February 3 Reading through the Bible Day 34

EXODUS 17:8-19:15
MATTHEW 22:34-23:12
PSALM 27:7-14
PROVERBS 6:27-35

EXODUS 17:8-19:15
While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek came to fight against them. 9 Moses commanded Joshua, " Call the Israelites to arms, and fight the army of Amalek. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." 10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded. He led his men out to fight the army of Amalek. Meanwhile Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of a nearby hill. 11 As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. 12 Moses' arms finally became too tired to hold up the staff any longer. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side, holding up his hands until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua and his troops were able to crush the army of Amalek.14 Then the LORD instructed Moses, " Write this down as a permanent record, and announce it to Joshua: I will blot out every trace of Amalek from under heaven." 15 Moses built an altar there and called it " The LORD Is My Banner." 16 He said, " They have dared to raise their fist against the LORD's throne, so now the LORD will be at war with Amalek generation after generation." 18:1 WORD soon reached Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law, about all the wonderful things God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He had heard about how the LORD had brought them safely out of Egypt. 2 Some time before this, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons to live with Jethro, his father-in-law. 3 The name of Moses' first son was Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, " I have been a stranger in a foreign land." 4 The name of his second son was Eliezer, for Moses had said at his birth, " The God of my fathers was my helper; he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." 5 Jethro now came to visit Moses, and he brought Moses' wife and two sons with him. They arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. 6 Moses was told, " Jethro, your father-in-law, has come to visit you. Your wife and your two sons are with him." 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed to him respectfully and greeted him warmly. They asked about each other's health and then went to Moses' tent to talk further. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to rescue Israel from Pharaoh and the Egyptians. He also told him about the problems they had faced along the way and how the LORD had delivered his people from all their troubles. 9 Jethro was delighted when he heard about all that the LORD had done for Israel as he brought them out of Egypt. 10 " Praise be to the LORD," Jethro said, " for he has saved you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. He has rescued Israel from the power of Egypt! 11 I know now that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because his people have escaped from the proud and cruel Egyptians." 12 Then Jethro presented a burnt offering and gave sacrifices to God. As Jethro was doing this, Aaron and the leaders of Israel came out to meet him. They all joined him in a sacrificial meal in God's presence. 13 The next day, Moses sat as usual to hear the people's complaints against each other. They were lined up in front of him from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, " Why are you trying to do all this alone? The people have been standing here all day to get your help." 15 Moses replied, " Well, the people come to me to seek God's guidance. 16 When an argument arises, I am the one who settles the case. I inform the people of God's decisions and teach them his laws and instructions." 17 " This is not good!" his father-in-law exclaimed. 18 " You're going to wear yourself out--and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people's representative before God, bringing him their questions to be decided. 20 You should tell them God's decisions, teach them God's laws and instructions, and show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 These men can serve the people, resolving all the ordinary cases. Anything that is too important or too complicated can be brought to you. But they can take care of the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God directs you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace." 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law's advice and followed his suggestions. 25 He chose capable men from all over Israel and made them judges over the people. They were put in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 26 These men were constantly available to administer justice. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but they judged the smaller matters themselves. 27 Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.19:1 THE Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Sinai exactly two months after they left Egypt. 2 After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the base of Mount Sinai and set up camp there. 3 Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The LORD called out to him from the mountain and said, " Give these instructions to the descendants of Jacob, the people of Israel: 4 ` You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I brought you to myself and carried you on eagle's wings. 5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be to me a kingdom of priests, my holy nation.' Give this message to the Israelites." 7 Moses returned from the mountain and called together the leaders of the people and told them what the LORD had said. 8 They all responded together, " We will certainly do everything the LORD asks of us." So Moses brought the people's answer back to the LORD. 9 Then the LORD said to Moses, " I am going to come to you in a thick cloud so the people themselves can hear me as I speak to you. Then they will always have confidence in you." Moses told the LORD what the people had said. 10 Then the LORD told Moses, " Go down and prepare the people for my visit. Purify them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. 11 Be sure they are ready on the third day, for I will come down upon Mount Sinai as all the people watch. 12 Set boundary lines that the people may not pass. Warn them, ` Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Those who do will certainly die! 13 Any people or animals that cross the boundary must be stoned to death or shot with arrows. They must not be touched by human hands.' The people must stay away from the mountain until they hear one long blast from the ram's horn. Then they must gather at the foot of the mountain." 14 So Moses went down to the people. He purified them for worship and had them wash their clothing. 15 He told them, " Get ready for an important event two days from now. And until then, abstain from having sexual intercourse."

MATTHEW 22:34-23:12
But when the Pharisees heard that he [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they thought up a fresh question of their own to ask him. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 " Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" 37 Jesus replied, " ` You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ` Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." 41 Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: 42 " What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, " He is the son of David." 43 Jesus responded, " Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, call him Lord? For David said,44 ` The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.'
45 Since David called him Lord, how can he be his son at the same time?" 46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.23:1 THEN Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 " The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. 3 So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. 4 They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden. 5 " Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear extra long tassels on their robes. 6 And how they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most prominent seats in the synagogue! 7 They enjoy the attention they get on the streets, and they enjoy being called ` Rabbi.' 8 Don't ever let anyone call you ` Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are on the same level as brothers and sisters.* 9 And don't address anyone here on earth as ` Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don't let anyone call you ` Master,' for there is only one master, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

PSALM 27:7-14
Listen to my pleading, O LORD.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, " Come and talk with me."
And my heart responds, " LORD, I am coming."
9 Do not hide yourself from me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don't leave me now; don't abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the LORD will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O LORD.
Lead me along the path of honesty,
for my enemies are waiting for me to fall.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I've never done
and breathe out violence against me.
13 Yet I am confident that I will see the LORD's goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the LORD.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

PROVERBS 6:27-35
Can a man scoop fire into his lap and not be burned? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who sleeps with another man's wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he will be fined seven times as much as he stole, even if it means selling everything in his house to pay it back.But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys his own soul. Wounds and constant disgrace are his lot. His shame will never be erased. For the woman's husband will be furious in his jealousy, and he will have no mercy in his day of vengeance. There is no compensation or bribe that will satisfy him.