72)

(A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)

Longing for God

 ¹As a deer gets thirsty    for streams of water,
   I truly am thirsty
   for you, my God.
    ²In my heart, I am thirsty
   for you, the living God.
   When will I see your face?
    ³Day and night my tears
   are my only food,
   as everyone keeps asking,
   "Where is your God?"
    ⁴Sorrow floods my heart,
   when I remember
   leading the worshipers
   to your house. ^[a] I can still hear them shout
   their joyful praises.
    ⁵Why am I discouraged?
   Why am I restless?
   I trust you!
   And I will praise you again
   because you help me,
    ⁶and you are my God.
   I am deeply discouraged
   as I think about you
   from where the Jordan begins
   at Mount Hermon
   and from Mount Mizar. ^{[b] 7}Your vicious waves
   have swept over me
   like an angry ocean
   or a roaring waterfall.
    ⁸Every day, you are kind,
   and at night
   you give me a song
   as my prayer to you,
   the living LORD God.
    ⁹You are my mighty rock. ^[c] Why have you forgotten me?
   Why must enemies mistreat me
   and make me sad?
    ¹⁰Even my bones are in pain,
   while all day long
   my enemies sneer and ask,
   "Where is your God?"
    ¹¹Why am I discouraged?
   Why am I restless?
   I trust you!
   And I will praise you again
   because you help me,
   and you are my God.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 42:4 leading. . . house: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Psalm 42:6 Mount Mizar: The location is not known.
3. Psalm 42:9 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

---

Proverbs 10:17 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁷Accept correction,
   and you will find life;
   reject correction,
   and you will miss the road.

---

Verse of the Day

“God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life.” - 1 John 4:9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

---

 

Thought for the Day

 

French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement, Victor Hugo wrote, “Jesus wept; Voltaire smiled. Of that divine tear and that human smile is composed the sweetness of the present civilization.”