Bible Readings for February 6, 2017

Today our passages are Exodus 23:14–25:40; Matthew 24:29-51; Psalm 30:1-12; and Proverbs 7:24-27. 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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Exodus 23:14-25:40 (Contemporary English Version)

Three Annual Festivals

(Exodus 34.18-26; Deuteronomy 16.1-17)

¹⁴Celebrate three festivals each year in my honor. ¹⁵Celebrate the Festival of Thin Bread by eating bread made without yeast, just as I have commanded. ^[a] Do this at the proper time during the month of Abib, ^[b] because it is the month when you left Egypt. And make certain that everyone brings the proper offerings. ¹⁶Celebrate the Harvest Festival ^[c] each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters ^[d] each autumn when you pick your fruit. ¹⁷Your men must come to these three festivals each year to worship me.
¹⁸Do not offer bread made with yeast when you sacrifice an animal to me. And make sure that the fat of the animal is burned that same day.
¹⁹Each year bring the best part of your first harvest to the place of worship.
Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

A Promise and a Warning

The LORD said:

²⁰I am sending an angel to protect you and to lead you into the land I have ready for you. ²¹Carefully obey everything the angel says, because I am giving him complete authority, and he won't tolerate rebellion. ²²If you faithfully obey him, I will be a fierce enemy of your enemies. ²³My angel will lead you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. ²⁴Don't worship their gods or follow their customs. Instead, destroy their idols and shatter their stone images. ²⁵Worship only me, the LORD your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong. ²⁶Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life.
²⁷I will terrify those nations and make your enemies so confused that they will run from you. ²⁸I will make the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites panic as you approach. ²⁹But I won't do all this in the first year, because the land would become poor, and wild animals would be everywhere. ³⁰Instead, I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land.
³¹I will see that your borders reach from the Red Sea ^[e] to the Euphrates River and from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert. I will let you defeat the people who live there, and you will force them out of the land. ³²But you must not make any agreements with them or with their gods. ³³Don't let them stay in your land. They will trap you into sinning against me and worshiping their gods.

Exodus 24

The People Agree To Obey God

¹The LORD said to Moses, " Come up to me on this mountain. Bring along Aaron, as well as his two sons Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel's leaders. They must worship me at a distance, ²but you are to come near. Don't let anyone else come up." ³Moses gave the LORD's instructions to the people, and they promised, " We will do everything the LORD has commanded!" ⁴Then Moses wrote down what the LORD had said.
The next morning Moses got up early. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up a large stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵He also sent some young men to burn offerings and to sacrifice bulls as special offerings ^[f] to the LORD. ⁶Moses put half of the blood from the animals into bowls and sprinkled the rest on the altar. ⁷Then he read aloud the LORD's commands and promises, and the people shouted, " We will obey the LORD and do everything he has commanded!" ⁸Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled it on the people. Next, he told them, " With this blood the LORD makes his agreement with you."
⁹Moses and Aaron, together with Nadab and Abihu and the seventy leaders, went up the mountain ¹⁰and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something that looked like a pavement made out of sapphire, ^[g] and it was as bright as the sky. ¹¹Even though these leaders of Israel saw God, he did not punish them. So they ate and drank.

Moses on Mount Sinai

¹²The LORD said to Moses, " Come up on the mountain and stay here for a while. I will give you the two flat stones on which I have written the laws that my people must obey." ¹³Moses and Joshua his assistant got ready, then Moses started up the mountain to meet with God. ¹⁴Moses had told the leaders, " Wait here until we come back. Aaron and Hur will be with you, and they can settle any arguments while we are away."
¹⁵When Moses went up on Mount Sinai, a cloud covered it, ¹⁶and the bright glory of the LORD came down and stayed there. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the LORD told Moses to come into the cloud. ^17-18Moses did so and stayed there forty days and nights. To the people, the LORD's glory looked like a blazing fire on top of the mountain.

Exodus 25

The Sacred Tent

(Exodus 35.4-9)

¹The LORD said to Moses: ²Tell everyone in Israel who wants to give gifts that they must bring them to you. ³Here is a list of what you are to collect: Gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴blue, purple, and red wool; fine linen; goat hair; ⁵tanned ram skins; fine leather; acacia wood; ⁶olive oil for the lamp; sweet-smelling spices to mix with the oil for dedicating the tent and ordaining the priests; ⁷and onyx ^[h] stones for the sacred vest and the breastpiece. ⁸I also want them to build a special place where I can live among my people. ⁹Make it and its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you. The LORD said to Moses:

The Sacred Chest

(Exodus 37.1-9)

¹⁰Tell the people to build a chest of acacia wood forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. ¹¹Cover it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the lid. ¹²Make four gold rings and fasten one of them to each of the four legs of the chest. ¹³Make two poles of acacia wood. Cover them with gold ¹⁴and put them through the rings, so the chest can be carried by the poles. ¹⁵Don't ever remove the poles from the rings. ¹⁶When I give you the Ten Commandments written on two flat stones, put them inside the chest. ¹⁷Cover the lid of the chest with pure gold. ^18-19Then hammer out two winged creatures of pure gold and fasten them to the lid at the ends of the chest. ²⁰The creatures must face each other with their wings spread over the chest. ²¹Inside it place the two flat stones with the Ten Commandments and put the gold lid on top of the chest. ²²I will meet you there ^[i] between the two creatures and tell you what my people must do and what they must not do. The LORD said:

The Table for the Sacred Bread

(Exodus 37.10-16)

²³Make a table of acacia wood thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. ^24-25Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it with a border three inches wide. ^[j]²⁶Make four gold rings and attach one to each of the legs ^27-28near the edging. The poles for carrying the table are to be placed through these rings and are to be made of acacia wood covered with gold. ^29-30The table is to be kept in the holy place, and the sacred loaves of bread must always be put on it. All bowls, plates, jars, and cups for wine offerings are to be made of pure gold and set on this table. The LORD said:

The Lampstand

(Exodus 37.17-24)

³¹Make a lampstand of pure gold. The whole lampstand, including its decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered gold ³²with three branches on each of its two sides. ³³There are to be three decorative almond blossoms on each branch ³⁴and four on the stem. ³⁵There must also be a blossom where each pair of branches comes out from the stem. ³⁶The lampstand, including its branches and decorative flowers, must be made from a single piece of hammered pure gold. ³⁷The lamp on the top and those at the end of each of its six branches must be made so as to shine toward the front of the lampstand. ³⁸The tongs and trays for taking care of the lamps are to be made of pure gold. ³⁹The lampstand and its equipment will require seventy-five pounds of pure gold, ⁴⁰and they must be made according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain. The LORD said to Moses:

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 23:15as I have commanded: See 12.14-20.
2. Exodus 23:15Abib: See the note at 12.2.
3. Exodus 23:16Harvest Festival: Traditionally called the " Festival of Weeks" and known in New Testament times as " Pentecost."
4. Exodus 23:16Festival of Shelters: The Hebrew text has " Festival of Ingathering" (so also in 34.22), which was the final harvesting of crops and fruits before the autumn rains began. But the usual name was " Festival of Shelters."
5. Exodus 23:31Red 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 13.18).
6. Exodus 24:5special offerings: Often translated " peace offerings," which were to make peace between God and his people, who ate certain parts of the sacrificed animal.
7. Exodus 24:10sapphire: A precious stone, blue in color.
8. Exodus 25:7onyx: A precious stone with bands of different colors.
9. Exodus 25:22I will meet you there: It was believed that God had his earthly throne on the lid of the sacred chest.
10. Exodus 25:24a gold edging. . . wide: Or " a gold edging around it three inches wide."

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Matthew 24:29-51 (Contemporary English Version)

When the Son of Man Appears

(Mark 13.24-27; Luke 21.25-28)

²⁹Right after those days of suffering, "The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
The stars will fall,
and the powers in the sky ^[a] will be shaken."
³⁰Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man. ^[b] All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹At the sound of a loud trumpet, he will send his angels to bring his chosen ones together from all over the earth.

A Lesson from a Fig Tree

(Mark 13.28-31; Luke 21.29-33)

³²Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come. ^[c]³⁴I can promise you that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. ³⁵The sky and the earth won't last forever, but my words will.

No One Knows the Day or Time

(Mark 13.32-37; Luke 17.26-30,34-36)

³⁶No one knows the day or hour. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know. ^[d] Only the Father knows. ³⁷When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. ³⁸People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day that the flood came and Noah went into the big boat. ³⁹They didn't know anything was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man appears. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. ⁴¹Two women will be together grinding grain, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. ⁴²So be on your guard! You don't know when your Lord will come. ⁴³Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in. ⁴⁴Always be ready! You don't know when the Son of Man will come.

Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

(Luke 12.35-48)

⁴⁵Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? ⁴⁶Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. ⁴⁷You may be sure that a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns. ⁴⁸But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won't return until late. ⁴⁹Suppose that evil servant starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with people who are drunk. ⁵⁰If that happens, the master will surely come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. ⁵¹That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the ones who only pretended to serve their master. There they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 24:29the powers in the sky: In ancient times people thought that the stars were spiritual powers.
2. Matthew 24:30And there will be the Son of Man: Or "And it will be the Son of Man."
3. Matthew 24:33the time has almost come: Or "he (that is, the Son of Man) will soon be here."
4. Matthew 24:36and the Son himself doesn't know: These words are not in some manuscripts.

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Psalm 30:1-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 30

(A psalm by David for the dedication of the temple.)

A Prayer of Thanks

¹I will praise you, LORD! You saved me from the grave
and kept my enemies
from celebrating my death.
²I prayed to you, LORD God,
and you healed me,
³saving me from death
and the grave.
⁴Your faithful people, LORD,
will praise you with songs
and honor your holy name.
⁵Your anger lasts a little while,
but your kindness lasts
for a lifetime.
At night we may cry,
but when morning comes
we will celebrate.
⁶I was carefree and thought,
"I'll never be shaken!"
⁷You, LORD, were my friend,
and you made me strong
as a mighty mountain.
But when you hid your face,
I was crushed.
⁸I prayed to you, LORD,
and in my prayer I said,
⁹"What good will it do you
if I am in the grave?
Once I have turned to dust,
how can I praise you
or tell how loyal you are?
¹⁰Have pity, LORD! Help!"
¹¹You have turned my sorrow
into joyful dancing.
No longer am I sad
and wearing sackcloth. ^[a]¹²I thank you from my heart,
and I will never stop
singing your praises,
my LORD and my God.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 30:11sackcloth: A rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair and used to make grain sacks. It was worn in times of trouble or sorrow.

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Proverbs 7:24-27 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁴My son, pay close attention
to what I have said.
²⁵Don't even think about
that kind of woman
or let yourself be misled
by someone like her.
²⁶Such a woman has caused
the downfall
and destruction
of a lot of men.
²⁷Her house is a one-way street
leading straight down
to the world of the dead.

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Verse of the Day

“If you try to be kind and good, you will be blessed with life and goodness and honor.” - Proverbs 21:21

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American politician and actor who was the 40th President of the United States, from 1981 to 1989, Ronald Reagan wrote, “A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and, above all, responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill.”

Bible Readings for February 5, 2017

Today our passages are Exodus 21:22–23:13; Matthew 24:1-28; Psalm 29:1-11; and Proverbs 7:6-23. 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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Exodus 21:22-23:13 (Contemporary English Version)

²²Suppose a pregnant woman suffers a miscarriage ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} as the result of an injury caused by someone who is fighting. If she isn't badly hurt, the one who injured her must pay whatever fine her husband demands and the judges approve. ²³But if she is seriously injured, the payment will be life for life, ²⁴eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵burn for burn, cut for cut, and bruise for bruise. ²⁶If you hit one of your slaves and cause the loss of an eye, the slave must be set free. ²⁷The same law applies if you knock out a slave's tooth--the slave goes free.
²⁸A bull that kills someone with its horns must be killed and its meat destroyed, but the owner of the bull isn't responsible for the death.
²⁹Suppose you own a bull that has been in the habit of attacking people, but you have refused to keep it fenced in. If that bull kills someone, both you and the bull must be put to death by stoning. ³⁰However, you may save your own life by paying whatever fine is demanded. ³¹This same law applies if the bull gores someone's son or daughter. ³²If the bull kills a slave, you must pay the slave owner thirty pieces of silver for the loss of the slave, and the bull must be killed by stoning.
³³Suppose someone's ox or donkey is killed by falling into an open pit that you dug or left uncovered on your property. ³⁴You must pay for the dead animal, and it becomes yours.
³⁵If your bull kills someone else's, yours must be sold. Then the money from your bull and the meat from the dead bull must be divided equally between you and the other owner.
³⁶If you refuse to fence in a bull that is known to attack others, you must pay for any animal it kills, but the dead animal will belong to you.

Exodus 22

Property Laws

The LORD said:

¹If you steal an ox and slaughter or sell it, you must replace it with five oxen; if you steal a sheep and slaughter it or sell it, you must replace it with four sheep. ^2-4But if you cannot afford to replace the animals, you must be sold as a slave to pay for what you have stolen. If you steal an ox, donkey, or sheep, and are caught with it still alive, you must pay the owner double. If you happen to kill a burglar who breaks into your home after dark, you are not guilty. But if you kill someone who breaks in during the day, you are guilty of murder.
⁵If you allow any of your animals to stray from your property and graze ^[b<="">] in someone else's field or vineyard, you must repay the damage from the best part of your own harvest of grapes and grain. ⁶If you carelessly let a fire spread from your property to someone else's, you must pay the owner for any crops or fields destroyed by the fire.
⁷Suppose a neighbor asks you to keep some silver or other valuables, and they are stolen from your house. If the thief is caught, the thief must repay double. ⁸But if the thief isn't caught, some judges ^[c<="">] will decide if you are the guilty one. ⁹Suppose two people claim to own the same ox or donkey or sheep or piece of clothing. Then the judges ^[d<="">] must decide the case, and the guilty person will pay the owner double. ¹⁰Suppose a neighbor who is going to be away asks you to keep a donkey or an ox or a sheep or some other animal, and it dies or gets injured or is stolen while no one is looking. ¹¹If you swear with me as your witness that you did not harm the animal, you do not have to replace it. Your word is enough. ¹²But if the animal was stolen while in your care, you must replace it. ¹³If the animal was attacked and killed by a wild animal, and you can show the remains of the dead animal to its owner, you do not have to replace it.
¹⁴Suppose you borrow an animal from a neighbor, and it gets injured or dies while the neighbor isn't around. Then you must replace it. ¹⁵But if something happens to the animal while the owner is present, you do not have to replace it. If you had leased the animal, the money you paid the owner will cover any harm done to it.

Laws for Everyday Life

The LORD said:

¹⁶Suppose a young woman has never been married and isn't engaged. If a man talks her into having sex, he must pay the bride price ^[e<="">] and marry her. ¹⁷But if her father refuses to let her marry the man, the bride price must still be paid. ¹⁸Death is the punishment for witchcraft. ¹⁹Death is the punishment for having sex with an animal.
²⁰Death is the punishment for offering sacrifices to any god except me.
²¹Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt.
²²Do not mistreat widows or orphans. ²³If you do, they will beg for my help, and I will come to their rescue. ²⁴In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.
²⁵Don't charge interest when you lend money to any of my people who are in need. ²⁶Before sunset you must return any coat taken as security for a loan, ²⁷because that is the only cover the poor have when they sleep at night. I am a merciful God, and when they call out to me, I will come to help them.
²⁸Don't speak evil of me ^[f<="">] or of the ruler of your people. ²⁹Don't fail to give me the offerings of grain and wine that belong to me. ^[g<="">] Dedicate to me your first-born sons ³⁰and the first-born of your cattle and sheep. Let the animals stay with their mothers for seven days, then on the eighth day give them to me, your God.
³¹You are my chosen people, so don't eat the meat of any of your livestock that was killed by a wild animal. Instead, feed the meat to dogs.

Exodus 23

Equal Justice for All

The LORD said:

¹Don't spread harmful rumors or help a criminal by giving false evidence. ²Always tell the truth in court, even if everyone else is ^[h<="">] dishonest and stands in the way of justice. ³And don't favor the poor, simply because they are poor. ⁴If you find an ox or a donkey that has wandered off, take it back where it belongs, even if the owner is your enemy.
⁵If a donkey is overloaded and falls down, you must do what you can to help, even if it belongs to someone who doesn't like you. ^[i<="">]6Make sure that the poor are given equal justice in court. ⁷Don't bring false charges against anyone or sentence an innocent person to death. I won't forgive you if you do.
⁸Don't accept bribes. Judges are blinded and justice is twisted by bribes.
⁹Don't mistreat foreigners. You were foreigners in Egypt, and you know what it is like.

Laws for the Sabbath

The LORD said:

¹⁰Plant and harvest your crops for six years, ¹¹but let the land rest during the seventh year. The poor are to eat what they want from your fields, vineyards, and olive trees during that year, and when they have all they want from your fields, leave the rest for wild animals. ¹²Work the first six days of the week, but rest and relax on the seventh day. This law is not only for you, but for your oxen, donkeys, and slaves, as well as for any foreigners among you.
¹³Make certain that you obey everything I have said. Don't pray to other gods or even mention their names.
The LORD said:

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 21:22suffers a miscarriage: Or " gives birth before her time."
2. Exodus 22:5graze: Or " eat everything."
3. Exodus 22:8some judges: Or " I."
4. Exodus 22:9the judges: Or " I."
5. Exodus 22:16bride price: It was the custom for a man to pay his wife's family a bride price before the actual wedding ceremony took place.
6. Exodus 22:28me: Or " your judges."
7. Exodus 22:29Don't fail. . . me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8. Exodus 23:2everyone else is: Or " the authorities are."
9. Exodus 23:5you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.

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Matthew 24:1-28 (Contemporary English Version)

Matthew 24

The Temple Will Be Destroyed

(Mark 13.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)

¹After Jesus left the temple, his disciples came over and said, "Look at all these buildings!" ²Jesus replied, "Do you see these buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place."

Warning about Trouble

(Mark 13.3-13; Luke 21.7-19)

³Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in private and asked, "When will this happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?" ⁴Jesus answered:
Don't let anyone fool you. ⁵Many will come and claim to be me. They will say that they are the Messiah, and they will fool many people.
⁶You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. ⁷Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes. ⁸But this is just the beginning of troubles.
⁹You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of me, you will be hated by people of all nations. ¹⁰Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. ¹¹Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. ¹²Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. ¹³But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. ¹⁴When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come.

The Horrible Thing

(Mark 13.14-23; Luke 21.20-24)

¹⁵Someday you will see that "Horrible Thing" in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand! ¹⁶If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. ¹⁷If you are on the roof ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} of your house, don't go inside to get anything. ¹⁸If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. ¹⁹It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. ²⁰And pray that you won't have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath. ^[b<="">]21This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. ²²If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter. ²³Someone may say, "Here is the Messiah!" or "There he is!" But don't believe it. ²⁴False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. ²⁵But I have warned you ahead of time. ²⁶If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don't go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, don't believe it! ²⁷The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that can be seen from east to west. ²⁸Where there is a corpse, there will always be buzzards. ^[c<="">]

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 24:17roof: In Palestine the houses usually had a flat roof. Stairs on the outside led up to the roof, which was made of beams and boards covered with packed earth.
2. Matthew 24:20in winter or on a Sabbath: In Palestine the winters are cold and rainy and make travel difficult. The Jewish people were not allowed to travel much more than half a mile on the Sabbath. For these reasons it was hard for them to escape from their enemies in the winter or on a Sabbath.
3. Matthew 24:28Where there is a corpse, there will always be buzzards: This saying may mean that when anything important happens, people soon know about it. Or the saying may mean that whenever something bad happens, curious people gather around and stare. But the word translated "buzzard" also means "eagle" and may refer to the Roman army, which had an eagle as its symbol.

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Psalm 29:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 29

(A psalm by David.)

The Voice of the LORD in a Storm

¹All of you angels ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} in heaven, honor the glory and power of the LORD!
²Honor the wonderful name
of the LORD,
and worship the LORD
most holy and glorious. ^[b<="">]3The voice of the LORD
echoes over the oceans.
The glorious LORD God
thunders
above the roar
of the raging sea,
⁴and his voice is mighty
and marvelous.
⁵The voice of the LORD
destroys the cedar trees;
the LORD shatters cedars
on Mount Lebanon.
⁶God makes Mount Lebanon
skip like a calf
and Mount Hermon
jump like a wild ox.
⁷The voice of the LORD
makes lightning flash
⁸and the desert tremble.
And because of the LORD,
the desert near Kadesh
shivers and shakes.
⁹The voice of the LORD
makes deer give birth
before their time. ^[c<="">] Forests are stripped of leaves,
and the temple is filled
with shouts of praise.
¹⁰The LORD rules on his throne,
king of the flood ^[d<="">] forever. ¹¹Pray that our LORD
will make us strong
and give us peace.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 29:1angels: Or " supernatural beings" or " gods."
2. Psalm 29:2most. . . glorious: Or " in his holy place" or " and wear your glorious clothes."
3. Psalm 29:9makes. . . time: Or " twists the oak trees around."
4. Psalm 29:10king of the flood: In ancient times the people of Israel believed that a mighty ocean surrounded all of creation, and that God could release the water to flood the earth.

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Proverbs 7:6-23 (Contemporary English Version)

⁶From the window of my house,
I once happened to see
⁷some foolish young men.
⁸It was late in the evening,
sometime after dark.
⁹One of these young men
turned the corner
and was walking by the house
of an unfaithful wife.
¹⁰She was dressed fancy
like a woman of the street
with only one thing in mind.
¹¹She was one of those women
who are loud and restless
and never stay at home,
¹²who walk street after street,
waiting to trap a man.
¹³She grabbed him and kissed him,
and with no sense of shame,
she said:
¹⁴"I had to offer a sacrifice,
and there is enough meat
left over for a feast.
¹⁵So I came looking for you,
and here you are!
¹⁶The sheets on my bed
are bright-colored cloth
from Egypt.
¹⁷And I have covered it
with perfume
made of myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
¹⁸"Let's go there
and make love all night.
¹⁹My husband is traveling,
and he's far away.
²⁰He took a lot of money along,
and he won't be back home
before the middle
of the month."
²¹And so, she tricked him
with all of her sweet talk
and her flattery.
²²Right away he followed her
like an ox on the way
to be slaughtered,
or like a fool on the way
to be punished ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]23}and killed with arrows.
He was no more than a bird
rushing into a trap,
without knowing
it would cost him his life.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 7:22a fool. . . punished: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“The LORD is truthful; he can be trusted. He loves justice and fairness, and he is kind to everyone everywhere on earth.” - Psalm 33:4-5

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American politician and diplomat, noted for his intellectual demeanor, eloquent public speaking, and promotion of progressive causes in the Democratic Party, Adlai Stevenson wrote, “We talk a great deal about patriotism. What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility which will enable America to remain master of her power — to walk with it in serenity and wisdom, with self-respect and the respect of all mankind; a patriotism that puts country ahead of self; a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. The dedication of a lifetime — these are words that are easy to utter, but this is a mighty assignment. For it is often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.”

Bible Readings for February 4, 2017

Today our passages are Exodus 19:16–21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28:1-9; and Proverbs 7:1-5. 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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Exodus 19:16-21:21 (Contemporary English Version)

The LORD Comes to Mount Sinai

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain, a loud trumpet blast was heard, and everyone in camp trembled with fear. ¹⁷Moses led them out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had come down in a flaming fire. Smoke poured out of the mountain just like a furnace, and the whole mountain shook. ¹⁹The trumpet blew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder.
²⁰The LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai and told Moses to meet him there. ²¹Then he said, " Moses, go and warn the people not to cross the boundary that you set at the foot of the mountain. They must not cross it to come and look at me, because if they do, many of them will die. ²²Only the priests may come near me, and they must obey strict rules before I let them. If they don't, they will be punished."
²³Moses replied, " The people cannot come up the mountain. You warned us to stay away because it is holy."
²⁴Then the LORD told Moses, " Go down and bring Aaron back here with you. But the priests and people must not try to push their way through, or I will rush at them like a flood!"
²⁵After Moses had gone back down, he told the people what the LORD had said.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

(Deuteronomy 5.1-21)

¹God said to the people of Israel: ²I am the LORD your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.
³Do not worship any god except me.
⁴Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. ⁵Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the LORD your God, and I demand all your love. If you reject me, I will punish your families for three or four generations. ⁶But if you love me and obey my laws, I will be kind to your families for thousands of generations.
⁷Do not misuse my name. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. ⁸Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. ⁹You have six days when you can do your work, ¹⁰but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day--not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. ¹¹In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.
¹²Respect your father and your mother, and you will live a long time in the land I am giving you.
¹³Do not murder.
¹⁴Be faithful in marriage.
¹⁵Do not steal.
¹⁶Do not tell lies about others.
¹⁷Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don't want anyone's house, wife or husband, slaves, oxen, donkeys or anything else.

The People Are Afraid

(Deuteronomy 5.23-33)

¹⁸The people trembled with fear when they heard the thunder and the trumpet and saw the lightning and the smoke coming from the mountain. They stood a long way off ¹⁹and said to Moses, " If you speak to us, we will listen. But don't let God speak to us, or we will die!" ²⁰" Don't be afraid!" Moses replied. " God has come only to test you, so that by obeying him you won't sin." ²¹But when Moses went near the thick cloud where God was, the people stayed a long way off.

Idols and Altars

²²The LORD told Moses to say to the people of Israel: With your own eyes, you saw me speak to you from heaven. ²³So you must never make idols of silver or gold to worship in place of me. ^[b<="">]24Build an altar out of earth, and offer on it your sacrifices ^[c<="">] of sheep, goats, and cattle. Wherever I choose to be worshiped, I will come down to bless you. ²⁵If you ever build an altar for me out of stones, do not use any tools to chisel the stones, because that would make the altar unfit. ²⁶And don't build an altar that requires steps; you might expose yourself when you climb up.

Exodus 21

Hebrew Slaves

(Deuteronomy 15.12-18)

¹The LORD gave Moses the following laws for his people: ²If you buy a Hebrew slave, he must remain your slave for six years. But in the seventh year you must set him free, without cost to him. ³If he was single at the time you bought him, he alone must be set free. But if he was married at the time, both he and his wife must be given their freedom. ⁴If you give him a wife, and they have children, only the man himself must be set free; his wife and children remain the property of his owner.
⁵But suppose the slave loves his wife and children so much that he won't leave without them. ⁶Then he must stand beside either the door or the doorpost at the place of worship, ^[d<="">] while his owner punches a small hole through one of his ears with a sharp metal rod. This makes him a slave for life. ⁷A young woman who was sold by her father doesn't gain her freedom in the same way that a man does. ⁸If she doesn't please the man who bought her to be his wife, he must let her be bought back. ^[e<="">] He cannot sell her to foreigners; this would break the contract he made with her. ⁹If he selects her as a wife for his son, he must treat her as his own daughter. ¹⁰If the man later marries another woman, he must continue to provide food and clothing for the one he bought and to treat her as a wife. ¹¹If he fails to do any of these things, she must be given her freedom without cost.

Murder and Other Violent Crimes

The LORD said:

¹²Death is the punishment for murder. ¹³But if you did not intend to kill someone, and I, the LORD, let it happen anyway, you may run for safety to a place that I have set aside. ¹⁴If you plan in advance to murder someone, there's no escape, not even by holding on to my altar. ^[f<="">] You will be dragged off and killed. ¹⁵Death is the punishment for attacking your father or mother. ¹⁶Death is the punishment for kidnapping. If you sell the person you kidnapped, or if you are caught with that person, the penalty is death.
¹⁷Death is the punishment for cursing your father or mother.
¹⁸Suppose two of you are arguing, and you hit the other with either a rock or your fist, without causing a fatal injury. If the victim has to stay in bed, ¹⁹and later has to use a stick when walking outside, you must pay for the loss of time and do what you can to help until the injury is completely healed. That's your only responsibility.
²⁰Death is the punishment for beating to death any of your slaves. ²¹However, if the slave lives a few days after the beating, you are not to be punished. After all, you have already lost the services of that slave who was your property.

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 20:7misuse my name: Probably includes breaking promises, telling lies after swearing to tell the truth, using the LORD's name as a curse word or a magic formula, and trying to control the LORD by using his name.
2. Exodus 20:23in place of me: Or " together with me."
3. Exodus 20:24sacrifices: The Hebrew text mentions two types of sacrifices: Sacrifices to please the LORD (traditionally called " whole burnt offerings" ) and sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing (traditionally called " peace offerings" ).
4. Exodus 21:6at the place of worship: The Hebrew text has " in the presence of God," which probably refers to the place where God was worshiped.
5. Exodus 21:8bought back: Either by her family or by another Israelite who wanted to marry her.
6. Exodus 21:14altar: As a rule, anyone who ran to the altar was safe from the death penalty, until proven guilty.

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Matthew 23:13-39 (Contemporary English Version)

^13-14You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won't go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]15}You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You travel over land and sea to win one follower. And when you have done so, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.
¹⁶You are in for trouble! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the temple. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gold in the temple. ¹⁷You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
¹⁸You also teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say that it does matter if someone swears by the gift on the altar. ¹⁹Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰Anyone who swears by the altar also swears by everything on it. ²¹And anyone who swears by the temple also swears by God, who lives there. ²²To swear by heaven is the same as swearing by God's throne and by the one who sits on that throne.
²³You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either. ²⁴You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel.
²⁵You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. ²⁶You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.
²⁷You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed. ^[b<="">] On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. ²⁸That's what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good. ²⁹You Pharisees and teachers are nothing but show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of good people. ³⁰And you claim that you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets. ³¹But you prove that you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. ³²So keep on doing everything they did. ³³You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?
³⁴I will send prophets and wise people and experts in the Law of Moses to you. But you will kill them or nail them to a cross or beat them in your meeting places or chase them from town to town. ³⁵That's why you will be held guilty for the murder of every good person, beginning with the good man Abel. This also includes Barachiah's son Zechariah, ^[c<="">] the man you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶I can promise that you people living today will be punished for all these things!

Jesus Loves Jerusalem

(Luke 13.34,35)

³⁷Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn't let me. ³⁸And now your temple will be deserted. ³⁹You won't see me again until you say, "Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of the Lord."

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 23:13from going in: Some manuscripts add, "You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! And you're nothing but show-offs! You cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. So you will be punished most of all."
2. Matthew 23:27whitewashed: Tombs were whitewashed to keep anyone from accidentally touching them. A person who touched a dead body or a tomb was considered unclean and could not worship with the rest of the Jewish people.
3. Matthew 23:35Zechariah: Genesis is the first book in the Jewish Scriptures, and it tells that Abel was the first person to be murdered. Second Chronicles is the last book in the Jewish Scriptures, and the last murder that it tells about is that of Zechariah.

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Psalm 28:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 28

(By David.)

A Prayer for Help

¹Only you, LORD, are a mighty rock! ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} Don't refuse to help me
when I pray.
If you don't answer me,
I will soon be dead.
²Please listen to my prayer
and my cry for help,
as I lift my hands
toward your holy temple.
³Don't drag me away, LORD,
with those cruel people,
who speak kind words,
while planning trouble.
⁴Treat them as they deserve!
Punish them for their sins.
⁵They don't pay any attention
to your wonderful deeds.
Now you will destroy them
and leave them in ruin.
⁶I praise you, LORD,
for answering my prayers.
⁷You are my strong shield,
and I trust you completely.
You have helped me,
and I will celebrate
and thank you in song.
⁸You give strength
to your people, LORD,
and you save and protect
your chosen ones.
⁹Come save us and bless us.
Be our shepherd and always
carry us in your arms.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 28:1mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 7:1-5 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 7

The Foolishness of Unfaithfulness

¹My son, pay close attention and don't forget
what I tell you to do.
²Obey me, and you will live!
Let my instructions be
your greatest treasure.
³Keep them at your fingertips
and write them
in your mind.
⁴Let wisdom be your sister
and make common sense
your closest friend.
⁵They will protect you
from the flattering words
of someone else's wife.

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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

The 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam wrote, “As a child of God, I am greater than anything that can happen to me.”

A Thought from the Word - A brief thought based on Deuteronomy 6:4-5