THursday, April 20, 2023
Proverbs 3:1–18
1My son, do
not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2for
they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
3Let love
and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the
tablet of your heart. 4Then you will win favor and a good name in
the sight of God and man.
5Trust in
the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in
all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7Do not be
wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8This will bring
health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
9Honor the
LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10then
your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new
wine.
11My son, do
not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12because
the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
13Blessed is
the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, 14for she
is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15She
is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16Long
life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17Her
ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18She is a tree
of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
Psalm
99
1The LORD
reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let
the earth shake. 2Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all
the nations. 3Let them praise your great and awesome name-- he is
holy. 4The King is mighty, he loves justice-- you have established
equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. 5Exalt the
LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. 6Moses and
Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the LORD and he answered them. 7He spoke to them from
the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. 8O
LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you
punished their misdeeds. 9Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his
holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.
Hebrews
7:11–28
11If
perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the
basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for
another priest to come--one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of
Aaron? 12For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must
also be a change of the law. 13He of whom these things are said
belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at
the altar. 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and
in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15And what
we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16one
who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but
on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is
declared:
"You are a priest forever, in the order
of Melchizedek."
18The former
regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for the
law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw
near to God.
20And it was
not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but
he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
"The Lord has sworn and will not change
his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' "
22Because of
this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23Now there
have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in
office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent
priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come
to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26Such a
high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from
sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests,
he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and
then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when
he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men who
are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has
been made perfect forever.
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