NUMBERS 26:52-28:15
LUKE 3:1-22
PSALM 61:1-8
PROVERBS 11:16-17
NUMBERS 26:52-28:15
Then the LORD said to Moses, 53 " Divide the land among the tribes in proportion to their populations, as indicated by the census. 54 Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group's inheritance reflecting the size of its population. 55 Make sure you assign the land by lot, and define the inheritance of each ancestral tribe by means of the census listings. 56 Each inheritance must be assigned by lot among the larger and smaller tribal groups." 57 This is the census record for the Levites who were counted according to their clans: The Gershonite clan, named after its ancestor Gershon. The Kohathite clan, named after its ancestor Kohath. The Merarite clan, named after its ancestor Merari. 58 The Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites were all subclans of the Levites. Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, 59 and Amram's wife was named Jochebed. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Amram and Jochebed became the parents of Aaron, Moses, and their sister, Miriam. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned before the LORD a different kind of fire than he had commanded. 62 The men from the Levite clans who were one month old or older numbered 23,000. But the Levites were not included in the total census figure of the people of Israel because they were not given an inheritance of land when it was divided among the Israelites. 63 So these are the census figures of the people of Israel as prepared by Moses and Eleazar the priest on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. 64 Not one person that was counted in this census had been among those counted in the previous census taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them, " They will all die in the wilderness." The only exceptions were Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.27:1 ONE day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad--Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph. 2 These women went and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 3 " Our father died in the wilderness without leaving any sons," they said. " But he was not among Korah's followers, who rebelled against the LORD. He died because of his own sin. 4 Why should the name of our father disappear just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives." 5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 And the LORD replied to Moses, 7 " The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must give them an inheritance of land along with their father's relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father. 8 Moreover announce this to the people of Israel: ` If a man dies and has no sons, then give his inheritance to his daughters. 9 And if he has no daughters, turn his inheritance over to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 But if his father has no brothers, pass on his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. The Israelites must observe this as a general legal requirement, just as the LORD commanded Moses.' " 12 One day the LORD said to Moses, " Climb to the top of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will die as Aaron your brother did, 14 for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15 Then Moses said to the LORD, 16 " O LORD, the God of the spirits of all living things, please appoint a new leader for the community. 17 Give them someone who will lead them into battle, so the people of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd."18 The LORD replied, " Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 19 Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him with the responsibility of leading the people. 20 Transfer your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. 21 When direction from the LORD is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will determine the LORD's will by means of sacred lots. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will discover what they should do." 22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded and presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. 23 Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to his responsibilities, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses. 28:1 THE LORD said to Moses, 2" Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present to me by fire on the altar are my food, and they are very pleasing to me. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions. 3 " Say to them: When you present your daily whole burnt offerings to the LORD, you must offer two one-year-old male lambs with no physical defects. 4 One lamb will be sacrificed in the morning and the other in the evening. 5 With each lamb you must offer a grain offering of two quarts of choice flour mixed with one quart of olive oil. 6 This is the regular burnt offering ordained at Mount Sinai, an offering made by fire, very pleasing to the LORD. 7 Along with it you must present the proper drink offering, consisting of one quart of fermented drink with each lamb, poured out in the Holy Place as an offering to the LORD. 8 Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same grain offering and drink offering. It, too, is an offering made by fire, very pleasing to the LORD. 9 " On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no physical defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of three quarts of choice flour mixed with olive oil, and a drink offering. 10 This is the whole burnt offering to be presented each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular daily burnt offering and its accompanying drink offering. 11 " On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the LORD of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no physical defects. 12 These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour mixed with olive oil--five quarts with each bull, three quarts with the ram, 13 and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering must be presented by fire, and it will be very pleasing to the LORD. 14 You must also give a drink offering with each sacrifice: two quarts of wine with each bull, two and a half pints for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year. 15 " Also, on the first day of each month you must offer one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD. This is in addition to the regular daily burnt offering and its accompanying drink offering."
LUKE 3:1-22
It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living out in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, " He is a voice shouting in the wilderness:
` Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming!
Make a straight road for him!
5 Fill in the valleys,
and level the mountains and hills!
Straighten the curves,
and smooth out the rough places!
6 And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.' "
7 Here is a sample of John's preaching to the crowds that came for baptism: " You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God's coming judgment? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don't just say, ` We're safe--we're the descendants of Abraham.' That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham. 9 Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." 10 The crowd asked, " What should we do?" 11 John replied, " If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry." 12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, " Teacher, what should we do?" 13 " Show your honesty," he replied. " Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to." 14 " What should we do?" asked some soldiers. John replied, " Don't extort money, and don't accuse people of things you know they didn't do. And be content with your pay." 15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, " I baptize with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am--so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 He is ready to separate the chaff from the grain with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, storing the grain in his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire." 18 John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people. 19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others. 21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. And a voice from heaven said, " You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you."
PSALM 61:1-8
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer!
2 From the ends of the earth,
I will cry to you for help,
for my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3 for you are my safe refuge,
a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings!
Interlude5 For you have heard my vows, O God.
You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
6 Add many years to the life of the king!
May his years span the generations!
7 May he reign under God's protection forever.
Appoint your unfailing love and faithfulness to watch over him.
8 Then I will always sing praises to your name
as I fulfill my vows day after day.
PROVERBS 11:16-17
Beautiful women obtain wealth, and violent men get rich. Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.
