Sunday, 6 Nissan 5784 / April 14, 2024
Day 470 Readings
Torah: Parshat Metzora, 1st Portion Vayikra (Leviticus) 14:1-12
Leviticus 14:1-12
English Standard Version
Laws for Cleansing Lepers
14 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, 3 and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, 4 the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live[a] clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. 5 And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh[b] water. 6 He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7 And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. 8 And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days. 9 And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean.
10 “And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah[c] of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log[d] of oil. 11 And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the Lord, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 12 And the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord.
BIBLE Study Together
Jonah 4
English Standard Version
Jonah's Anger and the Lord's Compassion
4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,[a] and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant[b] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort.[c] So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
Amos 1-2:3
English Standard Version
1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds[a] of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years[b] before the earthquake.
Judgment on Israel's Neighbors
2 And he said:
“The Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem;the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.”
3 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,[c]because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.5 I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,[d]and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,”says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom.7 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds.8 I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,”says the Lord God.
9 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.”
11 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity,and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.12 So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.14 So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds,with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;15 and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes[e] together,”says the Lord.
2 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,[f]because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom.2 So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;3 I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its princes[g] with him,”says the Lord.
ESV Readings
Scripture
Psalm 104
English Standard Version
O Lord My God, You Are Very Great
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,2 covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.
5 He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.7 At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them.9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;11 they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.17 In them the birds build their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees.18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons;[a] the sun knows its time for setting.20 You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.21 The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.22 When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.23 Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.25 Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.26 There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.[b]
27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season.28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.30 When you send forth your Spirit,[c] they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works,32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more!Bless the Lord, O my soul!Praise the Lord!
Leviticus 11
Isaiah 9:8-21
English Standard Version
Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression
8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel;9 and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”11 But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. 12 The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
13 The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the Lord of hosts. 14 So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day— 15 the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; 16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.17 Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly.[a]For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another. 20 They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, 21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 10:1
2 Corinthians 6:11-18
English Standard Version
11 We have spoken freely to you,[a] Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
The Temple of the Living God
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial?[b] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord,and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 7:1
Dear ABBA,
HOLY is YOUR Name O GOD! Forgive me that I was supposed to read YOUR Word before I sleep but I worked and worked until I was sleepy. Thank YOU that I enjoy my work and that there's many things I want to do. Direct my steps O GOD because life does not consist of abundance of wealth. I do not want to be richer, I want to be loved by a husband which YOU have not given me yet. Okay maybe I am not worthy or fit to have one because I am maldita, but YOU also promised in YOUR WORD that YOU do not treat us as our sins deserve, and that because of JESUS, YOUR grace has abounded freely in us, giving us undeserved favor. So I am asking YOU this favor of sending a man who loves me who is respected by my family, who can inspire me and make me better. Ok you sent me this man already but he doesn't love me. So how can YOU send someone who lacks??? YOUR gifts are always perfect because it comes from the FATHER of heavenly lights. Help me to be patient to wait. I continue to pray for Stephen while I wait that YOU will deal with him, speak to him, reveal YOURSELF to him, I pray without so much expectations because YOU have hurt me many times before. If it's not Stephen I know YOU will send another son of YOURS. Please GOD I am already angry with Stephen, turned off but I still like him, and this is why it's killing me, just let me move on from him and send someone else for me. But not my will but YOURS be done O GOD, give me patience and help me to rest in YOUR Presence knowing that YOU complete me because YOUR love for me is more than enough to supply my lack and need for love. Help me! Help my BF too please bring her the man that YOU have chosen for her, fit for her, please GOD look on us with mercy and favor. If it's Daniel, let it be today, this Daniel is also arrogant, why are YOU bringing us these arrogant men??? To hurt us??? Please do not hurt us anymore, please GOD, we are YOUR daughters, do not ignore us O GOD. For YOU are faithful and True KING JESUS! And YOU deserve my highest praise. There is no song in my heart at this time, I want to sing again in church, but there is no song... so help me GOD.
Dear AVI, What about the chicken business? I am seeking YOU about this, do YOU allow me to do the business with Ronnie and Eleasar??? the Business looks promising, but I will not do anything if YOU do not allow me and behold YOU send me WORD today regarding not being unequally yoked with unbelievers. It's not going to be equal O GOD, it will be 70% or 80% our shares and 30% or 20% their share. I am not equally yoking with them because now my corporation is involved. So I pray that YOU will allow me to do business with them and increase this business. I would rather do this business and increase our wealth than be depressed because Stephen doesn't love me and YOU told me Stephen is my husband. I don't want to be sad anymore GOD, I want to be busy. I want a motorbike fit for me, please give me one for my birthday. I am asking YOU for an accounting teacher to teach me everything practical accounting in business. Please give me - Inday? I will contact her next week. I want to also dance with a dance instructor, please give me one who can be my friend and will dance with me regularly weekly dances that I want, please also enable me to commit play jazz guitar while singing in church. I want to play an instrument serving YOU please give me the will to commit and thank YOU for the training I will have today at church with gestalt psychology. I really need this too. I want to do so many things, but I can only do it with YOU, so help me GOD, make me super human since I have no children and no man who loves me, because YOU did not answer my prayers yet, make me busy and active and happy. In JESUS Name, I ask all these things Amen
IN JESUS AMEN