Sunday, 12 Tevet 5784 / December 24, 2023
Day 358 Readings
Torah: Parshat Vayechi, 1st Portion (Bereshit (Genesis) 47:28-48:9)
Genesis 47
New American Standard Bible 1995
28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the [a]length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 When [b]the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and [c]faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” 31 He said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.
Genesis 48
Israel’s Last Days
1 Now it came about after these things that [d]Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2 When [e]it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel [f]collected his strength and sat [g]up in the bed. 3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “[h]God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your [i]descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 But your offspring that [j]have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the [k]names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, [l]to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.”
Bible Study Together
2 Samuel 7:18-29
New American Standard Bible 1995
David’s Prayer
18 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord [a]God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 19 And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the [b]custom of man, O Lord God. 20 Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God! 21 For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know. 22 For this reason You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? 24 For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God. 25 Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken, 26 that Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 For You, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have [c]made a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found [d]courage to pray this prayer to You. 28 Now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have [e]promised this good thing to Your servant. 29 Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”
1 Chronicles 17
New American Standard Bible 1995
God’s Covenant with David
17 And it came about, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under curtains.” 2 Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3 It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and tell David My servant, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; 5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have [a]gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another. 6 In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?’”’ 7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth. 9 I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and not be moved again; and the [b]wicked will not waste them anymore as formerly, 10 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.
Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. 11 When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your [c]descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. 14 But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.”’” 15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
Why Celebrate?
On nights like Christmas Eve, we celebrate the spiritual significance of the birth of Christ who brought Heaven on earth. Beware – let us not be like the Jews of old whose fasting was a ceremonial expression, devoid of real hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me when in my merry making I have reduced such occasions to trivial partying. On nights of celebration – let me show my gratitude for Christ’s birth so I may truly share in the joy, peace and hope that comes from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture
Zechariah 6
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Four Chariots
1 Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong dappled horses. 4 Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the south country. 7 When the strong ones went out, they [a]were eager to go to [b]patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, [c]patrol the earth.” So they [d]patrolled the earth. 8 Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have [e]appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”
9 The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.
The Symbolic Crowns
11 Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is [f]Branch, for He will [g]branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [h]offices.”’ 14 Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and [i]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Those who are far off will come and [j]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God.
Zechariah 7
Hearts like Flint
7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [k]their men to [l]seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month [m]and abstain, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [n]these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? 6 When you eat and drink, [o]do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? 7 Are not these the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and [p]prosperous along with its cities around it, and the [q]Negev and the [r]foothills were inhabited?’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, 9 “Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the [s]orphan, the [t]stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they refused to pay attention and [u]turned a stubborn shoulder and [v]stopped their ears from hearing. 12 They made their hearts like [w]flint [x]so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts; 14 “but I [y]scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them [z]so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
Revelation 15
New American Standard Bible 1995
A Scene of Heaven
1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious [a]over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. 3 And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and marvelous are Your works,O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the [b]nations! 4 “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You,For Your [c]righteous acts have been revealed.”
5 After these things I looked, and the [d]temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 6 and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the [e]temple, clothed in [f]linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 And the [g]temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the [h]temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
Psalm 143
New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! 2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. 3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. 4 Therefore my spirit [a]is overwhelmed within me; My heart is [b]appalled within me.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6 I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a [c]parched land. [d]Selah.
7 Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk;For to You I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;[e]I take refuge in You.
10 Teach me to do Your will,For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level [f]ground. 11 For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me .In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. 12 And in Your lovingkindness, [g]cut off my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my soul,For I am Your servant.
Proverbs 30:21-23
New American Standard Bible 1995
21 Under three things the earth quakes, And under four, it cannot bear up: 22 Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food, 23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.
Proverbs 30:21-23
Complete Jewish Bible
21 Three things make the earth quake,four things it can’t bear —22 a slave who becomes king, a boor gorged with food,23 a hated [wife] when her husband takes her [back], and a slave-girl who inherits from her mistress.
Dear ABBA ELOHIM, My GOD and KING! Great are YOU O HOLY ONE of Israel!!!! I ask YOU today to bless Stephen with boldness to learn how to ask for what he wants, please LORD JESUS. I ask YOU today to break the chains of idolatry of his infatuation for Alexis and other girls he may have on his mind, break it today in JESUS Name, I ask that YOU will give him a new heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. O GOD Almighty, have YOUR way in Stephen's heart, mind, strength and his whole life. Thank YOU for this Joseph kind of a husband who is pure and thoughtful and so wonderful. Please make him fall so deeply and madly in love with me because of who I am deeply and truly inside. Let him understand that I am the woman in his dreams, the woman YOU have chosen and created for him. Please JESUS let him love me already!!!! I waited so long O GOD and YOU have created a most wonderful love story for me. Thank YOU for our love story! I thank YOU for this love story! O GOD, please help me to wait on YOU, help me to wait on YOU. Help me to be patient and to pace with my husband. I pray that YOU will encounter him and help him to seek YOU. Please KING JESUS, help him, draw him to YOU, to YOUR Word, let Stephen seek YOU through YOUR Word and find YOU there because I am asking YOU too! And even the things I have not asked YOU have faithfully provided for me so please KING JESUS help me. So that YOU will be glorified, magnified, honored, and praised ever so truly in our lives. YOU deserve all glory O GOD!
Ba HaShem YESHUA HaMashiach, Amen!