This week's parsha is:
Gen 1:1-6:8, Isa 42:5-43:11, John 1:1-14
The Beginning
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.- Genesis 1:1-4
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Week of Sept 22-29
This week's parsha is: HAPPY SUKKOT
Lev 22:26-23:44
Numbers 29:12-31
Exodus 33:12-34:26
Zech 14:1-21
I Kings 8:2-21
John 1:10-14
Rev 7:1-10, 21:1-4
Leviticus 22
26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.
29 "When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the LORD.
31 "Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD. 32 Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes [a] you holy [b] 33 and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD."
Leviticus 23
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
The Sabbath
3 " 'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
The Passover and Unleavened Bread
4 " 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6 On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 8 For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.' "
Firstfruits
9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah [c] of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin [d] of wine. 14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
Feast of Weeks
15 " 'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. 18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. [e] 20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "
Feast of Trumpets
23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.' "
Day of Atonement
26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, [f] and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath."
Feast of Tabernacles
33 The LORD said to Moses, 34 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.
37 (" 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the LORD by fire—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD's Sabbaths and [g] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the LORD.)
39 " 'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' "
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the LORD.
Lev 22:26-23:44
Numbers 29:12-31
Exodus 33:12-34:26
Zech 14:1-21
I Kings 8:2-21
John 1:10-14
Rev 7:1-10, 21:1-4
Leviticus 22
26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.
29 "When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the LORD.
31 "Keep my commands and follow them. I am the LORD. 32 Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes [a] you holy [b] 33 and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD."
Leviticus 23
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
The Sabbath
3 " 'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.
The Passover and Unleavened Bread
4 " 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6 On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 8 For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.' "
Firstfruits
9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah [c] of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made to the LORD by fire, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin [d] of wine. 14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
Feast of Weeks
15 " 'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. 18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. [e] 20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the LORD as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the LORD for the priest. 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "
Feast of Trumpets
23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.' "
Day of Atonement
26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, [f] and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath."
Feast of Tabernacles
33 The LORD said to Moses, 34 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.
37 (" 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the LORD by fire—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD's Sabbaths and [g] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the LORD.)
39 " 'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' "
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the LORD.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Week of Sept 15-22
This weeks parsha:
"and this blessing"- Deut 33:1-34:12, Joshua 1:1-18, Rev 22:1-5
1 This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:
"The LORD came from Sinai
and dawned over them from Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran.
He came with [a] myriads of holy ones
from the south, from his mountain slopes. [b]
3 Surely it is you who love the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.
At your feet they all bow down,
and from you receive instruction,
4 the law that Moses gave us,
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
5 He was king over Jeshurun [c]
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
6 "Let Reuben live and not die,
nor [d] his men be few."
7 And this he said about Judah:
"Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!"
8 About Levi he said:
"Your Thummim and Urim belong
to the man you favored.
You tested him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.
9 He said of his father and mother,
'I have no regard for them.'
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.
10 He teaches your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.
He offers incense before you
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless all his skills, O LORD,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.
Smite the loins of those who rise up against him;
strike his foes till they rise no more."
12 About Benjamin he said:
"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders."
13 About Joseph he said:
"May the LORD bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among [e] his brothers.
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his horns are the horns of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;
such are the thousands of Manasseh."
18 About Zebulun he said:
"Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain
and there offer sacrifices of righteousness;
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,
on the treasures hidden in the sand."
20 About Gad he said:
"Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain!
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;
the leader's portion was kept for him.
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the LORD's righteous will,
and his judgments concerning Israel."
22 About Dan he said:
"Dan is a lion's cub,
springing out of Bashan."
23 About Naphtali he said:
"Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake."
24 About Asher he said:
"Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil.
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
and your strength will equal your days.
26 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides on the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, 'Destroy him!'
28 So Israel will live in safety alone;
Jacob's spring is secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.
29 Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD ?
He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample down their high places. [f] "
Deuteronomy 34
The Death of Moses
1 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, [g] 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." 5 And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6 He buried him [h] in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit [i] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.
10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
Joshua 1
The LORD Commands Joshua
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea [a] on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "
12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.' 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers 15 until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise."
16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"
Revelation 22
The River of Life
1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
"and this blessing"- Deut 33:1-34:12, Joshua 1:1-18, Rev 22:1-5
1 This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:
"The LORD came from Sinai
and dawned over them from Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran.
He came with [a] myriads of holy ones
from the south, from his mountain slopes. [b]
3 Surely it is you who love the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.
At your feet they all bow down,
and from you receive instruction,
4 the law that Moses gave us,
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
5 He was king over Jeshurun [c]
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
6 "Let Reuben live and not die,
nor [d] his men be few."
7 And this he said about Judah:
"Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!"
8 About Levi he said:
"Your Thummim and Urim belong
to the man you favored.
You tested him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.
9 He said of his father and mother,
'I have no regard for them.'
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.
10 He teaches your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.
He offers incense before you
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless all his skills, O LORD,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.
Smite the loins of those who rise up against him;
strike his foes till they rise no more."
12 About Benjamin he said:
"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders."
13 About Joseph he said:
"May the LORD bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among [e] his brothers.
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his horns are the horns of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;
such are the thousands of Manasseh."
18 About Zebulun he said:
"Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain
and there offer sacrifices of righteousness;
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,
on the treasures hidden in the sand."
20 About Gad he said:
"Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain!
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;
the leader's portion was kept for him.
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the LORD's righteous will,
and his judgments concerning Israel."
22 About Dan he said:
"Dan is a lion's cub,
springing out of Bashan."
23 About Naphtali he said:
"Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake."
24 About Asher he said:
"Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil.
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
and your strength will equal your days.
26 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides on the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, 'Destroy him!'
28 So Israel will live in safety alone;
Jacob's spring is secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.
29 Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD ?
He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample down their high places. [f] "
Deuteronomy 34
The Death of Moses
1 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, [g] 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." 5 And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6 He buried him [h] in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit [i] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.
10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
Joshua 1
The LORD Commands Joshua
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea [a] on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "
12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.' 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers 15 until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise."
16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"
Revelation 22
The River of Life
1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Week of Sept. 8-15
This Week's Portion:
Deut 32:1-32:52, 2Sam 22:1-22:51, Rom 10:14-11:12
Sundown September 12th is Rosh Hashanah...or "The Days of Awe"(in James Earl Jones voice)
"Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts."- Leviticus 23:24
1 Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants. 3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God! 4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he. 5 They have acted corruptly toward him;
to their shame they are no longer his children,
but a warped and crooked generation. [a]6 Is this the way you repay the LORD,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is he not your Father, your Creator, [b]
who made you and formed you? 7 Remember the days of old;
consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will explain to you. 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of Israel. [c] 9 For the LORD's portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted inheritance. 10 In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye, 11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them on its pinions. 12 The LORD alone led him;
no foreign god was with him. 13 He made him ride on the heights of the land
and fed him with the fruit of the fields.
He nourished him with honey from the rock,
and with oil from the flinty crag,14 with curds and milk from herd and flock
and with fattened lambs and goats,
with choice rams of Bashan
and the finest kernels of wheat.
You drank the foaming blood of the grape.15 Jeshurun [d] grew fat and kicked;
filled with food, he became heavy and sleek.
He abandoned the God who made him
and rejected the Rock his Savior.16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods
and angered him with their detestable idols. 17 They sacrificed to demons, which are not God—
gods they had not known,
gods that recently appeared,
gods your fathers did not fear. 18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19 The LORD saw this and rejected them
because he was angered by his sons and daughters. 20 "I will hide my face from them," he said,
"and see what their end will be;
for they are a perverse generation,
children who are unfaithful. 21 They made me jealous by what is no god
and angered me with their worthless idols.
I will make them envious by those who are not a people;
I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. 22 For a fire has been kindled by my wrath,
one that burns to the realm of death [e] below.
It will devour the earth and its harvests
and set afire the foundations of the mountains. 23 "I will heap calamities upon them
and spend my arrows against them. 24 I will send wasting famine against them,
consuming pestilence and deadly plague;
I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,
the venom of vipers that glide in the dust. 25 In the street the sword will make them childless;
in their homes terror will reign.
Young men and young women will perish,
infants and gray-haired men. 26 I said I would scatter them
and blot out their memory from mankind, 27 but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
lest the adversary misunderstand
and say, 'Our hand has triumphed;
the LORD has not done all this.' " 28 They are a nation without sense,
there is no discernment in them. 29 If only they were wise and would understand this
and discern what their end will be! 30 How could one man chase a thousand,
or two put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
unless the LORD had given them up? 31 For their rock is not like our Rock,
as even our enemies concede. 32 Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison,
and their clusters with bitterness. 33 Their wine is the venom of serpents,
the deadly poison of cobras. 34 "Have I not kept this in reserve
and sealed it in my vaults? 35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
In due time their foot will slip;
their day of disaster is near
and their doom rushes upon them."36 The LORD will judge his people
and have compassion on his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free. 37 He will say: "Now where are their gods,
the rock they took refuge in, 38 the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up to help you!
Let them give you shelter! 39 "See now that I myself am He!
There is no god besides me.
I put to death and I bring to life,
I have wounded and I will heal,
and no one can deliver out of my hand. 40 I lift my hand to heaven and declare:
As surely as I live forever, 41 when I sharpen my flashing sword
and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries
and repay those who hate me. 42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
while my sword devours flesh:
the blood of the slain and the captives,
the heads of the enemy leaders." 43 Rejoice, O nations, with his people, [f] , [g]
for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
he will take vengeance on his enemies
and make atonement for his land and people.
44 Moses came with Joshua [h] son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."
48 On that same day the LORD told Moses, 49 "Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. 50 There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. 51 This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. 52 Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."
Footnotes:
1 David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn [a] of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me. 4 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies. 5 "The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 6 The cords of the grave [b] coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.7 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears. 8 "The earth trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens [c] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.9 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.11 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared [d] on the wings of the wind.12 He made darkness his canopy around him—
the dark [e] rain clouds of the sky. 13 Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth. 14 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded. 15 He shot arrows and scattered the enemies ,
bolts of lightning and routed them.16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke of the LORD,
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.17 "He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.20 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.21 "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.23 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees. 24 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin. 25 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness [f] in his sight. 26 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 27 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.28 You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. 29 You are my lamp, O LORD;
the LORD turns my darkness into light. 30 With your help I can advance against a troop [g] ;
with my God I can scale a wall. 31 "As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.32 For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God? 33 It is God who arms me with strength [h]
and makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights. 35 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You give me your shield of victory;
you stoop down to make me great 37 You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.38 "I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.39 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.40 You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.
44 "You have delivered me from the attacks of my people;
you have preserved me as the head of nations.
People I did not know are subject to me, 45 and foreigners come cringing to me;
as soon as they hear me, they obey me. 46 They all lose heart;
they come trembling [i] from their strongholds. 47 "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! 48 He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me, 49 who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men you rescued me. 50 Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
51 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever."
14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"[a]
16But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"[b] 17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."[c] 19Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
"I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."[d] 20And Isaiah boldly says,
"I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."[e] 21But concerning Israel he says,
"All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people."[f]
Romans 11
The Remnant of Israel
1I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"[g]? 4And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."[h] 5So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.[i]
7What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8as it is written:
"God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes so that they could not see
and ears so that they could not hear,
to this very day."[j] 9And David says:
"May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever."[k]
11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
Footnotes:
Deut 32:1-32:52, 2Sam 22:1-22:51, Rom 10:14-11:12
Sundown September 12th is Rosh Hashanah...or "The Days of Awe"(in James Earl Jones voice)
"Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts."- Leviticus 23:24
1 Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants. 3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God! 4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he. 5 They have acted corruptly toward him;
to their shame they are no longer his children,
but a warped and crooked generation. [a]6 Is this the way you repay the LORD,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is he not your Father, your Creator, [b]
who made you and formed you? 7 Remember the days of old;
consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will explain to you. 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of Israel. [c] 9 For the LORD's portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted inheritance. 10 In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye, 11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them on its pinions. 12 The LORD alone led him;
no foreign god was with him. 13 He made him ride on the heights of the land
and fed him with the fruit of the fields.
He nourished him with honey from the rock,
and with oil from the flinty crag,14 with curds and milk from herd and flock
and with fattened lambs and goats,
with choice rams of Bashan
and the finest kernels of wheat.
You drank the foaming blood of the grape.15 Jeshurun [d] grew fat and kicked;
filled with food, he became heavy and sleek.
He abandoned the God who made him
and rejected the Rock his Savior.16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods
and angered him with their detestable idols. 17 They sacrificed to demons, which are not God—
gods they had not known,
gods that recently appeared,
gods your fathers did not fear. 18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19 The LORD saw this and rejected them
because he was angered by his sons and daughters. 20 "I will hide my face from them," he said,
"and see what their end will be;
for they are a perverse generation,
children who are unfaithful. 21 They made me jealous by what is no god
and angered me with their worthless idols.
I will make them envious by those who are not a people;
I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. 22 For a fire has been kindled by my wrath,
one that burns to the realm of death [e] below.
It will devour the earth and its harvests
and set afire the foundations of the mountains. 23 "I will heap calamities upon them
and spend my arrows against them. 24 I will send wasting famine against them,
consuming pestilence and deadly plague;
I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,
the venom of vipers that glide in the dust. 25 In the street the sword will make them childless;
in their homes terror will reign.
Young men and young women will perish,
infants and gray-haired men. 26 I said I would scatter them
and blot out their memory from mankind, 27 but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
lest the adversary misunderstand
and say, 'Our hand has triumphed;
the LORD has not done all this.' " 28 They are a nation without sense,
there is no discernment in them. 29 If only they were wise and would understand this
and discern what their end will be! 30 How could one man chase a thousand,
or two put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock had sold them,
unless the LORD had given them up? 31 For their rock is not like our Rock,
as even our enemies concede. 32 Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison,
and their clusters with bitterness. 33 Their wine is the venom of serpents,
the deadly poison of cobras. 34 "Have I not kept this in reserve
and sealed it in my vaults? 35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
In due time their foot will slip;
their day of disaster is near
and their doom rushes upon them."36 The LORD will judge his people
and have compassion on his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free. 37 He will say: "Now where are their gods,
the rock they took refuge in, 38 the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise up to help you!
Let them give you shelter! 39 "See now that I myself am He!
There is no god besides me.
I put to death and I bring to life,
I have wounded and I will heal,
and no one can deliver out of my hand. 40 I lift my hand to heaven and declare:
As surely as I live forever, 41 when I sharpen my flashing sword
and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries
and repay those who hate me. 42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
while my sword devours flesh:
the blood of the slain and the captives,
the heads of the enemy leaders." 43 Rejoice, O nations, with his people, [f] , [g]
for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
he will take vengeance on his enemies
and make atonement for his land and people.
44 Moses came with Joshua [h] son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."
48 On that same day the LORD told Moses, 49 "Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. 50 There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. 51 This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. 52 Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."
Footnotes:
1 David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn [a] of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me. 4 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies. 5 "The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 6 The cords of the grave [b] coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.7 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears. 8 "The earth trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens [c] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.9 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.11 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared [d] on the wings of the wind.12 He made darkness his canopy around him—
the dark [e] rain clouds of the sky. 13 Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth. 14 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded. 15 He shot arrows and scattered the enemies ,
bolts of lightning and routed them.16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke of the LORD,
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.17 "He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.20 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.21 "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.23 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees. 24 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin. 25 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness [f] in his sight. 26 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 27 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.28 You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. 29 You are my lamp, O LORD;
the LORD turns my darkness into light. 30 With your help I can advance against a troop [g] ;
with my God I can scale a wall. 31 "As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.32 For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God? 33 It is God who arms me with strength [h]
and makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights. 35 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You give me your shield of victory;
you stoop down to make me great 37 You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.38 "I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.39 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.40 You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.
44 "You have delivered me from the attacks of my people;
you have preserved me as the head of nations.
People I did not know are subject to me, 45 and foreigners come cringing to me;
as soon as they hear me, they obey me. 46 They all lose heart;
they come trembling [i] from their strongholds. 47 "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! 48 He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me, 49 who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men you rescued me. 50 Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
51 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever."
14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"[a]
16But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"[b] 17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
"Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."[c] 19Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
"I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."[d] 20And Isaiah boldly says,
"I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."[e] 21But concerning Israel he says,
"All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people."[f]
Romans 11
The Remnant of Israel
1I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"[g]? 4And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."[h] 5So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.[i]
7What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8as it is written:
"God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes so that they could not see
and ears so that they could not hear,
to this very day."[j] 9And David says:
"May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever."[k]
11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
Footnotes:
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Deuteronomy 29:10-30:20
10"You are standing today all of you before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes,[a] your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11your little ones, your wives, and the(A) sojourner who is in your camp, from(B) the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, 12so that you may enter into the(C) sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today, 13that he may(D) establish you today as his people, and that(E) he may be your God, as he promised you, and(F) as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14It is not with you alone(G) that I am making this sworn covenant, 15but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God,(H) and with whoever is not here with us today.
16"You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. 17And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. 18Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you(I) a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather(J) the anger of the LORD and(K) his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD(L) will blot out his name from under heaven. 21And the LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. 22And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land,(M) will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick— 23the whole land burned out with brimstone and(N) salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout,(O) an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah,(P) Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger and wrath— 24all the nations(Q) will say,(R) 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?' 25Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, 26and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them. 27Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land,(S) bringing upon it all the curses written in this book, 28and the LORD(T) uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and(U) cast them into another land, as they are this day.'
29"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 30
Repentance and Forgiveness 1(V) "And(W) when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and(X) you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2and(Y) return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3then the LORD your God(Z) will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and he will(AA) gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4(AB) If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it.(AC) And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6And(AD) the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring,(AE) so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9(AF) The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground.(AG) For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Choice of Life and Death 11"For this commandment that I command you today(AH) is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12(AI) It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 14But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
15"See,(AJ) I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God[b] that I command you today,(AK) by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,[c] then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17But if(AL) your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18(AM) I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death,(AN) blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice(AO) and holding fast to him, for(AP) he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in(AQ) the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
Isaiah 61:10-63:9
10(A) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God,(B) for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself(C) like a priest with a beautiful headdress, (D) and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,so the Lord GOD will cause(E) righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
Isaiah 62
Zion’s Coming Salvation 1(F) For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,(G) until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.2(H) The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory,(I) and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.3You shall be(J) a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.4(K) You shall no more be termed(L) Forsaken,[a] and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,[b](M) but you shall be called(N) My Delight Is in Her,[c] and your land Married;[d]for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.5For as a young man marries a young woman, so(O) shall your sons marry you,and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so(P) shall your God rejoice over you.
6On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set(Q) watchmen;all the day and all the night they shall never be silent.You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest,7and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it(R) a praise in the earth.8The LORD has sworn(S) by his right hand and by his mighty arm:"I will not again give(T) your grain to be food for your enemies,(U) and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored;9but(V) those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD,and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary."[e]
10Go through, go through the gates; (W) prepare the way for the people;(X) build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; (Y) lift up a signal over the peoples.11Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth:(Z) Say to the daughter of Zion, (AA) "Behold, your salvation comes;behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."12(AB) And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD;(AC) and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.
Isaiah 63
The LORD’s Day of Vengeance 1Who is this who comes from(AD) Edom, in crimsoned garments from(AE) Bozrah,he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?"It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."
2Why is your(AF) apparel red, and your garments like his(AG) who treads in the winepress?
3(AH) "I have trodden the winepress alone, (AI) and from the peoples no one was with me;I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath;their lifeblood[f] spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel.4(AJ) For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption[g] had come.5I looked, but(AK) there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me.6I trampled down the peoples in my anger; (AL) I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."
The LORD’s Mercy Remembered 7I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD,according to all that the LORD has granted us, (AM) and the great goodness to the house of Israelthat he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.8For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely." And he became their Savior.9(AN) In all their affliction he was afflicted,[h] and the angel of his presence saved them;(AO) in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; (AP) he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Romans 10:1-12
1Brothers,[a] my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that(A) they have a zeal for God,(B) but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of(C) the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For(D) Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.[b]
The Message of Salvation to All 5For(E) Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that(F) the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6But(G) the righteousness based on faith says,(H) "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7or "'Who will descend into the(I) abyss?'" (that is,(J) to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say?(K) "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if(L) you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and(M) believe in your heart(N) that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says,(O) "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 12(P) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;(Q) for the same Lord is Lord of all,(R) bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
10"You are standing today all of you before the LORD your God: the heads of your tribes,[a] your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11your little ones, your wives, and the(A) sojourner who is in your camp, from(B) the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, 12so that you may enter into the(C) sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is making with you today, 13that he may(D) establish you today as his people, and that(E) he may be your God, as he promised you, and(F) as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14It is not with you alone(G) that I am making this sworn covenant, 15but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God,(H) and with whoever is not here with us today.
16"You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. 17And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. 18Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you(I) a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather(J) the anger of the LORD and(K) his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD(L) will blot out his name from under heaven. 21And the LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. 22And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land,(M) will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick— 23the whole land burned out with brimstone and(N) salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout,(O) an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah,(P) Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger and wrath— 24all the nations(Q) will say,(R) 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?' 25Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, 26and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them. 27Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land,(S) bringing upon it all the curses written in this book, 28and the LORD(T) uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and(U) cast them into another land, as they are this day.'
29"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 30
Repentance and Forgiveness 1(V) "And(W) when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and(X) you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2and(Y) return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3then the LORD your God(Z) will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and he will(AA) gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4(AB) If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it.(AC) And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6And(AD) the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring,(AE) so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9(AF) The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground.(AG) For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
The Choice of Life and Death 11"For this commandment that I command you today(AH) is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12(AI) It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 14But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
15"See,(AJ) I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God[b] that I command you today,(AK) by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,[c] then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17But if(AL) your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18(AM) I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death,(AN) blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice(AO) and holding fast to him, for(AP) he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in(AQ) the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
Isaiah 61:10-63:9
10(A) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God,(B) for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself(C) like a priest with a beautiful headdress, (D) and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,so the Lord GOD will cause(E) righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
Isaiah 62
Zion’s Coming Salvation 1(F) For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,(G) until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.2(H) The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory,(I) and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.3You shall be(J) a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.4(K) You shall no more be termed(L) Forsaken,[a] and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,[b](M) but you shall be called(N) My Delight Is in Her,[c] and your land Married;[d]for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.5For as a young man marries a young woman, so(O) shall your sons marry you,and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so(P) shall your God rejoice over you.
6On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set(Q) watchmen;all the day and all the night they shall never be silent.You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest,7and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it(R) a praise in the earth.8The LORD has sworn(S) by his right hand and by his mighty arm:"I will not again give(T) your grain to be food for your enemies,(U) and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored;9but(V) those who garner it shall eat it and praise the LORD,and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary."[e]
10Go through, go through the gates; (W) prepare the way for the people;(X) build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; (Y) lift up a signal over the peoples.11Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth:(Z) Say to the daughter of Zion, (AA) "Behold, your salvation comes;behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."12(AB) And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD;(AC) and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.
Isaiah 63
The LORD’s Day of Vengeance 1Who is this who comes from(AD) Edom, in crimsoned garments from(AE) Bozrah,he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?"It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."
2Why is your(AF) apparel red, and your garments like his(AG) who treads in the winepress?
3(AH) "I have trodden the winepress alone, (AI) and from the peoples no one was with me;I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath;their lifeblood[f] spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel.4(AJ) For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption[g] had come.5I looked, but(AK) there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me.6I trampled down the peoples in my anger; (AL) I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."
The LORD’s Mercy Remembered 7I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD,according to all that the LORD has granted us, (AM) and the great goodness to the house of Israelthat he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.8For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely." And he became their Savior.9(AN) In all their affliction he was afflicted,[h] and the angel of his presence saved them;(AO) in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; (AP) he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Romans 10:1-12
1Brothers,[a] my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that(A) they have a zeal for God,(B) but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of(C) the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For(D) Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.[b]
The Message of Salvation to All 5For(E) Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that(F) the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6But(G) the righteousness based on faith says,(H) "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7or "'Who will descend into the(I) abyss?'" (that is,(J) to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say?(K) "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if(L) you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and(M) believe in your heart(N) that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says,(O) "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 12(P) For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;(Q) for the same Lord is Lord of all,(R) bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
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