Friday, 17 Tevet 5784 / December 29, 2023
Day 363 Readings
Torah: Parshat Vayechi, 6th Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 49:27-50:20
Genesis 49
New American Standard Bible
27 “Benjamin is a [a]ravenous wolf;In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoils.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them [b]when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one [c]with the blessing appropriate to him.
Jacob Dies
29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a [d]burial site. 31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 50
Jacob Is Buried
1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Now forty days were [e]required for [f]it, for [g]such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.
4 When the days of [h]mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak [i]to Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now then, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” 6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. 9 Chariots with teams of horses also went up with him; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the [j]threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they mourned there with a very great and [k]sorrowful lamentation; and he [l]observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at [m]the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a [n]grievous [o]mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named [p]Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
Burial at Machpelah
12 And so his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah opposite Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a [q]burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers had seen that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent instructions to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying, 17 ‘This is what you shall say to Joseph: “Please forgive, I beg you, the offense of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [r]this present result, to keep many people alive.
Bible Study Together
1 Chronicles 19
New American Standard Bible
David’s Messengers Abused
19 Now it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. 3 But the commanders among the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “[a]Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search, to demolish, and to spy out the land?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 Then certain people went and told David about the men. And he sent messengers to meet them, because the men were very humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.”
6 When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent [b]a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped opposite Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to the battle. 8 When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. 9 The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
Ammon and Aram Defeated
10 Now when Joab saw that the [c]battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans. 11 But the remainder of the people he placed [d]under the command of [e]Abshai his brother; and they lined up against the sons of Ammon. 12 He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him. 15 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abshai and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 When the Arameans saw that they had been [f]defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer [g]leading them. 17 When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle formation against the Arameans, they fought against him. 18 And the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed of the Arameans seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers; and he put Shophach the commander of the army to death. 19 So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been [h]defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.
1 Chronicles 20
War with Philistine Giants
1 Then it happened [i]in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it.
1 Corinthians 4:18
New American Standard Bible
18 Now some have become [a]arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the [b]words of those who are arrogant, but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God is not in [c]words, but in power. 21 What do you desire? That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Sexual Immorality Rebuked
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, namely, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 [d]You have become [e]arrogant and [f]have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and [g]I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided [h]to turn such a person over to Satan for the destruction of his [i]body, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the [j]Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little [k]leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world. 11 But [l]actually, I [m]wrote to you not to associate [n]with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God [o]judges. Remove the evil person from among yourselves.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
Generational Issues
Will our forefathers’ sins impact badly on us? It doesn’t have to. First, let us acknowledge their mistakes, and then ask God to forgive these sins. Moreover, we choose not to follow such behaviour patterns but walk in God’s way. For the Lord has promised everlasting life to all who follow him.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that in Your mercy each one of us will be judged according to our own actions. Yet as the Holy Spirit brings to mind the sins of my ancestors, I ask You to forgive and cleanse my family from all unrighteous acts. I will follow You all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture
Zechariah 14
16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of armies, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of armies, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 This will be the [h]punishment of Egypt, and the [i]punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.
20 On that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of armies; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a [j]Canaanite in the house of the Lord of armies on that day.
Revelation 20
New American Standard Bible
Satan Bound
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain [a]in his hand. 2 And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of [b]their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Satan Freed and Doomed
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the [c]seashore. 9 And they came up on the [d]broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the [e]saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and [f]brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Judgment at the Throne of God
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose [g]presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and [h]books were opened; and another [i]book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the [j]books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if [k]anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Psalm 148
New American Standard Bible
The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.
1 [a]Praise [b]the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels;Praise Him, all His heavenly armies! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon;Praise Him, all stars of light! 4 Praise Him, [c]highest heavens,And the waters that are above the heavens! 5 They are to praise the name of the Lord,For He commanded and they were created. 6 He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree, and it will not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,Sea monsters, and all the ocean depths; 8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; 9 Mountains and all hills;Fruit trees and all cedars; 10 Animals and all cattle;Crawling things and winged fowl; 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Rulers and all judges of the earth; 12 Both young men and virgins; Old men and children.
13 They are to praise the name of the Lord,For His name alone is exalted;His majesty is above earth and heaven. 14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people,Praise for all His godly ones, For the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord!
Proverbs 31:8-9
New American Standard Bible
8 Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak, For the [a]rights of all the [b]unfortunate. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And [c]defend the rights of the poor and needy.