Monday, 6 Tevet 5784 / December 18, 2023
Day 352 Reading
Torah: Parshat Vayigash, 2nd Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 44:31-45:7
Genesis 44
New American Standard Bible 1995
31 when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then [a]let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would [b]overtake my father?”
Genesis 45:
Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers
1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there [c]was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 He [d]wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. 3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come [e]closer to me.” And they came [f]closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now do not be grieved or angry [g]with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great [h]deliverance.
Bible Study Together
2 Samuel 4-5
2 Samuel 4
1 When Ish-Boshet the son of Sha’ul heard that Avner had died in Hevron, his courage failed; and all Isra’el became alarmed. 2 Sha’ul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding parties, one called Ba‘anah and the other Rekhav, sons of Rimmon the Be’eroti, of the people of Binyamin (for Be’erot is counted as part of Binyamin, 3 even though the Be’erotim fled to Gittayim and have lived as foreigners there to this day). 4 Now Y’honatan the son of Sha’ul’s had a son, and he was lame in both legs. He had been five years old when the news about Sha’ul and Y’honatan came from Yizre‘el. His nurse had gathered him up and fled; but as she was hurrying to get away, he fell and became lame. His name was M’fivoshet. 5 The sons of Rimmon the Be’eroti, Rekhav and Ba‘anah went and arrived during the heat of the day at the home of Ish-Boshet as he was taking his afternoon rest. 6 They went right into the house, as if they were coming to get wheat, and stabbed him in the groin; then Rekhav and Ba‘anah his brother escaped. 7 They entered the house as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, stabbed him and killed him; then they beheaded him, took his head and fled all night along the road through the ‘Aravah. 8 They brought the head of Ish-Boshet to David in Hevron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Boshet the son of Sha’ul your enemy, who wanted to take your life. Today Adonai has taken revenge on Sha’ul and his son for the sake of my lord the king.”
9 But David answered Rekhav and Ba‘anah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be’eroti, “As Adonai lives, who has rescued me from every kind of difficulty, 10 when someone told me, ‘Here, Sha’ul is dead,’ thinking to himself that he was bringing good news, I didn’t reward him for his news but seized him and killed him in Ziklag. 11 How much more, when criminals have killed an innocent man in his own house on his own bed, shouldn’t I hold you responsible for his death and rid the earth of you?” 12 David then gave the order to his men, and they put them to death, cutting off their hands and feet and hanging them up next to the pool at Hevron. But they took the head of Ish-Boshet and buried it in Avner’s grave at Hevron.
2 Samuel 5
1 Then all the tribes of Isra’el came to David in Hevron and said, “Here, we are your own flesh and bone. 2 In the past, when Sha’ul was king over us, it was you who led Isra’el’s military campaigns; and Adonai said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Isra’el, and you will be chief over Isra’el.’” 3 So all the leaders of Isra’el came to the king in Hevron, and King David made a covenant with them in Hevron in the presence of Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Isra’el.
1 Chronicles 12:23-40
New American Standard Bible 1995
Supporters Gathered at Hebron
23 Now these are the numbers of the [a]divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the [b]word of the Lord. 24 The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war. 25 Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. 26 Of the sons of Levi 4,600. 27 Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700, 28 also Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains. 29 Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. 30 Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ households. 31 Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king. 32 Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. 33 Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David [c]with an undivided heart. 34 Of Naphtali there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 with shield and spear. 35 Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, there were 28,600. 36 Of Asher there were 40,000 who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation. 37 From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.
38 All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king. 39 They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. 40 Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
We Need Your Presence
The Israelites always remembered Jerusalem even when they were in exile in Babylon, Jerusalem, where God was worshipped, where they could experience the presence and blessing of God. And what about you and I? In those times of challenges, in those times when things look hopeless and dark, in times of weeping - can we look up to Jesus and ask for his presence and look forward to his intervention? Let us remember that in all things, he works to our good. Let us look up in faith to our personal Jerusalem - his intervention and deliverance in our lives.
Prayer: Lord, in your presence is life and joy and abundance. In our challenges and difficulties, let us not just weep but look with faith to you for your intervention, presence in our lives and your blessing. We need you, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture
Habakkuk 1
New American Standard Bible 1995
Chaldeans Used to Punish Judah
1 The [a]oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.4 Therefore the law is [b]ignored And justice [c]is never upheld.For the wicked surround the righteous;Therefore justice comes out perverted.
5 “Look among the nations! Observe!Be astonished! Wonder!Because I am doing something in your days—You would not believe if [d]you were told. 6 “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,That [e]fierce and impetuous people Who march [f]throughout the earthTo [g]seize dwelling places which are not theirs.7 “They are dreaded and feared;Their justice and [h]authority [i]originate with themselves.8 “Their horses are swifter than leopards And [j]keener than wolves in the evening.Their [k]horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.9 “All of them come for violence.[l]Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand.10 “They mock at kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up rubble to capture it. 11 “Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god.”
12 Are You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge;And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.13 Your eyes are too pure to [m]approve evil,And You can not look on wickedness with favor.Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously?Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? 14 Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? 15 The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. 16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And [n]burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their [o]catch is [p]large,And their food is [q]plentiful. 17 Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing?
Habakkuk 2
God Answers the Prophet
1 I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply [r]when I am reproved. 2 Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That [s]the one who [t]reads it may run. 3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It [u]hastens toward the goal and it will not [v]fail.Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him;But the righteous will live by his [w]faith. 5 “Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man,So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied.He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples.
6 “Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery and insinuations against him And say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his—For how long—And makes himself [x]rich with loans?’ 7 “Will not [y]your creditors rise up suddenly,And those who [z]collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. 8 “Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you—Because of human bloodshed and violence [aa]done to the land,To the town and all its inhabitants.
9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high, To be delivered from the hand of calamity! 10 “You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples; So you are sinning against yourself. 11 “Surely the stone will cry out from the wall,And the rafter will answer it from the [ab]framework.
12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshedAnd founds a town with [ac]violence! 13 “Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing? 14 “For the earth will be filledWith the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,As the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to you who make [ad]your neighbors drink,Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness!16 “You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and [ae]expose your own nakedness. The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory.17 “For the violence [af]done to Lebanon will [ag]overwhelm you,And the devastation of its beasts [ah]by which you terrified them,Because of human bloodshed and violence [ai]done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.
18 “What profit is the [aj]idol when its maker has carved it, Or [ak]an image, a teacher of falsehood?For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols. 19 “Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it. 20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple.[al]Let all the earth be silent before Him.”
Habbakuk 3
God’s Deliverance of His People
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to [am]Shigionoth.
2 Lord, I have heard [an]the report about You and [ao]I fear. O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,In the midst of the years make it known;In wrath remember [ap]mercy.
3 God comes from Teman,And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.His splendor covers the heavens,And the earth is full of His praise. 4 His radiance is like the sunlight;He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power. 5 Before Him goes pestilence, And plague comes [aq]after Him. 6 He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations. Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered, The ancient hills [ar]collapsed. His ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan under distress, The tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling.
8 Did the Lord rage against the rivers,Or was Your anger against the rivers, Or was Your wrath against the sea,That You rode on Your horses,On Your chariots of salvation?9 Your bow was made bare,The rods of [as]chastisement were sworn. Selah. You cleaved the earth with rivers.10 The mountains saw You and quaked;The downpour of waters swept by.The deep uttered forth its voice,It lifted high its hands.11 Sun and moon stood in their places;They went away at the light of Your arrows,At the radiance of Your gleaming spear.12 In indignation You marched through the earth;In anger You [at]trampled the nations.13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people,For the salvation of Your anointed. You struck the head of the house of the evil To lay him open from [au]thigh to neck. Selah. 14 You pierced with his own [av]spears The head of his [aw]throngs. They stormed in to scatter [ax]us;Their exultation was like thoseWho devour the oppressed in secret. 15 You trampled on the sea with Your horses,On the surge of many waters.
16 I heard and my [ay]inward parts trembled,At the sound my lips quivered.Decay enters my bones,And in my place I tremble.Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress,[az]For the people to arise who will invade us. 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no [ba]fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord [bb]God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,And makes me walk on my high places.
For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
Revelation 9
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit
1 Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the [a]bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the [b]bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts [c]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [d]they were not permitted to kill [e]anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it [f]stings a man. 6 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7 The [g]appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is [h]Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name [i]Apollyon.
12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
The Sixth Trumpet—Army from the East
13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard [j]a voice from the [k]four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of [l]mankind. 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And [m]this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of [n]brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and [o]brimstone. 18 A third of [p]mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the [q]brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.
20 The rest of [r]mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
Psalm 137
New American Standard Bible 1995
An Experience of the Captivity.
1 By the rivers of Babylon,There we sat down and wept,When we remembered Zion. 2 Upon the [a]willows in the midst of it We hung our [b]harps. 3 For there our captors [c]demanded of us [d]songs,And our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
4 How can we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,May my right hand [e]forget her skill.6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouthIf I do not remember you,If I do not [f]exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.
7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of EdomThe day of Jerusalem,Who said, “Raze it, raze it To its very foundation.” 8 O daughter of Babylon, you [g]devastated one,How blessed will be the one who repays youWith [h]the recompense with which you have repaid us.9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock.
Proverbs 30:7-9
New American Standard Bible 1995
7 Two things I asked of You,Do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep deception and [a]lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, 9 That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”Or that I not be in want and steal,And profane the name of my God.