Tuesday, 24 Cheshvan 5784 / November 8, 2023
Day 312 Readings
Torah: 3rd Portion Bereshit (Genesis) 24:27-52
27 And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”
28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. 30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s [k]wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “[l]This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside, since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” 32 So the man entered the house. Then [m]Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have stated my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” 34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become [n]rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and slave women, and camels and donkeys. 36 Now my master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master [o]in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 Then I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ 40 And he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; 41 then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “So I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I have been going successful; 43 behold, I am standing by the [p]spring, and may it be that the [q]young unmarried woman who comes out to draw water, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; 44 and she says to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her [r]wrists. 48 And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 So now if you are going to [s]deal kindly and truthfully with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me now, so that I may turn to the right or the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The matter has come from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground [t]before the Lord.
Bible Study Together
1 Samuel 3:1-4:11
19 So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words [d]fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been [e]established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Luke 12:35-59
Be in Readiness
35 “[y]Be prepared, and keep your lamps lit. 36 You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will [z]prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 38 Whether he comes in the [aa]second watch, or even in the [ab]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39 “But [ac]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his [ad]master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and will [ae]cut him in two, and assign [af]him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of [ag]a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
Christ Divides People
49 “I [ah]have come to cast fire upon the earth; and [ai]how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism [aj]to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
365 Daily Kingdom Living
Glory … Gone
In his vision, Ezekiel reveals to us in these verses and we see a dramatic, sad event. After a terrible slaughter of those who embraced idolatry, God’s glory leaves the temple ... first moving from the holy of holies to the entrance and eventually up above the cherubim and the spectacular whirling wheels. Imagine a world without God’s glory. Imagine the hopelessness, anarchy, chaos ... and be thankful He is still and always patient and not willing that any should perish.
Prayer: Father God, make me especially conscious of your presence today. Thank you for your patience with and compassion for me. Even though I’ve failed you so often, still you continue to admonish, correct, discipline and encourage me. Help me to see again your glory and your awesome holiness today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture
Ezekiel 18
God Deals Justly with Individuals
18 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying,
‘The fathers eat sour grapes,[a]But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt’?
3 As I live,” declares the Lord [b]God, “you certainly are not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. 4 Behold, all [c]souls are Mine; the [d]soul of the father as well as the [e]soul of the son is Mine. The [f]soul who sins will die.
5 “But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, 6 if he does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period— 7 and if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 8 and if he does not [g]lend money at interest or take [h]interest, if he keeps his hand from injustice and executes true justice between one person and another, 9 if he walks in My statutes and keeps My ordinances so as to deal faithfully—he is righteous and will certainly live,” declares the Lord God.
10 “However, he may father a violent son who sheds blood, and does any one of these things to a brother 11 (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore a pledge, but raises his eyes to the idols and commits abomination, 13 lends money at interest and takes [i]interest; will he live? He will not live! He has committed all these abominations, he shall certainly be put to death; his blood will be on himself.
14 “Now behold, he has fathered a son who saw all his father’s sins which he committed, but he has seen them and does not do likewise. 15 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he has not defiled his neighbor’s wife, 16 nor oppressed anyone, nor retained a pledge, nor committed robbery; instead, he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, 17 he keeps his hand from [j]the poor, does not take any kind of interest on loans, but executes My ordinances, and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s guilt, he will certainly live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his guilt.
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them, he shall certainly live. 20 The person who sins will die. A son will not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt, nor will a father suffer the punishment for the son’s guilt; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
21 “But if the wicked person turns from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die. 22 All his offenses which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “[k]rather than that he would turn from his ways and live?
24 “But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and does according to all the abominations that the wicked person does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. 25 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has committed he dies. 27 But when a wicked person turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. 28 Since he understood and turned away from all his offenses which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die. 29 But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?
30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord God. “Repent and turn away from all your offenses, so that wrongdoing does not become a stumbling block to you. 31 Hurl away from you all your offenses which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live!”
Ezekiel 19
Hebrews 9:1-10
The Old and the New
1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a [a]tabernacle was equipped, the [b]outer sanctuary, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the [c]sacred bread; this is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second veil there was a [d]tabernacle which is called the Most Holy Place, 4 having a golden [e]altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron’s staff which budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the [f]atoning cover; but about these things we cannot now speak in detail.
6 Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the [g]outer [h]tabernacle, performing the divine worship, 7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the [i]sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the [j]outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food, drink, and various washings, regulations for the [k]body imposed until a time of reformation.
Psalm 106:32-48
New American Standard Bible
32 They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of [a]Meribah,So that it went badly for Moses on their account.33 Because they were rebellious against [b]His Spirit,He spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples,As the Lord had commanded them,35 But they got involved with the nationsAnd learned their [c]practices,36 And served their idols,Which became a snare to them.37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,38 And shed innocent blood,The blood of their sons and their daughtersWhom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;And the land was defiled with the blood.39 So they became unclean in their [d]practices,And [e]were unfaithful in their deeds.
40 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people,And He loathed His [f]inheritance.41 So He handed them over to the [g]nations,And those who hated them ruled over them.42 Their enemies also oppressed them,And they were subdued under their [h]power.43 Many times He would rescue them;They, however, were rebellious in their plan,And they sank down into their guilt.
44 Nevertheless He looked at their distressWhen He heard their cry;45 And He remembered His covenant for their sake,And [i]relented according to the greatness of His mercy.46 He also made them objects of compassion. In the presence of all their captors.
47 Save us, Lord our God,And gather us from the nations,To give thanks to Your holy nameAnd glory in Your praise.48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,From everlasting to everlasting.And all the people shall say, “Amen.”[j]Praise [k]the Lord!
Proverbs 27:10
New American Standard Bible
10 Do not abandon your friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.