Sunday, 25 Shevat 5784 / February 4, 2024
Day 400 Readings
Torah: Parshat Mishpatim, 1st Portion Shemot (Exodus) 21:1-19
Exodus 21:1-19
Easy-to-Read Version
Other Laws and Commands
1 Then God said to Moses, “These are the other laws that you will give to the people:
2 “If you buy a Hebrew[a] slave, then that slave will serve for only six years. After six years, he will be free, and he will have to pay nothing. 3 If he is not married when he becomes your slave, when he becomes free, he will leave without a wife. But if the man is married when he becomes your slave, then he will keep his wife at the time he is made free. 4 If the slave is not married, the master can give him a wife. If that wife gives birth to sons or daughters, she and her children will belong to the master. After the slave is finished with his years of service, he will be made free.
5 “But if the slave decides that he wants to stay with the master, he must say, ‘I love my master. I love my wife and my children. I will not become free—I will stay.’ 6 If this happens, the master will bring the slave before God.[b] The master will take the slave to a door or the wooden frame around the door and pierce the slave’s ear using a sharp tool to show that the slave will serve that master for all his life.
7 “A man might decide to sell his daughter as a slave. If this happens, the rules for making her free are not the same as the rules for making the men slaves free. 8 If the master who chose her for himself is not pleased with her, then he can sell the woman back to her father. If the master broke his promise to marry her, he loses the right to sell her to other people. 9 If the master promised to let the slave woman marry his son, he must treat her like a daughter, not like a slave.
10 “If the master marries another woman, he must not give less food or clothing to the first wife. And he must continue to give her what she has a right to have in marriage. 11 The man must do these three things for her. If he does not, the woman is made free, and it will cost her nothing. She owes no money to the man.
12 “Whoever hits and kills someone must be killed too. 13 But if an accident happens, and a person kills someone without planning it, then God allowed that thing to happen. I will choose some special places where people can run to for safety. So that person can run to one of those places. 14 But whoever plans to kill someone out of anger or hatred must be punished. Take them away from my altar[c] and kill them.
15 “Whoever hits their father or their mother must be killed.
16 “Whoever steals someone to sell them as a slave or to keep them for their own slave must be killed.
17 “Whoever curses their father or mother must be killed.
18 “Two men might argue and one might hit the other with a rock or with his fist. If the man who was hurt is not killed, the man who hurt him should not be killed. 19 If the man was hurt and must stay in bed for some time, the man who hurt him must support him. The man who hurt him must pay for the loss of his time. He must support him until he is completely healed.
Bible Study Together
Day 400 Readings
Song of Solomon 5-6
Easy-to-Read Version
He Speaks
1 My darling my bride, I have entered my garden. I have gathered my myrrh and spice. I have eaten my honey and honeycomb. I have drunk my wine and milk.
The Women Speak to the Lovers
Dearest friends, eat, drink! Be drunk with love!
She Speaks
2 I am asleep, but my heart is awake. I hear my lover knocking, saying, “Open to me, my darling, my love, my dove, my perfect one! My head is soaked with dew. My hair is wet with the mist of the night.”
3 “I have taken off my robe.[a] I don’t want to put it on again.I have washed my feet. I don’t want to get them dirty again.”
4 But my lover put his hand through the opening,[b] and I felt sorry for him.[c]
5 I got up to open for my lover, myrrh dripping from my hands,myrrh scented lotion dripped from my fingers onto the handles of the lock.
6 I opened for my lover, but my lover had turned away and was gone! I nearly died when he came and went.[d]I looked for him, but I couldn’t find him.I called for him, but he didn’t answer me.
7 The guards patrolling the city found me. They hit me. They hurt me. The guards on the wall took my robe from me.
8 I tell you, women of Jerusalem, if you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love.[e]
The Women of Jerusalem Answer Her
9 Beautiful woman, how is your lover different from other lovers? Is your lover better than other lovers? Is that why you ask us to make this promise?
She Answers the Women of Jerusalem
10 My lover is tanned and radiant. He would stand out among 10,000 men.
11 His head is like the purest gold. His hair is curly and as black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves by a stream, like doves in a pool of milk, like a jewel in its setting.
13 His cheeks are like a garden of spices, like flowers used for perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are like gold rods, filled with jewels.His body is like smooth ivory with sapphires set in it.
15 His legs are like marble pillars on bases of fine gold. He stands tall like the finest cedar tree in Lebanon!
16 Yes, women of Jerusalem, my lover is everything I desire. His mouth is the sweetest of all. This is my lover; this is my darling.
Song of Solomon 6
The Women of Jerusalem Speak to Her
1 Beautiful woman, where has your lover gone? Which way did your lover go? Tell us so that we can help you look for him.
She Answers the Women of Jerusalem
2 My lover has gone down to his garden, where sweet-smelling spices grow. There, like a sheep, he will eat the grass, and he will enjoy the lilies. 3 I belong to my lover, and my lover belongs to me. He is the one feeding among the lilies.
He Speaks to Her
4 My darling, you are as beautiful as Tirzah,[f] as pleasant as Jerusalem, as awesome as the stars in the sky.[g]
5 Don’t look at me! Your eyes excite me too much! And your hair is long and flowing, like little goats dancing down the slopes of Mount Gilead.
6 Your teeth are white like ewes[h] just coming from their bath. They all give birth to twins. Not one of them has lost a baby.
7 Your cheeks under your veil are like slices of pomegranate.
8 There might be 60 queens and 80 slave women, and young women too many to count,
9 but there is only one woman for me, my dove, my perfect one. She is the favorite of her mother, her mother’s favorite child. The young women see her and praise her. Even the queens and slave women praise her.
The Women Praise Her
10 Who is that young woman? She shines out like the dawn. She is as pretty as the moon. She is as bright as the sun. She is as awesome as the stars in the sky.
He Speaks to Her
11 I went down to the grove of walnut trees, to see the fruit of the valley, to see if the vines were in bloom, to see if the pomegranates had budded. 12 I was so excited when she put me in the royal chariot.[i]
The Women of Jerusalem Call to Her
13 Come back, come back, Shulamith[j]! Come back, come back, so we may look at you.
Why are you staring at Shulamith, as she dances the Mahanaim dance[victory dance]?
ESV Readings
Scripture
Genesis 29:31-35
Easy-to-Read Version
Jacob’s Family Grows
31 The Lord saw that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, so he made it possible for Leah to have children. But Rachel did not have any children.
32 Leah gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben.[a] She named him this because she said, “The Lord has seen my troubles. My husband does not love me. So now maybe my husband will love me.”
33 Leah became pregnant again and had another son. She named this son Simeon.[b] She said, “The Lord has heard that I am not loved, so he gave me this son.”
34 Leah became pregnant again and had another son. She named this son Levi.[c] She said, “Now, surely my husband will love me. I have given him three sons.”
35 Then Leah gave birth to another son. She named this son Judah.[d] Leah named him this because she said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Then Leah stopped having children.
Genesis 30
Easy-to-Read Version
30 Rachel saw that she was not giving Jacob any children. She became jealous of her sister Leah. So Rachel said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die!”
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “I am not God. He is the one who has caused you to not have children.”
3 Then Rachel said, “You can have my maid Bilhah. Sleep with her, and she will have a child for me.[a] Then I can be a mother through her.”
4 So Rachel gave Bilhah to her husband Jacob. He had sexual relations with Bilhah. 5 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.
6 Rachel said, “God has listened to my prayer. He decided to give me a son.” So she named this son Dan.[b]
7 Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have fought hard to compete with my sister, and I have won.” So she named that son Naphtali.[c]
9 Leah saw that she could have no more children. So she gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob. 10 Then Zilpah had a son. 11 Leah said, “I am lucky.” So she named the son Gad.[d] 12 Zilpah gave birth to another son. 13 Leah said, “I am very happy! Now women will call me happy.” So she named that son Asher.[e]
14 During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the fields and found some special flowers.[f] He brought them to his mother Leah. But Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s flowers.”
15 Leah answered, “You have already taken away my husband. Now you are trying to take away my son’s flowers.”
But Rachel answered, “If you will give me your son’s flowers, you can sleep with Jacob tonight.”
16 Jacob came in from the fields that night. Leah saw him and went out to meet him. She said, “You will sleep with me tonight. I have paid for you with my son’s flowers.” So Jacob slept with Leah that night.
17 Then God allowed Leah to become pregnant again. She gave birth to a fifth son. 18 She said, “God has given me a reward because I gave my slave to my husband.” So she named her son Issachar.[g]
19 Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son. 20 She said, “God has given me a fine gift. Now surely Jacob will accept me, because I have given him six sons.” So she named this son Zebulun.[h]
21 Later, Leah gave birth to a daughter. She named her Dinah.
22 Then God heard Rachel’s prayer and made it possible for Rachel to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “God has taken away my shame.” 24 Rachel named the son Joseph,[i] saying, “May the Lord give me another son.”
Jacob Tricks Laban
25 After the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now let me go back to my own homeland. 26 Give me my wives and my children. I have earned them by working for you. You know that I served you well.”
27 Laban said to him, “Please, let me say something. I know[j] that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Tell me what I should pay you, and I will give it to you.”
29 Jacob answered, “You know that I have worked hard for you. Your flocks have grown and been well while I cared for them. 30 When I came, you had little. Now you have much, much more. Every time I did something for you, the Lord blessed you. Now it is time for me to work for myself—it is time to do things for my family.”
31 Laban asked, “Then what should I give you?”
Jacob answered, “I don’t want you to give me anything! I only want you to let me do this one thing: I will go back and take care of your sheep. 32 But let me go through all your flocks today and take every lamb with spots or stripes. Let me take every black young goat and every female goat with stripes or spots. That will be my pay. 33 In the future you can easily see if I am honest. You can come to look at my flocks. If I have any goat that isn’t spotted or any sheep that isn’t black, you will know that I stole it.”
34 Laban answered, “I agree to that. We will do what you ask.” 35 But that day Laban hid all the male goats that had spots. And he hid all the female goats that had spots on them. He also hid all the black sheep. Laban told his sons to watch these sheep. 36 So the sons took all the spotted animals and led them to another place. They traveled for three days. Jacob stayed and took care of all the animals that were left.
37 Then Jacob cut green branches from poplar and almond trees. He stripped off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them. 38 He put the branches in front of the flocks at the watering places. When the animals came to drink, they also mated in that place. 39 Then when the goats mated in front of the branches, the young that were born were spotted, striped, or black.
40 Jacob separated the spotted and the black animals from the other animals in the flock. He kept his animals separate from Laban’s. 41 Any time the stronger animals in the flock were mating, Jacob put the branches before their eyes. The animals mated near those branches. 42 But when the weaker animals mated, Jacob did not put the branches there. So the young animals born from the weak animals were Laban’s. And the young animals born from the stronger animals were Jacob’s. 43 In this way Jacob became very rich. He had large flocks, many servants, camels, and donkeys.
2 Chronicles 7
Easy-to-Read Version
The Temple Dedicated to the Lord
7 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from the sky and burned up the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The Glory of the Lord filled the Temple. 2 The priests could not enter the Lord’s Temple because the Glory of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire come down from heaven and the Glory of the Lord on the Temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces low to the ground. They worshiped and thanked the Lord, singing,
“The Lord is good. His faithful love will last forever.”
4 Then King Solomon and all the Israelites offered sacrifices to the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. So the king and the people showed that they had dedicated the Temple to God. 6 The priests stood ready to do their work. The Levites stood with the instruments they would use to play music to the Lord. King David had made these instruments to use when they gave thanks to the Lord and sang, “His faithful love will last forever.” The priests blew their trumpets as they stood across from the Levites. And all the Israelites were standing.
7 King Solomon also dedicated the middle of the courtyard, the part that is in front of the Temple of the Lord. There he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat from the animals that were used as fellowship offerings. He did this because the bronze altar he had built was too small to hold all these offerings.
8 So there at the Temple, King Solomon and all the people of Israel celebrated the festival.[a] People came from as far away as Hamath Pass in the north and the border of Egypt in the south. This huge crowd of people enjoyed themselves for seven days. 9 On the eighth day, they had a holy meeting because they had celebrated for seven days. They made the altar holy and it was to be used only for worshiping the Lord. And they celebrated the festival for seven days. 10 On the 23rd day of the seventh month, Solomon told the people to go home. All the people thanked the king, said goodbye, and went home. They were happy because of all the good things that the Lord had done for David his servant and for his people Israel.
The Lord Comes to Solomon
11 So Solomon finished building the Lord’s Temple and the king’s palace. Solomon did everything that he had planned to do in building a house for the Lord and for himself. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him,
“Solomon, I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place for myself to be a house for sacrifices. 13 When I close the sky so that there is no rain, or command the locusts to destroy the land, or send sicknesses to my people 14 and if my people who are called by my name become humble and pray, and look for me, and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now, my eyes are open, and my ears will pay attention to the prayers prayed in this place. 16 I have chosen this Temple, and I have made it a holy place. So I will be honored there forever. I will watch over it and think of it always. 17 You must serve me with a pure and honest heart, just as your father David did. You must obey my laws and do everything that I commanded you. If you obey all I have commanded, and if you obey my laws and rules, 18 then I will make you a strong king and your kingdom will be great. That is the agreement I made with David your father when I told him that Israel would always be ruled by one of his descendants.
19 “But if you don’t obey my laws and commands that I gave you, and if you worship other gods and serve them, 20 then I will take the Israelites out from my land that I gave them. And I will leave this Temple that I have made holy for my name. I will make this Temple something that all the nations will speak evil about. 21 Everyone who sees it will be amazed. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do this terrible thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will say, ‘This happened because they left the Lord, the God of their ancestors. He brought them out of Egypt, but they decided to follow other gods. They began to worship and to serve those gods. That is why he caused all these bad things to happen to them.’”
Luke 23:26-56
English Standard Version
The Crucifixion
26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[a] And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[b] “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[c] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about the sixth hour,[d] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,[e] 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
Jesus Is Buried
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.[f] 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Psalm 33
English Standard Version
The Steadfast Love of the Lord
1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
13 The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Dear AVI,
Blessed are YOU O LORD My GOD and KING of the Universe!!! HOLY ONE of Israel and the Philippines, let YOUR Kingdom come and YOUR will be done, here on earth as it is in Heaven! Please wash me clean from all negativity and doubts and envy, anything in my heart that is weighing in my heart O GOD Almighty! Toda for waking me before 5am O GOD but I really like it the way YOU woke me up 4am during fasting week. I really want YOU waking me that early so I can be with YOU and to pray and intercede and lift my soul up to YOU. Please cleanse me with the blood of JESUS because I dreamt of Sape puking because he is choking from what he ate, But I know this was not my Uncle because he already passed away so rebuke the enemy for me O GOD and do not let him disturb my rest by invading my mind and thoughts for my thoughts are held captive under KING JESUS, let every thought of mine be under YOUR Submission O GOD and give me good thoughts, noble thoughts O GOD so that I will always live in joy and happiness for YOU are my GOD. LORD GOD Almighty, take care of my heart as I pray for Stephen, I pray that YOU encounter him and his mother, let them be in a relationship with YOU, let them hunger and thirst for YOUR WORD, save and deliver RObert Tiu, Mary Tan from the powers of witchcraft and lead them into YOUR Temple or HOuse O GOD. I pray for Ako and Diko to reconcile and love one another, let there be healing in taking place in the heart of Sipe Henry and his siblings in our house today. Let there be healing O GOD Almighty! I pray for YOUR grace upon us all O GOD. Have mercy on us all, have mercy and heal Sipe Henry from all his pain in the family because he is coming home to YOU O GOD, I want him to find peace, and delivered from every sadness and pain, frustration and victim mentality. I pray that YOU comfort him O GOD, let him be healed. O GOD, I pray for YOUR Grace upon him O GOD. I pray for YOUR protection upon Bambi in America as she choses a 2nd husband O GOD, I pray that YOU will secure her even as she remarries to another man please give her a good husband like Scott because she deserves a second chance. I pray that YOU will make me excitied and rejoicing once again as I enter marriage this year, let there be excitement in my heart, not discouragement O GOD. I cannot even pray anymore that YOU will remove my feelings for Stephen because I cannot lie to myself, I raelly have strong feelings for him even though I dislike the way he talks because he has no emotions, he is cold. I pray that YOU give him a new heart O GOD as YOU Promised in Ezekiel, and pour out YOUR Spirit unto Stephen LY for he is YOUR chosen servant whom YOUR soul is well pleased. Please JESUS let him receive YOU or else I will not marry him because my alligiance is to YOU first and foremost MY GOD My KING. I pray for Dad and Mom to be healed, to be humble and for Denessed and Dorothy to be humbled in their hearts, and for everyone to just love one another in the family as we enjoy the rest of our days together. May Achi Carol and Hayley love YOU and seek YOU O GOD Almighty! Help them to realize their need for YOU O GOD Almighty. O LORD GOD, I pray that Stephen will pursue me if YOU want me to marry him. Do not allow him to be complacent or to not have time but teach him to win a woman's heart. O GOD I dare to ask many things from YOU because YOU dare to tell me many things too, things that were unacceptable in my heart now I have accepted for YOU. But MY GOD guard and protect my heart, do not allow me to fall in love until Stephen is baptized in fire and water of the HOLY SPIRIT. Please JESUS help me my GOD. I need YOU help me to accept the things that had been hard for me to accept. Please JESUS let me live for YOU, I never want to live for myself. Help me to be pleasing to YOU, grant me wisdom and honor too I need YOU O GOD please always be number 1 in my heart because no ONE else deserves me more than YOU do. No One else can love me like YOU but YOU Promised me a husband - to be loved by a man that I have never been loved before and I am awaiting this promise O GOD. I hope in YOU for this love and desire to come true for YOU O GOD are my husbandKING and I want to experience this deep love with YOU through a man who can love me like YOU. O GOD unto YOU alone belong all glory honor and praise!
In the Name of YESHUA I pray and stand in faith,
Amen!