Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Deuteronomy 33:1–11

¹This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. ²He said:

"The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.

³Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand.

At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction, ⁴the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.

⁵He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel.

⁶"Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few."

⁷And this he said about Judah: "Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!"

⁸About Levi he said: "Your Thummim and Urim belong to the man you favored. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.

⁹He said of his father and mother, 'I have no regard for them.' He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant.

¹⁰He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

¹¹Bless all his skills, O LORD, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Smite the loins of those who rise up against him; strike his foes till they rise no more."

Psalm 83

¹A song. A psalm of Asaph. O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. ²See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. ³With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. ⁴"Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." ⁵With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you-- ⁶the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, ⁷Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. ⁸Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. [Selah] ⁹Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, ¹⁰who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. ¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, ¹²who said, "Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God." ¹³Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. ¹⁴As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, ¹⁵so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. ¹⁶Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. ¹⁷May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. ¹⁸Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD-- that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Luke 6:37–49

³⁷"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

³⁹He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

⁴¹"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴²How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

⁴³"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

⁴⁶"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. ⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."