Tuesday, 8 Kislev 5784 / November 21, 2023
Day 325 Readings
Torah: Vayeitzei, 3rd Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 29:18-30:13
Genesis 29
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her.
Laban’s Treachery
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my [a]time is completed, that I may have relations with her.” 22 So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast. 23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her. 24 Laban also gave his female slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a slave. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not [b]the practice in our place to [c]marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me, for another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his female slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. 30 So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with [d]Laban for another seven years.
31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was [e]unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him [f]Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has [g]seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Because the Lord has [h]heard that I am [i]unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become [j]attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will [k]praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him [l]Judah. Then she stopped having children.
Genesis 30
The Sons of Jacob
1 Now when Rachel saw that she had not borne Jacob any children, [m]she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I am going to die.” 2 Then Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my female slave Bilhah: have relations with her that she may give birth [n]on my knees, so that [o]by her I too may obtain a child.” 4 So she gave him her slave Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had relations with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has [p]vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him [q]Dan. 7 And Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 So Rachel said, “With [r]mighty wrestling I have [s]wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “[t]How fortunate!” So she named him [u]Gad. 12 And Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “[v]Happy am I! For women will call me happy.” So she named him [w]Asher.
Bible Study Together
1 Samuel 17
24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were very fearful. 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will make the man who kills him wealthy with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house [p]free in Israel.”
26 Then David said to the men who were standing by him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and rids Israel of the disgrace? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to defy the armies of the living God?” 27 The people [q]answered him in agreement with this statement, saying, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard him when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why is it that you have come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I myself know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” 29 But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a [r]question?” 30 Then he turned [s]away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people replied with the same words as [t]before.
David Kills Goliath
31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed [u]Saul, and he [v]sent for him.
1 Timothy 3
New American Standard Bible
Overseers and Deacons
3 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of [a]overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 [b]An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, [c]temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, 3 not overindulging in wine, not [d]a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into condemnation [e]incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into [f]disgrace and the snare of the devil.
8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not [g]insincere, not prone to drink much wine, not greedy for money, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 [h]Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but [i]temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of one wife, and [j]good managers of their children and their own households. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a [k]high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but [l]in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 Beyond question, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,Was [m]vindicated [n]in the Spirit,Seen by angels,Proclaimed among the nations,Believed on in the world,Taken up in glory.
Dear AVI,
Baruk Ata Elohim Adonai Melek Ha Olam!!! Great are YOU O HOLY One of Israel Sovereign ruler over all the Universe! Toda Raba for this day going to the BIR once again to close the many things that needs to be closed on Mom's TIN. I pray O GOD, that YOU the prayers of my heart for the unsaved, Stephen and Denita Yu, Ramon Tiu, all our relatives in Dad and Mom's side, I pray for YOUR grace to cover the sick, the blood of JESUS to cleanse us all and heal us especially Mom of her wrongdoings so that she may be healed in her physicall body, heal our Spirits O GOD, heal us. Have mercy on us for we are but frail beings, I pray that she will finally surrender to YOU obey YOUR WORD in submitting to our Government by paying the right taxes and to do good O GOD. I pray that YOU will enable all of us to keep surrendering all things to YOU. May YOU Speak to Nanay Lucia through YOUR Word and bring her entire family to the TRUTH and abandon the worship of graven images that YOU have written against in Exodus 20:4-6. I pray for YOUR grace to come upon her and her family and to all the families in my watch O GOD have mercy on us all and heal us O GOD. I pray that Stephen will become the deacon that YOU have called him to be because he has all the qualities of a leader in church but he lacks the faith and so I pray that YOU increase his faith by encountering him personally in his dreams, in signs, visions and wonders. I pray encounter him I ask YOU O GOD encounter him and his mother. For it is YOUR Will to pour out YOUR Spirit upon him so I pray and stand with YOU that YOU will pour out YOUR RuachFire, HOLY Spirit upon Stephen Lao Yu because YOU have chosen him YOUR servant who has pleased YOUR Soul and he will bring justice to the Nations. For YOU deserve all our highest honor, glory and praise.
IN the Name of YESHUA Son of GOD ELOHIM Almighty, Amen!
365 Daily Kingdom Living
Walk In Purity
What is the secret of living a pure life – it is by storing God’s word in our hearts. This is more than just memorising His word – it is understanding, accepting and absorbing His word. The standards, principles and values for living life that are there in God’s word need to become our personal values to live by – that is storing God’s word in our hearts.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your word, the bible. Thank you for the truths, which are in your word. I pray that we will store your word in our hearts by absorbing as our own, the standards, principles and values in your word and by this, that we may not sin against you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture
Ezekiel 43
Vision of the Glory of God Filling the Temple
1 Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east; 2 and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone from His glory. 3 And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when [a]He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4 And the glory of the Lord entered the house by way of the gate facing east. 5 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner courtyard; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.
6 Then I heard Him speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me. 7 And He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their prostitution and by the [b]corpses of their kings [c]when they die, 8 by putting their threshold by My threshold, and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger. 9 Now let them remove their prostitution and the [d]corpses of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell among them forever.
10 “As for you, son of man, inform the house of Israel of the [e]temple, so that they will be ashamed of their wrongdoings; and have them measure the [f]plan. 11 And if they are ashamed of everything that they have done, make known to them the plan of the house, its layout, its exits, its entrances, all its plans, all its [g]statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its entire plan and all its statutes and execute them. 12 This is the [h]law of the house: its entire [i]area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the [j]law of the house.
Ezekiel 44
Gate for the Prince
1 Then He brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east; and it was shut. 2 And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. 3 As for the prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the porch of the gate and shall go out [y]by the same way.”
4 Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord, and I fell on my face. 5 And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, [z]pay attention, see with your eyes and hear with your ears everything that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the Lord and all its laws; and [aa]pay attention to the entrance of the house, with all the exits of the sanctuary. 6 You shall say to the [ab]rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord [ac]God says: “Enough of all your abominations, house of Israel, 7 when you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, My house, when you offered My food, the fat, and the blood and they broke My covenant—this in addition to all your abominations. 8 And you have not [ad]taken responsibility for My holy things yourselves, but you have appointed foreigners [ae]to take responsibility for My sanctuary.”
28 “And it shall be regarding an inheritance for them, that I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no property in Israel—I am their property. 29 They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering; and everything banned from secular use in Israel shall be theirs. 30 And the first of all the first fruits of every kind and every [ar]contribution of every kind, from all your [as]contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your [at]dough, to make a blessing rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat any bird or animal that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces by animals.
James 5
New American Standard Bible
Misuse of Riches
1 Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will [a]serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord [b]of armies. 5 You have [c]lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have [d]fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and [e]put to death the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.
Exhortation
7 Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until [f]it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not [g]complain, brothers and sisters, against one another, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing [h]right at the [i]door. 10 As an example, brothers and sisters, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the [j]endurance of Job and have seen the [k]outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but [l]your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall under judgment.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [m]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will [n]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [o]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A [p]prayer of a righteous person, when it is [q]brought about, can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed [r]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky [s]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Psalm 119:1-16
New American Standard Bible
Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God.
Aleph
1 Blessed are those whose way is [a]blameless,Who walk in the Law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are those who comply with His [b]testimonies,And seek Him with all their heart. 3 They also do no injustice;They walk in His ways. 4 You have [c]ordained Your precepts,[d]That we are to keep them diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be establishedTo keep Your statutes! 6 Then I will not be ashamedWhen I look at all Your commandments. 7 I will give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,When I learn Your righteous judgments. 8 I will keep Your statutes;Do not utterly abandon me!
Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. 10 With all my heart I have sought You;Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11 I have treasured Your word in my heart,So that I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, Lord;Teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,[e]As much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts And [f]regard Your ways. 16 I shall [g]delight in Your statutes;I will not forget Your word.
Proverbs 28:3-5
New American Standard Bible
3 A poor man who oppresses the helplessIs like a driving rain [a]which leaves no food.4 Those who abandon the Law praise the wicked,But those who keep the Law strive against them.5 Evil people do not understand justice,But those who seek the Lord understand everything.