25 Tishrei 5994 // 10 October 2023
Day 283 Readings
Torah: Bereishit, 3rd Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 2:20-3:21
Genesis 2
20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He [a]made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bonesAnd flesh of my flesh;She shall be called [b]Woman,Because she was taken out of [c]Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be[d] joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3
16 To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;In pain you shall bring forth children;Your desire shall be [i]for your husband,And he shall rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;In toil you shall eat of itAll the days of your life.18 Both thorns and thistles it shall [j]bring forth for you,And you shall eat the herb of the field.19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat breadTill you return to the ground,For out of it you were taken;For dust you are,And to dust you shall return.”
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve,[k] because she was the mother of all living.
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Bible Study Together:
Psalm 124
Praise for Rescue from Enemies.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
1 “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,”Let Israel say,2 “Had it not been the Lord who was on our sideWhen people rose up against us,3 Then they would have swallowed us alive,When their anger was kindled against us;4 Then the waters would have flooded over us,The stream would have [a]swept over our souls;5 Then the raging waters would have [b]swept over our souls.”
6 Blessed be the Lord,Who has not given us [c]to be torn by their teeth.7 Our souls have escaped like a bird from the trapper’s snare;The snare is broken and we have escaped.8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,Who made heaven and earth.
Judges 2:1-23
1 Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, 2 and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not [a]obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from you; but they will [b]become like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” 4 Now when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place [c]Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the Lord.
16 Then the Lord raised up judges [h]who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they [i]committed infidelity with other gods and bowed down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do the same as their fathers. 18 And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who tormented and oppressed them. 19 But it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their obstinate ways. 20 So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has violated My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice, 21 I in turn will no longer drive out from them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers [j]did, or not.” 23 So the Lord allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not hand them over to Joshua.
1 Corinthians 9
Paul’s Use of Freedom
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 [a]Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5 [b]Do we not have a right to take along a [c]believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord, and [d]Cephas? 6 Or do only [e]Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from [f]working? 7 Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not [g]consume some of the milk of the flock?
8 I am not just asserting these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does the Law not say these things as well? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing in the crops. 11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share [h]from the altar? 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make my boast an empty one! 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless. 18 What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19 For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may gain more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without the Law, I became as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. 23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
It’s Hard To Save Yourself
I’ve never heard of miners digging themselves out of a collapsed mine. I’ve never heard of a drowning swimmer rescuing herself. The psalmist, Asaph, is so aware of our need for God’s intervention that he repeats this same theme six times. Only God can forgive and restore us. Only God can save us from ourselves and our sin. Only God can share His Spirit with us and show us the way home.
Prayer: Thank you, Father God, for your love, power, and willingness to save us when we turn to you. Forgive us for the many times we’ve forgotten of your care and provisions. You’ve done amazing, miraculous things in our lives. You’ve set us free; you’ve loosened the bonds of sin; you paid the price. Thank you Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Jeremiah 15
1 Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My [a]heart would not be [b]with this people. Send them away from My presence and have them go! 2 And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“Those destined for death, to death;And those destined for the sword, to the sword;And those destined for famine, to famine;And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’
And it will burn upon you.”
Jeremiah’s Prayer and God’s Answer
15 You know, Lord;Remember me, take notice of me,And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.16 Your words were found and I ate them,And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart;For I have been called by Your name,Lord God of armies.17 I did not sit in a circle of revelers and celebrate.Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone,For You filled me with indignation.18 Why has my pain been endlessAnd my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive streamWith water that is unreliable?
19 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:“If you return, then I will restore you—You will stand before Me;And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become [e]My spokesman.They, for their part, may turn to you,But as for you, you are not to turn to them.
20 Then I will make you to this peopleA fortified wall of bronze;And though they fight against you,They will not prevail over you;For I am with you to save youAnd rescue you,” declares the Lord.
21 “So I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked,And I will redeem you from the [f]grasp of the violent.”
Jeremiah 16
12 You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, each one of you is following the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me. 13 So I will hurl you off this land to the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, because I will show you no compassion.’
God Will Restore Them
14 “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.
16 “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. 17 For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their wrongdoing concealed from My eyes. 18 I will first repay them double for their wrongdoing and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and their abominations.”
19 Lord, my strength and my stronghold,And my refuge in the day of distress,To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say,“Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood,Futility, and [a]things of no benefit.” 20 Can a person make gods for himself?But they are not gods!
21 “Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—This time I will make them knowMy [b]power and My might; And they will know that My name is the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 2
4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a [b]cloak for covetousness—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 9 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.
10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; 11 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and [c]charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
Their Conversion
13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are [d]contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
Longing to See Them
17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
Psalms 80
To the Chief Musician. Set to [a]“The Lilies.” A [b]Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,You who lead Joseph like a flock;You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength,And come and save us!
3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
4 O Lord God of hosts,How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,And given them tears to drink in great measure.
6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors,And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;Cause Your face to shine,And we shall be saved!
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt;You have cast out the [c]nations, and planted it.
9 You prepared room for it,And caused it to take deep root,And it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with its shadow,And the [d]mighty cedars with its boughs.
11 She sent out her boughs to [e]the Sea,And her branches to [f]the River.
12 Why have You broken down her [g]hedges,So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,And the wild beast of the field devours it.
14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;Look down from heaven and see,And visit this vine
15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we will not turn back from You;Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
Proverbs 25:1-52
1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from silver,And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.5 Take away the wicked from before the king,And his throne will be established in righteousness.