Friday, 25 Nissan 5784 / May 3, 2024
Day 489 Readings
Torah: Parshat Acharei, 6th Portion Vayikra (Leviticus) 18:6-21
Leviticus 18:6-21
English Standard Version
6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. 7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. 9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. 10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. 11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, brought up in your father's family, since she is your sister. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's relative. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's relative. 14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. 17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. 18 And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
19 “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. 20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them[a] to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
BIBLE Study Together
Hosea 6
English Standard Version
Israel and Judah Are Unrepentant
1 “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.
8 Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with blood.
9 As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together; they murder on the way to Shechem; they commit villainy.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim's whoredom is there; Israel is defiled.
11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed. When I restore the fortunes of my people,
Hosea 7
Complete Jewish Bible
7 when I am ready to heal Isra’el, the crimes of Efrayim confront me, along with the wickedness of Shomron. For they keep practicing deceit; thieves break in, bands of robbers raid outside.2 They never say to themselves that I remember all their evil. Now their own deeds surround them; they are right in front of me.3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the leaders with their lies. 4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker, who doesn’t stoke the fire from kneading time till the dough has risen.
5 “On their king’s special day the leaders inflame him with wine, and he joins hands with scorners, 6 who ready themselves like an oven while they wait for their chance. Their baker sleeps through the night; then in the morning it bursts into flame. 7 They are all as hot as an oven, and they devour their judges. All their kings have fallen; not one of them calls out to me.
8 “Efrayim mixes himself with the peoples, Efrayim has become a half-baked cake. 9 Foreigners have eaten up his strength, but he doesn’t know it; yes, gray hairs appear on him here and there, but he doesn’t know it.10 The pride of Isra’el testifies in his face, but in spite of all this they haven’t returned to Adonai their God or sought him. 11 Efrayim behaves like a silly, foolish dove —going to Egypt, then to Ashur for help. 12 Even as they go, I will spread my net over them; I will bring them down like birds from the sky; I will discipline them, as their assembly was told. 13 Woe to them! for they have strayed from me. Destruction to them! for they have wronged me. Am I supposed to redeem them, when they have spoken lies against me? 14 They have not cried out to me from their hearts, even though they wail on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and wine, yet turn away from me. 15 It was I who trained and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me. 16 They return, but not upward; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will die by the sword because of their angry talk. They will become a laughing stock in the land of Egypt.
ESV Readings
Scripture
Psalm 122
English Standard Version
Let Us Go to the House of the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for[a] Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions' sake I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
Numbers 2
Isaiah 39
English Standard Version
Envoys from Babylon
1 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2 And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” 4 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”
5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”
Ephesians 6:10-24
English Standard Version
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Final Greetings
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brothers,[a] and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
Dear AVI,
Great are YOU O LORD YESHUA Adonai Tzeva'ot King of the Universe!!! HOLY HOLY HOLY is YOUR Name YHVH! Forever YOU reign in majesty and power! YOU are Sovereign over all!!! I pray O GOD Almighty, for YOU to answer me because YOU are the true GOD that I worship, YOU are the living GOD! But how is it that the prayers of Catholic people are answered when they pray to St Nino and my prayers to YOU have not been answered??? Why did YOU answer the prayers of the people who pray to a statue and have not answered mine when I come to YOU the living GOD, I come crying asking YOU to help me with my debt on 2022 and YOU answered me in this very place that I type my prayers, the rooftop of our guest house where I need the sunlight to shine on me because I have been sick for days carrying a certain kind of flu. Thank YOU for the healing. Thank YOU for answering my prayers for the Townhouse to be sold because I kept crying out to YOU from this place for how YOu allowed me to be indebted with 2 Million pesos because of my heart that has been deceived. And I pray for Stephen today, I don't know why he is still in my heart, I want to let go of him, because I am afraid that whatever YOU told me will still end up futile and unfulfilled, like all the other promises that YOU gave me that never came to pass. All these men, I prayed for and no answer ever came back to me. Will YOU give me another husband who loves me so much he replicates YOUR love? Someone who will not be afraid to love me, but I love Stephen GOD, I love Stephen today and I wish he is the One who could love me without being afraid, I pray that YOU will do a work in his heart that I won't have to have a hard time loving him like I am having today. I still love him, but why can't he love me? Why can't YOU touch his heart to love me??? Why is he holding and suppressing his feelings? GOD today is my birthday and I seek YOU for answers because YOU are my All knowing GOD and I want to know the secrets that men hide but YOU know all things O GOD. I want to take advantage of this time of waiting, to seek YOU to understand how I could love him too. Please GOD tell me what I need to know, I think I know, he doesn't love YOU, he has not responded to YOUR call, that is why he is paralyzed from loving anyone but his mother - his safe space. I pray that YOU will keep calling and speaking to Aunty Benita to follow and love YOU, I pray that YOU will speak to her heart about me, that she will seek YOU because she is alone, that she will find YOU the GOD who wants to be known. I pray O GOD, take care of Aunty Benita. I pray that YOU reveal YOURSELF to her and to Stephen, through dreams and visions, let it be O GOD supernatural as YOU have made me experience YOU in a most special supernatural way. I pray O GOD, visit them even in the day. I pray O GOD, that she will open YOUR word and read and seek YOU. Won't she come to talk to me? GOD I pray that YOU will do a work with her and Stephen. I pray O GOD speak to them. If not, let me get over Stephen so I can start moving on with my life and marry the man YOU have chosen and be happy with him. I pray O GOD, do a mighty work as I continue to pray for the things YOU have put in my heart. Please GOD, have mercy on me. And if YOU don't want me to marry then simply take away the desires and do not let me desire this marriage with a human man. I pray that YOU will not inflict me with anymore pain loving someone who doens't love me. Please GOD, on July I will speak to Stephen about what is in my heart, I pray that YOU will prepare him for that special day so that I can already start moving on from him. Thank YOU for YOUR love for me, please always let me be aware of YOUR presence and love. Please continue to show me how much YOU love me, take care of all my dogs and please don't let Sunshine or Cobea be pregnant because I still don't have a home for them yet. Please KING JESUS thank YOU for my love birds who are finally happy in love, thank YOU for them O GOD. Thank YOU for this day please GOD give me something to hope for each day. Please GOD I want to be happy in YOU again, please let me be happy in YOU O GOD. I need YOU to make me happy in this world. I pray for Jerusalem, may YOU come to her already, come to us, come to all of us, come to live with us O GOD. Come LORD JESUS, and bring peace to Jerusalem only then she will experience true peace, when YOU reign over her as KING!
Ba HaShem YESHUA HaMashiach, Amen!