9 Cheshvan 5994 / 24 October 2023
Day 297 Readings
Torah: Lech-Lecha, 3rd Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 13:5-18
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are relatives! 9 Is the entire land not before you? Please separate from me; if you choose the left, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right, then I will go to the left.” 10 Lot raised his eyes and saw all the [c]vicinity of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt [d]going toward Zoar. 11 So Lot chose for himself all the [e]vicinity of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. So they separated from each other. 12 Abram [f]settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot [g]settled in the cities of the [h]vicinity of the Jordan, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were [i]exceedingly wicked sinners against the Lord.
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now raise your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward, and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your [j]descendants forever. 16 I will make your [k]descendants as plentiful as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your [l]descendants could also be counted. 17 Arise, walk about in the land through its length and width; for I will give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and lived by the [m]oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.
Bible Study Together
Psalm 89
New American Standard Bible
The Lord’s Covenant with David and Israel’s Afflictions.
A [a]Maskil of [b]Ethan [c]the Ezrahite.
1 I will sing of the graciousness of the Lord forever;To all generations I will make Your faithfulness known with my mouth.
2 For I have said, “Graciousness will be built up forever;In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”
3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen;I have sworn to My servant David,
4 I will establish your [d]descendants foreverAnd build up your throne to all generations.” Selah
5 The heavens will praise Your wonders, Lord;Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?Who among the [e]sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
7 A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,And awesome above all those who are around Him?
8 Lord God of armies, who is like You, mighty [f]Lord?Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the surging of the sea;When its waves rise, You calm them.
10 You Yourself crushed [g]Rahab like one who is slain;You scattered Your enemies with [h]Your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;The world and [i]all it contains, You have established them. 12 The north and the south, You have created them;Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.
13 You have [j]a strong arm;Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;Mercy and [k]truth go before You.
15 Blessed are the people who know the [l]joyful sound!Lord, they walk in the light of Your face.
16 In Your name they rejoice all the day,And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength,And by Your favor [m]our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,[n]And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 [o]Once You spoke in vision to Your godly [p]ones,And said, “I have [q]given help to one who is mighty;I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found My servant David;With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom My hand will be established;My arm also will strengthen him.
22 The enemy will not [r]deceive him,Nor will the [s]son of wickedness afflict him.
23 But I will crush his adversaries before him,And strike those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and My favor will be with him,And in My name his horn will be exalted.
25 I will also place his hand on the sea,And his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father,My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 I will also make him My firstborn,The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will maintain My favor for him forever,And My covenant shall be confirmed to him.
29 So I will establish his [t]descendants forever,And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 “If his sons abandon My LawAnd do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they [u]violate My statutesAnd do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their wrongdoing with the rod,And their guilt with [v]afflictions.
33 But I will not [w]withhold My favor from him,Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
34 I will not [x]violate My covenant,Nor will I alter [y]the utterance of My lips.
35 [z]Once I have sworn by My holiness;I will not lie to David.
36 His [aa]descendants shall endure forever,And his throne as the sun before Me.
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,And a witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah
38 But You have rejected and refused,You have been full of wrath [ab]against Your anointed.
39 You have [ac]repudiated the covenant of Your servant;You have profaned his crown [ad]in the dust.
40 You have broken down all his walls;You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass along the way plunder him;He has become a disgrace to his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You also turn back the edge of his sword,And have not made him stand in battle.
44 You have put an end to his [ae]splendorAnd cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have shortened the days of his youth;You have covered him with shame. Selah
46 How long, Lord?Will You hide Yourself forever?Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember [af]what my lifespan is;For what futility [ag]You have created all the sons of mankind!
48 What man can live and not see death?Can he save his soul from the [ah]power of [ai]Sheol? Selah
49 Where are Your former acts of favor, Lord,Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the taunt against Your servants;[aj]How I carry in my heart the taunts of all the many peoples,
51 With which Your enemies have taunted, Lord,With which they have taunted the footsteps of Your anointed.
52 Blessed be the Lord forever!Amen and Amen.
John 7
People’s Division over Jesus
40 Some of the people therefore, after they heard these words, were saying, “This truly is the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the [j]Christ.” But others were saying, “Surely the [k]Christ is not coming from Galilee, is He? 42 Has the Scripture not said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So a dissension occurred in the crowd because of Him. 44 And some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46 The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken in this way!” 47 The Pharisees then replied to them, “You have not been led astray too, have you? 48 Not one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 But this crowd that does not know the Law is accursed!” 50 Nicodemus (the one who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them, 51 “Our Law does not judge the person unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee as well, are you? Examine the Scriptures, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” 53 [[[l]And everyone went to his home.
365 Daily Kingdom Living
Something Worth Talking About
Paul instructs Timothy to avoid several things – godless chatter, youthful desires (v. 22), useless arguments (v. 23), and those denying the power of God (3:5). Let’s choose to talk about something worthwhile today.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I repent of so much nonsense I talk about each day. It’s just mindless air. Forgive me. Put new, better, wholesome words in my mouth. May my words be an encouragement and inspiration to others near me. May the words from my mouth be a source of edification. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture
Jeremiah 43
7 So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 9 “Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the [b]clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes; 10 and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them.
Jeremiah 44
11 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for [h]cutting off all Judah. 12 And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach! 13 For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, 14 so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire[i] to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.’ ”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: 16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! 17 But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of [j]food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. 18 But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”
2 Timothy 2:14-26
Approved and Disapproved Workers
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [d]Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, [e]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
Psalm 94
God the Refuge of the Righteous
1 O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth;[a]Render punishment to the proud.
3 Lord, how long will the wicked,How long will the wicked triumph?
4 They utter speech, and speak insolent things;All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.
5 They break in pieces Your people, O Lord,And afflict Your heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger,And murder the fatherless.
7 Yet they say, “The Lord does not see,Nor does the God of Jacob [b]understand.”
8 Understand, you senseless among the people;And you fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
10 He who [c]instructs the [d]nations, shall He not correct,He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man,That they are futile.
12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord,And teach out of Your law,
13 That You may give him [e]rest from the days of adversity,Until the pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not [f]cast off His people,Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
15 But judgment will return to righteousness,And all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?17 Unless the Lord had been my help,My soul would soon have settled in silence.
18 If I say, “My foot slips,”Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.
19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,Your comforts delight my soul.
20 Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,Have fellowship with You?
21 They gather together against the life of the righteous,And condemn innocent blood.
22 But the Lord has been my defense,And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He has brought on them their own iniquity,And shall [g]cut them off in their own wickedness;The Lord our God shall cut them off.
Psalm 95
A Call to Worship and Obedience
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God,And the great King above all gods.
4 [h]In His hand are the deep places of the earth;The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it;And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,And we are the people of His pasture,And the sheep [i]of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the [j]rebellion,As in the day of [k]trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me;They tried Me, though they saw My work.
10 For forty years I was [l]grieved with that generation,And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,And they do not know My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Proverbs 26:6-8
Living Bible
6 To trust a rebel to convey a message is as foolish as cutting off your feet and drinking poison!
7 In the mouth of a fool a proverb becomes as useless as a paralyzed leg.
8 Honoring a rebel will backfire like a stone tied to a slingshot!
Dear AVI,
Hallelujah! GREAT are YOU O LORD worthy of all honor, glory and priase!!! I worship YOU O GOD, King of kings LORD of Lords! O GOD forgive the inquity of my heart and mind, how too much excited I am of the husband YOU are preparing for me that I am so overwhelmed with mythoughts and even all I do is talk to YOU about him Please O GOD, calm me down, steady me. Forgive me O GOD for my obsession of a man that will only dissappoint me. While YOU O GOD, YOU never dissappoint, becauseYOU are perfect, faithful and true and all the glory belongs to YOU. O GOD I pray keep my parents healthy and happy, give them longer life to enjoy grandchildren that I can still bear for my husband whom YOU have chosen, a son who will call YOU FATHER. A man whom YOU have anointed and exalted to be the firstborn and greatest of kings in the earth. Toda for my husband please save him quickly, encounter him O GOD I pray and reveal YOURSELF to him in a special way because YOU have chosen him. Please O GOD, just like Paul did, encounter him like YOU encountered Paul or in any other way only YOU touch his heart and cause him to surrender his whole life to YOU. I thank YOU for this gift and blessing O GOD. I pray that he will love me and be so attracted to me and just feel a deep sense of responsibility over me, that he will cover me and protect me, and not just me but the ones I love. I pray o GOD that YOU live within him and love me like YOU love YOUR church King JESUS. Toda for Melek Stephen. May we give YOU all the glory honor and power and pleasure that is due YOU O GOD Almighty! I pray for the peace of Jerusalem O that YOU would encounter all the arabs in Jerusalem, and the jews too shall not be blind anymore, that YOU will remove the hardness of their hearts O GOD and let them see YESHUA their Messiah. O GOD, bring peace to YOUR people. I pray O GOD, bless all our workers and every work we do with our hands. Bless us each day O GOD. Take care of us! I love YOU and need YOU always to guide me. I pray a miracle in Stephen's heart everyday I pray that he will always forgive me for all my wrongs and hurts because of the love YOU put in his heart for me. Please O GOD, let him see my heart and help him to understand me. For YOURS is the power and all the glory and all honor KING JESUS GREAT I AM, HOLY ONE of ISRAEL! Ba HaShem YESHUA HaMashiach, Amen!