Sunday, 20 Kislev 5784 / December 3, 2023
Day 337 Readings
Torah: Parshat Vayeishev, 1st Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 37:1-11
Genesis 37:1-11
New American Standard Bible
Joseph’s Dreams
1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had lived as a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the records of the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, when he was seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a [a]multicolored tunic. 4 And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him [b]on friendly terms.
5 Then Joseph [c]had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have [d]had; 7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf stood up and also remained standing; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he [e]had yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, “Behold, I have [f]had yet another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He also told it to his father as well as to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have [g]had? Am I and your mother and your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Bible Study Together
1 Samuel 24
New American Standard Bible
David Spares Saul’s Life
8 Afterward, however, David got up and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. 9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men [f]who say, ‘Behold, David is seeking [g]to harm you’? 10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had handed you over to me today in the cave, and someone said to kill you, but [h]I spared you; and I said, ‘I will not reach out with my hand against my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 So, my father, look! Indeed, look at the edge of your robe in my hand! For by the fact that I cut off the edge of your robe but did not kill you, know and understand that there is no evil or [i]rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life, to take it. 12 May the Lord judge between [j]you and me, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me; but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel gone out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? 15 May the Lord therefore be judge and decide between [k]you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and save me from your hand.”
16 When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul raised his voice and wept. 17 And he said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt maliciously with you. 18 You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord handed me over to you and yet you did not kill me. 19 Though if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away [l]unharmed? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. 20 Now, behold, I know that you will certainly be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 21 So now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my [m]descendants after me, and that you will not eliminate my name from my father’s household.” 22 And David swore an oath to Saul. Then Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
Psalm 57
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors.
For the music director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David, [c]when he fled from Saul in the cave.
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. 2 I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; He rebukes the one who [d]tramples upon me. Selah God will send His [e]favor and His truth.
4 My soul is among lions;I must lie among those who devour,Among sons of mankind whose teeth are spears and arrows,And their tongue is a sharp sword.5 Be exalted above the heavens, God;May Your glory be above all the earth.6 They have prepared a net for my steps;My soul is bowed down;They dug a pit before me;They themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast;I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!8 Awake, my glory!Awake, harp and lyre!I will awaken the dawn.9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;I will sing praises to You among the [f]nations.10 For Your goodness is great to the heavensAnd Your [g]truth to the clouds.11 Be exalted above the heavens, God;May Your glory be above all the earth.
Psalm 142
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
1 I cry out with my voice to the Lord;With my voice I implore the Lord for compassion.2 I pour out my complaint before Him;I declare my trouble before Him.3 When my spirit felt weak within me,You knew my path.In the way where I walkThey have hidden a trap for me.4 Look to the right and see;For there is no one who regards me favorably;[c]There is no escape for me;No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, Lord;I said, “You are my refuge,My portion in the land of the living.6 Give Your attention to my cry,For I have been brought very low;Rescue me from my persecutors,For they are too strong for me.7 Bring my soul out of prison,So that I may give thanks to Your name;The righteous will surround me,For You will look after me.”
365 Daily Kingdom Living
The Importance Of Heeding Correction
This proverb highlights the importance of heeding correction. A person who again and again defies correction will face a sudden and dire consequence. When the window of opportunity to repent finally closes, probably at death, the incorrigible fool is beyond all hope of receiving healing.
Prayer: Lord, purge me of any hardness of heart. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps. 139:23-24). Amen.
Scripture
Daniel 11
New American Standard Bible
Conflicts to Come
11 “In the first year of Darius the Mede, [a]I arose to be of [b]assistance and a protection for him. 2 And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise [c]in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, [d]he will stir up the entire empire against the realm of [e]Greece. 3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four [f]points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, because his sovereignty will be removed and given to others besides [g]them.
5 “Then the king of the South will grow strong, [h]along with one of his princes [i]who will gain ascendancy over him and rule; his domain will be a great realm indeed. 6 And after some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to reach an agreement. But she will not keep her [j]position of power, nor will he remain with his [k]power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who fathered her as well as he who supported her in those times. 7 But one of the [l]descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and prevail. 8 And he will also take into captivity to Egypt their gods with their cast metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and he on his part will [m]refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9 Then [n]the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.
10 “And his sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, so that he may [o]again wage war up to his fortress. 11 And the king of the South will be enraged and go out and fight [p]with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be handed over to [q]the former. 12 When the multitude is carried away, his heart will [r]be haughty, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and [s]after an interval of some years he will [t]press on with a great army and much equipment.
14 “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also raise themselves up to fulfill the vision, but they will [u]fall down. 15 Then the king of the North will come, pile up an assault ramp, and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even [v]their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the [w]Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 And he will set his [x]mind on coming with the power of his entire kingdom, [y]bringing with him [z]a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be [aa]on his side. 18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his taunting against him; moreover, he will repay him for his taunting. 19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and not be found.
20 “Then in his place one will arise who will allow an [ab]oppressor to pass through the [ac]Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger nor in battle. 21 And in his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the majesty of kingship has not been conferred; but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 And the overflowing forces will be flooded away from him and smashed, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 [ad]In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the [ae]realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers did not, nor his [af]ancestors; he will distribute plunder, spoils, and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he will stir up his strength and [ag]courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, because schemes will be devised against him. 26 Those who eat his choice food will [ah]destroy him, and his army will [ai]overflow, but many will fall down slain. 27 As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, because the end is still to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land with much [aj]plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.
29 “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but [ak]this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 For ships of [al]Kittim will come against him; therefore he will withdraw in fear and will return and curse the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and pay attention to those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination [am]of desolation. 32 And by smooth words he will [an]turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. 33 And [ao]those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. 34 Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. 35 And some of [ap]those who have insight will fall, to refine, purge, and [aq]cleanse them until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.
36 “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt himself and boast against every god and will speak [ar]dreadful things against the God of gods; and he will be successful until the indignation is finished, because that which is determined will be done. 37 And he will show no regard for the [as]gods of his fathers or for the [at]desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will boast against them all. 38 But [au]instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, precious stones, and treasures. 39 And he will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to [av]those who acknowledge him and will make them rulers over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.
40 “And at the end time the king of the South will wage war with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. 41 He will also enter the [aw]Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will reach out with his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will [ax]gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his [ay]heels. 44 But rumors from the East and from the North will terrify him, and he will go out with great wrath to eliminate and [az]annihilate many. 45 And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.
1 John 3:11-24
New American Standard Bible
11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. 17 But whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and closes his [a]heart [b]against him, how does the love of God remain in him? 18 Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him, 20 that if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence [c]before God; 22 and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 This is His commandment, that we [d]believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He [e]commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Psalm 122
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
122 I was glad when they said to me,“Let’s go to the house of the Lord.”2 Our feet are standingWithin your gates, Jerusalem,3 Jerusalem, that has been builtAs a city that is firmly joined together;4 To which the tribes go up, the tribes of [a]the Lord—[b]An ordinance for Israel—To give thanks to the name of the Lord.5 For thrones were set there for judgment,The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:“May they prosper who love you.7 May peace be within your walls,And prosperity within your palaces.”8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends,I will now say, “May peace be within you.”9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,I will seek your good.
Proverbs 28:27-28
New American Standard Bible
27 One who gives to the poor will never lack anything, But one who [a]shuts his eyes will have many curses. 28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves;But when they perish, the righteous increase.