Bible Readings for February 4, 2016

Today our passages are Exodus 17:8–19:15; Matthew 22:34–23:12; Psalm 27:7-14; and Proverbs 6:27-35. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal.

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Exodus 19:16-21:21 (The Message)

 ¹⁶ On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear.

 ¹⁷ Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at attention at the base of the mountain.

 ^18-20 Mount Sinai was all smoke because God had come down on it as fire. Smoke poured from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shuddered in huge spasms. The trumpet blasts grew louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder. God descended to the peak of Mount Sinai. God called Moses up to the peak and Moses climbed up.

 ^21-22 God said to Moses, "Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at God lest many of them die. And the priests also, warn them to prepare themselves for the holy meeting, lest God break out against them."

 ²³ Moses said to God, "But the people can't climb Mount Sinai. You've already warned us well telling us: 'Post boundaries around the mountain. Respect the holy mountain.'"

 ²⁴ God told him, "Go down and then bring Aaron back up with you. But make sure that the priests and the people don't break through and come up to God, lest he break out against them."

 ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people. He said to them:

Exodus 20

 ^1-2 God spoke all these words: I am God, your God,
   who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
   out of a life of slavery.
³ No other gods, only me.
 ^4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don't bow down to them and don't serve them because I am God, your God, and I'm a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I'm unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.
 ⁷ No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name.
 ^8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don't do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.
 ¹² Honor your father and mother so that you'll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.

 ¹³ No murder.

 ¹⁴ No adultery.

 ¹⁵ No stealing.

 ¹⁶ No lies about your neighbor.
 ¹⁷ No lusting after your neighbor's house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that is your neighbor's.

^18-19 All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't have God speak to us or we'll die."

 ²⁰ Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin."

 ²¹ The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

 ^22-26 God said to Moses, "Give this Message to the People of Israel: 'You've experienced firsthand how I spoke with you from Heaven. Don't make gods of silver and gods of gold and then set them alongside me. Make me an earthen Altar. Sacrifice your Whole-Burnt-Offerings, your Peace-Offerings, your sheep, and your cattle on it. Every place where I cause my name to be honored in your worship, I'll be there myself and bless you. If you use stones to make my Altar, don't use dressed stones. If you use a chisel on the stones you'll profane the Altar. Don't use steps to climb to my Altar because that will expose your nakedness.'"

Exodus 21

 ¹"These are the laws that you are to place before them:
^2-6 "When you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. The
seventh year he goes free, for nothing. If he came in single he leaves single. If he came in married he leaves with his wife. If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself. But suppose the slave should say, 'I love my master and my wife and children—I don't want my freedom,' then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life. ^7-11 "When a man sells his daughter to be a handmaid, she doesn't go free after six years like the men. If she doesn't please her master, her family must buy her back; her master doesn't have the right to sell her to foreigners since he broke his word to her. If he turns her over to his son, he has to treat her like a daughter. If he marries another woman, she retains all her full rights to meals, clothing, and marital relations. If he won't do any of these three things for her, she goes free, for nothing.

 ^12-14 "If someone hits another and death results, the penalty is death. But if there was no intent to kill—if it was an accident, an 'act of God'—I'll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge. But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it's from my Altar, to be put to death.

 ¹⁵ "If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death.

 ¹⁶ "If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession.

 ¹⁷ "If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death.

 ^18-19 "If a quarrel breaks out and one hits the other with a rock or a fist and the injured one doesn't die but is confined to bed and then later gets better and can get about on a crutch, the one who hit him is in the clear, except to pay for the loss of time and make sure of complete recovery.

 ^20-21 "If a slave owner hits a slave, male or female, with a stick and the slave dies on the spot, the slave must be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he's not to be avenged—the slave is the owner's property.

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Matthew 23:13-39 (The Message)

Frauds!

 ¹³"I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either.

 ¹⁵"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned.

 ^16-22"You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, 'If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.' What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: 'If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless.

 ^23-24"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?

 ^25-26"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.

 ^27-28"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds.

 ^29-32"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You're cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count.

 ^33-34"Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse.

 ^35-36"You can't squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I'm telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation.

 ^37-39"Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God's news! How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn't let me. And now you're so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I'm out of here soon. The next time you see me you'll say, 'Oh, God has blessed him! He's come, bringing God's rule!'"

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Psalm 28:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 28

A David Psalm

 ¹ Don't turn a deaf ear when I call you, God.
   If all I get from you is
      deafening silence,
   I'd be better off
      in the Black Hole.

 ² I'm letting you know what I need,
      calling out for help
   And lifting my arms
      toward your inner sanctum.

 ^3-4 Don't shove me into
      the same jail cell with those crooks,
   With those who are
      full-time employees of evil.
   They talk a good line of "peace,"
      then moonlight for the Devil.

   Pay them back for what they've done,
      for how bad they've been.
   Pay them back for their long hours
      in the Devil's workshop;
   Then cap it with a huge bonus.

 ⁵ Because they have no idea how God works
      or what he is up to,
   God will smash them to smithereens
      and walk away from the ruins.

 ^6-7 Blessed be God—
      he heard me praying.
   He proved he's on my side;
      I've thrown my lot in with him.

   Now I'm jumping for joy,
      and shouting and singing my thanks to him.

 ^8-9 God is all strength for his people,
      ample refuge for his chosen leader;
   Save your people
      and bless your heritage.
   Care for them;
      carry them like a good shepherd.

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Proverbs 7:1-5 (The Message)

Proverbs 7

Dressed to Seduce

 ^1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you'll live well.
   My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
   etch it on the chambers of your heart.
Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
   Treat Insight as your companion.
They'll be with you to fend off the Temptress—
   that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

 

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Verse of the Day

“[(For the music leader. A psalm by David, the LORD's servant. David sang this to the LORD after the LORD had rescued him from his enemies, but especially from Saul.)][David's Song of Thanks]I love you, LORD God, and you make me strong. You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter.” - Psalm 18:1-2

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Irish statesman born in Dublin, as well as an author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to London, served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years in the House of Commons with the Whig Party, Edmund Burke wrote, “You can never plan the future by the past.”

 

Bible Readings for February 3, 2016

Today our passages are Exodus 17:8–19:15; Matthew 22:34–23:12; Psalm 27:7-14; and Proverbs 6:27-35. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal.

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Exodus 17:8-19:15 (The Message)

^8-9 Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. Moses ordered Joshua: "Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God's staff."
 ^10-13 Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle.
 ¹⁴ God said to Moses, "Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth."
 ^15-16 Moses built an altar and named it "God My Banner." He said,

   Salute God's rule!
   God at war with Amalek
   Always and forever!

Exodus 18

 ^1-4 Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law to Moses, heard the report of all that God had done for Moses and Israel his people, the news that God had delivered Israel from Egypt. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses' wife who had been sent back home, and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (Sojourner) for he had said, "I'm a sojourner in a foreign land"; the name of the other was Eliezer (God's-Help) because "The God of my father is my help and saved me from death by Pharaoh."  ^5-6 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought Moses his sons and his wife there in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. He had sent a message ahead to Moses: "I, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and two sons."
 ^7-8 Moses went out to welcome his father-in-law. He bowed to him and kissed him. Each asked the other how things had been with him. Then they went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law the story of all that God had done to Pharaoh and Egypt in helping Israel, all the trouble they had experienced on the journey, and how God had delivered them.
 ^9-11 Jethro was delighted in all the good that God had done for Israel in delivering them from Egyptian oppression. Jethro said, "Blessed be God who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, who has delivered his people from the oppression of Egypt. Now I know that God is greater than all gods because he's done this to all those who treated Israel arrogantly."
 ¹² Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron, along with all the elders of Israel, came and ate the meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
 ^13-14 The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What's going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?"
 ^15-16 Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me with questions about God. When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God's laws and instructions."
 ^17-23 Moses' father-in-law said, "This is no way to go about it. You'll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can't do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also."
 ^24-27 Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said. Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges. Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country.

Exodus 19

Mount Sinai

 ^1-2 Three months after leaving Egypt the Israelites entered the Wilderness of Sinai. They followed the route from Rephidim, arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai, and set up camp. Israel camped there facing the mountain.  ^3-6 As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: "Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to me. If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, but you're special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.'
   "This is what I want you to tell the People of Israel."
 ⁷ Moses came back and called the elders of Israel together and set before them all these words which God had commanded him.
 ⁸ The people were unanimous in their response: "Everything God says, we will do." Moses took the people's answer back to God.

⁹ God said to Moses, "Get ready. I'm about to come to you in a thick cloud so that the people can listen in and trust you completely when I speak with you." Again Moses reported the people's answer to God.
 ^10-13 God said to Moses, "Go to the people. For the next two days get these people ready to meet the Holy God. Have them scrub their clothes so that on the third day they'll be fully prepared, because on the third day God will come down on Mount Sinai and make his presence known to all the people. Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them, 'Warning! Don't climb the mountain. Don't even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies—a certain death. And no one is to touch that person, he's to be stoned. That's right—stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death. Animal or man, whichever—put to death.'
   "A long blast from the horn will signal that it's safe to climb the mountain."
 ^14-15 Moses went down the mountain to the people and prepared them for the holy meeting. They gave their clothes a good scrubbing. Then he addressed the people: "Be ready in three days. Don't sleep with a woman."

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Matthew 22:34-23:12 (The Message)

The Most Important Command

 ^34-36When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?"

 ^37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

David's Son and Master

 ^41-42As the Pharisees were regrouping, Jesus caught them off balance with his own test question: "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said, "David's son."

 ^43-45Jesus replied, "Well, if the Christ is David's son, how do you explain that David, under inspiration, named Christ his 'Master'?

   God said to my Master,
         "Sit here at my right hand
      until I make your enemies your footstool."
"Now if David calls him 'Master,' how can he at the same time be his son?"

 ⁴⁶That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing face again in one of these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good.

Matthew 23

Religious Fashion Shows

 ^1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer.

 ^4-7"Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called 'Doctor' and 'Reverend.'

 ^8-10"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

 ^11-12"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

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Psalm 27:7-14 (The Message)

 ^7-9 Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs:
      "Be good to me! Answer me!"
   When my heart whispered, "Seek God,"
      my whole being replied,
   "I'm seeking him!"
      Don't hide from me now!

 ^9-10 You've always been right there for me;
      don't turn your back on me now.
   Don't throw me out, don't abandon me;
      you've always kept the door open.
   My father and mother walked out and left me,
      but God took me in.

 ^11-12 Point me down your highway, God;
      direct me along a well-lighted street;
      show my enemies whose side you're on.
   Don't throw me to the dogs,
      those liars who are out to get me,
      filling the air with their threats.

 ^13-14 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness
      in the exuberant earth.
   Stay with God!
      Take heart. Don't quit.
   I'll say it again:
      Stay with God.

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Proverbs 6:27-35 (The Message)

 ^24-35 They'll protect you from wanton women,
   from the seductive talk of some temptress.
Don't lustfully fantasize on her beauty,
   nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes.
You can buy an hour with a whore for a loaf of bread,
   but a wanton woman may well eat you alive.
Can you build a fire in your lap
   and not burn your pants?
Can you walk barefoot on hot coals
   and not get blisters?
It's the same when you have sex with your neighbor's wife:
   Touch her and you'll pay for it. No excuses.
Hunger is no excuse
   for a thief to steal;
When he's caught he has to pay it back,
   even if he has to put his whole house in hock.
Adultery is a brainless act,
   soul-destroying, self-destructive;
Expect a bloody nose, a black eye,
   and a reputation ruined for good.
For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband;
   wild for revenge, he won't make allowances.
Nothing you say or pay will make it all right;
   neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.

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Verse of the Day

“But I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love. You are my fortress, my place of protection in times of trouble.” - Psalm 59:16

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories, Jean Paul wrote, “The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”

Bible Readings for February 2, 2016

Today our passages are Exodus 15:19–17:7; Matthew 22:1-33; Psalm 27:1-6; and Proverbs 6:20-26. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal.

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Exodus 15:19-17:7 (The Message)

 ¹⁹ Yes, Pharaoh's horses and chariots and riders went into the sea and God turned the waters back on them; but the Israelites walked on dry land right through the middle of the sea.

^20-21 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,

   Sing to God—
      what a victory!
   He pitched horse and rider
      into the sea!

Traveling Through the Wilderness

^22-24 Moses led Israel from the Red Sea on to the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days through the wilderness without finding any water. They got to Marah, but they couldn't drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That's why they called the place Marah (Bitter). And the people complained to Moses, "So what are we supposed to drink?"  ²⁵ So Moses cried out in prayer to God. God pointed him to a stick of wood. Moses threw it into the water and the water turned sweet.
 ²⁶ That's the place where God set up rules and procedures; that's where he started testing them.
   God said, "If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won't strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer."
 ²⁷ They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water.

Exodus 16

 ^1-3 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, "Why didn't God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You've brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!"  ^4-5 God said to Moses, "I'm going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day's ration. I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration."
 ^6-7 Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, "This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the Glory of God. Yes, he's listened to your complaints against him. You haven't been complaining against us, you know, but against God."
 ⁸ Moses said, "Since it will be God who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it's God who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven't been complaining to us—you've been complaining to God!"
 ⁹ Moses instructed Aaron: "Tell the whole company of Israel: 'Come near to God. He's heard your complaints.'"
 ¹⁰ When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud.
 ^11-12 God spoke to Moses, "I've listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: 'At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you'll eat your fill of bread; and you'll realize that I am God, your God.'"
 ^13-15 That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.
 ^15-16 So Moses told them, "It's the bread God has given you to eat. And these are God's instructions: 'Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.'"
 ^17-18 The People of Israel went to work and started gathering, some more, some less, but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren't short—each person had gathered as much as was needed.
 ¹⁹ Moses said to them, "Don't leave any of it until morning."
 ²⁰ But they didn't listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad. And Moses lost his temper with them.
 ^21-22 They gathered it every morning, each person according to need. Then the sun heated up and it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about four quarts per person.
   Then the leaders of the company came to Moses and reported.
 ^23-24 Moses said, "This is what God was talking about: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to God. Whatever you plan to bake, bake today; and whatever you plan to boil, boil today. Then set aside the leftovers until morning." They set aside what was left until morning, as Moses had commanded. It didn't smell bad and there were no worms in it.
 ^25-26 Moses said, "Now eat it; this is the day, a Sabbath for God. You won't find any of it on the ground today. Gather it every day for six days, but the seventh day is Sabbath; there won't be any of it on the ground."
 ²⁷ On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather anyway but they didn't find anything.
 ^28-29 God said to Moses, "How long are you going to disobey my commands and not follow my instructions? Don't you see that God has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don't leave home on the seventh day."
 ³⁰ So the people quit working on the seventh day.
 ³¹ The Israelites named it manna (What is it?). It looked like coriander seed, whitish. And it tasted like a cracker with honey.
 ³² Moses said, "This is God's command: 'Keep a two-quart jar of it, an omer, for future generations so they can see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness after I brought you out of Egypt.'"
 ³³ Moses told Aaron, "Take a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Place it before God, keeping it safe for future generations."
 ³⁴ Aaron did what God commanded Moses. He set it aside before The Testimony to preserve it.
 ³⁵ The Israelites ate the manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle down. They ate manna until they reached the border into Canaan.
 ³⁶ According to ancient measurements, an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

Exodus 17

 ^1-2 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn't a drop of water for the people to drink. The people took Moses to task: "Give us water to drink." But Moses said, "Why pester me? Why are you testing God?"  ³ But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, "Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?"
 ⁴ Moses cried out in prayer to God, "What can I do with these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!"
 ^5-6 God said to Moses, "Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. I'm going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink."
 ^6-7 Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching. He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, "Is God here with us, or not?"

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Matthew 22:1-33 (The Message)

Matthew 22

The Story of the Wedding Banquet

 ^1-3 Jesus responded by telling still more stories. "God's kingdom," he said, "is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn't come!

 ⁴"He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, 'Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!'

 ^5-7"They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.

 ^8-10"Then he told his servants, 'We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren't up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.' The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on—every place filled.

 ^11-13"When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn't properly dressed. He said to him, 'Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!' The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, 'Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn't get back in.'

 ¹⁴"That's what I mean when I say, 'Many get invited; only a few make it.'"

Paying Taxes

 ^15-17That's when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod's followers mixed in, to ask, "Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don't pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

 ^18-19Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, "Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it." They handed him a silver piece.

 ²⁰"This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?"

 ²¹They said, "Caesar."

   "Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his."

 ²²The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads.

Marriage and Resurrection

 ^23-28That same day, Sadducees approached him. This is the party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies childless, his brother is obligated to marry his widow and get her with child. Here's a case where there were seven brothers. The first brother married and died, leaving no child, and his wife passed to his brother. The second brother also left her childless, then the third—and on and on, all seven. Eventually the wife died. Now here's our question: At the resurrection, whose wife is she? She was a wife to each of them."

 ^29-33Jesus answered, "You're off base on two counts: You don't know your Bibles, and you don't know how God works. At the resurrection we're beyond marriage. As with the angels, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not, don't you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, 'I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.' The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living." Hearing this exchange the crowd was much impressed.

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Psalm 27:1-6 (The Message)

Psalm 27

A David Psalm

 ¹ Light, space, zest— that's God!
   So, with him on my side I'm fearless,
      afraid of no one and nothing.

 ² When vandal hordes ride down
      ready to eat me alive,
   Those bullies and toughs
      fall flat on their faces.

 ³ When besieged,
      I'm calm as a baby.
   When all hell breaks loose,
      I'm collected and cool.

 ⁴ I'm asking God for one thing,
      only one thing:
   To live with him in his house
      my whole life long.
   I'll contemplate his beauty;
      I'll study at his feet.

 ⁵ That's the only quiet, secure place
      in a noisy world,
   The perfect getaway,
      far from the buzz of traffic.

 ⁶ God holds me head and shoulders
      above all who try to pull me down.
   I'm headed for his place to offer anthems
      that will raise the roof!
   Already I'm singing God-songs;
      I'm making music to God.

 

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Proverbs 6:20-26 (The Message)

Warning on Adultery

 ^20-23 Good friend, follow your father's good advice;
   don't wander off from your mother's teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
   wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they'll guide you;
   whenever you rest, they'll guard you;
   when you wake up, they'll tell you what's next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
   good teaching is a light,
   moral discipline is a life path.

 ^24-35 They'll protect you from wanton women,
   from the seductive talk of some temptress.
Don't lustfully fantasize on her beauty,
   nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes.
You can buy an hour with a whore for a loaf of bread,
   but a wanton woman may well eat you alive.
Can you build a fire in your lap
   and not burn your pants?
Can you walk barefoot on hot coals
   and not get blisters?
It's the same when you have sex with your neighbor's wife:
   Touch her and you'll pay for it. No excuses.
Hunger is no excuse
   for a thief to steal;
When he's caught he has to pay it back,
   even if he has to put his whole house in hock.
Adultery is a brainless act,
   soul-destroying, self-destructive;
Expect a bloody nose, a black eye,
   and a reputation ruined for good.
For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband;
   wild for revenge, he won't make allowances.
Nothing you say or pay will make it all right;
   neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“But it is just as the Scriptures say, "What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!” - 1 Corinthians 2:9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “Don't forget to love yourself.”

Bible Readings for February 1, 2016

Today our passages are Exodus 13:17–15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; and Proverbs 6:16-19. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal.

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Exodus 13:17-15:18 (The Message)

 ¹⁷ It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn't lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, "If the people encounter war, they'll change their minds and go back to Egypt."
 ¹⁸ So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.
 ¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, "God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you."
 ^20-22 They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.

Exodus 14

The Story and Song of Salvation

 ^1-2 God spoke to Moses: "Tell the Israelites to turn around and make camp at Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Camp on the shore of the sea opposite Baal Zephon.  ^3-4 "Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are lost; they're confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.' Then I'll make Pharaoh's heart stubborn again and he'll chase after them. And I'll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am God."
   And that's what happened.
 ^5-7 When the king of Egypt was told that the people were gone, he and his servants changed their minds. They said, "What have we done, letting Israel, our slave labor, go free?" So he had his chariots harnessed up and got his army together. He took six hundred of his best chariots, with the rest of the Egyptian chariots and their drivers coming along.
 ^8-9 God made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, determined to chase the Israelites as they walked out on him without even looking back. The Egyptians gave chase and caught up with them where they had made camp by the sea—all Pharaoh's horse-drawn chariots and their riders, all his foot soldiers there at Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.
 ^10-12 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them— Egyptians! Coming at them!
   They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, "Weren't the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn't we tell you this would happen? Didn't we tell you, 'Leave us alone here in Egypt—we're better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.'"
 ¹³ Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again.

 ¹⁴ God will fight the battle for you.
      And you? You keep your mouths shut!"

^15-16 God said to Moses: "Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving. Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.
 ^17-18 "Meanwhile I'll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase—I'll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God."
 ^19-20 The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn't come near each other all night.
 ²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.
 ^22-25 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud.
   The Egyptians said, "Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!"
 ²⁶ God said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen."
 ^27-28 Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh's army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.
 ^29-31 But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.

Exodus 15

 ^1-8 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,

   I'm singing my heart out to God—what a victory!
      He pitched horse and rider into the sea.
   God is my strength, God is my song,
      and, yes! God is my salvation.
   This is the kind of God I have
      and I'm telling the world!
   This is the God of my father—
      I'm spreading the news far and wide!
   God is a fighter,
      pure God, through and through.
   Pharaoh's chariots and army
      he dumped in the sea,
   The elite of his officers
      he drowned in the Red Sea.
   Wild ocean waters poured over them;
      they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea.
   Your strong right hand, God, shimmers with power;
      your strong right hand shatters the enemy.
   In your mighty majesty
      you smash your upstart enemies,
   You let loose your hot anger
      and burn them to a crisp.
   At a blast from your nostrils
      the waters piled up;
   Tumbling streams dammed up,
      wild oceans curdled into a swamp.

 ⁹ The enemy spoke,
      "I'll pursue, I'll hunt them down,
   I'll divide up the plunder,
      I'll glut myself on them;
   I'll pull out my sword,
      my fist will send them reeling."

 ^10-11 You blew with all your might
      and the sea covered them.
   They sank like a lead weight
      in the majestic waters.
   Who compares with you
      among gods, O God?
   Who compares with you in power,
      in holy majesty,
   In awesome praises,
      wonder-working God?

 ^12-13 You stretched out your right hand
      and the Earth swallowed them up.
   But the people you redeemed,
      you led in merciful love;
   You guided them under your protection
      to your holy pasture.

 ^14-18 When people heard, they were scared;
      Philistines writhed and trembled;
   Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken,
      and the big bosses in Moab.
   Everybody in Canaan
      panicked and fell faint.
   Dread and terror
      sent them reeling.
   Before your brandished right arm
      they were struck dumb like a stone,
   Until your people crossed over and entered, O God,
      until the people you made crossed over and entered.
   You brought them and planted them
      on the mountain of your heritage,
   The place where you live,
      the place you made,
   Your sanctuary, Master,
      that you established with your own hands.
   Let God rule
      forever, for eternity!

 

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Matthew 21:23-46 (The Message)

True Authority

 ²³Then he was back in the Temple, teaching. The high priests and leaders of the people came up and demanded, "Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to teach here?"

 ^24-25Jesus responded, "First let me ask you a question. You answer my question and I'll answer yours. About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven or humans?"

 ^25-27They were on the spot and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, "If we say 'heaven,' he'll ask us why we didn't believe him; if we say 'humans,' we're up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet." They decided to concede that round to Jesus. "We don't know," they answered.

   Jesus said, "Then neither will I answer your question.

The Story of Two Sons

 ²⁸"Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, 'Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.'

 ²⁹"The son answered, 'I don't want to.' Later on he thought better of it and went.

 ³⁰"The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, 'Sure, glad to.' But he never went.

 ^31-32"Which of the two sons did what the father asked?"

   They said, "The first."

   Jesus said, "Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God's kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn't care enough to change and believe him.

The Story of the Greedy Farmhands

 ^33-34"Here's another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.

 ^35-37"The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. 'Surely,' he thought, 'they will respect my son.'

 ^38-39"But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.' They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.

 ⁴⁰"Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?"

 ⁴¹"He'll kill them—a rotten bunch, and good riddance," they answered. "Then he'll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it's time."

 ^42-44Jesus said, "Right—and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles:

   The stone the masons threw out
      is now the cornerstone.
   This is God's work;
      we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!
"This is the way it is with you. God's kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed."

 ^45-46When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them. They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God.

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Psalm 26:1-12 (The Message)

Psalm 26

A David Psalm

 ¹ Clear my name, God; I've kept an honest shop.
   I've thrown in my lot with you, God, and
      I'm not budging.

 ² Examine me, God, from head to foot,
      order your battery of tests.
   Make sure I'm fit
      inside and out

 ³ So I never lose
      sight of your love,
   But keep in step with you,
      never missing a beat.

 ^4-5 I don't hang out with tricksters,
      I don't pal around with thugs;
   I hate that pack of gangsters,
      I don't deal with double-dealers.

 ^6-7 I scrub my hands with purest soap,
      then join hands with the others in the great circle,
      dancing around your altar, God,
   Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs,
      telling God-stories.

 ^8-10 God, I love living with you;
      your house glows with your glory.
   When it's time for spring cleaning,
      don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks,
   Men with bags of dirty tricks,
      women with purses stuffed with bribe-money.

 ^11-12 You know I've been aboveboard with you;
      now be aboveboard with me.
   I'm on the level with you, God;
      I bless you every chance I get.

 

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Proverbs 6:16-19 (The Message)

Seven Things God Hates

 ^16-19 Here are six things God hates,
    and one more that he loathes with a passion:
      eyes that are arrogant,
      a tongue that lies,
      hands that murder the innocent,
      a heart that hatches evil plots,
      feet that race down a wicked track,
      a mouth that lies under oath,
      a troublemaker in the family.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God! So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.” - Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American Catholic writer and mystic, Thomas Merton wrote, “Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”