Wednesday, April 4, 2007

April 4th - Day 94

Deuteronomy 26-27:26

Deuteronomy 26

Firstfruits and Tithes

1 When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our forefathers to give us." 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the LORD your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the LORD your God: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. 7 Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O LORD, have given me." Place the basket before the LORD your God and bow down before him. 11 And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household.

12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13 Then say to the LORD your God: "I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. 14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the LORD my God; I have done everything you commanded me. 15 Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."

Follow the LORD's Commands

16 The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. 18 And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.

Deuteronomy 27


The Altar on Mount Ebal

1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: "Keep all these commands that I give you today. 2 When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the LORD your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. 3 Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. 5 Build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool upon them. 6 Build the altar of the LORD your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God. 7 Sacrifice fellowship offerings [a] there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God. 8 And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones you have set up."
Curses From Mount Ebal

9 Then Moses and the priests, who are Levites, said to all Israel, "Be silent, O Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the LORD your God. 10 Obey the LORD your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today."

11 On the same day Moses commanded the people:

12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

14 The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

15 "Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol—a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman's hands—and sets it up in secret."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

16 "Cursed is the man who dishonors his father or his mother."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

17 "Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor's boundary stone."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

18 "Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

19 "Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

20 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife, for he dishonors his father's bed."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

21 "Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

22 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

23 "Cursed is the man who sleeps with his mother-in-law."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

24 "Cursed is the man who kills his neighbor secretly."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

25 "Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

26 "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out."

Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"


Footnotes:


  1. Deuteronomy 27:7 Traditionally peace offerings


Luke 10:38-11:13



At the Home of Martha and Mary


38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 11


Jesus' Teaching on Prayer

1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

2He said to them, "When you pray, say:

" 'Father,[
b]

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.[
c]

3Give us each day our daily bread.

4Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[
d]

And lead us not into temptation.[
e]' "

5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness[f] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[g] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"


Footnotes:


  1. Luke 10:42 Some manuscripts but few things are needed—or only one
  2. Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts Our Father in heaven
  3. Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
  4. Luke 11:4 Greek everyone who is indebted to us
  5. Luke 11:4 Some manuscripts temptation but deliver us from the evil one
  6. Luke 11:8 Or persistence
  7. Luke 11:11 Some manuscripts for bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for


Psalm 76:1-12



Psalm 76


For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1 In Judah God is known;

his name is great in Israel.

2 His tent is in Salem,

his dwelling place in Zion.

3 There he broke the flashing arrows,

the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.

Selah

4 You are resplendent with light,

more majestic than mountains rich with game.

5 Valiant men lie plundered,

they sleep their last sleep;

not one of the warriors

can lift his hands.

6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,

both horse and chariot lie still.

7 You alone are to be feared.

Who can stand before you when you are angry?

8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,

and the land feared and was quiet-

9 when you, O God, rose up to judge,

to save all the afflicted of the land.

Selah

10 Surely your wrath against men brings you praise,

and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. [
a]

11 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;

let all the neighboring lands

bring gifts to the One to be feared.

12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;

he is feared by the kings of the earth.


Footnotes:


  1. Psalm 76:10 Or Surely the wrath of men brings you praise, / and with the remainder of wrath you arm yourself


Proverbs 12:15-17



15 The way of a fool seems right to him,

but a wise man listens to advice.


16 A fool shows his annoyance at once,

but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

17 A truthful witness gives honest testimony,

but a false witness tells lies.

No comments: