Bible Readings for March 6, 2019

Today our passages are Numbers 6:1–7:89; Mark 12:38–13:13; Psalm 49:1-20; and Proverbs 10:27-28. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below. 

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Numbers 6-7:89 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 6

Rules for Nazirites

 ¹The LORD told Moses ²to say to the people of Israel:

   If any of you want to dedicate yourself to me by vowing to become a Nazirite, ³you must no longer drink any wine or beer or use any kind of vinegar. Don't drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins-- ⁴not even the seeds or skins.

    ⁵Even the hair of a Nazirite is sacred to me, and as long as you are a Nazirite, you must never cut your hair.

    ⁶During the time that you are a Nazirite, you must never go close to a dead body, ^7-8not even that of your father, mother, brother, or sister. That would make you unclean. Your hair is the sign that you are dedicated to me, so remain holy.

    ⁹If someone suddenly dies near you, your hair is no longer sacred, and you must shave it seven days later during the ceremony to make you clean. ¹⁰Then on the next day, bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the sacred tent. ¹¹He will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please me. ^] You will then be forgiven for being too near a dead body, and your hair will again become sacred. ¹²But the dead body made you unacceptable, so you must make another vow to become a Nazirite and be dedicated once more. Finally, a year-old ram must be offered as the sacrifice to make things right. ¹³When you have completed your promised time of being a Nazirite, go to the sacred tent ¹⁴and offer three animals that have nothing wrong with them: a year-old ram as a sacrifice to please me, a year-old female lamb as a sacrifice for sin, and a full-grown ram as a sacrifice to ask my blessing. ^] 15Wine offerings and grain sacrifices must also be brought with these animals. Finally, you are to bring a basket of bread made with your finest flour and olive oil, but without yeast. Also bring some thin wafers brushed with oil. ¹⁶The priest will take these gifts to my altar and offer them, so that I will be pleased and will forgive you. ¹⁷Then he will sacrifice the ram and offer the wine, grain, and bread.

    ¹⁸After that, you will stand at the entrance to the sacred tent, shave your head, and put the hair in the fire where the priest has offered the sacrifice to ask my blessing.

    ¹⁹Once the meat from the ram's shoulder has been boiled, the priest will take it, along with one loaf of bread and one wafer brushed with oil, and give them to you. ²⁰You will hand them back to the priest, who will lift them up ^] in dedication to me. Then he can eat the meat from the ram's shoulder, its choice ribs, and its hind leg, because this is his share of the sacrifice. After this, you will no longer be a Nazirite and will be free to drink wine. ²¹These are the requirements for Nazirites. However, if you can afford to offer more, you must do so.   

The Blessing for the People

 ²²The LORD told Moses, ²³" When Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel, they must say:

    ²⁴I pray that the LORD

   will bless and protect you,

    ²⁵and that he will show you mercy

   and kindness.

    ²⁶May the LORD be good to you

   and give you peace."

    ²⁷Then the LORD said, " If Aaron and his sons ask me to bless the Israelites, I will give them my blessing."

   

Numbers 7

The Leaders Bring Gifts to the Sacred Tent

 ¹When Moses had finished setting up the sacred tent, he dedicated it to the LORD, together with its furnishings, the altar, and its equipment. ²Then the twelve tribal leaders of Israel, the same men who had been in charge of counting the people, ^] came to the tent ³with gifts for the LORD. They brought six strong carts and twelve oxen--one ox from each leader and a cart from every two. ⁴The LORD said to Moses, ⁵" Accept these gifts, so the Levites can use them here at the sacred tent for carrying the sacred things."

    ⁶Then Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites, ^7-8who were under the leadership of Ithamar son of Aaron. Moses gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work, and four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. ⁹But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were in charge of the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.

    ¹⁰On the day the altar was dedicated, the twelve leaders brought offerings for its dedication. ¹¹The LORD said to Moses, " Each day one leader is to give his offering for the dedication."

    ^12-83So each leader brought the following gifts:

   a silver bowl that weighed over three pounds and a silver sprinkling bowl weighing almost two pounds, both of them filled with flour and olive oil as grain sacrifices and weighed according to the official standards;

   a small gold dish filled with incense;

   a young bull, a full-grown ram, and a year-old ram as sacrifices to please the LORD; ^] a goat ^] as a sacrifice for sin; and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five goats, and five rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing. ^] The tribal leaders brought their gifts and offerings in the following order:

   On the first day

   Nahshon from Judah,

   on the second day

   Nethanel from Issachar,

   on the third day

   Eliab from Zebulun,

   on the fourth day

   Elizur from Reuben,

   on the fifth day

   Shelumiel from Simeon,

   on the sixth day

   Eliasaph from Gad,

   on the seventh day

   Elishama from Ephraim,

   on the eighth day

   Gamaliel from Manasseh,

   on the ninth day

   Abidan from Benjamin,

   on the tenth day

   Ahiezer from Dan,

   on the eleventh day

   Pagiel from Asher,

   on the twelfth day

   Ahira from Naphtali.

    ^84-88And so when the altar was dedicated to the LORD, these twelve leaders brought the following gifts:

   twelve silver bowls and twelve silver sprinkling bowls, weighing a total of about sixty pounds, according to the official standards;

   twelve gold dishes filled with incense and weighing about three pounds;

   twelve bulls, twelve full-grown rams, and twelve rams a year old as sacrifices to please the LORD, along with the proper grain sacrifices;

   twelve goats as sacrifices for sin;

   and twenty-four bulls, sixty full-grown rams, sixty goats, and sixty rams a year old as sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing.

    ⁸⁹Whenever Moses needed to talk with the LORD, he went into the sacred tent, where he heard the LORD's voice coming from between the two winged creatures above the lid of the sacred chest.

   

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 6:11 sacrifice to please me: This sacrifice has traditionally been called a " whole burnt offering," because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such a sacrifice was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV it is often called " a sacrifice to please the LORD."
2. Numbers 6:14 sacrifice to ask my blessing: This sacrifice has traditionally been called a " peace offering" or an " offering of well-being." A main purpose of such a sacrifice was to ask the LORD's blessing, and so in the CEV it is often called a " sacrifice to ask the LORD's blessing."
3. Numbers 6:20 lift them up: See the note at 5.25.
4. Numbers 7:2 the same men. . . the people: See 1.1-19.
5. Numbers 7:12 sacrifices to please the LORD: See the note at 6.11.
6. Numbers 7:12 goat: Hebrew " male goat."
7. Numbers 7:12 sacrifices to ask the LORD's blessing: See the note at 6.14.

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Mark 12:38-13:13 (Contemporary English Version)

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

(Matthew 23.1-36; Luke 20.45-47)

 ³⁸As Jesus was teaching, he said:

   Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes and be greeted in the market. ³⁹They like the front seats in the meeting places and the best seats at banquets. ⁴⁰But they cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all.   

A Widow's Offering

(Luke 21.1-4)

 ⁴¹Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. ⁴²Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies. ⁴³Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said:

   I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴⁴Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn't have a cent to live on.

   

Mark 13

The Temple Will Be Destroyed

(Matthew 24.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)

 ¹As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these beautiful stones and wonderful buildings!"

    ²Jesus replied, "Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place."   

Warning about Trouble

(Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19)

 ³Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. ⁴They asked, "When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

    ⁵Jesus answered:

   Watch out and don't let anyone fool you! ⁶Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and fool many people.

    ⁷When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. ⁸Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles.

    ⁹Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their meeting places. And because of me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith. ¹⁰But before the end comes, the good news must be preached to all nations.

    ¹¹When you are arrested, don't worry about what you will say. You will be given the right words when the time comes. But you will not really be the ones speaking. Your words will come from the Holy Spirit.

    ¹²Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. ¹³Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.

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Psalm 49:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 49

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

Don't Depend on Wealth

 ¹Everyone on this earth,

   now listen to what I say!

    ²Listen, no matter who you are,

   rich or poor.

    ³I speak words of wisdom,

   and my thoughts make sense.

    ⁴I have in mind a mystery

   that I will explain

   while playing my harp.

    ⁵Why should I be afraid

   in times of trouble,

   when I am surrounded

   by vicious enemies?

    ⁶They trust in their riches

   and brag about

   all of their wealth.

    ⁷You cannot buy back your life

   or pay off God!

    ⁸It costs far too much

   to buy back your life.

   You can never pay God enough

    ⁹to stay alive forever

   and safe from death.

    ¹⁰We see that wise people die,

   and so do stupid fools.

   Then their money is left

   for someone else.

    ¹¹The grave ^] will be their home forever and ever,

   although they once had land

   of their own.

    ¹²Our human glory disappears,

   and, like animals, we die.

    ¹³Here is what happens to fools

   and to those who trust

   the words of fools:

    ¹⁴They are like sheep

   with death as their shepherd,

   leading them to the grave. ^] In the morning God's people

   will walk all over them,

   as their bodies lie rotting

   in their home, the grave.

    ¹⁵But God will rescue me

   from the power of death.

    ¹⁶Don't let it bother you

   when others get rich

   and live in luxury.

    ¹⁷Soon they will die

   and all of their wealth

   will be left behind.

    ¹⁸We humans are praised

   when we do well,

   and all of us are glad

   to be alive.

    ¹⁹But we each will go down

   to our ancestors,

   never again to see

   the light of day.

    ²⁰Our human glory disappears,

   and, like animals, we die.

   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 49:11 The grave: Some ancient translations; Hebrew " Their inward thoughts."
2. Psalm 49:14 as their. . . grave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 10:27-28 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁷If you respect the LORD,

   you will live longer;

   if you keep doing wrong,

   your life will be cut short.

    ²⁸If you obey the Lord,

   you will be happy,

   but there is no future

   for the wicked.

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Verse of the Day

“[A Prayer of Thanks to God]You, LORD, are my God! I will praise you for doing the wonderful things you had planned and promised since ancient times.” -Isaiah 25:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American sports columnist and short-story writer best known for his satirical writings on sports, marriage, and the theatre, Ring Lardner wrote, “A good many young writers make the mistake of enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, big enough for the manuscript to come back in. This is too much of a temptation to the editor.” 

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A Joke for the Day

A group of psychiatrists were attending a convention. Four of them decided to leave, and walked out together. One said to the other three, "People are always coming to us with their guilt and fears, but we have no one that we can go to when we have problems." The others agreed.

Then one said, "Since we are all professionals, why don't we take some time right now to hear each other out?"

The other three agreed.

The first then confessed, "I have an uncontrollable desire to kill my patients."

The second psychiatrist said, "I love expensive things and so I find ways to cheat my patients out of their money whenever I can so I can buy the things I want."

The third followed with, "I'm involved with selling drugs and often get my patients to sell them for me."

The fourth psychiatrist then confessed, "I know I'm not supposed to, but no matter how hard I try, I can't keep a secret..."

A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on Joshua 1:9 - I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

Bible Readings for March 5, 2019

Today our passages are Numbers 4:1–5:31; Mark 12:18-37; Psalm 48:1-14; and Proverbs 10:26. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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Numbers 4-5:31 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 4

The Duties of the Kohathite Clans

 ¹The LORD told Moses and Aaron:

    ^2-3Find out how many men between the ages of thirty and fifty are in the four Levite clans of Kohath. Count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.

    ⁴The Kohathites will be responsible for carrying the sacred objects used in worship at the sacred tent. ⁵When the Israelites are ready to move their camp, Aaron and his sons will enter the tent and take down the curtain that separates the sacred chest from the rest of the tent. They will cover the chest with this curtain, ⁶and then with a piece of fine leather, and cover it all with a solid blue cloth. After this they will put the carrying poles in place.

    ⁷Next, Aaron and his sons will use another blue cloth to cover the table for the sacred bread. ^a] On the cloth they will place the dishes, the bowls for incense, the cups, the jugs for wine, as well as the bread itself. ⁸They are to cover all of this with a bright red cloth, and then with a piece of fine leather, before putting the carrying poles in place. ⁹With another blue cloth they will cover the lampstand, along with the lamps, the lamp snuffers, the fire pans, and the jars of oil for the lamps. ¹⁰All of this will then be covered with a piece of fine leather and placed on a carrying frame.

    ¹¹The gold incense altar ^b] is to be covered with a blue cloth, and then with a piece of fine leather, before its carrying poles are put in place. ¹²Next, Aaron and his sons will take blue cloth and wrap all the objects used in worship at the sacred tent. These will need to be covered with a piece of fine leather, then placed on a carrying frame.

    ¹³They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and cover it with a purple cloth. ¹⁴On that cloth will be placed the utensils used at the altar, including the fire pans, the meat forks, the shovels, and the sprinkling bowls. All of this will then be covered with a piece of fine leather, before the carrying poles are put in place.

    ¹⁵When the camp is ready to be moved, the Kohathites will be responsible for carrying the sacred objects and the furnishings of the sacred tent. But Aaron and his sons must have already covered those things so the Kohathites won't touch them and die.

    ¹⁶Eleazar son of Aaron the priest will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the grain for the sacrifices, and the olive oil used for dedications and ordinations. Eleazar is responsible for seeing that the sacred tent, its furnishings, and the sacred objects are taken care of.

    ^17-20The Kohathites must not go near or even look at the sacred objects until Aaron and his sons have covered those objects. If they do, their entire clan will be wiped out. So make sure that Aaron and his sons go into the tent with them and tell them what to carry.   

The Duties of the Gershonite Clans

 ²¹The LORD said to Moses:

    ^22-23Find out how many men between the ages of thirty and fifty are in the two Levite clans of Gershon. Count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.

    ²⁴The Gershonites will be responsible ²⁵for carrying the curtains of the sacred tent, its two outer coverings, ^c] the curtain for the entrance to the tent,²⁶the curtains hanging around the courtyard of the tent, and the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard. The Gershonites are to do whatever needs to be done to take care of these things, ²⁷and they will carry them wherever Aaron and his sons tell them to. ²⁸These are the duties of the Gershonites at the sacred tent, and Ithamar son of Aaron will make sure they do their work.

The Duties of the Merarite Clans

 ^29-30The LORD said:

   Moses, find out how many men between thirty and fifty are in the two Levite clans of Merari, but count only those who are able to work at the sacred tent.

    ³¹The Merarites will be responsible for carrying the frames of the tent and its other pieces, including the bars, the posts, the stands, ³²as well as the posts that support the courtyard, together with their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merarites are to be told exactly what objects they are to carry,³³and Ithamar son of Aaron will make sure they do their work.   

The Levites Are Counted Again

 ^34-49Moses, Aaron, and the other Israelite leaders obeyed the LORD and counted the Levi tribe by families and clans, to find out how many men there were between the ages of thirty and fifty who could work at the sacred tent. There were two thousand seven hundred fifty Kohathites, two thousand six hundred thirty Gershonites, and three thousand two hundred Merarites, making a total of eight thousand five hundred eighty. Then they were all assigned their duties.

   

Numbers 5

People Are Sent Outside the Camp

 ¹The LORD told Moses ^2-3to say to the people of Israel, " Put out of the camp everyone who has leprosy ^d] or a bodily discharge or who has touched a dead body. Now that I live among my people, their camp must be kept clean." ⁴The Israelites obeyed the LORD's instructions.   

The Penalty for Committing a Crime

(Leviticus 6.1-7)

 ⁵The LORD told Moses ⁶to say to the community of Israel:

   If any of you commit a crime against someone, you have sinned against me. ⁷You must confess your guilt and pay the victim in full for whatever damage has been done, plus a fine of twenty percent. ⁸If the victim has no relative who can accept this money, it belongs to me and will be paid to the priest. In addition to that payment, you must take a ram for the priest to sacrifice so your sin will be forgiven.

    ^9-10When you make a donation to the sacred tent, that money belongs only to the priest, and each priest will keep what is given to him.   

A Suspicious Husband

 ¹¹The LORD told Moses ^12-14to say to the people of Israel:

   Suppose a man becomes jealous and suspects that his wife has been unfaithful, but he has no proof. ¹⁵He must take his wife to the priest, together with two pounds of ground barley as an offering to find out if she is guilty. No olive oil or incense is to be put on that offering.

    ¹⁶The priest is to have the woman stand at my altar, ¹⁷where he will pour sacred water into a clay jar and stir in some dust from the floor of the sacred tent. ^18-22Next, he will remove her veil, then hand her the barley offering, and say, " If you have been faithful to your husband, this water won't harm you. But if you have been unfaithful, it will bring down the LORD's curse--you will never be able to give birth to a child, and everyone will curse your name."

   Then the woman will answer, " If I am guilty, let it happen just as you say."

    ²³The priest will write these curses on special paper and wash them off into the bitter water, ²⁴so that when the woman drinks this water, the curses will enter her body. ²⁵He will take the barley offering from her and lift it up ^e] in dedication to me, the LORD. Then he will place it on my altar ²⁶and burn part of it as a sacrifice. After that, the woman must drink the bitter water. ²⁷If the woman has been unfaithful, the water will immediately make her unable to have children, and she will be a curse among her people. ²⁸But if she is innocent, her body will not be harmed, and she will still be able to have children.

    ^29-30This is the ceremony that must take place at my altar when a husband suspects that his wife has been unfaithful. The priest must have the woman stand in my presence and carefully follow these instructions. ³¹If the husband is wrong, he will not be punished; but if his wife is guilty, she will be punished.

   

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 4:7 sacred bread: This bread was offered to the LORD and was a symbol of his presence in the sacred tent. It was put out on a special table and was replaced with fresh bread each Sabbath (Leviticus 24.5-9).
2. Numbers 4:11 gold incense altar: This altar for offering incense was inside the sacred tent; it was made of acacia wood covered with gold. A large altar for offering sacrifices was in front of the entrance to the tent; it was made of acacia wood covered with bronze (see verse 13).
3. Numbers 4:25 two outer coverings: See Exodus 26.14.
4. Numbers 5:2 leprosy: The word translated " leprosy" was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
5. Numbers 5:25 lift it up: Or " wave it."

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Mark 12:18-37 (Contemporary English Version)

Life in the Future World

(Matthew 22.23-33; Luke 20.27-40)

 ¹⁸The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus and said:

    ¹⁹Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother. ²⁰There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. ²¹The second brother married his brother's widow, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother, ²²and finally to all seven brothers. At last the woman died. ²³When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? After all, she had been married to all seven brothers.

    ²⁴Jesus answered:

   You are completely wrong! You don't know what the Scriptures teach. And you don't know anything about the power of God. ²⁵When God raises people to life, they won't marry. They will be like the angels in heaven. ²⁶You surely know about people being raised to life. You know that in the story about Moses and the burning bush, God said, "I am the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." ^a] 27He isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. You Sadducees are all wrong.   

The Most Important Commandment

(Matthew 22.34-40; Luke 10.25-28)

 ²⁸One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, "What is the most important commandment?"

    ²⁹Jesus answered, "The most important one says: `People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. <sup>30</sup>You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.' <sup>31</sup>The second most important commandment says: `Love others as much as you love yourself.' No other commandment is more important than these."

    ³²The man replied, "Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. ³³It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could possibly make."

    ³⁴When Jesus saw that the man had given a sensible answer, he told him, "You are not far from God's kingdom." After this, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions.   

About David's Son

(Matthew 22.41-46; Luke 20.41-44)

 ³⁵As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, "How can the teachers of the Law of Moses say that the Messiah will come from the family of King David? ³⁶The Holy Spirit led David to say,

   `The Lord said to my Lord:

   Sit at my right side ^b]

   until I make your enemies

   into a footstool for you.'

    ³⁷If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can the Messiah be his son?" ^c]

   The large crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus teach.

   

Footnotes:

1. Mark 12:26 "I am the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob": Jesus argues that if God is worshiped by these three, they must still be alive, because he is the God of the living.
2. Mark 12:36 right side: The place of power and honor.
3. Mark 12:37 David. . . his son: See the note at 10.47.

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Psalm 48:1-14 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 48

(A song and a psalm for the people of Korah.)

The City of God

 ¹The LORD God is wonderful!

   He deserves all praise

   in the city where he lives.

   His holy mountain,

    ²beautiful and majestic,

   brings joy to all on earth.

   Mount Zion, truly sacred,

   is home for the Great King.

    ³God is there to defend it

   and has proved to be

   its protector.

    ⁴Kings joined forces

   to attack the city,

    ⁵but when they saw it,

   they were terrified

   and ran away.

    ⁶They trembled all over

   like women giving birth

    ⁷or like seagoing ships ^a] wrecked by eastern winds.

    ⁸We had heard about it,

   and now we have seen it

   in the city of our God,

   the LORD All-Powerful.

   This is the city that God

   will let stand forever.

    ⁹Our God, here in your temple

   we think about your love.

    ¹⁰You are famous and praised

   everywhere on earth,

   as you win victories

   with your powerful arm.

    ¹¹Mount Zion will celebrate,

   and all Judah will be glad,

   because you bring justice.

    ¹²Let's walk around Zion

   and count its towers.

    ¹³We will see its strong walls

   and visit each fortress.

   Then you can say

   to future generations,

    ¹⁴"Our God is like this forever

   and will always ^b] guide us."

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 48:7 seagoing ships: The Hebrew text has " ships of Tarshish," which probably means large, seagoing ships.
2. Psalm 48:14 always: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 10:26 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁶Having a lazy person on the job

   is like a mouth full of vinegar

   or smoke in your eyes.

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Verse of the Day

“Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.” - Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

British economist who was a noted progressive and social reformer, William Beveridge wrote,  “Ignorance is an evil weed, which dictators may cultivate among their dupes, but which no democracy can afford among its citizens.”

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 A Joke for Today

Oxymorons

1. Act naturally

2. Found missing

3. Resident alien

4. Advanced BASIC

5. Genuine imitation

6. Airline Food

7. Good grief

8. Same difference

9. Almost exactly

10. Terribly pleased

11. Sanitary landfill

12. Alone together

13. Legally drunk

14. Silent scream

15. Living dead

16. Government organization

Bible Readings for March 4, 2019

Today our passages are Numbers 2:1–3:51; Mark 11:26–12:17; Psalm 47:1-9; and Proverbs 10:24-25. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

 

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Numbers 2-3:51 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 2

Instructions for Setting Up Israel's Camp

¹The LORD told Moses and Aaron ²how the Israelites should arrange their camp: Each tribe must set up camp under its own banner and under the flags of its ancestral families. These camps will be arranged around the sacred tent, but not close to it.
^3-4Judah and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the east side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 74,600 troops of the tribe of Judah will be arranged by divisions and led by Nahshon son of Amminadab. ^5-6On one side of Judah will be the tribe of Issachar, with Nethanel son of Zuar as the leader of its 54,400 troops. ^7-8On the other side will be the tribe of Zebulun, with Eliab son of Helon as the leader of its 57,400 troops. ⁹These 186,400 troops will march into battle first.
^10-11Reuben and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the south side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 46,500 troops of the tribe of Reuben will be arranged by divisions and led by Elizur son of Shedeur. ^12-13On one side of Reuben will be the tribe of Simeon, with Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai as the leader of its 59,300 troops. ^14-15On the other side will be the tribe of Gad, with Eliasaph son of Deuel as the leader of its 45,650 troops. ¹⁶These 151,450 troops will march into battle second.
¹⁷Marching behind Reuben will be the Levites, arranged in groups, just as they are camped. They will carry the sacred tent and their own banners.
^18-19Ephraim and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the west side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 40,500 troops of the tribe of Ephraim will be arranged by divisions and led by Elishama son of Ammihud. ^20-21On one side of Ephraim will be the tribe of Manasseh, with Gamaliel son of Pedahzur as the leader of its 32,200 troops. ^22-23On the other side will be the tribe of Benjamin, with Abidan son of Gideoni as the leader of its 35,400 troops. ²⁴These 108,100 troops will march into battle third.
^25-26Dan and the tribes that march with it must set up camp on the north side of the sacred tent, under their own banner. The 62,700 troops of the tribe of Dan will be arranged by divisions and led by Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ^27-28On one side of Dan will be the tribe of Asher, with Pagiel son of Ochran as the leader of its 41,500 troops. ^29-30On the other side will be the tribe of Naphtali with Ahira son of Enan as the leader of its 53,400 troops. ³¹These 157,600 troops will march into battle last.
³²So all the Israelites in the camp were counted according to their ancestral families. The troops were arranged by divisions and totaled 603,550. ³³The only Israelites not included were the Levites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
³⁴Israel did everything the LORD had told Moses. They arranged their camp according to clans and families, with each tribe under its own banner. And that was the order by which they marched into battle. 

Numbers 3

The Sons of Aaron

¹When the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai, ²Aaron's four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, ³were the ones to be ordained as priests. ⁴But the LORD killed Nadab and Abihu in the Sinai Desert when they used fire that was unacceptable ^[a] in their offering to the LORD. ^[b] And because Nadab and Abihu had no sons, only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests with their father Aaron.

The Duties of the Levites

⁵The LORD said to Moses: ⁶Assign the Levi tribe to Aaron the priest. They will be his assistants ⁷and will work at the sacred tent for him and for all the Israelites. ⁸The Levites will serve the community by being responsible for the furnishings of the tent. ⁹They are assigned to help Aaron and his sons, ¹⁰who have been appointed to be priests. Anyone else who tries to perform the duties of a priest must be put to death.
^11-13Moses, I have chosen these Levites from all Israel, and they will belong to me in a special way. When I killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians, I decided that the first-born sons in every Israelite family and the first-born males of their flocks and herds would be mine. ^[c] But now I accept these Levites in place of the first-born sons of the Israelites. 

The Levites Are Counted

¹⁴In the Sinai Desert the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁵" Now I want you to count the men and boys in the Levi tribe by families and by clans. Include every one at least a month old." ¹⁶So Moses obeyed and counted them. ¹⁷Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, had become the heads of their own clans. ¹⁸Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei. ¹⁹Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁰And Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. These were the sons and grandsons of Levi, and they had become the leaders of the Levite clans.
²¹The two Gershon clans were the Libnites and Shimeites, ²²and they had seven thousand five hundred men and boys at least one month old. ²³The Gershonites were to camp on the west side of the sacred tent, ²⁴under the leadership of Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵Their duties at the tent included taking care of the tent itself, along with its outer covering, the curtain for the entrance, ²⁶the curtains hanging inside the courtyard around the tent, as well as the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard and its altar. The Gershonites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.
²⁷The four Kohath clans were the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and the Uzzielites, ²⁸and they had eight thousand six hundred ^[d] men and boys at least one month old. ²⁹The Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the sacred tent, ³⁰under the leadership of Elizaphan son of Uzziel. ³¹Their duties at the tent included taking care of the sacred chest, the table for the sacred bread, the lampstand, the altars, the objects used for worship, and the curtain in front of the most holy place. The Kohathites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down. ³²Eleazar son of Aaron was the head of the Levite leaders, and he made sure that the work at the sacred tent was done.
³³The two Merari clans were the Mahlites and the Mushites, ³⁴and they had six thousand two hundred men and boys at least one month old. ³⁵The Merarites were to camp on the north side of the sacred tent, under the leadership of Zuriel son of Abihail. ^36-37Their duties included taking care of the tent frames and the pieces that held the tent up: the bars, the posts, the stands, and its other equipment. They were also in charge of the posts that supported the courtyard, as well as their stands, tent pegs, and ropes. The Merari clans were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down.
³⁸Moses, Aaron, and his sons were to camp in front of the sacred tent, on the east side, and to make sure that the Israelites worshiped in the proper way. Anyone else who tried to do the work of Moses and Aaron was to be put to death.
³⁹So Moses and Aaron obeyed the LORD and counted the Levites by their clans. The total number of Levites at least one month old was twenty-two thousand. 

The Levites Are Accepted as Substitutes for the First-Born Sons

⁴⁰The LORD said to Moses, " Make a list and count the first-born sons at least one month old in each of the Israelite families. ⁴¹They belong to me, but I will accept the Levites as substitutes for them, and I will accept the Levites' livestock as substitutes for the Israelites' first-born livestock." ⁴²Moses obeyed the LORD and counted the first-born sons; ⁴³there were 22,273 of them.
⁴⁴Then the LORD said, ⁴⁵" The Levites will belong to me and will take the place of the first-born sons; their livestock will take the place of the Israelites' first-born livestock. ⁴⁶But since there are more first-born sons than Levites, the extra two hundred seventy-three men and boys must be bought back from me. ⁴⁷For each one, you are to collect five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ⁴⁸This money must then be given to Aaron and his sons."
⁴⁹Moses collected the silver from the extra two hundred seventy-three first-born men and boys, ⁵⁰and it amounted to one thousand three hundred sixty-five pieces of silver, weighed according to the official standards. ⁵¹Then he gave it to Aaron and his sons, just as the LORD had commanded.

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 3:4fire that was unacceptable: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2. Numbers 3:4the LORD killed Nadab and Abihu. . . to the LORD: See Leviticus 10.1,2.
3. Numbers 3:11When I killed. . . mine: See Exodus 13.1,2,11-16.
4. Numbers 3:28eight thousand six hundred: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation " eight thousand three hundred."

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Mark 11:26-12:17 (Contemporary English Version)

^25-26Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins. ^[a] 

A Question about Jesus' Authority

(Matthew 21.23-27; Luke 20.1-8)

²⁷Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. And as he was walking through the temple, the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses came over to him. ²⁸They asked, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?" ²⁹Jesus answered, "I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things. ³⁰Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?"
³¹They thought it over and said to each other, "We can't say that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. ³²On the other hand, these people think that John was a prophet. So we can't say that it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize."
They were afraid of the crowd ³³and told Jesus, "We don't know."
Jesus replied, "Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do." 

Mark 12

Renters of a Vineyard

(Matthew 21.33-46; Luke 20.9-19)

¹Jesus then told them this story: A farmer once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country.
²When it was harvest time, he sent a servant to get his share of the grapes. ³The renters grabbed the servant. They beat him up and sent him away without a thing.
⁴The owner sent another servant, but the renters beat him on the head and insulted him terribly. ⁵Then the man sent another servant, and they killed him. He kept sending servant after servant. They beat some of them and killed others.
⁶The owner had a son he loved very much. Finally, he sent his son to the renters because he thought they would respect him. ⁷But they said to themselves, "Someday he will own this vineyard. Let's kill him! That way we can have it all for ourselves." ⁸So they grabbed the owner's son and killed him. Then they threw his body out of the vineyard.
⁹Jesus asked, "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard. ¹⁰You surely know that the Scriptures say,
`The stone that the builders
tossed aside
is now the most important
stone of all.
¹¹This is something
the Lord has done,
and it is amazing to us.' "
¹²The leaders knew that Jesus was really talking about them, and they wanted to arrest him. But because they were afraid of the crowd, they let him alone and left. 

Paying Taxes

(Matthew 22.15-22; Luke 20.20-26)

¹³The Pharisees got together with Herod's followers. ^[b] Then they sent some men to trick Jesus into saying something wrong. ¹⁴They went to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are honest. You treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. And you teach the truth about what God wants people to do. Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?" ¹⁵Jesus knew what they were up to, and he said, "Why are you trying to test me? Show me a coin!"
¹⁶They brought him a silver coin, and he asked, "Whose picture and name are on it?"
"The Emperor's," they answered.
¹⁷Then Jesus told them, "Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God." The men were amazed at Jesus.

Footnotes:

1. Mark 11:25 your sins: Some manuscripts add, "But if you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you."
2. Mark 12:13 Herod's followers: People who were political followers of the family of Herod the Great and his son Herod Antipas.

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Psalm 47:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 47

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

God Rules the Nations

¹All of you nations, clap your hands
and shout
joyful praises to God.
²The LORD Most High is fearsome,
the ruler of all the earth.
³God has put every nation
under our power,
⁴and he chose for us the land
that was the pride of Jacob,
his favorite.
⁵God goes up to his throne,
as people shout
and trumpets blast.
⁶Sing praises to God our King,
⁷the ruler of all the earth!
Praise God with songs.
⁸God rules the nations
from his sacred throne.
⁹Their leaders come together
and are now the people
of Abraham's God.
All rulers on earth
surrender their weapons,
and God is greatly praised! 

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Proverbs 10:24-25 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁴What evil people dread most
will happen to them,
but good people will get
what they want most.
²⁵Those crooks will disappear
when a storm strikes,
but God will keep safe
all who obey him. 

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Verse of the Day
“I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Brazilian politician, lawyer, and entrepreneur, Tancredo Neves wrote, “I have never made a friend from whom I could not separate, and I have never made an enemy that I could not approach.

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A Joke for Today

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mike, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.

After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"