EXODUS 23:14-25:40
MATTHEW 24:29-51
PSALM 30:1-12
PROVERBS 7:24-27
EXODUS 23:14-25:40
" Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor. 15 The first is the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, just as I commanded you before. This festival will be an annual event at the appointed time in early spring, for that is the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt. Everyone must bring me a sacrifice at that time. 16 You must also celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest. Finally, you are to celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season. 17 At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign LORD. 18 " Sacrificial blood must never be offered together with bread that has yeast in it. And no sacrificial fat may be left unoffered until the next morning. 19 " As you harvest each of your crops, bring me a choice sample of the first day's harvest. It must be offered to the LORD your God. " You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. 20 " See, I am sending my angel before you to lead you safely to the land I have prepared for you. 21 Pay attention to him, and obey all of his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sins. He is my representative--he bears my name. 22 But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. 23 For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them. 24 Do not worship the gods of these other nations or serve them in any way, and never follow their evil example. Instead, you must utterly conquer them and break down their shameful idols. 25 " You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will keep you healthy. 26 There will be no miscarriages or infertility among your people, and I will give you long, full lives. 27 " I will send my terror upon all the people whose lands you invade, and they will panic before you. 28 I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. 29 But I will not do this all in one year because the land would become a wilderness, and the wild animals would become too many to control. 30 I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to fill the land. 31 And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the southern deserts to the Euphrates River. I will help you defeat the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you. 32 " Make no treaties with them and have nothing to do with their gods. 33 Do not even let them live among you! If you do, they will infect you with their sin of idol worship, and that would be disastrous for you."24:1 THEN the LORD instructed Moses: " Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's leaders. All of them must worship at a distance. 2 You alone, Moses, are allowed to come near to the LORD. The others must not come too close. And remember, none of the other people are allowed to climb on the mountain at all." 3 When Moses had announced to the people all the teachings and regulations the LORD had given him, they answered in unison, " We will do everything the LORD has told us to do." 4 Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD's instructions. Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars around the altar, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent some of the young men to sacrifice young bulls as burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. 6 Moses took half the blood from these animals and drew it off into basins. The other half he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They all responded again, " We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey." 8 Then Moses sprinkled the blood from the basins over the people and said, " This blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these laws." 9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the leaders of Israel went up the mountain. 10 There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a pavement of brilliant sapphire, as clear as the heavens. 11 And though Israel's leaders saw God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they shared a meal together in God's presence!12 And the LORD said to Moses, " Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there while I give you the tablets of stone that I have inscribed with my instructions and commands. Then you will teach the people from them." 13 So Moses and his assistant Joshua climbed up the mountain of God. 14 Moses told the other leaders, " Stay here and wait for us until we come back. If there are any problems while I am gone, consult with Aaron and Hur, who are here with you." 15 Then Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. 16 And the glorious presence of the LORD rested upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from the cloud. 17 The Israelites at the foot of the mountain saw an awesome sight. The awesome glory of the LORD on the mountaintop looked like a devouring fire. 18 Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.25:1 THE LORD said to Moses, 2 " Tell the people of Israel that everyone who wants to may bring me an offering. 3 Here is a list of items you may accept on my behalf: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen; goat hair for cloth; 5 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood; 6 olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; 7 onyx stones, and other stones to be set in the ephod and the chestpiece. 8 " I want the people of Israel to build me a sacred residence where I can live among them. 9 You must make this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the plans I will show you. 10 " Make an Ark of acacia wood--a sacred chest 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet high. 11 Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and put a molding of gold all around it. 12 Cast four rings of gold for it, and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. 13 Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 Fit the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. 15 These carrying poles must never be taken from the rings; they are to be left there permanently. 16 When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you.17 " Then make the Ark's cover--the place of atonement--out of pure gold. It must be 3 feet long and 2 feet wide. 18 Then use hammered gold to make two cherubim, and place them at the two ends of the atonement cover. 19 Attach the cherubim to each end of the atonement cover, making it all one piece. 20 The cherubim will face each other, looking down on the atonement cover with their wings spread out above it. 21 Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. 22 I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel. 23 " Then make a table of acacia wood, 3 feet long, 1 feet wide, and 2 feet high. 24 Overlay it with pure gold and run a molding of gold around it. 25 Put a rim about three inches wide around the top edge, and put a gold molding all around the rim. 26 Make four gold rings, and put the rings at the four corners by the four legs, 27 close to the rim around the top. These rings will support the poles used to carry the table. 28 Make these poles from acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 29 And make gold plates and dishes, as well as pitchers and bowls to be used in pouring out drink offerings. 30 You must always keep the special Bread of the Presence on the table before me.31 " Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. The entire lampstand and its decorations will be one piece--the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and blossoms. 32 It will have six branches, three branches going out from each side of the center stem. 33 Each of the six branches will hold a cup shaped like an almond blossom, complete with buds and petals. 34 The center stem of the lampstand will be decorated with four almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. 35 One blossom will be set beneath each pair of branches where they extend from the center stem. 36 The decorations and branches must all be one piece with the stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. 37 Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. 38 The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold. 39 You will need seventy-five pounds of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories. 40 " Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain."
MATTHEW 24:29-51
" Immediately after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
30 And then at last, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the nations of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 32 " Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near. 33 Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I assure you, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever. 36 " However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 37 " When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. 38 In those days before the Flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40 " Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42 So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming. 43 " Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected. 45 " Who is a faithful, sensible servant, to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family? 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I assure you, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But if the servant is evil and thinks, ` My master won't be back for a while,' 49 and begins oppressing the other servants, partying, and getting drunk--50well, the master will return unannounced and unexpected. 51 He will tear the servant apart and banish him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
PSALM 30:1-12
A psalm of David, sung at the dedication of the Temple.
1 I will praise you, LORD, for you have rescued me.
You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you for help,
and you restored my health.
3 You brought me up from the grave, O LORD.
You kept me from falling into the pit of death.
4 Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones!
Praise his holy name.
5 His anger lasts for a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may go on all night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6 When I was prosperous I said,
" Nothing can stop me now!"
7 Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain.
Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.
8 I cried out to you, O LORD.
I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,
9 " What will you gain if I die,
if I sink down into the grave?
Can my dust praise you from the grave?
Can it tell the world of your faithfulness?
10 Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me.
Help me, O LORD."
11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!
PROVERBS 7:24-27
Listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. Don't let your hearts stray away toward her [immoral woman]. Don't wander down her wayward path. For she has been the ruin of many; numerous men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.
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