Bible Readings for April 3, 2017

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 23:1–25:19; Luke 10:13-37; Psalm 75:1-10; and Proverbs 12:12-14. The readings are from 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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Deuteronomy 23-25:19 (Contemporary English Version)

Deuteronomy 23

Who Cannot Become One of the LORD's People

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹If a man's private parts have been crushed or cut off, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} he cannot fully belong to the LORD's people. ²No one born outside of a legal marriage, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can fully belong to the LORD's people.     ³No Ammonites or Moabites, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can become part of Israel, the LORD's people. ⁴This is because when you came out of Egypt, they refused to provide you with food and water. And besides, they hired Balaam ^[b<="">] to put a curse on you. ⁵But the LORD your God loves you, so he refused to listen to Balaam and turned Balaam's curse into a blessing. ⁶Don't even think of signing a peace treaty with Moab or Ammon. ⁷But Edomites are your relatives, and you lived as foreigners in the country of Egypt. Now you must be kind to Edomites and Egyptians ⁸and let their great-grandchildren become part of Israel, the LORD's people.
   

Keep the Army Camp Acceptable

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁹When you men go off to fight your enemies, make sure your camp is acceptable to the LORD.     ¹⁰For example, if something happens at night that makes a man unclean and unfit for worship, he ^[c<="">] must go outside the camp and stay there ¹¹until late afternoon. Then he must take a bath, and at sunset he can go back into camp. ¹²Set up a place outside the camp to be used as a toilet area. ¹³And make sure that you have a small shovel in your equipment. When you go out to the toilet area, use the shovel to dig a hole. Then, after you relieve yourself, bury the waste in the hole. ¹⁴You must keep your camp clean of filthy and disgusting things. The LORD is always present in your camp, ready to rescue you and give you victory over your enemies. But if he sees something disgusting in your camp, he may turn around and leave.
   

Runaway Slaves from Other Countries

Moses said:

 ¹⁵When runaway slaves from other countries come to Israel and ask for protection, you must not hand them back to their owners. ¹⁶Instead, you must let them choose which one of your towns they want to live in. Don't be cruel to runaway slaves.    

Temple Prostitutes

Moses said:

 ¹⁷People of Israel, don't any of you ever be temple prostitutes. ^{[d<="">] 18}The LORD your God is disgusted with men and women who are prostitutes of any kind, and he will not accept a gift from them, even if it had been promised to him.

Interest on Loans

Moses said:

 ¹⁹When you lend money, food, or anything else to another Israelite, you are not allowed to charge interest. ²⁰You can charge a foreigner interest. But if you charge other Israelites interest, the LORD your God will not let you be successful in the land you are about to take.    

Sacred Promises to the LORD

Moses said:

 ²¹People of Israel, if you make a sacred promise to give a gift to the LORD, then do it as soon as you can. If the LORD has to come looking for the gift you promised, you will be guilty of breaking that promise. ²²On the other hand, if you never make a sacred promise, you can't be guilty of breaking it. ²³You must keep whatever promises you make to the LORD. After all, you are the one who chose to make the promises.    

Eating Someone Else's Produce

 ²⁴If you go into a vineyard that belongs to someone else, you are allowed to eat as many grapes as you want while you are there. But don't take any with you when you leave. ²⁵In the same way, if you are in a grain field that belongs to someone else, you can pick heads of grain and eat the kernels. But don't cut down the stalks of grain and take them with you.    

Deuteronomy 24

A Law about Divorce

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹Suppose a woman was divorced by her first husband because he found something disgraceful about her. ^[e<="">] He wrote out divorce papers, gave them to her, and sent her away. ²Later she married another man, ³who then either divorced her in the same way or died. ⁴Since she has slept with her second husband, she cannot marry her first husband again. Their marriage would pollute the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and he would be disgusted.

Newlyweds

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁵If a man and a woman have been married less than one year, he must not be sent off to war or sent away to do forced labor. He must be allowed to stay home for a year and be happy with his wife.    

Loans

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁶When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that they will pay back the loan. But don't take one or both of their millstones, or else they may starve. They need these stones for grinding grain into flour to make bread.    

Kidnapping

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁷If you are guilty of kidnapping Israelites and forcing them into slavery, you will be put to death to remove this evil from the community.    

Skin Diseases

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁸I have told the priests ^[f<="">] what to do if any of you have leprosy, ^[g<="">] so do exactly what they say. ⁹And remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam ^[h<="">] after you left Egypt.

Loans

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁰When you lend money to people, you are allowed to keep something of theirs as a guarantee that the money will be paid back. But you must not go into their house to get it. ¹¹Wait outside, and they will bring out the item you have agreed on.     ¹²Suppose someone is so poor that a coat is the only thing that can be offered as a guarantee on a loan. Don't keep the coat overnight. ¹³Instead, give it back before sunset, so the owner can keep warm and sleep and ask the LORD to bless you. Then the LORD your God will notice that you have done the right thing.
   

Poor People's Wages

Moses said:

 ¹⁴If you hire poor people to work for you, don't hold back their pay, ^[i<="">] whether they are Israelites or foreigners who live in your town. ¹⁵Pay them their wages at the end of each day, because they live in poverty and need the money to survive. If you don't pay them on time, they will complain about you to the LORD, and he will punish you.

The Death Penalty

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁶Parents must not be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children must not be put to death for crimes committed by their parents. Don't put anyone to death for someone else's crime.    

Don't Mistreat the Powerless

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁷Make sure that orphans and foreigners are treated fairly. And if you lend money to a widow and want to keep something of hers to guarantee that she will pay you back, don't take any of her clothes. ¹⁸You were slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.    

Leave Some of Your Harvest for the Poor

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁹If you forget to bring in a stack of harvested grain, don't go back in the field to get it. Leave it for the poor, including foreigners, orphans, and widows, and the LORD will make you successful in everything you do.     ²⁰When you harvest your olives, don't try to get them all for yourself, but leave some for the poor. ²¹And when you pick your grapes, go over the vines only once, then let the poor have what is left. ²²You lived in poverty as slaves in Egypt until the LORD your God rescued you. That's why I am giving you these laws.
   

Deuteronomy 25

Whipping as Punishment for a Crime

Moses said to Israel:

 ^1-2Suppose you and someone else each accuse the other of doing something wrong, and you go to court, where the judges decide you are guilty. If your punishment is to be beaten with a whip, ^[j<="">] one of the judges will order you to lie down, and you will receive the number of lashes you deserve. ³Forty lashes is the most that you can be given, because more than that might make other Israelites think you are worthless.

Don't Muzzle an Ox

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁴Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain. ^[k<="">]

A Son for a Dead Brother

Moses said to Israel:

 ^5-6Suppose two brothers are living on the same property, when one of them dies without having a son to carry on his name. If this happens, his widow must not marry anyone outside the family. Instead, she must marry her late husband's brother, and their first son will be the legal son of the dead man.     ⁷But suppose the brother refuses to marry the widow. She must go to a meeting of the town leaders at the town gate and say, " My husband died without having a son to carry on his name. And my husband's brother refuses to marry me so I can have a son."
    ⁸The leaders will call the living brother to the town gate and try to persuade him to marry the widow. But if he doesn't change his mind and marry her, ⁹she must go over to him while the town leaders watch. She will pull off one of his sandals and spit in his face, while saying, " That's what happens to a man who won't help provide descendants for his dead brother." ¹⁰From then on, that man's family will be known as " the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off."
   

When Two Men Fight

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹¹If two men are fighting, and the wife of one man tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the other man's private parts, ¹²you must cut off her hand. Don't have any mercy.    

Be Honest in Business

Moses said to Israel:

 ^13-14Don't try to cheat people by having two sets of weights or measures, one to get more when you are buying, and the other to give less when you are selling. ¹⁵If you weigh and measure things honestly, the LORD your God will let you enjoy a long life in the land he is giving you. ¹⁶But the LORD is disgusted with anyone who cheats or is dishonest.    

Wipe Out Amalek

Moses said:

 ¹⁷People of Israel, do you remember what the Amalekites did to you after you came out of Egypt? ¹⁸You were tired, and they followed along behind, attacking those who could not keep up with the others. This showed that the Amalekites have no respect for God.     ¹⁹The LORD your God will help you capture the land, and he will give you peace. But when that day comes, you must wipe out Amalek so completely that no one will remember they ever lived.
   

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 23:1 a man's private parts have been crushed or cut off: This was sometimes done to show devotion to pagan gods.
2. Deuteronomy 23:4 Balaam: Hebrew " Balaam son of Beor from Pethor."
3. Deuteronomy 23:10 if something. . . worship, he: Or " if a man has a flow of semen at night, he is unclean and unfit for worship, and he."
4. Deuteronomy 23:17 temple prostitutes: Some Canaanites worshiped by going to their temples and having sex with prostitutes that represented their gods.
5. Deuteronomy 24:1 something disgraceful about her: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
6. Deuteronomy 24:8 the priests: See the note at 17.8-12.
7. Deuteronomy 24:8 leprosy: The word " leprosy" was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
8. Deuteronomy 24:9 what the LORD your God did to Miriam: See Numbers 12.1-16.
9. Deuteronomy 24:14 don't hold back their pay: The Dead Sea Scrolls; the Standard Hebrew Text " treat them right."
10. Deuteronomy 25:1 whip: Or " rod."
11. Deuteronomy 25:4 threshing grain: Oxen were used at the threshing place to walk on heads of grain, or pull heavy slabs of wood over it, to separate the kernels from the husks.

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Luke 10:13-37 (Contemporary English Version)

The Unbelieving Towns

(Matthew 11.20-24)

 ¹³You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are also in for trouble! If the miracles that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 14}On the day of judgment the people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will. ¹⁵People of Capernaum, do you think you will be honored in heaven? Well, you will go down to hell! ¹⁶My followers, whoever listens to you is listening to me. Anyone who says "No" to you is saying "No" to me. And anyone who says "No" to me is really saying "No" to the one who sent me.    

The Return of the Seventy-Two

 ¹⁷When the seventy-two ^[b<="">] followers returned, they were excited and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!" ¹⁸Jesus told them:    I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. ¹⁹I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. ²⁰But don't be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!
   

Jesus Thanks His Father

(Matthew 11.25-27; 13.16,17)

 ²¹At that same time, Jesus felt the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, ^[c<="">] and he said: My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.     ²²My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who really knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.
    ²³Jesus then turned to his disciples and said to them in private, "You are really blessed to see what you see! ²⁴Many prophets and kings were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you that they did not see or hear."
   

The Good Samaritan

 ²⁵An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to have eternal life?"     ²⁶Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?"
    ²⁷The man replied, "The Scriptures say, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' They also say, `Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' "
    ²⁸Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life."
    ²⁹But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?"
    ³⁰Jesus replied:
   As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.
    ³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. ³²Later a temple helper ^[d<="">] came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side. ³³A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him ³⁴and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine ^[e<="">] and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. ³⁵The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return." ³⁶Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?"
    ³⁷The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity."
   Jesus said, "Go and do the same!"
   

Footnotes:

1. Luke 10:13 dressed in sackcloth. . . ashes on their heads: This was one way that people showed how sorry they were for their sins.
2. Luke 10:17 seventy-two: See the note at 10.1.
3. Luke 10:21 the Holy Spirit: Some manuscripts have " his spirit."
4. Luke 10:32 temple helper: A man from the tribe of Levi, whose job it was to work around the temple.
5. Luke 10:34 olive oil and wine: In New Testament times these were used as medicine. Sometimes olive oil is a symbol for healing by means of a miracle (see James 5.14).

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Psalm 75:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 75

(A psalm and a song by Asaph for the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy." (Psalm 75 Don't Destroy: See the note at Psalm 57.) )

Praise God for All He Has Done

 ¹Our God, we thank you    for being so near to us!
   Everyone celebrates
   your wonderful deeds.
    ²You have set a time
   to judge with fairness.
    ³The earth trembles,
   and its people shake;
   you alone keep
   its foundations firm.
    ⁴You tell every bragger,
   "Stop bragging!"
   And to the wicked you say,
   "Don't boast of your power!
    ⁵Stop bragging! Quit telling me
   how great you are."
    ⁶Our LORD and our God,
   victory doesn't come
   from the east or the west
   or from the desert.
    ⁷You are the one who judges.
   You can take away power
   and give it to others.
    ⁸You hold in your hand
   a cup filled with wine, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} strong and foaming.
   You will pour out some
   for every sinful person
   on this earth,
   and they will have to drink
   until it is gone.
    ⁹But I will always tell about
   you, the God of Jacob,
   and I will sing your praise.
    ¹⁰Our Lord, you will destroy
   the power of evil people,
   but you will give strength
   to those who are good.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 75:8 a cup. . . wine: In the Old Testament " a cup filled with wine" sometimes stands for God's anger.

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Proverbs 12:12-14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹²An evil person tries to hide
   behind evil; ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} good people are like trees
   with deep roots.
    ¹³We trap ourselves
   by telling lies,
   but we stay out of trouble
   by living right.
    ¹⁴We are rewarded or punished
   for what we say and do.
   

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 12:12 An evil. . . evil: Or " Evil people love what they get from being evil."

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Verse of the Day

 

“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne!” - Hebrews 12:2

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace, Jane Goodall wrote, “You may not believe in evolution, and that is all right. How we humans came to be the way we are is far less important than how we should act now to get out of the mess we have made for ourselves.”

Bible Readings for April 2, 2017

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 21:1–22:30; Luke 9:51–10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; and Proverbs 12:11. The readings are from 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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Deuteronomy 21-22:30 (Contemporary English Version)

Deuteronomy 21

Unsolved Murder

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹Suppose the body of a murder victim is found in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you, and no one knows who the murderer is. ²The judges and other leaders from the towns around there must find out what town is the closest to where the body was found. ³The leaders from that town will go to their cattle herds and choose a young cow that has never been put to work. ^[a] ^4-5They and some of the priests will take this cow to a nearby valley where there is a stream, but no crops. Once they reach the valley, the leaders will break the cow's neck. The priests must be there, because the LORD your God has chosen them to be his special servants at the place of worship. The LORD has chosen them to bless the people in his name and to be judges in all legal cases, whether property or injury is involved.     ⁶The town leaders will wash their hands over the body of the dead cow ⁷and say, " We had no part in this murder, and we don't know who did it. ^8-9But since an innocent person was murdered, we beg you, our LORD, to accept this sacrifice and forgive Israel. We are your people, and you rescued us. Please don't hold this crime against us."
   If you obey the LORD and do these things, he will forgive Israel.
   

Marrying a Woman Taken Prisoner in War

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁰From time to time, you men will serve as soldiers and go off to war. The LORD your God will help you defeat your enemies, and you will take many prisoners. ^11-13One of these prisoners may be a beautiful woman, and you may want to marry her. But first you must bring her into your home, and have her shave her head, cut her nails, get rid of her foreign clothes, and start wearing Israelite clothes. She will mourn a month for her father and mother, then you can marry her.     ¹⁴Later on, if you are not happy with the woman, you can divorce her, and she can go free. But you have slept with her as your wife, so you cannot sell her as a slave or make her into your own slave.
   

Rights of a First-Born Son

Moses said to Israel:

 ^15-17Suppose a man has two wives and loves one more than the other. The first son of either wife is the man's first-born son, even if the boy's mother is the wife the man doesn't love. Later, when the man is near death and is dividing up his property, he must give a double share to his first-born son, simply because he was the first to be born.    

A Son Who Rebels

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁸A father and a mother may have a stubborn and rebellious son who refuses to obey them even after he has been punished. ¹⁹If a son is like that, his parents must drag him to the town gate, where the leaders of the town hold their meetings. ²⁰The parents will tell the leaders, " This son of ours is stubborn and never obeys. He spends all his time drinking and partying."     ²¹The men of the town will stone that son to death, because they must get rid of the evil he brought into the community. Everyone in Israel will be afraid when they hear how he was punished.
   

The Body of a Criminal

Moses said to Israel:

 ²²If a criminal is put to death, and you hang the dead body on a tree, ²³you must not let it hang there overnight. Bury it the same day, because the dead body of a criminal will bring God's curse on the land. The LORD your God is giving this land to you, so don't make it unclean by leaving the bodies of executed criminals on display.    

Deuteronomy 22

Helping Others

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹If you see a cow or sheep wandering around lost, take the animal back to its owner. ²If the owner lives too far away, or if you don't know who the owner is, take the animal home with you and take care of it. The owner will come looking for the animal, and then you can give it back. ³That's what you should do if you find anything that belongs to someone else. Do whatever you can to help, whether you find a cow or sheep or donkey or some clothing.     ⁴Oxen and donkeys that carry heavy loads can stumble and fall, and be unable to get up by themselves. So as you walk along the road, help anyone who is trying to get an ox or donkey back on its feet.
   

Don't Pretend To Be the Opposite Sex

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁵Women must not pretend to be men, and men must not pretend to be women. ^[b] The LORD your God is disgusted with people who do that.

Don't Take a Mother Bird

Moses said to Israel:

 ^6-7As you walk along the road, you might see a bird's nest in a tree or on the ground. If the mother bird is in the nest with either her eggs or her baby birds, you are allowed to take the baby birds or the eggs, but not the mother bird. Let her go free, and the LORD will bless you with a long and successful life.    

Put a Wall around Your Flat Roof

 ⁸If you build a house, make sure to put a low wall around the edge of the flat roof. ^[c] Then if someone falls off the roof and is killed, it won't be your fault.

Laws against Mixing Different Things

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁹If you plant a vineyard, don't plant any other fruit tree or crop in it. If you do plant something else there, you must bring to the place of worship everything you harvest from the vineyard.     ¹⁰Don't hitch an ox and a donkey to your plow at the same time.
    ¹¹When you weave cloth for clothing, you can use thread made of flax ^[d] or wool, but not both together. ¹²And when you make a coat, sew a tassel on each of the four corners.

When a Husband Accuses His Wife

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹³Suppose a man starts hating his wife soon after they are married. ¹⁴He might tell ugly lies about her, and say, " I married this woman, but when we slept together, I found out she wasn't a virgin."     ¹⁵If this happens, the bride's father and mother must go to the town gate to show the town leaders the proof that the woman was a virgin. ¹⁶Her father will say, " I let my daughter marry this man, but he started hating her ¹⁷and accusing her of not being a virgin. But he is wrong, because here is proof that she was a virgin!" Then the bride's parents will show them the bed sheet from the woman's wedding night.
    ¹⁸The town leaders will beat the man with a whip ¹⁹because he accused his bride of not being a virgin. He will have to pay her father one hundred pieces of silver and will never be allowed to divorce her.
    ²⁰But if the man was right and there is no proof that his bride was a virgin, ²¹the men of the town will take the woman to the door of her father's house and stone her to death.
   This woman brought evil into your community by sleeping with someone before she got married, and you must get rid of that evil by killing her.
   

Laws about Illegal Sex

Moses said:

 ²²People of Israel, if a man is caught having sex with someone else's wife, you must put them both to death. That way, you will get rid of the evil they have done in Israel.     ^23-24If a man is caught in town having sex with an engaged woman who isn't screaming for help, they both must be put to death. The man is guilty of having sex with a married woman. ^[e] And the woman is guilty because she didn't call for help, even though she was inside a town and people were nearby. Take them both to the town gate and stone them to death. You must get rid of the evil they brought into your community. ²⁵If an engaged woman is raped out in the country, only the man will be put to death. ²⁶Do not punish the woman at all; she has done nothing wrong, and certainly nothing deserving death. This crime is like murder, ²⁷because the woman was alone out in the country when the man attacked her. She screamed, but there was no one to help her.
    ²⁸Suppose a woman isn't engaged to be married, and a man talks her into sleeping with him. If they are caught, ²⁹they will be forced to get married. He must give her father fifty pieces of silver as a bride-price and ^[f] can never divorce her. ³⁰A man must not marry a woman who was married to his father. This would be a disgrace to his father.
   

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 21:3 young cow. . . work: Cows and oxen pulled plows and wagons.
2. Deuteronomy 22:5 pretend to be men. . . pretend to be women: Or " wear men's clothing. . . wear women's clothing."
3. Deuteronomy 22:8 flat roof: Houses usually had flat roofs. In hot dry weather, it was cooler on the roof than in the house, and so roofs were used for sleeping and living quarters, and for entertaining guests.
4. Deuteronomy 22:11 flax: The stalks of flax plants were harvested, soaked in water, and dried, then their fibers were separated and spun into thread, which was woven into linen cloth.
5. Deuteronomy 22:23 engaged woman. . . married woman: An engaged woman was legally married, but had not yet slept with her husband or started living with him.
6. Deuteronomy 22:29 talks her into sleeping with him. . . bride-price and: Or " forces her to have sex. 29 Then if they are caught, he will have to marry her. He must give her father fifty pieces of silver as a bride-price and."

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Luke 9:51-10:12 (Contemporary English Version)

A Samaritan Village Refuses To Receive Jesus

 ⁵¹Not long before it was time for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. ⁵²He sent some messengers on ahead to a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. ⁵³But he was on his way to Jerusalem, so the people there refused to welcome him. ⁵⁴When the disciples James and John saw what was happening, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy these people?" ^[a] ⁵⁵But Jesus turned and corrected them for what they had said. ^[b] ⁵⁶Then they all went on to another village.

Three People Who Wanted To Be Followers

(Matthew 8.19-22)

 ⁵⁷Along the way someone said to Jesus, "I'll go anywhere with you!"     ⁵⁸Jesus said, "Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have a place to call his own."
    ⁵⁹Jesus told someone else to come with him. But the man said, "Lord, let me wait until I bury my father." ^[c] ⁶⁰Jesus answered, "Let the dead take care of the dead, while you go and tell about God's kingdom."
    ⁶¹Then someone said to Jesus, "I want to go with you, Lord, but first let me go back and take care of things at home."
    ⁶²Jesus answered, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!"
   

Luke 10

The Work of the Seventy-Two Followers

 ¹Later the Lord chose seventy-two ^[d] other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. ²He said to them: A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. ³Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. ⁴Don't take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don't waste time greeting people on the road. ^[e] ⁵As soon as you enter a home, say, "God bless this home with peace." ⁶If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. ⁷Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house. ⁸If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. ⁹Heal their sick and say, "God's kingdom will soon be here!" ^[f] ¹⁰But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, ¹¹"We are shaking the dust from our feet ^[g] as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God's kingdom will soon be here!" ^[h] ¹²I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than the people of that town!

Footnotes:

1. Luke 9:54 to destroy these people: Some manuscripts add " as Elijah did."
2. Luke 9:55 what they had said: Some manuscripts add, " and said, `Don't you know what spirit you belong to? The Son of Man did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them.' "
3. Luke 9:59 bury my father: The Jewish people taught that giving someone a proper burial was even more important than helping the poor.
4. Luke 10:1 seventy-two: Some manuscripts have " seventy." According to Jewish tradition, there were seventy nations on earth. But the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament has " seventy-two" in place of " seventy." Jesus probably chose this number of followers to show that his message was for everyone in the world.
5. Luke 10:4 waste time greeting people on the road: In those days a polite greeting could take a long time.
6. Luke 10:9 will soon be here: Or " is already here."
7. Luke 10:11 shaking the dust from our feet: This was a way of showing rejection.
8. Luke 10:11 will soon be here: Or " is already here."

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Psalm 74:1-23 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 74

(A special psalm by Asaph.)

A Prayer for the Nation in Times of Trouble

 ¹Our God, why have you    completely rejected us?
   Why are you so angry
   with the ones you care for?
    ²Remember the people
   you rescued long ago,
   the tribe you chose
   to be your very own.
   Think of Mount Zion,
   your home;
    ³walk over to the temple
   left in ruins forever
   by those who hate us.
    ⁴Your enemies roared like lions
   in your holy temple,
   and they have placed
   their banners there.
    ⁵It looks like a forest
   chopped to pieces. ^[a] ⁶They used axes and hatchets
   to smash the carvings.
    ⁷They burned down your temple
   and badly disgraced it.
    ⁸They said to themselves,
   "We'll crush them!"
   Then they burned every one
   of your meeting places
   all over the country.
    ⁹There are no more miracles
   and no more prophets.
   Who knows how long
   it will be like this?
    ¹⁰Our God, how much longer
   will our enemies sneer?
   Won't they ever stop
   insulting you?
    ¹¹Why don't you punish them?
   Why are you holding back?
    ¹²Our God and King,
   you have ruled
   since ancient times;
   you have won victories
   everywhere on this earth.
    ¹³By your power you made a path
   through the sea,
   and you smashed the heads
   of sea monsters.
    ¹⁴You crushed the heads
   of the monster Leviathan, ^[b] then fed him to wild creatures
   in the desert.
    ¹⁵You opened the ground
   for streams and springs
   and dried up mighty rivers.
    ¹⁶You rule the day and the night,
   and you put the moon
   and the sun in place.
    ¹⁷You made summer and winter
   and gave them to the earth. ^[c] ¹⁸Remember your enemies, LORD!
   They foolishly sneer
   and won't respect you.
    ¹⁹You treat us like pet doves,
   but they mistreat us.
   Don't keep forgetting us
   and letting us be fed
   to those wild animals.
    ²⁰Remember the agreement
   you made with us.
   Violent enemies are hiding
   in every dark corner
   of the earth.
    ²¹Don't disappoint those in need
   or make them turn from you,
   but help the poor and homeless
   to shout your praises.
    ²²Do something, God!
   Defend yourself.
   Remember how those fools
   sneer at you all day long.
    ²³Don't forget the loud shouts
   of your enemies.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 74:5 pieces: One meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
2. Psalm 74:14 Leviathan: God's victory over this monster sometimes stands for his power over all creation and sometimes for his defeat of Egypt.
3. Psalm 74:17 gave. . . earth: Or " made boundaries for the earth."

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Proverbs 12:11 (Contemporary English Version)

¹¹Hard working farmers have more
   than enough food;
   daydreamers are nothing more
   than stupid fools.

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Verse of the Day

“[Jesus Again Tells about His Death][(Mark 10.32-34; Luke 18.31-34)]As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he took his twelve disciples aside and told them in private: We are now on our way to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses. They will sentence him to death, and then they will hand him over to foreigners who will make fun of him. They will beat him and nail him to a cross. But on the third day he will rise from death.” - Matthew 20: 17-19

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice, Giacomo Casanova wrote, “The man who forgets does not forgive, he only loses the remembrance of the harm inflicted on him; forgiveness is the offspring of a feeling of heroism, of a noble heart, of a generous mind, whilst forgetfulness is only the result of a weak memory, or of an easy carelessness, and still oftener of a natural desire for calm and quietness. Hatred, in the course of time, kills the unhappy wretch who delights in nursing it in his bosom.”

Bible Readings for April 1, 2017

Today our passages are Deuteronomy 18:1–20:20; Luke 9:28-50; Psalm 73:1-28; and Proverbs 12:10. The readings are from 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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Deuteronomy 18-20:20 (Contemporary English Version)

Deuteronomy 18

Special Privileges for Priests and Levites

(Numbers 18.8-32)

 ¹The people of the Levi tribe, including the priests, will not receive any land. Instead, they will receive part of the sacrifices that are offered to the LORD, ²because he has promised to provide for them in this way.     ³When you sacrifice a bull or sheep, the priests will be given the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach. ^[a] ⁴In addition, they will receive the first part of your grain harvest and part of your first batches of wine and olive oil. ^[b] You must also give them the first wool that is cut from your sheep each year. ⁵Give these gifts to the priests, because the LORD has chosen them and their descendants out of all the tribes of Israel to be his special servants at the place of worship. ⁶Any Levite can leave his hometown, and go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped, ⁷and then be a special servant of the LORD ^[c] there, just like all the other Levites. ⁸Some Levites may have money from selling family possessions, and others may not. But all Levites serving at the place of worship will receive the same amount of food from the sacrifices and gifts brought by the people.

Don't Do Disgusting Things

Moses said to Israel:

 ⁹Soon you will go into the land that the LORD your God is giving you. The nations that live there do things that are disgusting to the LORD, and you must not follow their example. ^10-11Don't sacrifice your son or daughter. And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes ^[d] or to cast spells or to talk with spirits of the dead. ¹²The LORD is disgusted with anyone who does these things, and that's why he will help you destroy the nations that are in the land. ¹³Never be guilty of doing any of these disgusting things!    

A Prophet like Moses

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁴You will go in and take the land from nations that practice magic and witchcraft. But the LORD your God won't allow you to do those things. ¹⁵Instead, he will choose one of your own people to be a prophet just like me, and you must do what that prophet says. ¹⁶You were asking for a prophet the day you were gathered at Mount Sinai ^[e] and said to the LORD, " Please don't let us hear your voice or see this terrible fire again--if we do, we will die!" ¹⁷Then the LORD told me:    Moses, they have said the right thing. ¹⁸So when I want to speak to them, I will choose one of them to be a prophet like you. I will give my message to that prophet, who will tell the people exactly what I have said. ¹⁹Since the message comes from me, anyone who doesn't obey the message will have to answer to me.
    ²⁰But if I haven't spoken, and a prophet claims to have a message from me, you must kill that prophet, and you must also kill any prophet who claims to have a message from another god.
   

Moses said to Israel:

 ²¹You may be asking yourselves, " How can we tell if a prophet's message really comes from the LORD?" ²²You will know, because if the LORD says something will happen, it will happen. And if it doesn't, you will know that the prophet was falsely claiming to speak for the LORD. Don't be afraid of any prophet whose message doesn't come from the LORD.    Moses said to Israel:
   

Deuteronomy 19

Safe Towns

(Numbers 35.9-28; Joshua 20.1-9)

 ¹Soon you will go into the land and attack the nations. The LORD your God will destroy them and give you their lands, towns, and homes. Then after you are settled, ^2-4you must choose three of your towns to be Safe Towns. Divide the land into three regions with one Safe Town near the middle of each, so that a Safe Town can be easily reached from anywhere in your land.    Then, if one of you accidentally kills someone, you can run to a Safe Town and find protection from being put to death. But you must not have been angry with the person you killed.
    ⁵For example, suppose you and a friend go into the forest to cut wood. You are chopping down a tree with an ax, when the ax head slips off the handle, hits your friend, and kills him. You can run to one of the Safe Towns and save your life. ⁶You don't deserve to die, since you did not mean to harm your friend. But he did get killed, and his relatives might be very angry. They might even choose one of the men from their family to track you down and kill you. If it is too far to one of the Safe Towns, the victim's relative might be able to catch you and kill you. ⁷That's why I said there must be three Safe Towns.
    ^8-9Israel, the LORD your God has promised that if you obey his laws and teachings I'm giving you, and if you always love him, then he will give you the land he promised your ancestors. When that happens, you must name three more Safe Towns in the new territory. ¹⁰You will need them, so innocent people won't be killed on your land while they are trying to reach a Safe Town that is too far away. You will be guilty of murder, if innocent people lose their lives because you didn't name enough Safe Towns in the land the LORD your God will give you.
    ¹¹But what if you really do commit murder? Suppose one of you hates a neighbor. So you wait in a deserted place, kill the neighbor, and run to a Safe Town. ¹²If that happens, the leaders of your town must send messengers to bring you back from the Safe Town. They will hand you over to one of the victim's relatives, who will put you to death.
    ¹³Israel, for the good of the whole country, you must kill anyone who murders an innocent person. Never show mercy to a murderer!
   

Property Lines

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁴In the land the LORD is giving you, there are already stones set up to mark the property lines between fields. So don't move those stones.    

Witnesses Must Tell the Truth

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹⁵Before you are convicted of a crime, at least two witnesses must be able to testify that you did it.     ¹⁶If you accuse someone of a crime, but seem to be lying, ^17-18then both you and the accused must be taken to the court at the place where the LORD is worshiped. There the priests and judges will find out if you are lying or telling the truth.
   If you are lying and the accused is innocent, ^19-21then you will be punished without mercy. You will receive the same punishment the accused would have received if found guilty, whether it means losing an eye, a tooth, a hand, a foot, or even your life.
   Israel, the crime of telling lies in court must be punished. And when people hear what happens to witnesses that lie, everyone else who testifies in court will tell the truth.
   

Deuteronomy 20

Laws for Going to War

Moses said to Israel:

 ¹If you have to go to war, you may find yourselves facing an enemy army that is bigger than yours and that has horses and chariots. But don't be afraid! The LORD your God rescued you from Egypt, and he will help you fight. ²Before you march into battle, a priest will go to the front of the army ³and say, " Soldiers of Israel, listen to me! Today when you go into battle, don't be afraid of the enemy, and when you see them, don't panic. ⁴The LORD your God will fight alongside you and help you win the battle."     ⁵Then the tribal officials will say to the troops:
   If any of you have built a new house, but haven't yet moved in, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to live in your new house.
    ⁶If any of you have planted a vineyard but haven't had your first grape harvest, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to enjoy your grapes.
    ⁷If any of you are engaged to be married, you may go back home and get married. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to marry the woman you are engaged to.
    ⁸Finally, if any of you are afraid, you may go home. We don't want you to discourage the other soldiers.
    ⁹When the officials are finished giving these orders, they will appoint officers to be in command of the army.
    ^10-15Before you attack a town that is far from your land, offer peace to the people who live there. If they surrender and open their town gates, they will become your slaves. But if they reject your offer of peace and try to fight, surround their town and attack. Then, after the LORD helps you capture it, kill all the men. Take the women and children as slaves and keep the livestock and everything else of value.
    ¹⁶Whenever you capture towns in the land the LORD your God is giving you, be sure to kill all the people and animals. ¹⁷He has commanded you to completely wipe out the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ¹⁸If you allow them to live, they will persuade you to worship their disgusting gods, and you will be unfaithful to the LORD.
    ¹⁹When you are attacking a town, don't chop down its fruit trees, not even if you have had the town surrounded for a long time. Fruit trees aren't your enemies, and they produce food that you can eat, so don't cut them down. ²⁰You may need wood to make ladders and towers to help you get over the walls and capture the town. But use only trees that you know are not fruit trees.
   

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 18:3 stomach: Certain portions of the stomach were considered a delicacy.
2. Deuteronomy 18:4 grain. . . olive oil: An Israelite was supposed to offer the first part of the harvest as a gift to the LORD (see Leviticus 23.10,11).
3. Deuteronomy 18:7 a special servant of the LORD: Or " one of the LORD's priests."
4. Deuteronomy 18:10 tell fortunes: Fortunetellers thought they could learn secrets or learn about the future by watching the flight of birds or looking at the livers of animals or in many other ways.
5. Deuteronomy 18:16 Mount Sinai: See the note at 1.1-5.

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Luke 9:28-50 (Contemporary English Version)

The True Glory of Jesus

(Matthew 17.1-8; Mark 9.2-8)

 ²⁸About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray. ²⁹While he was praying, his face changed, and his clothes became shining white. ³⁰Suddenly Moses and Elijah were there speaking with him. ³¹They appeared in heavenly glory and talked about all that Jesus' death ^[a] in Jerusalem would mean. ³²Peter and the other two disciples had been sound asleep. All at once they woke up and saw how glorious Jesus was. They also saw the two men who were with him.     ³³Moses and Elijah were about to leave, when Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But Peter did not know what he was talking about.
    ³⁴While Peter was still speaking, a shadow from a cloud passed over them, and they were frightened as the cloud covered them. ³⁵From the cloud a voice spoke, "This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!"
    ³⁶After the voice had spoken, Peter, John, and James saw only Jesus. For some time they kept quiet and did not say anything about what they had seen.
   

Jesus Heals a Boy

(Matthew 17.14-18; Mark 9.14-27)

 ³⁷The next day Jesus and his three disciples came down from the mountain and were met by a large crowd. ³⁸Just then someone in the crowd shouted, "Teacher, please do something for my son! He is my only child! ³⁹A demon often attacks him and makes him scream. It shakes him until he foams at the mouth, and it won't leave him until it has completely worn the boy out. ⁴⁰I begged your disciples to force out the demon, but they couldn't do it."     ⁴¹Jesus said to them, "You people are stubborn and don't have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you?"
   Then Jesus said to the man, "Bring your son to me." ⁴²While the boy was being brought, the demon attacked him and made him shake all over. Jesus ordered the demon to stop. Then he healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³Everyone was amazed at God's great power.
   While everyone was still amazed at what Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples,

Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

(Matthew 17.22,23; Mark 9.30-32)

 ⁴⁴"Pay close attention to what I am telling you! The Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies." ⁴⁵But the disciples did not know what he meant. The meaning was hidden from them. They could not understand it, and they were afraid to ask.    

Who Is the Greatest?

(Matthew 18.1-5; Mark 9.33-37)

 ⁴⁶Jesus' disciples were arguing about which one of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he had a child stand there beside him. ⁴⁸Then he said to his disciples, "When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me. Whichever one of you is the most humble is the greatest."    

For or against Jesus

(Mark 9.38-40)

 ⁴⁹John said, "Master, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But we told him to stop, because he isn't one of us."     ⁵⁰"Don't stop him!" Jesus said. "Anyone who isn't against you is for you."
   

Footnotes:

1. Luke 9:31 Jesus' death: In Greek this is " his departure," which probably includes his rising to life and his return to heaven.

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Psalm 73:1-28 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 73

BOOK III

(Psalms 73-89)

(A psalm by Asaph.)

God Is Good

 ¹God is truly good to Israel, ^[a] especially to everyone    with a pure heart.
    ²But I almost stumbled and fell,
    ³because it made me jealous
   to see proud and evil people
   and to watch them prosper.
    ⁴They never have to suffer, ^[b] they stay healthy,
    ⁵and they don't have troubles
   like everyone else.
    ⁶Their pride is like a necklace,
   and they commit sin
   more often
   than they dress themselves.
    ⁷Their eyes poke out with fat,
   and their minds are flooded
   with foolish thoughts.
    ⁸They sneer and say cruel things,
   and because of their pride,
   they make violent threats.
    ⁹They dare to speak against God
   and to order others around.
    ¹⁰God will bring his people back,
   and they will drink the water
   he so freely gives. ^[c] ¹¹Only evil people would say,
   "God Most High cannot
   know everything!"
    ¹²Yet all goes well for them,
   and they live in peace.
    ¹³What good did it do me
   to keep my thoughts pure
   and refuse to do wrong?
    ¹⁴I am sick all day,
   and I am punished
   each morning.
    ¹⁵If I had said evil things,
   I would not have been loyal
   to your people.
    ¹⁶It was hard for me
   to understand all this!
    ¹⁷Then I went to your temple,
   and there I understood
   what will happen
   to my enemies.
    ¹⁸You will make them stumble,
   never to get up again.
    ¹⁹They will be terrified,
   suddenly swept away
   and no longer there.
    ²⁰They will disappear, Lord,
   despised like a bad dream
   the morning after.
    ²¹Once I was bitter
   and brokenhearted.
    ²²I was stupid and ignorant,
   and I treated you
   as a wild animal would.
    ²³But I never really left you,
   and you hold my right hand.
    ²⁴Your advice has been my guide,
   and later you will welcome me
   in glory. ^[d] ²⁵In heaven I have only you,
   and on this earth
   you are all I want.
    ²⁶My body and mind may fail,
   but you are my strength
   and my choice forever.
    ²⁷Powerful LORD God,
   all who stay far from you
   will be lost,
   and you will destroy those
   who are unfaithful.
    ²⁸It is good for me
   to be near you.
   I choose you as my protector,
   and I will tell about
   your wonderful deeds.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 73:1 to Israel: Or " to those who do right."
2. Psalm 73:4 They. . . suffer: Or " They die a painless death."
3. Psalm 73:10 gives: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
4. Psalm 73:24 in glory: Or " with honor."

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Proverbs 12:10 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁰Good people are kind

   to their animals,

   but a mean person is cruel.

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Verse of the Day

“[(A psalm by David for the music leader.)][No One Can Ignore the LORD]Only a fool would say, "There is no God!" People like that are worthless; they are heartless and cruel and never do right.” - Psalm 14:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, Charles Lamb wrote, “Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see the world hath more fools in it than ever.”