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Vision of The New Jerusalem (Rev 21:9-22:5)

A(21:9-11)

21:10 the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. (21:10)

B(21:12-21)

21:12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed (21:12)" (δώδεκα)

C(21:22-25)

21:25 there will be no night there. (21:25) (νὺχ)


A'(21:26-27)

21:26 The treasure and wealth of the nations will be brought there, (21:26)

B'(22:1-4)

22:2 the tree of life that produces fruit twelve times a year (22:2) (δώδεκα)

C'(22:5)

22:5 Night will be no more (22:5) (νὺχ)


A: Coming. B: Twelve. C: There will be no night


Revelation 21:9–22:5 (NKJV): The New Jerusalem

9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he

measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

The Glory of the New Jerusalem

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Chapter 22

The River of Life

1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

First Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 3

23I entreated the Lord at that time, saying,24"O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for who is [like] God in heaven or on earth who can do as Your deeds and Your might?25Pray let me cross over and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon."26But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and He did not listen to me, and the Lord said to me, "It is enough for you; speak to Me no more regarding this matter.27Go up to the top of the hill and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward and see with your eyes, for you shall not cross this Jordan.28But command Joshua and strengthen him and encourage him, for he will cross over before this people, and he will make them inherit the land which you will see.29And we abided in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

Deuteronomy Chapter 4

1And now, O Israel, hearken to the statutes and to the judgments which I teach you to do, in order that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord, God of your forefathers, is giving you.2Do not add to the word which I command you, nor diminish from it, to observe the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.3Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal Peor, for every man who went after Baal Peor, the Lord your God has exterminated from your midst.4But you who cleave to the Lord your God are alive, all of you, this day.


Monday

Isaiah 66:6–14 (NLT):

6 What is all the commotion in the city?

What is that terrible noise from the Temple?

It is the voice of the Lord

taking vengeance against his enemies.

7 “Before the birth pains even begin,

Jerusalem gives birth to a son.

8 Who has ever seen anything as strange as this?

Who ever heard of such a thing?

Has a nation ever been born in a single day?

Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?

But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin,

her children will be born.

9 Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth

and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord.

“No! I would never keep this nation from being born,”

says your God.

10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem!

Be glad with her, all you who love her

and all you who mourn for her.

11 Drink deeply of her glory

even as an infant drinks at its mother’s comforting breasts.”

12 This is what the Lord says:

“I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity.

The wealth of the nations will flow to her.

Her children will be nursed at her breasts,

carried in her arms, and held on her lap.

13 I will comfort you there in Jerusalem

as a mother comforts her child.”

14 When you see these things, your heart will rejoice.

You will flourish like the grass!

Everyone will see the Lord’s hand of blessing on his servants—

and his anger against his enemies.

Second Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 4

5Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the Lord, my God, commanded me, to do so in the midst of the land to which you are coming to possess.6And you shall keep [them] and do [them], for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes and say, "Only this great nation is a wise and understanding people. "7For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is at all times that we call upon Him?8And which great nation is it that has just statutes and ordinances, as this entire Torah, which I set before you this day?9But beware and watch yourself very well, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw, and lest these things depart from your heart, all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children and to your children's children,10the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, "Assemble the people for Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.11And you approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire up to the midst of the heavens, with darkness, a cloud, and opaque darkness.12The Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of the words, but saw no image, just a voice.13And He told you His covenant, which He commanded you to do, the Ten Commandments, and He inscribed them on two stone tablets.14And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, so that you should do them in the land to which you are crossing, to possess.15And you shall watch yourselves very well, for you did not see any image on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire.16Lest you become corrupt and make for yourselves a graven image, the representation of any form, the likeness of male or female,17the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the heaven,18the likeness of anything that crawls on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters, beneath the earth.19And lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, which the Lord your God assigned to all peoples under the entire heaven, and be drawn away to prostrate yourselves before them and worship them.20But the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron crucible, out of Egypt, to be a people of His possession, as of this day.21And the Lord was angry with me because of you, and He swore that I would not cross the Jordan and that I would not come into the good land the Lord, your God, is giving you as an inheritance.22For I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. You, however, will cross, and you will possess this good land.23Beware, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image, the likeness of anything, which the Lord your God has forbidden you.24For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a zealous God.25When you beget children and children's children, and you will be long established in the land, and you become corrupt and make a graven image, the likeness of anything, and do evil in the eyes of the Lord your God, to provoke Him to anger,26I call as witness against you this very day the heaven and the earth, that you will speedily and utterly perish from the land to which you cross the Jordan, to possess; you will not prolong your days upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.27And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will remain few in number among the nations to where the Lord will lead you.28And there you will worship gods, man's handiwork, wood and stone, which neither see, hear, eat, nor smell.29And from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.30When you are distressed, and all these things happen upon you in the end of days, then you will return to the Lord your God and obey Him.31For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not let you loose or destroy you; neither will He forget the covenant of your fathers, which He swore to them.32For ask now regarding the early days that were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens, whether there was anything like this great thing, or was the likes of it heard?33Did ever a people hear God's voice speaking out of the midst of the fire as you have heard, and live?34Or has any god performed miracles to come and take him a nation from the midst of a[nother] nation, with trials, with signs, and with wonders, and with war and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great awesome deeds, as all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?35You have been shown, in order to know that the Lord He is God; there is none else besides Him.36From the heavens, He let you hear His voice to instruct you, and upon the earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire,37and because He loved your forefathers and chose their seed after them, and He brought you out of Egypt before Him with His great strength,38to drive out from before you nations greater and stronger than you, to bring you and give you their land for an inheritance, as this day.39And you shall know this day and consider it in your heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth below; there is none else.40And you shall observe His statutes and His commandments, which I command you this day, that it may be well with you and your children after you, and that you may prolong your days upon the earth which the Lord your God gives you forever.


Tuesday

Isaiah 66:18–22 (NLT):

18 “I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. 19 I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations. 20 They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. 21 “And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites. I, the Lord, have spoken!

22 “As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain,

so will you always be my people,

with a name that will never disappear,”

says the Lord.

Third Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 4

41Then Moses decided to separate three cities on the side of the Jordan towards the sunrise,42so that a murderer might flee there, he who murders his fellow man unintentionally, but did not hate him in time past, that he may flee to one of these cities, so that he might live:43Bezer in the desert, in the plain country of the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites, and Golan in the Bashan of the Menassites.44And this is the teaching which Moses set before the children of Israel:45These are the testimonies, statutes and ordinances, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel when they went out of Egypt,46on the side of the Jordan in the valley, opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they went out of Egypt.47And they possessed his land and the land of Og, king of the Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were on the side of the Jordan, towards the sunrise,48from Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, to Mount Sion, which is Hermon,49and all the plain across the Jordan eastward as far as the sea of the plain, under the waterfalls of the hill.


Wednesday

Hebrews 12:18–29 (NLT):

18 You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.

Fourth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 5

1And Moses called all Israel and said to them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, and learn them, and observe [them] to do them.2The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.3Not with our forefathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, we, all of whom are here alive today.4Face to face, the Lord spoke with you at the mountain out of the midst of the fire:5(and I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to tell you the word of the Lord, for you were afraid of the fire, and you did not go up on the mountain) saying,6"I am the Lord your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.7You shall not have the gods of others in My presence.8You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.9You shall not prostrate yourself before them, nor worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a zealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.10And [I] perform loving kindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and to those who keep My commandments.11You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not hold blameless anyone who takes His name in vain.12Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord your God commanded you.13Six days may you work, and perform all your labor,14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall perform no labor, neither you, your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your ox, your donkey, any of your livestock, nor the stranger who is within your cities, in order that your manservant and your maidservant may rest like you.15And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God took you out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord, your God, commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.16Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God commanded you, in order that your days be lengthened, and that it may go well with you on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you.17You shall not murder. And you shall not commit adultery. And you shall not steal. And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.18And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor shall you desire your neighbor's house, his field, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.


Thursday

Psalm 48:1–14 (NLT): Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 How great is the Lord,

how deserving of praise,

in the city of our God,

which sits on his holy mountain!

2 It is high and magnificent;

the whole earth rejoices to see it!

Mount Zion, the holy mountain,

is the city of the great King!

3 God himself is in Jerusalem’s towers,

revealing himself as its defender.

4 The kings of the earth joined forces

and advanced against the city.

5 But when they saw it, they were stunned;

they were terrified and ran away.

6 They were gripped with terror

and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.

7 You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish

shattered by a powerful east wind.

8 We had heard of the city’s glory,

but now we have seen it ourselves—

the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

It is the city of our God;

he will make it safe forever.

Interlude

9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love

as we worship in your Temple.

10 As your name deserves, O God,

you will be praised to the ends of the earth.

Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

11 Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.

Let all the towns of Judah be glad

because of your justice.

12 Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.

Walk around and count the many towers.

13 Take note of the fortified walls,

and tour all the citadels,

that you may describe them

to future generations.

14 For that is what God is like.

He is our God forever and ever,

and he will guide us until we die.

Fifth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 5

19The Lord spoke these words to your entire assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the opaque darkness, with a great voice, which did not cease. And He inscribed them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.20And it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, and the mountain was burning with fire, that you approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.21And you said, "Behold, the Lord, our God, has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we saw this day that God speaks with man, yet [man] remains alive.22So now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we continue to hear the voice of the Lord, our God, anymore, we will die.23For who is there of all flesh, who heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?24You approach, and hear all that the Lord, our God, will say, and you speak to us all that the Lord, our God, will speak to you, and we will hear and do.25And the Lord heard the sound of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, "I have heard the sound of the words of this people that they have spoken to you; they have done well in all that they have spoken.26Would that their hearts be like this, to fear Me and to keep all My commandments all the days, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!27Go say to them, 'Return to your tents.'28But as for you, stand here with Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances which you will teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess.29Keep them to perform [them] as the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside either to the right or to the left.30In all the way which the Lord, your God, has commanded you, you shall go, in order that you may live and that it may be well with you, and so that you may prolong your days in the land you will possess.

Deuteronomy Chapter 6

1This is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances that the Lord, your God, commanded to teach you, to perform in the land into which you are about to pass, to possess it.2In order that you fear the Lord, your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments that I command you, you, your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life, and in order that your days may be lengthened.3And you shall, [therefore,] hearken, O Israel, and be sure to perform, so that it will be good for you, and so that you may increase exceedingly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, spoke to you, a land flowing with milk and honey.


Sixth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 6

4Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.5And you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your means.6And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart.7And you shall teach them to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.8And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes.9And you shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.10And it will be, when the Lord, your God, brings you to the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and good cities that you did not build,11and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you will eat and be satisfied.12Beware, lest you forget the Lord, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.13You shall fear the Lord, your God, worship Him, and swear by His name.14Do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you.15For the Lord, your God, is a zealous God among you, lest the wrath of the Lord, your God, be kindled against you, and destroy you off the face of the earth.16You shall not try the Lord, your God, as you tried Him in Massah.17Diligently keep the commandments of the Lord, your God, and His testimonies. and His statutes, which He has commanded you.18And you shall do what is proper and good in the eyes of the Lord, in order that it may be well with you, and that you may come and possess the good land which the Lord swore to your forefathers,19to drive out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.20If your son asks you in time to come, saying, "What are the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the Lord our God has commanded you?"21You shall say to your son, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord took us out of Egypt with a strong hand.22And the Lord gave signs and wonders, great and terrible, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes.23And he brought us out of there, in order that He might bring us and give us the land which He swore to our fathers.24And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear the Lord, our God, for our good all the days, to keep us alive, as of this day.25And it will be for our merit that we keep to observe all these commandments before the Lord, our God, as He has commanded us."


Friday

Zechariah 8:1–8 (NLT): Chapter 8: Promised Blessings for Jerusalem

Then another message came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: 2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!

3 “And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.

4 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. 5 And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.

6 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. 8 I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God.

Seventh Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 7

1When the Lord, your God, brings you into the land to which you are coming to possess it, He will cast away many nations from before you: the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and powerful than you.2And the Lord, your God, will deliver them to you, and you shall smite them. You shall utterly destroy them; neither shall you make a covenant with them, nor be gracious to them.3You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son.4For he will turn away your son from following Me, and they will worship the gods of others, and the wrath of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you.5But so shall you do to them: You shall demolish their altars and smash their monuments, and cut down their asherim trees, and burn their graven images with fire.6For you are a holy people to the Lord, your God: the Lord your God has chosen you to be His treasured people, out of all the peoples upon the face of the earth.7Not because you are more numerous than any people did the Lord delight in you and choose you, for you are the least of all the peoples.8But because of the Lord's love for you, and because He keeps the oath He swore to your forefathers, the Lord took you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.9Know, therefore, that the Lord, your God He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps the covenant and loving kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.10And He repays those who hate Him, to their face, to cause them to perish; He will not delay the one who hates Him, but he will repay him to his face.11You shall therefore, observe the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day to do.


Saturday

1 Timothy 6:11–16 (NLT): Paul’s Final Instructions

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 15 For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

Maftir Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 7

9Know, therefore, that the Lord, your God He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps the covenant and loving kindness with those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.10And He repays those who hate Him, to their face, to cause them to perish; He will not delay the one who hates Him, but he will repay him to his face.11You shall therefore, observe the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day to do.

Haftarah

Isaiah Chapter 4

01"Console, console My people," says your God.2Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her, for she has become full [from] her host, for her iniquity has been appeased, for she has taken from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.3A voice calls, "In the desert, clear the way of the Lord, straighten out in the wilderness, a highway for our God."4Every valley shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall be lowered, and the crooked terrain shall become a plain and the close mountains a champaign.5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of the Lord spoke.6A voice says, "Call!" and it says, "What shall I call?" "All flesh is grass, and all its kindness is like the blossom of the field.7The grass shall dry out, the blossom shall wilt, for a wind from the Lord has blown upon it; behold the people is grass.8The grass shall dry out, the blossom shall wilt, but the word of our God shall last forever.9Upon a lofty mountain ascend, O herald of Zion, raise your voice with strength, O herald of Jerusalem; raise [your voice], fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"10Behold the Lord God shall come with a strong [hand], and His arm rules for Him; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense is before Him.11Like a shepherd [who] tends his flock, with his arm he gathers lambs, and in his bosom he carries [them], the nursing ones he leads.12Who measured water with his gait, and measured the heavens with his span, and measured by thirds the dust of the earth, and weighed mountains with a scale and hills with a balance?13Who meted the spirit of the Lord, and His adviser who informs Him?14With whom did He take counsel give him to understand, and teach him in the way of justice, and teach him knowledge, and the way of understandings did He let him know?15Behold the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and like dust on a balance are they counted; behold the islands are like fine [dust] that blows away.16And the Lebanon-there is not enough to burn, and its beasts-there is not enough for burnt offerings.17All the nations are as nought before Him; as things of nought and vanity are they regarded by Him.18And to whom do you compare God, and what likeness do you arrange for Him?19The graven image, the craftsman has melted, and the smith plates it with gold, and chains of silver he attaches.20He who is accustomed to select, chooses a tree that does not rot; he seeks for himself a skilled craftsman, to prepare a graven image, which will not move.21Do you not know, have you not heard has it not been told to you from the beginning? Do you not understand the foundations of the earth?22It is He Who sits above the circle of the earth, and whose inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heaven like a curtain, and He spread them out like a tent to dwell.23Who brings princes to nought, judges of the land He made like a thing of nought.24Even [as though] they were not planted, even [as though] they were not sown, even [as though] their trunk was not rooted in the earth; and also He blew on them, and they dried up, and a tempest shall carry them away like straw.25"Now, to whom will you compare Me that I should be equal?" says the Holy One.26Lift up your eyes on high and see, who created these, who takes out their host by number; all of them He calls by name; because of His great might and because He is strong in power, no one is missing.

 
 
 

John 11:17–45 (NLT):

17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 29 So Mary immediately went to him.

30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”



Monday

Isaiah 26:12–19 (NLT):

12 Lord, you will grant us peace;

all we have accomplished is really from you.

13 O Lord our God, others have ruled us,

but you alone are the one we worship.

14 Those we served before are dead and gone.

Their departed spirits will never return!

You attacked them and destroyed them,

and they are long forgotten.

15 O Lord, you have made our nation great;

yes, you have made us great.

You have extended our borders,

and we give you the glory!

16 Lord, in distress we searched for you.

We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline.

17 Just as a pregnant woman

writhes and cries out in pain as she gives birth,

so were we in your presence, Lord.

18 We, too, writhe in agony,

but nothing comes of our suffering.

We have not given salvation to the earth,

nor brought life into the world.

19 But those who die in the Lord will live;

their bodies will rise again!

Those who sleep in the earth

will rise up and sing for joy!

For your life-giving light will fall like dew

on your people in the place of the dead!



Tuesday

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 (NLT):

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.



Wednesday

1 Corinthians 15:20–28 (NLT):

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.



Thursday

Daniel 12:1–4 (NLT):

The Time of the End

“At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. 2 Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. 3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. 4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”



Friday

John 5:25–30 (NLT):

25 “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. 26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. 27 And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. 28 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, 29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. 30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.



Saturday

John 11:1–16 (NLT): The Raising of Lazarus

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”


 
 
 

First Portion

Numbers Chapter 22

Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.3Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous, and Moab became disgusted because of the children of Israel.4Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will eat up everything around us, as the ox eats up the greens of the field. Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.5He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of his people, to call for him, saying, "A people has come out of Egypt, and behold, they have covered the "eye" of the land, and they are stationed opposite me.6So now, please come and curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will be able to wage war against them and drive them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed."7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went, with magic charms in their hands, and they came to Balaam and conveyed Balak's message to him.8He said to them, "Lodge here for the night, and I will give you an answer when the Lord speaks to me." So the Moabite nobles stayed with Balaam.9God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"10Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor the king of Moab has sent [them] to me, [saying]:11"Behold the people coming out of Egypt, a nation, has covered the 'eye' of the earth. Come and curse them for me, perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them out."12God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them! You shall not curse the people because they are blessed."


John 12:27–50 (NLT):

27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

The Unbelief of the People

37 But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. 38 This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:

“Lord, who has believed our message?

To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”

39 But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,

40 “The Lord has blinded their eyes

and hardened their hearts—

so that their eyes cannot see,

and their hearts cannot understand,

and they cannot turn to me

and have me heal them.”

41 Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. 42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. 47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. 48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. 49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”




Second Portion

Numbers Chapter 22

13 Balaam arose in the morning, he said to Balak's nobles, "Return to your country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you."14Moab's nobles arose and came to Balak and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."15So Balak continued to send dignitaries, more and higher in rank than these.16They came to Balaam and said to him, "So said Balak the son of Zippor, 'Please do not hesitate to come to me.17For I will honor you greatly and do whatever you tell me to do. So please come and curse this people for me.'"18Balaam answered and said to Balak's servants, "Even if Balak gives me a house full of silver and gold, I cannot do anything small or great that would transgress the word of the Lord, my God.19Now, you too, please remain here overnight, and I will know what the Lord will continue to speak with me."20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If these men have come to call for you, arise and go with them, but the word I speak to you-that you shall do."



Monday

John 3:1–8 (NLT):

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”




Third Portion

Numbers Chapter 22

21In the morning Balaam arose, saddled his she-donkey and went with the Moabite dignitaries.22God's wrath flared because he was going, and an angel of the Lord stationed himself on the road to thwart him, and he was riding on his she-donkey, and his two servants were with him.23The she-donkey saw the angel of the Lord stationed on the road with his sword drawn in his hand; so the she-donkey turned aside from the road and went into a field. Balaam beat the she-donkey to get it back onto the road.24The angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, with a fence on this side and a fence on that side.25The she-donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she was pressed against the wall. She pressed Balaam's leg against the wall, and he beat her again.26The angel of the Lord continued going ahead, and he stood in a narrow place, where there was no room to turn right or left.27The she-donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and it crouched down under Balaam. Balaam's anger flared, and he beat the she-donkey with a stick.28The Lord opened the mouth of the she-donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?"29Balaam said to the she-donkey, "For you have humiliated me; if I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."30The she-donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your she-donkey on which you have ridden since you first started until now? Have I been accustomed to do this to you?" He said, "No."31The Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a sword drawn in his hand. He bowed and prostrated himself on his face.32The angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you beaten your she-donkey these three times? Behold, I have came out to thwart you, for the one embarking on the journey has hastened against me.33When the she-donkey saw me, it turned aside these three times. Had she not turned aside before me, now also I would also have killed you and spared her [the she-donkey]."34Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing on the road before me. Now, if it displeases you, I will return."35The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with these men, but the word I will speak to you-that you shall speak." So Balaam went with Balak's dignitaries.36Balak heard that Balaam was coming; so he went out toward him to the city of Moab which is on the border of Arnon-at the extreme edge of the border.37Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I indeed incapable of honoring you?"38Balaam said to Balak, "Behold I have come to you, do I have any power to say anything? The word God puts into my mouth-that I will speak."



Tuesday

John 3:9–17 (NLT):

9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.



Fourth Portion

Numbers Chapter 22

39Balaam went with Balak, and they arrived at Kiryath Huzoth [a city of streets].40Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and sent [some] to Balaam and to the dignitaries with him.41And in the morning Balak took Balaam and led him up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he saw part of the people.

Numbers Chapter 23

1Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams."2Balak did as Balaam had requested, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on [each] altar.3Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will happen to appear to me, and He will show me something that I can tell you," and he went alone.4God chanced upon Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on [each] altar."5The Lord placed something into Balaam's mouth, and He said, "Return to Balak and say as follows."6When he returned, Balak was standing next to his burnt offering, he and all the Moabite dignitaries.7He took up his parable and said, "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east [saying], 'Come, curse Jacob for me and come invoke wrath against Israel.'8How can I curse whom God has not cursed, and how can I invoke wrath if the Lord has not been angered?9For from their beginning, I see them as mountain peaks, and I behold them as hills; it is a nation that will dwell alone, and will not be reckoned among the nations.10Who counted the dust of Jacob or the number of a fourth of [or, of the seed of] Israel? May my soul die the death of the upright and let my end be like his."11Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them!"12He answered, saying, "What the Lord puts into my mouth that I must take care to say."



Wednesday

2 Samuel 22:2–7 (NLT):

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

He is my refuge, my savior,

the one who saves me from violence.

4 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.

5 “The waves of death overwhelmed me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

6 The grave wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

7 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;

yes, I cried to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;

my cry reached his ears.



Fifth Portion

Numbers Chapter 23

13Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place from where you will see them; however, you will see only a part of them, not all of them and curse them for me from there.14He took him to the field of the lookouts, to the peak of the mountain, and he built seven altars and offered up a bull and a ram on [each] altar.15He said to Balak, "Stand here next to your burnt offering and I will be chanced on here.16The Lord chanced upon Balaam and placed something into his mouth. He said, "Return to Balak and so you shall speak."17When he came to him, he was standing next to his burnt offering, and the Moabite dignitaries were with him, and Balak said to him, "What did the Lord speak?"18He took up his parable and said, "Arise, Balak, and hear; listen closely to me, son of Zippor.19God is not a man that He should lie, nor is He a mortal that He should relent. Would He say and not do, speak and not fulfill?20I have received [an instruction] to bless, and He has blessed, and I cannot retract it.21He does not look at evil in Jacob, and has seen no perversity in Israel; the Lord, his God, is with him, and he has the King's friendship.22God has brought them out of Egypt with the strength of His loftiness.23For there is no divination in Jacob and no soothsaying in Israel. In time it will be said to Jacob and Israel, 'What has God wrought?'24Behold, a people that rises like a lioness (See Malbim) and raises itself like a lion. It does not lie down until it eats its prey and drinks the blood of the slain."25Balak said to Balaam, "You shall neither curse them nor shall you bless them."26Balaam answered and said to Balak, "Have I not spoken to you, saying, 'Everything the Lord speaks that I shall do."


Thursday

Psalm 62:1–12 (NLT):

1 I wait quietly before God,

for my victory comes from him.

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress where I will never be shaken.

3 So many enemies against one man—

all of them trying to kill me.

To them I’m just a broken-down wall

or a tottering fence.

4 They plan to topple me from my high position.

They delight in telling lies about me.

They praise me to my face

but curse me in their hearts.

Interlude

5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,

for my hope is in him.

6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress where I will not be shaken.

7 My victory and honor come from God alone.

He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

8 O my people, trust in him at all times.

Pour out your heart to him,

for God is our refuge.

Interlude

9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,

and the powerful are not what they appear to be.

If you weigh them on the scales,

together they are lighter than a breath of air.

10 Don’t make your living by extortion

or put your hope in stealing.

And if your wealth increases,

don’t make it the center of your life.

11 God has spoken plainly,

and I have heard it many times:

Power, O God, belongs to you;

12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.

Surely you repay all people

according to what they have done.



Sixth Portion

Numbers Chapter 23

27Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to a different place. Perhaps it will please God, and you will curse them for me from there.28So Balak took Balaam to the peak of Peor, overlooking the wastelands.29Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.30Balak did as Balaam told him, and offered up a bull and a ram on [each] altar.

Numbers Chapter 24

1Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel; so he did not go in search of omens as he had done time and time again, but turned his face toward the desert.2Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God rested upon him.3He took up his parable and said, "The word of Balaam the son of Beor and the word of the man with an open eye.4The word of the one who hears God's sayings, who sees the vision of the Almighty, fallen yet with open eyes.5How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!6They extend like streams, like gardens by the river, like aloes which the Lord planted, like cedars by the water.7Water will flow from his wells, and his seed shall have abundant water; his king shall be raised over Agag, and his kingship exalted.8God, Who has brought them out of Egypt with the strength of His loftiness He shall consume the nations which are his adversaries, bare their bones and dip His arrows [into their blood].9He crouches and lies like a lion and like a lioness; who will dare rouse him? Those who bless you shall be blessed, and those who curse you shall be cursed.10Balak's anger flared against Balaam, and he clapped his hands. Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.11Now, hurry back to your place. I said I would honor you greatly, but the Lord has deprived you of honor."12Balaam said to Balak, "But I even told the messengers you sent to me, saying,13'If Balak gives me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot transgress the word of the Lord to do either good or evil on my own; only what the Lord speaks can I speak.'



Friday

Hebrews 2:1–9 (NLT):

A Warning against Drifting Away

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Jesus, the Man

5 And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6 For in one place the Scriptures say,

“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,

or a son of man that you should care for him?

7 Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

8 You gave them authority over all things.”

Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.



Seventh Portion

Numbers Chapter 24

14And now, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you...what this people will do to your people at the end of days."15He took up his parable and said, "The word of Balaam, son of Beor, the word of a man with an open eye.16The word of the one who hears God's sayings and perceives the thoughts of the Most High; who sees the vision of the Almighty, fallen yet with open eyes.17I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not soon. A star has gone forth from Jacob, and a staff will arise from Israel which will crush the princes of Moab and uproot all the sons of Seth.18Edom shall be possessed, and Seir shall become the possession of his enemies, and Israel shall triumph.19A ruler shall come out of Jacob, and destroy the remnant of the city."20When he saw Amalek, he took up his parable and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, and his fate shall be everlasting destruction."21When he saw the Kenite, he took up his parable and said, "How firm is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in a cliff.22For if Kain is laid waste, how far will Assyria take you captive?"23He took up his parable and said, Alas! Who can survive these things from God?24Ships will come from the Kittites and afflict Assyria and afflict those on the other side, but he too will perish forever."25Balaam arose, went, and returned home, and Balak went on his way.

Numbers Chapter 25

1Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of the Moabites.2They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods.3Israel became attached to Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord flared against Israel.4The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang them before the Lord, facing the sun, and then the flaring anger of the Lord will be removed from Israel.5Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you shall kill the men who became attached to Baal Peor.6Then an Israelite man came and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.7Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen saw this, arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.8He went after the Israelite man into the chamber and drove [it through] both of them; the Israelite man, and the woman through her stomach, and the plague ceased from the children of Israel.9Those that died in the plague numbered twenty four thousand.



Saturday

John 12:27–36 (NLT):

27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”




Maftir Portion

Numbers Chapter 25

7Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen saw this, arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.8He went after the Israelite man into the chamber and drove [it through] both of them; the Israelite man, and the woman through her stomach, and the plague ceased from the children of Israel.9Those that died in the plague numbered twenty four thousand.


Haftarah

Micah Chapter 5:6

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples-like dew sent by the Lord, like torrents of rain upon vegatation that does not hope for any man and does not wait for the sons of men.7And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples-like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, if it passes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and no one [can] save anything.8Your hand shall be raised above your oppressors, and all your enemies shall be destroyed.9And it shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord, that I will cut your horses out of your midst, and I will destroy your chariots.10And I will destroy the cities of your land, and I will break down all your fortresses.11And I will destroy sorcery from your hand, and you will have no soothsayers.12And I will destroy your graven images and your monuments from your midst, and you shall no longer prostrate yourself to your handiwork.13And I will uproot your asherim from your midst, and I will destroy your enemies.14And in anger and fury I will execute vengeance upon the nations who have paid no heed.

Micah Chapter 6

1Hear now what the Lord says; Rise; contend with the mountains, and may the hills hear My voice.2Hear ye, O mountains, the controversy of the Lord; and you mighty ones, the foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with His people, and with Israel He shall contend.3O My people, what have I done, and how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.4For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.5My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab planned, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him. From Shittim to Gilgal, may you recognize the righteous deeds of the Lord.6With what shall I come before the Lord, bow before the Most High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves?7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?8He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your God.


 
 
 
Crossing The Read Sea: Blog2

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