Sunday, 6 Kislev 5784 / November 19, 2023
Day 323 Readings
Torah: Vayeitzei, 1st Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 28:10-22
Jacob’s Dream
10 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he [a]happened upon a [b]particular place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and made it a support for his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 Then behold, the Lord was standing [c]above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your [d]descendants. 14 Your [e]descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will [f]spread out to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your [g]descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have [h]promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “The Lord is certainly in this place, and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
18 So Jacob got up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had placed as a support for his head, and set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on its top. 19 Then he named that place [i]Bethel; but [j]previously the name of the city had been Luz. 20 Jacob also made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I [k]take, and give me [l]food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and I return to my father’s house in [m]safety, then the Lord will be my God. 22 And this stone, which I have set up as a memorial stone, will be God’s house, and of everything that You give me I will assuredly give a tenth to You.”
Bible Study Together
1 Samuel 16:1-23
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for [d]God does not see as man sees, since man looks at [e]the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
David Anointed
12 So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was [g]reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrified him. 15 Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrifying you. 16 May our lord now command your servants who are before you. Have them search for a man who is a skillful musician on the harp; and it shall come about whenever the evil spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will become well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Now select for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” 18 Then one of the young men responded and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a valiant mighty man, a warrior, skillful in speech, and a handsome man; and the Lord is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse [h]to say, “Send me your son David, who is with the flock.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine, and he took a young goat, and sent them to Saul by his son David. 21 Then David came to Saul and [i]attended him; and Saul greatly loved him, and he became his armor bearer. 22 So Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David now [j]be my attendant for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would feel relieved and become well, and the evil spirit would leave him.
Psalm 23
New American Standard Bible
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd,I will not be in need.2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;He leads me beside [a]quiet waters.3 He restores my soul;He guides me in the [b]paths of righteousnessFor the sake of His name.
4 Even though I walk through the [c]valley of the shadow of death,I fear no [d]evil, for You are with me;Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;You [e]have anointed my head with oil;My cup overflows.6 [f]Certainly goodness and [g]faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord [h]forever.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
A Real Leader
Both Peter and Paul remind us to pray for our governmental leaders, and this proverb reflects one reason why. We need men and women of true wisdom who can grasp the core of society’s ills and institute necessary changes. When there are many voices clamouring for attention and conflicting viewpoints, it’s important that a leader has the understanding and commitment necessary to see through the fog and point the way.
Prayer: Father God, today I pray for the leaders of my city and my country. May you give them wisdom and guidance; may they turn their hearts to you. We pray for protection from the chaos and conflict that threatens. We pray for peace and protection, not only for ourselves, but that the Gospel will more easily go forth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture
Ezekiel 39
Israel Restored
25 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on all the house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. 26 They will [j]forget their disgrace and all their [k]treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. 27 When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall show Myself holy [l]through them in the sight of the many nations. 28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then I gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. 29 I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord God.
Ezekiel 40
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was [a]taken, on this very day the hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me there. 2 In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, and on it to the south there was something like a structure of a city. 3 So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a thread of flax and a measuring [b]rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and [c]pay attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.”
James 3
The Tongue Is a Fire
1 Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a [a]stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in [b]what he says, he is a perfect man, able to [c]rein in the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. 4 Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among [d]our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our [e]life, and is set on fire by [f]hell. 7 For every [g]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human [h]race. 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening both [i]fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce [j]fresh.
Wisdom from Above
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and [k]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, [l]natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and [m]selfish ambition exist, [n]there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, [o]reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, [p]impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace [q]by those who make peace.
Psalms 118:1-7
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;For His mercy is everlasting.
2 Let Israel say,“His mercy is everlasting.”
3 Oh let the house of Aaron say,“His mercy is everlasting.”
4 Let those who [a]fear the Lord say,“His mercy is everlasting.”
5 From my distress I called upon [b]the Lord;[c]The Lord answered me and put me in an open space.
6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear;What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
Proverbs 28:1
Warnings and Instructions
1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing,But the righteous are [a]bold as a lion.