Bible Readings for July 28, 2017

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 21:1–23:21; Romans 11:13-36; Psalm 22:1-18; and Proverbs 20:7. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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2 Chronicles 21-23:21 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 21

 ¹Jehoshaphat died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Jehoram became king.    

King Jehoram of Judah

(2 Kings 8.16-24)

 ²King Jehoshaphat had seven sons: Jehoram, Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah.    ³Jehoshaphat gave each of them silver and gold, as well as other valuable gifts. He also put them in charge of the fortified cities in Judah, but he had chosen his oldest son Jehoram to succeed him as king.
   ⁴After Jehoram had taken control of Judah, he had his brothers killed, as well as some of the nation's leaders.
   ⁵He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled eight years from Jerusalem.
   ⁶Jehoram married Ahab's daughter and followed the sinful example of Ahab's family and the other kings of Israel. He disobeyed the LORD by doing wrong,
   ⁷but because the LORD had made a solemn promise to King David that someone from his family would always rule in Judah, he refused to wipe out David's descendants.
   ⁸While Jehoram was king, the people of Edom rebelled and chose their own king.
   ⁹Jehoram, his officers, and his cavalry marched to Edom, where the Edomite army surrounded them. He escaped during the night,
   ¹⁰but Judah was never able to regain control of Edom. Even the town of Libnah ^[a] rebelled at that time. Those things happened because Jehoram had turned away from the LORD, the God his ancestors had worshiped.
   ¹¹Jehoram even built local shrines ^[b] in the hills of Judah and let the people sin against the LORD by worshiping foreign gods.
   ¹²One day, Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet that said:
   I have a message for you from the LORD God your ancestor David worshiped. He knows that you have not followed the example of Jehoshaphat your father or Asa your grandfather.
   ¹³Instead you have acted like those sinful kings of Israel and have encouraged the people of Judah to stop worshiping the LORD, just as Ahab and his descendants did. You even murdered your own brothers, who were better men than you.
   ¹⁴Because you have done these terrible things, the LORD will severely punish the people in your kingdom, including your own family, and he will destroy everything you own.
   ¹⁵You will be struck with a painful stomach disease and suffer until you die.
   ¹⁶The LORD later caused the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Ethiopians ^[c] to become angry at Jehoram.
   ¹⁷They invaded Judah and stole the royal property from the palace, and they led Jehoram's wives and sons away as prisoners. The only one left behind was Ahaziah, ^[d] his youngest son.
   ¹⁸After this happened, the LORD struck Jehoram with an incurable stomach disease.
   ¹⁹About two years later, Jehoram died in terrible pain. No bonfire was built to honor him, even though the people had done this for his ancestors.
   ²⁰Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled eight years from Jerusalem. He died, and no one even felt sad. He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs.
   

2 Chronicles 22

King Ahaziah of Judah

(2 Kings 8.25-29; 9.21,27,28)

 ¹Earlier, when the Arabs led a raid against Judah, they killed all of Jehoram's sons, except Ahaziah, the youngest one. So the people of Jerusalem crowned him their king.    ²He was twenty-two ^[e] years old at the time, and he ruled only one year from Jerusalem. Ahaziah's mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel,
   ³and she encouraged her son to sin against the LORD. He followed the evil example of King Ahab and his descendants.
   ⁴In fact, after his father's death, Ahaziah sinned against the LORD by appointing some of Ahab's relatives to be his advisors.
   Their advice led to his downfall.
   ⁵He listened to them and went with King Joram of Israel to attack King Hazael and the Syrian troops at Ramoth in Gilead. Joram was wounded in that battle,
   ⁶and he went to the town of Jezreel to recover. And Ahaziah later went there to visit him.
   ⁷It was during that visit that God had Ahaziah put to death.
   When Ahaziah arrived at Jezreel, he and Joram went to meet with Jehu grandson of Nimshi. The LORD had already told Jehu to kill every male in Ahab's family,
   ⁸and while Jehu was doing that, he saw some of Judah's leaders and Ahaziah's nephews who had come with Ahaziah. Jehu killed them on the spot,
   ⁹then gave orders to find Ahaziah. Jehu's officers found him hiding in Samaria. They brought Ahaziah to Jehu, who immediately put him to death. They buried Ahaziah only because they respected Jehoshaphat his grandfather, who had done his best to obey the LORD.
   There was no one from Ahaziah's family left to become king of Judah.
   

Queen Athaliah of Judah

(2 Kings 11.1-3)

 ¹⁰As soon as Athaliah heard that her son King Ahaziah was dead, she decided to kill any relative who could possibly become king. She would have done just that,    ¹¹but Jehosheba ^[f] rescued Joash son of Ahaziah just as the others were about to be murdered. Jehosheba, who was Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's half sister, was married to Jehoiada the priest. So she was able to hide her nephew Joash and his personal servant in a bedroom in the LORD's temple where he was safe from Athaliah.
   ¹²Joash hid in the temple with them for six years while Athaliah ruled as queen of Judah.
   

2 Chronicles 23

Jehoiada Makes Joash King of Judah

(2 Kings 11.4-21)

 ¹After Ahaziah's son Joash had hidden in the temple for six years, Jehoiada the priest knew that something had to be done. So he made sure he had the support of several army officers. They were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.    ²These five men went to the towns in Judah and called together the Levites and the clan leaders. They all came to Jerusalem
   ³and gathered at the temple, where they agreed to help Joash.
   Jehoiada said to them:
   Joash will be our next king, because long ago the LORD promised that one of David's descendants would always be king.
   ⁴Here is what we will do. Three groups of priests and Levites will be on guard duty on the Sabbath--one group will guard the gates of the temple,
   ⁵one will guard the palace, and the other will guard Foundation Gate. The rest of you will stand guard in the temple courtyards.
   ⁶Only the priests and Levites who are on duty will be able to enter the temple, because they will be the only ones who have gone through the ceremony to make themselves clean and acceptable. The others must stay outside in the courtyards, just as the LORD has commanded.
   ⁷You Levites must protect King Joash. Don't let him out of your sight! And keep your swords ready to kill anyone who comes into the temple.
   ⁸The Levites and the people of Judah followed Jehoiada's orders. The guards going off duty were not allowed to go home, and so each commander had all his guards available--those going off duty as well as those coming on duty.
   ⁹Jehoiada went into the temple and brought out the swords and shields that had belonged to King David, and he gave them to the commanders.
   ¹⁰They gave the weapons to the guards, and Jehoiada then made sure that the guards took their positions around the temple and the altar to protect the king on every side.
   ¹¹Jehoiada and his sons brought Joash outside, where they placed the crown on his head and gave him a copy of the instructions for ruling the nation. Olive oil was poured on his head to show that he was now king, and the crowd cheered and shouted, "Long live the king!"
   ¹²As soon as Queen Athaliah heard the crowd cheering for Joash, she went to the temple.
   ¹³There she saw Joash standing by one of the columns near the entrance, which was the usual place for the king. The commanders and the trumpet players were standing next to him, and the musicians were playing instruments and leading the people as they celebrated and blew trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes in anger and shouted, "You betrayed me, you traitors!"
   ¹⁴Right away, Jehoiada said to the army commanders, "Don't kill her near the LORD's temple. Take her out in front of the troops, and be sure to kill all of her followers!"
   ¹⁵She tried to escape, but the commanders caught and killed her near the gate where horses are led into the palace.
   ¹⁶Jehoiada asked King Joash and the people to join with him in being faithful to the LORD. They agreed,
   ¹⁷then rushed to the temple of the god Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and the idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
   ¹⁸Jehoiada assigned the priests and Levites their duties at the temple, just as David had done. They were in charge of offering sacrifices to the LORD according to the Law of Moses, and they were responsible for leading the celebrations with singing.
   ¹⁹Jehoiada ordered the guards at the temple gates to keep out anyone who was unclean.
   ²⁰Finally, Jehoiada called together the army commanders, the most important citizens of Judah, and the government officials. The crowd of people followed them as they led Joash from the temple, through the Upper Gate, and into the palace, where he took his place as king of Judah.
   ²¹Everyone celebrated because Athaliah had been killed and Jerusalem was peaceful again.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 21:10 Even the town of Libnah: This was a town on the border between Philistia and Judah, which means that Jehoram was facing rebellion on both sides of his kingdom.
2. 2 Chronicles 21:11 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
3. 2 Chronicles 21:16 Ethiopians: See the note at 12.3.
4. 2 Chronicles 21:17 Ahaziah: The Hebrew text has "Jehoahaz," another spelling of the name.
5. 2 Chronicles 22:2 twenty-two: One ancient translation (see also 2 Kings 8.26); Hebrew "forty-two."
6. 2 Chronicles 22:11 Jehosheba: The Hebrew text has "Jehoshabeath," another spelling of the name.

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Romans 11:13-36 (Contemporary English Version)

¹³I am now speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to you, I will take pride in my work. ¹⁴I hope in this way to make some of my own people jealous enough to be saved. ¹⁵When Israel rejected God, ^[a] the rest of the people in the world were able to turn to him. So when God makes friends with Israel, it will be like bringing the dead back to life. ¹⁶If part of a batch of dough is made holy by being offered to God, then all of the dough is holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, the rest of the tree is holy too. ¹⁷You Gentiles are like branches of a wild olive tree that were made to be part of a cultivated olive tree. You have taken the place of some branches that were cut away from it. And because of this, you enjoy the blessings that come from being part of that cultivated tree. ¹⁸But don't think you are better than the branches that were cut away. Just remember that you are not supporting the roots of that tree. Its roots are supporting you.
    ¹⁹Maybe you think those branches were cut away, so that you could be put in their place. ²⁰That's true enough. But they were cut away because they did not have faith, and you are where you are because you do have faith. So don't be proud, but be afraid. ²¹If God cut away those natural branches, couldn't he do the same to you?
    ²²Now you see both how kind and how hard God can be. He was hard on those who fell, but he was kind to you. And he will keep on being kind to you, if you keep on trusting in his kindness. Otherwise, you will be cut away too.
    ²³If those other branches will start having faith, they will be made a part of that tree again. God has the power to put them back. ²⁴After all, it wasn't natural for branches to be cut from a wild olive tree and to be made part of a cultivated olive tree. So it is much more likely that God will join the natural branches back to the cultivated olive tree.
   

The People of Israel Will Be Brought Back

 ²⁵My friends, I don't want you Gentiles to be too proud of yourselves. So I will explain the mystery of what has happened to the people of Israel. Some of them have become stubborn, and they will stay like that until the complete number of you Gentiles has come in. ²⁶In this way all of Israel will be saved, as the Scriptures say,    "From Zion someone will come
   to rescue us.
   Then Jacob's descendants
   will stop being evil.
    ²⁷This is what the Lord
   has promised to do
   when he forgives their sins."
    ²⁸The people of Israel are treated as God's enemies, so that the good news can come to you Gentiles. But they are still the chosen ones, and God loves them because of their famous ancestors. ²⁹God doesn't take back the gifts he has given or forget about the people he has chosen.
    ³⁰At one time you Gentiles rejected God. But now Israel has rejected God, and you have been shown mercy. ³¹And because of the mercy shown to you, they will also be shown mercy. ³²All people have disobeyed God, and that's why he treats them as prisoners. But he does this, so that he can have mercy on all of them.
    ³³Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does?
    ³⁴"Has anyone known
   the thoughts of the Lord
   or given him advice?
    ³⁵Has anyone loaned
   something to the Lord
   that must be repaid?"
    ³⁶Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord forever! Amen.
   

Footnotes:

1. Romans 11:15 When Israel rejected God: Or " When Israel was rejected."

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Psalm 22:1-18 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 22

(A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "A Deer at Dawn." )

Suffering and Praise

 ¹My God, my God, why have you    deserted me?
   Why are you so far away?
   Won't you listen to my groans
   and come to my rescue?
    ²I cry out day and night,
   but you don't answer,
   and I can never rest.
    ³Yet you are the holy God,
   ruling from your throne
   and praised by Israel.
    ⁴Our ancestors trusted you,
   and you rescued them.
    ⁵When they cried out for help,
   you saved them,
   and you did not let them down
   when they depended on you.
    ⁶But I am merely a worm,
   far less than human,
   and I am hated and rejected
   by people everywhere.
    ⁷Everyone who sees me
   makes fun and sneers.
   They shake their heads,
    ⁸and say,
   "Trust the LORD!
   If you are his favorite,
   let him protect you
   and keep you safe."
    ⁹You, LORD, brought me
   safely through birth,
   and you protected me
   when I was a baby
   at my mother's breast.
    ¹⁰From the day I was born,
   I have been in your care,
   and from the time of my birth,
   you have been my God.
    ¹¹Don't stay far off
   when I am in trouble
   with no one to help me.
    ¹²Enemies are all around
   like a herd of wild bulls.
   Powerful bulls from Bashan ^[a] are everywhere.
    ¹³My enemies are like lions
   roaring and attacking
   with jaws open wide.
    ¹⁴I have no more strength
   than a few drops of water.
   All my bones are out of joint;
   my heart is like melted wax.
    ¹⁵My strength has dried up
   like a broken clay pot,
   and my tongue sticks
   to the roof of my mouth.
   You, God, have left me
   to die in the dirt.
    ¹⁶Brutal enemies attack me
   like a pack of dogs,
   tearing at ^[b] my hands and my feet.
    ¹⁷I can count all my bones,
   and my enemies just stare
   and sneer at me.
    ¹⁸They took my clothes
   and gambled for them.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 22:12 Bashan: A land east of the Jordan River, where there were pastures suitable for raising fine cattle.
2. Psalm 22:16 tearing at: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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Proverbs 20:7 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷Good people live right,
   and God blesses the children
   who follow their example.

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Verse of the Day

“I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done.” - Philippians 3:14

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

French diplomat, political scientist, and historian, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, “There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.”

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A Joke for Today

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this — especially all the ladies who bake for church events.

Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies' group bake sale, but she forgot to do it until the last minute.

She baked an angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center had dropped flat.

She said, “Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake.”

So, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake.

Alice found it in the bathroom … a roll of toilet paper.

She plunked it in and covered it with icing.

The finished product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church. Before she left the house, Alice had given her daughter some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened, and to buy that cake and bring it home.

When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had already been sold.

Alice was beside herself.

The next day, Alice was invited to a friend's home where two tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon.

After the game, a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the cake in question was presented for dessert.

Alice saw the cake, she started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, one of the other ladies said, “What a beautiful cake!”

Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say,

“Thank you, I baked it myself.”

Bible Readings for July 27, 2017

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 19:1–20:37; Romans 10:14–11:12; Psalm 21:1-13; and Proverbs 20:4-6. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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2 Chronicles 19-20:37 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 19

 ¹Jehoshaphat returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem.    ²But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said:
   By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the LORD. Now the LORD God is angry at you!
   ³But not everything about you is bad. You destroyed the sacred poles ^[a] used in worshiping the goddess Asherah--that shows you have tried to obey the LORD.
   

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges To Settle Cases

 ⁴Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he often traveled through his kingdom, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north. He talked with the people and convinced them to turn back to the LORD God and worship him, just as their ancestors had done.    ⁵He assigned judges to each of the fortified cities in Judah
   ⁶and told them:
   Be careful when you make your decisions in court, because these are the LORD's people, and he will know what you decide.
   ⁷So do your work in honor of him and know that he won't allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes.
   ⁸Jehoshaphat also chose some Levites, some priests, and some of the family leaders, and he appointed them to serve as judges in Jerusalem.
   ⁹He told them:
   Faithfully serve the LORD!
   ¹⁰The people of Judah will bring you legal cases that involve every type of crime, including murder. You must settle these cases and warn the people to stop sinning against the LORD, so that he won't get angry and punish Judah. Remember, if you follow these instructions, you won't be held responsible for anything that happens.
   ¹¹Amariah the high priest will have the final say in any religious case. And Zebadiah, the leader ^[b] of the Judah tribe, will have the final say in all other cases. The rest of the Levites will serve as your assistants. Be brave, and I pray that the LORD will help you do right.
   

2 Chronicles 20

Moab and Ammon Are Defeated

 ¹Some time later, the armies of Moab and Ammon, together with the Meunites, ^[c] went to war against Jehoshaphat.    ²Messengers told Jehoshaphat, "A large army from Edom ^[d] east of the Dead Sea has invaded our country. They have already reached En-Gedi." ^[e]
   ³Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he asked the LORD what to do. He then told the people of Judah to go without eating to show their sorrow.
   ⁴They immediately left for Jerusalem to ask for the LORD's help.
   ⁵After everyone from Judah and Jerusalem had come together at the LORD's temple, Jehoshaphat stood in front of the new courtyard
   ⁶and prayed:
   You, LORD, are the God our ancestors worshiped, and from heaven you rule every nation in the world. You are so powerful that no one can defeat you.
   ⁷Our God, you forced out the nations who lived in this land before your people Israel came here, and you gave it to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever.
   ⁸Our ancestors lived in this land and built a temple to honor you.
   ⁹They believed that whenever this land is struck by war or disease or famine, your people can pray to you at the temple, and you will hear their prayer and save them.
   ¹⁰You can see that the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Edom are attacking us! Those are the nations you would not let our ancestors invade on their way from Egypt, so these nations were not destroyed.
   ¹¹Now they are coming to take back the land you gave us.
   ¹²Aren't you going to punish them? We won't stand a chance when this army attacks. We don't know what to do--we are begging for your help.
   ¹³While every man, woman, and child of Judah was standing there at the temple,
   ¹⁴the LORD's Spirit suddenly spoke to Jahaziel, a Levite from the Asaph clan. ^[f]
   ¹⁵Then Jahaziel said: Your Majesty and everyone from Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you don't need to be afraid or let this powerful army discourage you. God will fight on your side!
   ¹⁶So here's what you must do. Tomorrow the enemy armies will march through the desert around the town of Jeruel. March down and meet them at the town of Ziz as they come up the valley.
   ¹⁷You won't even have to fight. Just take your positions and watch the LORD rescue you from your enemy. Don't be afraid. Just do as you're told. And as you march out tomorrow, the LORD will be there with you.
   ¹⁸Jehoshaphat bowed low to the ground and everyone worshiped the LORD.
   ¹⁹Then some Levites from the Kohath and Korah clans stood up and shouted praises to the LORD God of Israel.
   ²⁰Early the next morning, as everyone got ready to leave for the desert near Tekoa, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Listen my friends, if we trust the LORD God and believe what these prophets have told us, the LORD will help us, and we will be successful."
   ²¹Then he explained his plan and appointed men to march in front of the army and praise the LORD for his holy power by singing: ^[g] "Praise the LORD!
   His love never ends."
   ²²As soon as they began singing, the LORD confused the enemy camp,
   ²³so that the Ammonite and Moabite troops attacked and completely destroyed those from Edom. Then they turned against each other and fought until the entire camp was wiped out!
   ²⁴When Judah's army reached the tower that overlooked the desert, they saw that every soldier in the enemy's army was lying dead on the ground.
   ²⁵So Jehoshaphat and his troops went into the camp to carry away everything of value. They found a large herd of livestock, ^[h] a lot of equipment, clothes, ^[i] and other valuable things. It took them three days to carry it all away, and there was still some left over.
   ²⁶Then on the fourth day, everyone came together in Beracah Valley and sang praises to the LORD. That's why that place was called Praise Valley. ^[j]
   ^27-28Jehoshaphat led the crowd back to Jerusalem. And as they marched, they played harps and blew trumpets. They were very happy because the LORD had given them victory over their enemies, so when they reached the city, they went straight to the temple.
   ²⁹When the other nations heard how the LORD had fought against Judah's enemies, they were too afraid
   ³⁰to invade Judah. The LORD let Jehoshaphat's kingdom be at peace.
   

Jehoshaphat Dies

(1 Kings 22.41-50)

 ³¹Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.    ³²Jehoshaphat obeyed the LORD, just as his father Asa had done,
   ³³but he did not destroy the local shrines. ^[k] So the people still worshiped foreign gods, instead of faithfully serving the God their ancestors had worshiped.
   ³⁴Everything else Jehoshaphat did while he was king is written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani that are included in The History of the Kings of Israel.
   ³⁵While Jehoshaphat was king, he signed a peace treaty with Ahaziah the wicked king of Israel.
   ³⁶They agreed to build several seagoing ships ^[l] at Ezion-Geber.
   ³⁷But the prophet Eliezer ^[m] warned Jehoshaphat, "The LORD will destroy these ships because you have supported Ahaziah." The ships were wrecked and never sailed.
   

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 19:3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.
2. 2 Chronicles 19:11 Zebadiah, the leader: Hebrew "Zebadiah son of Ishmael, who is the leader."
3. 2 Chronicles 20:1 Meunites: One ancient translation (see also 26.7); Hebrew "Ammonites."
4. 2 Chronicles 20:2 Edom: The Hebrew text has "Syria"; in Hebrew there is only one letter difference between "Edom" and "Aram," which is the usual Hebrew name for Syria in the Bible.
5. 2 Chronicles 20:2 En-Gedi: The Hebrew text has "Hazazon-Tamar, also known as En-Gedi," a city on the west shore of the Dead Sea, about twenty-five miles southeast of Jerusalem.
6. 2 Chronicles 20:14 Jahaziel, a Levite from the Asaph clan: Hebrew "Jahaziel son of Zechariah son of Benaiah son of Jeiel son of Mattaniah, who was a Levite from the Asaph clan."
7. 2 Chronicles 20:21 to march in front. . . singing: Or "to put on their sacred robes, lead the army into battle, and praise the LORD by singing."
8. 2 Chronicles 20:25 a large herd of livestock: One ancient translation; Hebrew "among the bodies a large herd of."
9. 2 Chronicles 20:25 clothes: One ancient translation; Hebrew "dead bodies."
10. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Beracah Valley. . . sang praises. . . Praise Valley: In Hebrew the name "Beracah" means "praise."
11. 2 Chronicles 20:33 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
12. 2 Chronicles 20:36 seagoing ships: See the note at 9.21.
13. 2 Chronicles 20:37 Eliezer: Hebrew "Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah."

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Romans 10:14-11:12 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? ¹⁵And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news. ¹⁶Yet not everyone has believed the message. For example, the prophet Isaiah asked, "Lord, has anyone believed what we said?"
    ¹⁷No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ. ¹⁸But am I saying that the people of Israel did not hear? No, I am not! The Scriptures say,
   "The message was told
   everywhere on earth.
   It was announced
   all over the world."
    ¹⁹Did the people of Israel understand or not? Moses answered this question when he told that the Lord had said,
   "I will make Israel jealous
   of people
   who are a nation
   of nobodies.
   I will make them angry
   at people
   who don't understand
   a thing."
    ²⁰Isaiah was fearless enough to tell that the Lord had said,
   "I was found by people
   who were not looking
   for me.
   I appeared to the ones
   who were not asking
   about me."
    ²¹And Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
   "All day long the Lord
   has reached out
   to people who are stubborn
   and refuse to obey."
   

Romans 11

God Has Not Rejected His People

 ¹Am I saying that God has turned his back on his people? Certainly not! I am one of the people of Israel, and I myself am a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. ²God did not turn his back on his chosen people. Don't you remember reading in the Scriptures how Elijah complained to God about the people of Israel? ³He said, "Lord, they killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only one left, and now they want to kill me."     ⁴But the Lord told Elijah, "I still have seven thousand followers who have not worshiped Baal." ⁵It is the same way now. God was kind to the people of Israel, and so a few of them are still his followers. ⁶This happened because of God's undeserved kindness and not because of anything they have done. It could not have happened except for God's kindness.
    ⁷This means that only a chosen few of the people of Israel found what all of them were searching for. And the rest of them were stubborn, ⁸just as the Scriptures say,
   "God made them so stupid
   that their eyes are blind,
   and their ears
   are still deaf."
    ⁹Then David said,
   "Turn their meals
   into bait for a trap,
   so that they will stumble
   and be given
   what they deserve.
    ¹⁰Blindfold their eyes!
   Don't let them see.
   Bend their backs
   beneath a burden
   that will never be lifted."
   

Gentiles Will Be Saved

 ¹¹Do I mean that the people of Israel fell, never to get up again? Certainly not! Their failure made it possible for the Gentiles to be saved, and this will make the people of Israel jealous. ¹²But if the rest of the world's people were helped so much by Israel's sin and loss, they will be helped even more by their full return.

 

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Psalm 21:1-13 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 21

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

Thanking the LORD for Victory

 ¹Our LORD, your mighty power    makes the king glad,
   and he celebrates victories
   that you have given him.
    ²You did what he wanted most
   and never told him "No."
    ³You truly blessed the king,
   and you placed on him
   a crown of finest gold.
    ⁴He asked to live a long time,
   and you promised him life
   that never ends.
    ⁵The king is highly honored.
   You have let him win victories
   that have made him famous.
    ⁶You have given him blessings
   that will last forever,
   and you have made him glad
   by being so near to him.
    ⁷LORD Most High,
   the king trusts you,
   and your kindness
   keeps him from defeat.
    ⁸With your mighty arm, LORD,
   you will strike down
   all of your hateful enemies.
    ⁹They will be destroyed by fire
   once you are here,
   and because of your anger,
   flames will swallow them.
    ¹⁰You will wipe their families
   from the earth,
   and they will disappear.
    ¹¹All their plans to harm you
   will come to nothing.
    ¹²You will make them run away
   by shooting your arrows
   at their faces.
    ¹³Show your strength, LORD,
   so that we may sing
   and praise your power.

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Proverbs 20:4-6 (Contemporary English Version)

⁴If you are too lazy to plow,
   don't expect a harvest.
    ⁵Someone's thoughts may be
   as deep as the ocean,
   but if you are smart,
   you will discover them.
    ⁶There are many who say,
   "You can trust me!"
   But can they be trusted?

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Verse of the Day

“[A Large Crowd of Witnesses]Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.” - Hebrews 12:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigmatic writings of the Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”

Bible Readings for July 26, 2017

Today our passages are 2 Chronicles 17:1–18:34; Romans 9:22–10:13; Psalm 20:1-9; and Proverbs 20:2-3. 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 Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

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2 Chronicles 17-18:34 (Contemporary English Version)

2 Chronicles 17

King Jehoshaphat of Judah

 ¹Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king and strengthened his defenses against Israel.    ²He assigned troops to the fortified cities in Judah, as well as to other towns in Judah and to those towns in Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
   ^3-4When Jehoshaphat's father had first become king of Judah, he was faithful to the LORD and refused to worship the god Baal as the kings of Israel did. Jehoshaphat followed his father's example and obeyed and worshiped the LORD. And so the LORD blessed Jehoshaphat
   ⁵and helped him keep firm control of his kingdom. The people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, but even after he became very rich and respected,
   ⁶he remained completely faithful to the LORD. He destroyed all the local shrines ^[a] in Judah, including the places where the goddess Asherah was worshiped.
   ⁷In the third year of Jehoshaphat's rule, he chose five officials and gave them orders to teach the LORD's Law in every city and town in Judah. They were Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah.
   ⁸Their assistants were the following nine Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah. Two priests, Elishama and Jehoram, also went along.
   ⁹They carried with them a copy of the LORD's Law wherever they went and taught the people from it.
   ¹⁰The nations around Judah were afraid of the LORD's power, so none of them attacked Jehoshaphat.
   ¹¹Philistines brought him silver and other gifts to keep peace. Some of the Arab people brought him seventy-seven hundred rams and the same number of goats.
   ¹²As Jehoshaphat became more powerful, he built fortresses and cities
   ¹³where he stored supplies. He also kept in Jerusalem some experienced soldiers
   ¹⁴from the Judah and Benjamin tribes. These soldiers were grouped according to their clans.
   Adnah was the commander of the troops from Judah, and he had three hundred thousand soldiers under his command.
   ¹⁵Jehohanan was second in command, with two hundred eighty thousand soldiers under him.
   ¹⁶Amasiah son of Zichri, who had volunteered to serve the LORD, was third in command, with two hundred thousand soldiers under him.
   ¹⁷Eliada was a brave warrior who commanded the troops from Benjamin. He had two hundred thousand soldiers under his command, all of them armed with bows and shields.
   ¹⁸Jehozabad was second in command, with one hundred eighty thousand soldiers under him.
   ¹⁹These were the troops who protected the king in Jerusalem, not counting those he had assigned to the fortified cities throughout the country.
   

2 Chronicles 18

Micaiah Warns King Ahab of Israel

(1 Kings 22.1-28)

 ¹Jehoshaphat was now very rich and famous. He signed a treaty with King Ahab of Israel by arranging the marriage of his son and Ahab's daughter.    ²One day, Jehoshaphat went to visit Ahab in his capital city of Samaria. Ahab slaughtered sheep and cattle and prepared a big feast to honor Jehoshaphat and the officials with him. Ahab talked about attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead, ^[b]
   ³and finally asked, "Jehoshaphat, would you go with me to attack Ramoth?" "Yes," Jehoshaphat answered. "My army is at your command.
   ⁴But first let's ask the LORD what to do."
   ⁵Ahab sent for four hundred prophets and asked, "Should I attack the city of Ramoth?"
   "Yes!" the prophets answered. "God will help you capture the city."
   ⁶But Jehoshaphat said, "Just to make sure, is there another of the LORD's prophets we can ask?"
   ⁷"We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah," Ahab said. "But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me."
   "Don't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied.
   ⁸Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.
   ⁹All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria, listening to the prophets tell them what the LORD had said.
   ¹⁰Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, "Ahab, the LORD says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!"
   ¹¹All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth and promised that the LORD would help him defeat them.
   ¹²Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, "Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing."
   ¹³"I'll say whatever the living LORD my God tells me to say," Micaiah replied.
   ¹⁴Then Micaiah went up to Ahab, who asked, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth?"
   "Yes!" Micaiah answered. "The LORD will help you capture the city."
   ¹⁵Ahab shouted, "Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth! What does the LORD really say?"
   ¹⁶Micaiah answered, "In a vision ^[c] I saw Israelite soldiers wandering around, lost in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The LORD said, `These troops have no leader. They should go home and not fight.' "
   ¹⁷Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "I told you he would bring me bad news!"
   ¹⁸Micaiah replied:
   I then saw the LORD seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him.
   ¹⁹The LORD asked, "Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?"
   They talked about it for a while,
   ²⁰then finally a spirit came forward and said to the LORD, "I can trick Ahab."
   "How?" the LORD asked.
   ²¹"I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him."
   "Good!" the LORD replied. "Now go and do it. You will be successful."
   ²²Ahab, this is exactly what has happened. The LORD made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.
   ²³Zedekiah walked over and slapped Micaiah on the face. Then he asked, "Do you really think the LORD would speak to you and not to me?"
   ²⁴Micaiah answered, "You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house."
   ²⁵Ahab shouted, "Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria.
   ²⁶Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely."
   ²⁷Micaiah said, "If you do come back, I was wrong about what the LORD wanted me to say." Then he told the crowd, "Don't forget what I said!"
   

Ahab Dies at Ramoth

(1 Kings 22.29-35)

 ²⁸Ahab and Jehoshaphat led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead.    ²⁹Before they went into battle, Ahab said, "Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe." Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.
   ³⁰The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack only Ahab.
   ³¹So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But Jehoshaphat prayed, and the LORD made the Syrian soldiers stop.
   ³²And when they realized he wasn't Ahab, they left him alone.
   ³³However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab between two pieces of his armor. He shouted to his chariot driver, "I've been hit! Get me out of here!"
   ³⁴The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He stayed there until evening, and by sundown he was dead.
  

Footnotes:

1. 2 Chronicles 17:6 local shrines: See the note at 11.15.
2. 2 Chronicles 18:2 attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead: The Syrians had taken control of Ramoth (see 1 Kings 22.3,4).
3. 2 Chronicles 18:16 vision: In ancient times, prophets often told about future events from what they had seen in visions or dreams.

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Romans 9:22-10:13 (Contemporary English Version)

²²God wanted to show his anger and reveal his power against everyone who deserved to be destroyed. But instead, he patiently put up with them. ²³He did this by showing how glorious he is when he has pity on the people he has chosen to share in his glory. ²⁴Whether Jews or Gentiles, we are those chosen ones, ²⁵just as the Lord says in the book of Hosea,
   "Although they are not
   my people,
   I will make them my people.
   I will treat with love
   those nations
   that have never been loved.
    ²⁶"Once they were told,
   `You are not my people.'
   But in that very place
   they will be called
   children of the living God."
    ²⁷And this is what the prophet Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
   "The people of Israel
   are as many
   as the grains of sand
   along the beach.
   But only a few who are left
   will be saved.
    ²⁸The Lord will be quick
   and sure to do on earth
   what he has warned
   he will do."
    ²⁹Isaiah also said,
   "If the Lord All-Powerful
   had not spared some
   of our descendants,
   we would have been destroyed
   like the cities of Sodom
   and Gomorrah." ^[a]

Israel and the Good News

 ³⁰What does all of this mean? It means that the Gentiles were not trying to be acceptable to God, but they found that he would accept them if they had faith. ^31-32It also means that the people of Israel were not acceptable to God. And why not? It was because they were trying ^[b] to be acceptable by obeying the Law instead of by having faith in God. The people of Israel fell over the stone that makes people stumble, ³³just as God says in the Scriptures, "Look! I am placing in Zion    a stone to make people
   stumble and fall.
   But those who have faith
   in that one
   will never
   be disappointed."
   

Romans 10

 ¹Dear friends, my greatest wish and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. ²I know they love God, but they don't understand ³what makes people acceptable to him. So they refuse to trust God, and they try to be acceptable by obeying the Law. ⁴But Christ makes the Law no longer necessary ^[c] for those who become acceptable to God by faith.

Anyone Can Be Saved

 ⁵Moses said that a person could become acceptable to God by obeying the Law. He did this when he wrote, "If you want to live, you must do all that the Law commands."     ⁶But people whose faith makes them acceptable to God will never ask, "Who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down?" ⁷Neither will they ask, "Who will go down into the world of the dead to raise him to life?"
    ⁸All who are acceptable because of their faith simply say, "The message is as near as your mouth or your heart." And this is the same message we preach about faith. ⁹So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. ¹⁰God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.
    ¹¹The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed, ¹²no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. ¹³All who call out to the Lord will be saved.
   

Footnotes:

1. Romans 9:29 Sodom and Gomorrah: During the time of Abraham the Lord destroyed these two cities because their people were so sinful.
2. Romans 9:31 because they were trying: Or " while they were trying" or " even though they were trying."
3. Romans 10:4 But Christ makes the Law no longer necessary: Or " But Christ gives the full meaning to the Law."

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Psalm 20:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 20

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

A Prayer for Victory

 ¹I pray that the LORD    will listen
   when you
   are in trouble,
   and that the God of Jacob
   will keep you safe.
    ²May the LORD send help
   from his temple
   and come to your rescue
   from Mount Zion.
    ³May he remember your gifts
   and be pleased
   with what you bring.
    ⁴May God do what you want most
   and let all go well for you.
    ⁵Then you will win victories,
   and we will celebrate,
   while raising our banners
   in the name of our God.
   May the LORD answer
   all of your prayers!
    ⁶I am certain, LORD,
   that you will help
   your chosen king.
   You will answer my prayers
   from your holy place
   in heaven,
   and you will save me
   with your mighty arm.
    ⁷Some people trust the power
   of chariots or horses,
   but we trust you, LORD God.
    ⁸Others will stumble and fall,
   but we will be strong
   and stand firm.
    ⁹Give the king victory, LORD,
   and answer our prayers. ^[a]

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 20:9 victory. . . prayers: Or " victory. He (God or the king) answers us."

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Proverbs 20:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)

²An angry ruler
   is like a roaring lion--
   make either one angry,
   and you are dead.
    ³It makes you look good
   when you avoid a fight--
   only fools love to quarrel.

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Verse of the Day

“[The Great Faith of God's People]Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.” - Hebrews 11:1

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

American scholar, author, and public speaker, Brené Brown wrote, "Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them."

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A Joke for Today

A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who's dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.

Saint Peter addresses this guy, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?"

The guy replies, "I'm Joe Cohen, taxi-driver, of Noo Yawk City."

Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi-driver, "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

The taxi-driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it's the minister's turn. He stands erect and booms out, "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary's for the last forty-three years."

Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the minister, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

"Just a minute," says the minister. "That man was a taxi-driver and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?"

"Up here, we work by results," says Saint Peter. "While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed."