DEUTERONOMY 5:1-6:25
LUKE 7:11-35
PSALM 68:19-35
PROVERBS 11:29-31
DEUTERONOMY 5:1-6:25
Moses called all the people of Israel together and said, " Listen carefully to all the laws and regulations I am giving you today. Learn them and be sure to obey them! 2 " While we were at Mount Sinai, the LORD our God made a covenant with us. 3 The LORD did not make this covenant long ago with our ancestors, but with all of us who are alive today. 4 The LORD spoke to you face to face from the heart of the fire on the mountain. 5 I stood as an intermediary between you and the LORD, for you were afraid of the fire and did not climb the mountain. He spoke to me, and I passed his words on to you. This is what he said: 6 " ` I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt. 7 " ` Do not worship any other gods besides me. 8 " ` Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. 9 You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god! I do not leave unpunished the sins of those who hate me, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations. 10 But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations. 11 " ` Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. 12 " ` Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, 14 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your oxen and donkeys and other livestock, and any foreigners living among you. All your male and female servants must rest as you do. 15 Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out with amazing power and mighty deeds. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. 16 " ` Honor your father and mother, as the LORD your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you. 17 " ` Do not murder. 18 " ` Do not commit adultery. 19 " ` Do not steal. 20 " ` Do not testify falsely against your neighbor. 21 " ` Do not covet your neighbor's wife. Do not covet your neighbor's house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns.'22 " The LORD spoke these words with a loud voice to all of you from the heart of the fire, surrounded by clouds and deep darkness. This was all he said at that time, and he wrote his words on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 23 But when you heard the voice from the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders came to me. 24 They said, ` The LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the heart of the fire. Today we have seen God speaking to humans, and yet we live! 25 But now, why should we die? If the LORD our God speaks to us again, we will certainly die and be consumed by this awesome fire. 26 Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire and yet survive? 27 You go and listen to what the LORD our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.' 28 " The LORD heard your request and said to me, ` I have heard what the people have said to you, and they are right. 29 Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever. 30 Go and tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so I can give you all my commands, laws, and regulations. You will teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving to them as their inheritance.' " 32 So Moses told the people, " You must obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail. 33 Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.6:1 " THESE are all the commands, laws, and regulations that the LORD your God told me to teach you so you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and so you and your children and grandchildren might fear the LORD your God as long as you live. If you obey all his laws and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, to everything I say. Be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 " Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. 8 Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 10 " The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land filled with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. 11 The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, 12 be careful not to forget the LORD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 13 You must fear the LORD your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name. 14 " You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, 15 for the LORD your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you and wipe you from the face of the earth. 16 Do not test the LORD your God as you did when you complained at Massah. 17 You must diligently obey the commands of the LORD your God--all the stipulations and laws he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the LORD solemnly promised to give your ancestors. 19 You will drive out all the enemies living in your land, just as the LORD said you would. 20 " In the future your children will ask you, ` What is the meaning of these stipulations, laws, and regulations that the LORD our God has given us?' 21 Then you must tell them, ` We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with amazing power. 22 Before our eyes the LORD did miraculous signs and wonders, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. 23 He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had solemnly promised to give our ancestors. 24 And the LORD our God commanded us to obey all these laws and to fear him for our own prosperity and well-being, as is now the case. 25 For we are righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us.'"
LUKE 7:11-35
Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, with a great crowd following him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The boy who had died was the only son of a widow, and many mourners from the village were with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. " Don't cry!" he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. " Young man," he said, " get up." 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk to those around him! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, " A mighty prophet has risen among us," and " We have seen the hand of God at work today." 17 The report of what Jesus had done that day spread all over Judea and even out across its borders. 18 The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19 and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, " Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?" 20 John's two disciples found Jesus and said to him, " John the Baptist sent us to ask, ` Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?' " 21 At that very time, he cured many people of their various diseases, and he cast out evil spirits and restored sight to the blind. 22 Then he told John's disciples, " Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard--the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 23 And tell him, ` God blesses those who are not offended by me.' " 24 After they left, Jesus talked to the crowd about John. " Who is this man in the wilderness that you went out to see? Did you find him weak as a reed, moved by every breath of wind? 25 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces, not in the wilderness. 26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ` Look, I am sending my messenger before you,
and he will prepare your way before you.'
28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the most insignificant person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!" 29 When they heard this, all the people, including the unjust tax collectors, agreed that God's plan was right, for they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law had rejected God's plan for them, for they had refused John's baptism. 31 " How shall I describe this generation?" Jesus asked. " With what will I compare them? 32 They are like a group of children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, ` We played wedding songs, and you weren't happy, so we played funeral songs, but you weren't sad.' 33 For John the Baptist didn't drink wine and he often fasted, and you say, ` He's demon possessed.' 34 And I, the Son of Man, feast and drink, and you say, ` He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of the worst sort of sinners!' 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it."
PSALM 68:19-35
Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
For each day he carries us in his arms.
Interlude20 Our God is a God who saves!
The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death.
21 But God will smash the heads of his enemies,
crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
22 The Lord says, " I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;
I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.
23 You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood,
and even your dogs will get their share!"
24 Your procession has come into view, O God--
the procession of my God and King
as he goes into the sanctuary.
25 Singers are in front, musicians are behind;
with them are young women playing tambourines.
26 Praise God, all you people of Israel;
praise the LORD, the source of Israel's life.
27 Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.
Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah
and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28 Summon your might, O God.
Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute
to your Temple in Jerusalem.
30 Rebuke these enemy nations--
these wild animals lurking in the reeds,
this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.
Humble those who demand tribute from us.
Scatter the nations that delight in war.
31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals;
let Ethiopia bow in submission to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
Sing praises to the Lord.
Interlude33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,
his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
34 Tell everyone about God's power.
His majesty shines down on Israel;
his strength is mighty in the heavens.
35 God is awesome in his sanctuary.
The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!
PROVERBS 11:29-31
Those who bring trouble on their families inherit only the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise. The godly are like trees that bear life-giving fruit, and those who save lives are wise. If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, how much more true that the wicked and the sinner will get what they deserve!
