EXODUS 32:1-33:23
MATTHEW 26:69-27:14
PSALM 33:1-11
PROVERBS 8:33-36
EXODUS 32:1-33:23
When Moses failed to come back down the mountain right away, the people went to Aaron. " Look," they said, " make us some gods who can lead us. This man Moses, who brought us here from Egypt, has disappeared. We don't know what has happened to him." 2 So Aaron said, " Tell your wives and sons and daughters to take off their gold earrings, and then bring them to me." 3 All the people obeyed Aaron and brought him their gold earrings. 4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded and tooled it into the shape of a calf. The people exclaimed, " O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw how excited the people were about it, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, " Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD!" 6 So the people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and indulged themselves in pagan revelry. 7 Then the LORD told Moses, " Quick! Go down the mountain! The people you brought from Egypt have defiled themselves. 8 They have already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They have made an idol shaped like a calf, and they have worshiped and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ` These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.' " 9 Then the LORD said, " I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. 10 Now leave me alone so my anger can blaze against them and destroy them all. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation instead of them."11 But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God not to do it. " O LORD!" he exclaimed. " Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and mighty acts? 12 The Egyptians will say, ` God tricked them into coming to the mountains so he could kill them and wipe them from the face of the earth.' Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you are planning against your people! 13 Remember your covenant with your servants--Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You swore by your own self, ` I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. Yes, I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.' " 14 So the LORD withdrew his threat and didn't bring against his people the disaster he had threatened. 15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16 These stone tablets were God's work; the words on them were written by God himself. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, " It sounds as if there is a war in the camp!" 18 But Moses replied, " No, it's neither a cry of victory nor a cry of defeat. It is the sound of a celebration." 19 When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing. In terrible anger, he threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf they had made and melted it in the fire. And when the metal had cooled, he ground it into powder and mixed it with water. Then he made the people drink it. 21 After that, he turned to Aaron. " What did the people do to you?" he demanded. " How did they ever make you bring such terrible sin upon them?" 22 " Don't get upset, sir," Aaron replied. " You yourself know these people and what a wicked bunch they are. 23 They said to me, ` Make us some gods to lead us, for something has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt.' 24 So I told them, ` Bring me your gold earrings.' When they brought them to me, I threw them into the fire--and out came this calf!" 25 When Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control--and much to the amusement of their enemies--26 he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, " All of you who are on the LORD's side, come over here and join me." And all the Levites came. 27 He told them, " This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Strap on your swords! Go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other, killing even your brothers, friends, and neighbors." 28 The Levites obeyed Moses, and about three thousand people died that day. 29 Then Moses told the Levites, " Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Because of this, he will now give you a great blessing." 30 The next day Moses said to the people, " You have committed a terrible sin, but I will return to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for you." 31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, " Alas, these people have committed a terrible sin. They have made gods of gold for themselves. 32 But now, please forgive their sin--and if not, then blot me out of the record you are keeping." 33 The LORD replied to Moses, " I will blot out whoever has sinned against me. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you! But when I call the people to account, I will certainly punish them for their sins." 35 And the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.33:1 THE LORD said to Moses, " Now that you have brought these people out of Egypt, lead them to the land I solemnly promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them long ago that I would give this land to their descendants. 2 And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3 Theirs is a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not travel along with you, for you are a stubborn, unruly people. If I did, I would be tempted to destroy you along the way." 4 When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and refused to wear their jewelry and ornaments. 5 For the LORD had told Moses to tell them, " You are an unruly, stubborn people. If I were there among you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and ornaments until I decide what to do with you." 6 So from the time they left Mount Sinai, the Israelites wore no more jewelry. 7 It was Moses' custom to set up the tent known as the Tent of Meeting far outside the camp. Everyone who wanted to consult with the LORD would go there. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in their tent entrances. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. 9 As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at the entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Then all the people would stand and bow low at their tent entrances. 11 Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, stayed behind in the Tent of Meeting. 12 Moses said to the LORD, " You have been telling me, ` Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You call me by name and tell me I have found favor with you. 13 Please, if this is really so, show me your intentions so I will understand you more fully and do exactly what you want me to do. Besides, don't forget that this nation is your very own people." 14 And the LORD replied, " I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest--everything will be fine for you." 15 Then Moses said, " If you don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place. 16 If you don't go with us, how will anyone ever know that your people and I have found favor with you? How else will they know we are special and distinct from all other people on the earth?" 17 And the LORD replied to Moses, " I will indeed do what you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and you are my friend." 18 Then Moses had one more request. " Please let me see your glorious presence," he said. 19 The LORD replied, " I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, ` the LORD,' to you. I will show kindness to anyone I choose, and I will show mercy to anyone I choose. 20 But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live." 21 The LORD continued, " Stand here on this rock beside me. 22 As my glorious presence passes by, I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed. 23 Then I will remove my hand, and you will see me from behind. But my face will not be seen."
MATTHEW 26:69-27:14
Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, a servant girl came over and said to him, " You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean." 70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. " I don't know what you are talking about," he said. 71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, " This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. " I don't even know the man," he said. 73 A little later some other bystanders came over to him and said, " You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent." 74 Peter said, " I swear by God, I don't know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: " Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went away, crying bitterly.27:1 VERY early in the morning, the leading priests and other leaders met again to discuss how to persuade the Roman government to sentence Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and other leaders. 4 " I have sinned," he declared, " for I have betrayed an innocent man."" What do we care?" they retorted. " That's your problem." 5 Then Judas threw the money onto the floor of the Temple and went out and hanged himself. 6 The leading priests picked up the money. " We can't put it in the Temple treasury," they said, " since it's against the law to accept money paid for murder." 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, " They took the thirty pieces of silver--
the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel--
10 and purchased the potter's field,
as the Lord directed."
11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. " Are you the King of the Jews?" the governor asked him. Jesus replied, " Yes, it is as you say." 12 But when the leading priests and other leaders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 " Don't you hear their many charges against you?" Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus said nothing, much to the governor's great surprise.
PSALM 33:1-11
Let the godly sing with joy to the LORD,
for it is fitting to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre;
make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
3 Sing new songs of praise to him;
play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy.
4 For the word of the LORD holds true,
and everything he does is worthy of our trust.
5 He loves whatever is just and good,
and his unfailing love fills the earth.
6 The LORD merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
7 He gave the sea its boundaries
and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
8 Let everyone in the world fear the LORD,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.
9 For when he spoke, the world began!
It appeared at his command.
10 The LORD shatters the plans of the nations
and thwarts all their schemes.
11 But the LORD's plans stand firm forever;
his intentions can never be shaken.
PROVERBS 8:33-36
" Listen to my [wisdom's] counsel and be wise. Don't ignore it. Happy are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! For whoever finds me finds life and wins approval from the LORD. But those who miss me have injured themselves. All who hate me love death."
