Thursday, 3 Kislev 5784 / November 16, 2023
Day 320 Readings
Torah: Toldot, 5th Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 26:30-27:27
Genesis 26
New American Standard Bible
30 Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they got up early and [a]exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away, and they left him in peace. 32 Now it came about on the same day, that Isaac’s servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it [b]Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.
34 When Esau was forty years old he [c]married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; 35 and they [d]brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
Jacob’s Deception
Genesis 30
1 Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 2 Then [e]Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; 4 and prepare a delicious meal for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare a delicious meal for me, so that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 So now, my son, listen to [f]me [g]as I command you. 9 Go now to the flock and [h]bring me two choice [i]young goats from there, so that I may prepare them as a delicious meal for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” 11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will touch me, then I will be like a [j]deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” 13 But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get the goats for me.” 14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made a delicious meal such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the [k]best garments of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 And she put the skins of the [l]young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She also gave the delicious meal and the bread which she had made [m]to her son Jacob.
18 Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Come now, sit and eat of my game, so that [n]you may bless me.” 20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the Lord your God made it [o]come to me.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, and he touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” 25 So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that [p]I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said,
“See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed;
Bible Study Together
1 Chronicles 9:35-39
New American Standard Bible
Ancestry and Descendants of Saul
35 Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon, and his wife’s name was Maacah, 36 and his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth fathered Shimeam. And they also lived with their relatives in Jerusalem opposite their other relatives. 39 Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
1 Samuel 13:1-14:15
New American Standard Bible
War with the Philistines
1 Saul was [a]thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for [b]forty-two years over Israel.
2 Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent. 3 And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 And all Israel heard [c]the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned [d]to Saul at Gilgal.
5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.
8 Now he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 But as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to [e]greet him. 11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Since I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed [f]time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 I [g]thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not [h]asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I worked up the courage and offered the burnt offering.” 13 But Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for the Lord would now have established your kingdom [i]over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought for Himself a man [j]after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
15 Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul [k]counted the people who were [l]present with him, about six hundred men. 16 Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were [m]present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17 Then [n]raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three [o]companies: one [p]company turned [q]toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18 and another [r]company turned [s]toward Beth-horon, and another [t]company turned [u]toward the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make [v]swords or spears.” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe. 21 The charge was [w]two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the [x]cattle goads. 22 So it came about on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the gorge of Michmash.
Jonathan’s Victory
14 Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come, and let’s cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron. And the people who were with him numbered about six hundred men; 3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord at Shiloh, was [y]wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Now between the gorges by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines’ garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other, Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba.
6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come, and let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men; perhaps the Lord will work for us, because the Lord is not limited to saving by many or by few!” 7 His armor bearer said to him, “Do everything that is in your heart; turn yourself to it, and here I am with you, as your heart desires.” 8 Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we are going to cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. 9 If they [z]say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you’; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they [aa]say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has handed them over to us; and this shall be the sign to us.” 11 When the two of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, “Behold, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have kept themselves hidden.” 12 So the men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, “Come up to us and we will inform you of something.” And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has handed them over to Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and the men fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him. 14 Now that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer inflicted was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. 15 And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling.
1 Timothy 1:12-20
New American Standard Bible
Paul’s Testimony
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those [a]who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King [b]eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory [c]forever and ever. Amen.
18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my [d]son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to [e]their faith. 20 [f]Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
No Longer Afraid
Nations and people go to war hoping to bring safety for their countries and loved ones at home. Likewise, we turn our workplaces into war zones out of our perceived need to protect our turf. What anguish! No need! When God makes a covenant of peace with you and me – He protects!
Prayer: Lord, Your covenant of peace allows no malice to come against me. Thank you that as You reign in the designs of the wicked and their beastly intent, I will have no dread of danger but know that I am safe in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture
Ezekiel 33
7 “Now as for you, son of man, I have [d]appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a [e]message from My mouth and give them a warning from Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will certainly die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked about his way, that wicked person shall die for his wrongdoing, but I will [f]require his blood from your hand. 9 But if you on your part warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die for his wrongdoing, but you have saved your life.
10 “Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have [g]said: “Surely our offenses and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we [h]survive?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord [i]God, ‘I take no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then should you die, house of Israel?’ 12 And you, son of man, say to [j]your fellow citizens, ‘The righteousness of a righteous one will not save him on the day of his offense, and as for the wickedness of a wicked one, he will not stumble because of it on the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous one will not be able to live [k]by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he will certainly live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits injustice, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but for that same injustice of his which he has committed he will die. 14 But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, 15 if a wicked person returns a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes [l]which ensure life without committing injustice, he shall certainly live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall certainly live.
Ezekiel 34
1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to [w]those shepherds, ‘This is what the Lord [x]God says: “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been [y]feeding themselves! Should the shepherds not [z]feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep [aa]without feeding the flock. 4 Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you searched for the lost; but with force and with violence you have [ab]dominated them. 5 They scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every animal of the field and scattered. 6 My flock strayed through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’”
The Restoration of Israel
11 For the Lord God says this: “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd cares for his flock on a day when he is among his scattered [af]sheep, so I will care for My [ag]sheep and will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing place will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in a good grazing place and feed in [ah]rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I Myself will feed My flock and I Myself will [ai]lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will eliminate. I will feed them with judgment.
23 “Then I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.
25 “And I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful animals from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will make showers fall in their season; they will be showers of blessing. 27 Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its produce, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have saved them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be plunder to the nations, and the animals of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be [am]victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord God. 31 “As for you, My sheep, [an]the sheep of My pasture, you are mankind, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.
Hebrews 13
New American Standard Bible
The Changeless Christ
1 Let love of the brothers and sisters continue. 2 Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. 4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” 6 so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.What will man do to me?”
7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the [a]result of their way of life, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. 9 Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who [b]were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the [c]tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood. 13 So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
God-pleasing Sacrifices
15 Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not [d]groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.
18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. 19 And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you more quickly.
Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep [e]through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
22 But I urge you, brothers and sisters, [f]listen patiently to [g]this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 Know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. 24 Greet all of your leaders and all the [h]saints. Those from Italy greet you.
25 Grace be with you all.
Psalms 115
Heathen Idols Contrasted with the Lord.
1 Not to us, Lord, not to us,But to Your name give glory,Because of Your mercy, because of Your [a]truth. 2 Why should the nations say,“Where, then, is their God?” 3 But our God is in the heavens;He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold,The work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak;They have eyes, but they cannot see; 6 They have ears, but they cannot hear;They have noses, but they cannot smell; 7 [b]They have hands, but they cannot feel;[c]They have feet, but they cannot walk;They cannot make a sound with their throat. 8 Those who make them [d]will become like them,Everyone who trusts in them.
9 Israel, trust in the Lord;He is their help and their shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord;He is their help and their shield. 11 You who [e]fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us.He will bless the house of Israel;He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who [f]fear the Lord,The small together with the great. 14 May the Lord increase you,You and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord,Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord,But the earth He has given to the sons of mankind. 17 The dead do not praise [g]the Lord,Nor do any who go down into silence; 18 But as for us, we will bless [h]the Lord From this time and forever.[i]Praise [j]the Lord!
Proverbs 27:21-22
New American Standard Bible
21 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,And each is tested by the praise accorded him. 22 Though you pound the fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, His foolishness still will not leave him.