AME Zion Universal Reading April 11th 2021

Fire and Water Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Leviticus Chapter 9

1And it was on the eighth day, that Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.2And he said to Aaron, "Take for yourself a bull calf as a sin offering, and a ram as a burnt offering, [both] unblemished, and bring [them] near before the Lord.3And to the children of Israel, you shall speak, saying, 'Take a he goat as a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, [both] in their first year and [both] unblemished, as a burnt offering,4and an ox and a ram as peace offerings, to slaughter before the Lord, and a meal offering mixed with oil, for today the Lord is appearing to you.' "5And they took what Moses had commanded, to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the entire community approached and stood before the Lord.6And Moses said, "This is the thing the Lord has commanded; do [it], and the glory of the Lord will appear to you."7And Moses said to Aaron, "Approach the altar and perform your sin offering and your burnt offering, atoning for yourself and for the people, and perform the people's sacrifice, atoning for them, as the Lord has commanded.8So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered his sin offering calf.9And Aaron's sons brought forward the blood to him, and he dipped his finger into the blood, placing [some] on the horns of the altar, and he poured the blood at the base of the altar.10And the fat, the kidneys, and the diaphragm with the liver from the sin offering, he caused to [go up in] smoke on the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses.11And he burned the flesh and the hide in fire, outside the camp.12And he slaughtered the burnt offering. And Aaron's sons presented the blood to him, and he dashed it on the altar, around.13And they presented the burnt offering to him in its [prescribed] pieces, along with the head. And he caused [them] to [go up in] smoke on the altar.14And he washed the innards and the legs, and he caused [them] to [go up in] smoke on the altar, along with the burnt offering.15And he brought forward the people's sacrifice; he took the people's sin offering goat, slaughtered it, and made it a sin offering, like the first one.16And he brought forward the burnt offering and prepared it according to the law.

Sunday

Ezra 10:1–10 (NLT): The People Confess Their Sin

While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, a descendant of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God, for we have married these pagan women of the land. But in spite of this there is hope for Israel. 3 Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God. 4 Get up, for it is your duty to tell us how to proceed in setting things straight. We are behind you, so be strong and take action.” 5 So Ezra stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests and the Levites and all the people of Israel swear that they would do as Shecaniah had said. And they all swore a solemn oath. 6 Then Ezra left the front of the Temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He spent the night there without eating or drinking anything. He was still in mourning because of the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles. 7 Then a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should come to Jerusalem. 8 Those who failed to come within three days would, if the leaders and elders so decided, forfeit all their property and be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. 9 Within three days, all the people of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. This took place on December 19, and all the people were sitting in the square before the Temple of God. They were trembling both because of the seriousness of the matter and because it was raining. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood and said to them: “You have committed a terrible sin. By marrying pagan women, you have increased Israel’s guilt.

Second Portion

Leviticus Chapter 9

17And he brought forward the meal offering, filled his palm with it, and caused it to [go up in] smoke on the altar, in addition to the morning burnt offering.18And he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the people's peace offering, and Aaron's sons presented the blood to him, and he dashed it on the altar, around,19and [they also presented] the fats from the ox and from the ram: the tail, the [fatty] covering, the kidneys and the diaphragm with the liver.20And they placed the fats on top of the breasts, and he caused the fats to [go up in] smoke on the altar.21And Aaron had [already] waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Lord, as Moses had commanded.22And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people and blessed them. He then descended from preparing the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering.23And Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting. Then they came out and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.

Monday

Acts 26:19–23 (NLT):

19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

Third Portion

Leviticus Chapter 9

24And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fats upon the altar, and all the people saw, sang praises, and fell upon their faces.Leviticus Chapter 10 1And Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had not commanded them.2And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.3Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke, [when He said], 'I will be sanctified through those near to Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.' " And Aaron was silent.4And Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Draw near; carry your kinsmen from within the Sanctuary, to the outside of the camp.5So they approached and carried them with their tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had spoken.6And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, "Do not leave your heads unshorn, and do not rend your garments, so that you shall not die, and lest He be angry with the entire community, but your brothers, the entire house of Israel, shall bewail the conflagration that the Lord has burned.7And do not go out of the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, because the Lord's anointing oil is upon you." And they did according to Moses' order.8And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying,9Do not drink wine that will lead to intoxication, neither you nor your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, so that you shall not die. [This is] an eternal statute for your generations,10to distinguish between holy and profane and between unclean and clean,11and to instruct the children of Israel regarding all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.

Tuesday

Ephesians 4:17–24 (NLT): Living as Children of Light

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Fourth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 10

12And Moses spoke to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the meal offering that is left over from the Lord's fire offerings, and eat it as unleavened loaves beside the altar, for it is a holy of holies;13You shall eat it in a holy place because it is your portion and your sons' portion from the Lord's fire offerings, for so I have been commanded.14The breast of the waving and the thigh of the raising up you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for [as] your portion and your sons' portion they have been given, from the peace offerings of the children of Israel.15They shall bring the thigh of the raising up and the breast of the waving upon the fats for fire offerings, to wave as a waving before the Lord. And it shall belong to you and to your sons with you as an eternal due, as the Lord has commanded.

Wednesday

Leviticus 18:24–30 (NLT):

24 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways. 25 Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out. 26 You must obey all my decrees and regulations. You must not commit any of these detestable sins. This applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.

27 “All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled. 28 So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now. 29 Whoever commits any of these detestable sins will be cut off from the community of Israel. 30 So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the Lord your God.”

Fifth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 10

16And Moses thoroughly investigated concerning the sin offering he goat, and behold, it had been burnt! So he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's surviving sons, saying,17"Why did you not eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is holy of holies, and He has given it to you to gain forgiveness for the sin of the community, to effect their atonement before the Lord!18Behold, its blood was not brought into the Sanctuary within, so you should have surely eaten it within holy [precincts], as I commanded!"19And Aaron spoke to Moses, "But today, did they offer up their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord? But [if tragic events] like these had befallen me, and if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have pleased the Lord?"20Moses heard [this], and it pleased him.

Thursday

Zechariah 7:8–14 (NLT):

8 Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord: 9 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.

11 “Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. 12 They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.

13 “Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 14 As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.”

Sixth Portion

Leviticus Chapter 11

1And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, to say to them:2Speak to the children of Israel, saying: These are the creatures that you may eat among all the animals on earth:3Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is completely split into double hooves, and which brings up its cud that one you may eat.4But these you shall not eat among those that bring up the cud and those that have a cloven hoof: the camel, because it brings up its cud, but does not have a [completely] cloven hoof; it is unclean for you.5And the hyrax, because it brings up its cud, but will not have a [completely] cloven hoof; it is unclean for you;6And the hare, because it brings up its cud, but does not have a [completely] cloven hoof; it is unclean for you;7And the pig, because it has a cloven hoof that is completely split, but will not regurgitate its cud; it is unclean for you.8You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.9Among all [creatures] that are in the water, you may eat these: Any [of the creatures] in the water that has fins and scales, those you may eat, whether [it lives] in the waters, in the seas or in the rivers.10But any [creatures]that do not have fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, among all the creeping creatures in the water and among all living creatures that [live] in the water, are an abomination for you.11And they shall be an abomination for you. You shall not eat of their flesh, and their dead bodies you shall hold in abomination.12Any [creature] that does not have fins and scales in the water is an abomination for you.13And among birds, you shall hold these in abomination; they shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: The eagle [or the griffin vulture], the kite, the osprey,14the kestrel, and the vulture after its species,15and the raven after its species,16the ostrich, the jay, and the sparrow hawk, and the goshawk after its species;17The owl, the gull, the little owl;18The bat, the starling, the magpie;19the stork, the heron after its species; the hoopoe and the atalef [bat?];20Any flying insect that walks on four, is an abomination for you.21However, among all the flying insects that walk on four [legs], you may eat [from] those that have jointed [leg like] extensions above its [regular] legs, with which they hop on the ground.22From this [locust] category, you may eat the following: The red locust after its species, the yellow locust after its species, the spotted gray locust after its species and the white locust after its species.23But any [other] flying insect that has four legs, is an abomination for you.24And through these you will become unclean; anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening;25And anyone who carries their carcass shall immerse his garments, and he shall be unclean until evening:26Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is not completely split, and which does not bring up its cud, is unclean for you. Anyone who touches them shall become unclean.27And among all the animals that walk on four legs, any [animal] that walks on its paws is unclean for you. Anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until evening.28And one who carries their carcass shall immerse his garments, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.29And this is unclean for you among creeping creatures that creep on the ground: The weasel, the mouse, and the toad after its species;30The hedgehog, the chameleon, the lizard, the snail, and the mole.31These are the ones that are unclean for you, among all creeping creatures; anyone who touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.32And if any of these dead [creatures] falls upon anything, it will become unclean, whether it is any wooden vessel, garment, hide or sack, any vessel with which work is done; it shall be immersed in water, but will remain unclean until evening, and it will become clean.

Friday

Nehemiah 7:73–8:6 (NLT):

73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel.

Chapter 8

Ezra Reads the Law

In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, 8:1 all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.

2 So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. 3 He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.

4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

6 Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Seventh Portion

Leviticus Chapter 11

33But any earthenware vessel, into whose interior any of them falls, whatever is inside it shall become unclean, and you shall break [the vessel] itself.34Of any food that is [usually] eaten, upon which water comes will become unclean, and any beverage that is [usually] drunk, which is in any vessel, shall become unclean.35And anything upon which any of their carcasses of these [animals] fall, will become unclean. [Thus,] an oven or stove shall be demolished; they are unclean, and, they shall be unclean for you.36But a spring or a cistern, a gathering of water remains clean. However, one who touches their carcass shall become unclean.37And if of their carcass falls upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it remains clean.38But if water is put upon seeds, and any of their carcass falls on them, they are unclean for you.39If an animal that you [normally] eat, dies, one who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening.40And one who eats of its carcass shall immerse his garments, and he shall be unclean until evening. And one who carries its carcass shall immerse his garments, and he shall be unclean until evening.41And any creeping creature that creeps on the ground is an abomination; it shall not be eaten.42Any [creature] that goes on its belly, and any [creature] that walks on four [legs] to any [creature] that has many legs, among all creeping creatures that creep on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are an abomination.43You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping creature that creeps, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, that you should become unclean through them.44For I am the Lord your God, and you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, because I am holy, and you shall not defile yourselves through any creeping creature that crawls on the ground.45For I am the Lord Who has brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. Thus, you shall be holy, because I am holy.46This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in water and all creatures that creep on the ground,47to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.

Saturday

Nehemiah 8:9–12 (NLT):

9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

11 And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” 12 So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Maftir Portion

Leviticus Chapter 11

45For I am the Lord Who has brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. Thus, you shall be holy, because I am holy.46This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in water and all creatures that creep on the ground,47to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.

Haftarah

II Samuel Chapter 6

1And David continued [to gather] all the chosen of Israel, thirty thousand.2And David arose and went with all the people that were with him, from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called a name, the name of the Lord of Hosts who dwell upon the cherubim [being] upon it.3And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and they carried it from the house of Avinadav that was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Avinadav, drove the new cart.4And they brought it out of the house of Avinadav, which was on the hill, with the ark of God, and Achyo went before the ark.5And David and all the house of Israel made merry with all [manner of instruments of] cypress wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with sistra, and with cymbals.6And they came to Goren-nachon, and Uzzah put forth [his hand] to the ark of God, and grasped hold of it, for the oxen swayed it.7And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him down there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.8And David was angered, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah; and he called that place Peretz-uzzah, unto this day.9And David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said: 'How can the ark of the Lord come to me?'10And David did not want to remove unto him the ark of the Lord, into the city of David; and David took it aside to the house of Oved-edom the Gittite.11And the ark of the Lord dwelled in the house of Oved-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Oved-edom, and all his household.12And it was told to King David saying: 'The Lord has blessed the house of Oved-edom, and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of the Lord. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Oved-edom into the city of David with joy.13And it was when the bearers of the ark of God had trodden six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.14And David danced with all his might before the Lord; and David was girded with a linen ephod.15And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of [the] shofar.16And [as] the ark of the Lord came [into] the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul peered through the window, and she saw the king David hopping and dancing before the Lord; and she loathed him in her heart.17And they brought the ark of the Lord, and they set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings before the Lord and peace-offerings.18And David finished offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, and he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts.19And he distributed to all the people, to the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each individual a loaf of bread, and a portion of meat, and a barrel of wine. And all the people departed, every one to his home.