Thursday, 23 Tevet 5784 / January 4, 2024
Day 369 Readings
Torah: Parshat Shemot, 5th Portion Shemot (Exodus) 3:16-4:17
Exodus 3
New American Standard Bible
16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to me, saying, “[a]I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 So I said, I will bring you up out of the oppression of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 Then they will [b]pay attention to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except [c]under compulsion. 20 So I will reach out with My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21 I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”
Exodus 4
Moses Given Signs
4 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen [d]to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it turned into a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he reached out with his hand and caught it, and it turned into a staff in his [e]hand— 5 “so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand inside the fold of your robe.” So he put his hand inside the fold, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Put your hand inside the fold of your robe again.” So he put his hand into the fold again, and when he took it out of the fold, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “So if they will not believe you nor [f]pay attention to the [g]evidence of the first [h]sign, they may believe the [i]evidence of the last [j]sign. 9 But if they will not believe even these two [k]signs nor pay attention to what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will turn into blood on the dry ground.”
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been [l]eloquent, neither [m]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [n]slow of speech and [o]slow of tongue.” 11 But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I Myself will be with your mouth, and instruct you in what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by [p]whomever You will.”
Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece
14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that [q]he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be [r]overjoyed. 15 So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
2 Samuel 14
New American Standard Bible
The Woman of Tekoa
1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was drawn toward Absalom. 2 So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa and [a]brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please follow mourning rites, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for many days. 3 Then go to the king and speak to him in this way.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 Now when the woman of Tekoa [b]spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, “Help, O king!” 5 And the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she [c]answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead. 6 And your servant had two sons, but the two of them fought in the field, and there was no [d]one to save [e]them from each other, so one struck the other and killed him. 7 Now behold, the entire family has risen against your servant, and they have said, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and eliminate the heir as well.’ So they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to [f]leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your home, and I will issue orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, the king, the guilt is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.” 10 So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.” 11 Then she said, “May the king please remember the Lord your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” 13 The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one. 14 For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. Yet God does not take away life, but makes plans so that the banished one will not be cast out from Him. 15 Now then, [g]the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the [h]request of his slave. 16 For the king will listen, to save his slave from the [i]hand of the man who would eliminate [j]both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’ 17 Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be [k]comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’”
18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.” 19 So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is on the earth.”
Absalom Returns
21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I [l]will certainly do this thing; go then, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself, and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has performed the [m]request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 However, the king said, “He shall return to his own house, but he shall not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.
25 Now in all Israel there was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no impairment in him. 26 And when he cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, because it was heavy on him, so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at [n]two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. 27 And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.
28 Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, yet he did not see the king’s face. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent word again a second time, but he would not come. 30 Therefore he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s plot is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the plot on fire. 31 Then Joab got up, came to Absalom at his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my plot on fire?” 32 Absalom [o]answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.”’ Now then, let me see the king’s face, and if there is guilt in me, he can have me executed.” 33 So when Joab came to the king and told him, he summoned Absalom. Then Absalom came to the king and prostrated himself [p]with his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.
Mark 10:35-45
New American Standard Bible
35 [a]James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to [b]Jesus, saying to Him, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “[c]Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or on My left is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 Hearing this, the other ten began to feel indignant with [d]James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them; and their [e]people in high position exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you; rather, whoever wants to become [f]prominent among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wants to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [g]life as a ransom for many.”
365 ESV Study Bible
Psalm 2
New American Standard Bible
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed.
1 Why are the [a]nations restless And the peoples plotting in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers conspire togetherAgainst the Lord and against His [b]Anointed, saying,3 “Let’s tear their shackles apart And throw their ropes away from us!”
4 He who [c]sits in the heavens laughs,The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His angerAnd terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
7 “I will announce the [d]decree of the Lord:He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,Today I have fathered You. 8 Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the [e]nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession.9 You shall [f]break them with a [g]rod of iron,You shall shatter them like [h]earthenware.’”
10 Now then, you kings, use insight;Let yourselves be instructed, you [i]judges of the earth.11 Serve the Lord with [j]reverence And rejoice with trembling.12 [k]Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way,For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
Genesis 3
New American Standard Bible
The Fall of Mankind
3 Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will [a]become like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.
8 Now they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the [b]cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,Cursed are you more than all the livestock,And more than any animal of the field;On your belly you shall go,And dust you shall eatAll the days of your life;15 And I will [c]make enemiesOf you and the woman,And of your [d]offspring and her [e]Descendant;He shall [f]bruise you on the head,And you shall bruise Him on the heel.”
16 To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiplyYour pain [g]in childbirth,In pain you shall deliver children;Yet your desire will be for your husband,And he shall rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
Cursed is the ground because of you;With [h]hard labor you shall eat from itAll the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;Yet you shall eat the [i]plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust,And to dust you shall return.”
20 Now the man named his wife [j]Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
1 Chronicles 3
New American Standard Bible
Family of David
1 Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second was Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; 2 the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith; 3 the fifth was Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth was Ithream, by his wife Eglah. 4 Six were born to him in Hebron, and he reigned there for seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years. 5 These were the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, four by Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel; 6 and Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. 9 All of these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister.
10 Now Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, then Abijah was his son, Asa, his son, Jehoshaphat, his son, 11 Joram, his son, Ahaziah, his son, Joash, his son, 12 Amaziah, his son, Azariah, his son, Jotham, his son, 13 Ahaz, his son, Hezekiah, his son, Manasseh, his son, 14 Amon, his son, and Josiah, his son. 15 The sons of Josiah were Johanan, the firstborn, the second was Jehoiakim, the third, Zedekiah, and the fourth, Shallum. 16 The sons of Jehoiakim were his son Jeconiah and his son Zedekiah. 17 The sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner, were his son Shealtiel 18 and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. 19 The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. And the [a]sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; 20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. 21 The [b]sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shecaniah. 22 The [c]descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah, and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. 23 The [d]sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three. 24 The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven.
Luke 1:57-80
New American Standard Bible
John the Baptist Is Born
57 Now the time [a]had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had [b]displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.
59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, [c]after his father. 60 And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 And they [d]made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote [e]as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God. 65 And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for usIn the house of His servant David— 70 Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times— 71 [f]Salvation from our enemies,And from the hand of all who hate us; 72 To show mercy to our fathers,And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham, 74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,Would serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. 76 And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High;For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; 77 To give His people the knowledge of salvation[g]By the forgiveness of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79 To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Dear AVI,
Blessed are YOU Adonai Elohim Melech Ha Olam! There is none like YOU O HOLY One of Israel. I come before YOU with so many concerns, Stephen, Benita, and the helpers, Jhon and the accounting system we are using for Marides. I pray O GOD for YOUR grace and YOUR favor upon me, I hide myself in YOU because this world is difficult for me. Everything is difficult but I am thankful O LORD that everything is okay and no one is gravely ill but we are all enjoying health, even when I continue to pray for Dad and Mom for their health, I pray for them to follow YOU and YOUR WORD and live a pleasing life before YOU, I pray that YOU will enable Stephen and I to follow YOU, Benita to love YOU and follow YOU, everyone that I care about to worship and live for YOU. But I pray for these concerns O GOD and I lift them all up to YOU because YOU are my Way maker, YOU are My Life, live for me, I cannot live this life on my own, I ask that YOU live through me. I thank YOU for all the Promises and the answered prayers. That I am no longer as lovesick as I was with YOUR Son Stephen! Yes today he has become YOUR Son and YOU did it! Now I believe he has started reading YOUR Word and YOU are drawing Stephen to YESHUA My KING. Please let him seek YOU all his life, let YOUR will be done through us and in us. But one thing weighing in my heart is the salvation of the rest of his family, may he bring them all into YOUR Kingdom O GOD. As we serve YOU, I pray that YOU will be glorified through our lives. I do not want to think about anything or manifest anything because unto YOU belong all the manifestations of life, YOU alone have the power, I can only believe in what YOU promised me. O GOD help me to be the wise and noble wife that YOU have promised for YOUR daughters who want to please YOU. Help me to be understand what my mom is doing in Marides and that YOU would send us more drivers and truck boys to help us with this business. O GOD, take care of us take care of all our workers. I pray even for Achi Glory and her concerns with Jeff and Chloe that YOU will enable her to deal with and cope with what is going on in her family. Please JESUS take care of me and do not allow anything to come between us not even my husband. Thank YOU Adonai that Evelyn is doing better in Accounting. I pray that she will continue to grow as part of our Company. May YOU be glorified GOD and keep me in YOUR Presence always because YOU deserve all of me.
Ba HaShem YESHUA, My Life, Amen!