AME Zion Universal Reading February 26th, 2023
- Artisans Called by God
- Feb 25, 2023
- 19 min read
Updated: Feb 26, 2023
First Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 25
1"The Lord spoke to Moses saying:2"Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.3And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper;4blue, purple, and crimson wool; linen and goat hair;5ram skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood;6oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense;7shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen.8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do.10They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.11And you shall overlay it with pure gold; from inside and from outside you shall overlay it, and you shall make upon it a golden crown all around.12And you shall cast four golden rings for it, and you shall place them upon its four corners, two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side.13And you shall make poles of acacia wood and you shall overlay them with gold.14And you shall bring the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.15The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it.16And you shall place into the ark the testimony, which I will give you.
1 Peter 2:1–10 (NLT):
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
Living Stones for God’s House
4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,
“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”
7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”
8 And,
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
1 Peter 2:13–25 (NLT): Respecting People in Authority
13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.
Slaves
18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.
21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
22 He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
24 He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed.
25 Once you were like sheep
who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
the Guardian of your souls.
Second Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 25
17And you shall make an ark cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width.18And you shall make two golden cherubim; you shall make them of hammered work, from the two ends of the ark cover.19And make one cherub from the one end and the other cherub from the other end; from the ark cover you shall make the cherubim on its two ends.20The cherubim shall have their wings spread upwards, shielding the ark cover with their wings, with their faces toward one another; [turned] toward the ark cover shall be the faces of the cherubim.21And you shall place the ark cover on the ark from above, and into the ark you shall place the testimony, which I will give you.22I will arrange My meetings with you there, and I will speak with you from atop the ark cover from between the two cherubim that are upon the Ark of the Testimony, all that I will command you unto the children of Israel.23And you shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length, one cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.24And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and you shall make for it a golden crown all around.25And you shall make for it a frame a handbreadth [wide] all around, and you shall make a golden crown for its frame all around.26And you shall make for it four golden rings, and you shall place the rings on the four corners that are on its four legs.27The rings shall be opposite the frame as holders for the poles [with which] to carry the table.28And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with them.29And you shall make its forms, its spoons, its half pipes, and its supports with which it will be covered; of pure gold you shall make them.30And you shall place on the table showbread before Me at all times.
Monday
Colossians 1:9–22 (NLT):
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Christ Is Supreme
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Third Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 25
31And you shall make a menorah of pure gold. The menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.32And six branches coming out of its sides: three menorah branches from its one side and three menorah branches from its second side.33Three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower, and three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.34And on [the stem of] the menorah [shall be] four decorated goblets, its knobs and its flowers.35And a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.36Their knobs and their branches shall [all] be [one piece] with it; all of it [shall be] one hammered mass of pure gold.37And you shall make its lamps seven, and he shall kindle its lamps [so that they] shed light toward its face.38And its tongs and its scoops [shall be] of pure gold.39He shall make it of a talent of pure gold, with all these implements.40Now see and make according to their pattern, which you are shown on the mountain.
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 26
1"And the Mishkan you shall make out of ten curtains [consisting] of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool. A cherubim design of the work of a master weaver you shall make them.2"The length of one curtain [shall be] twenty eight cubits, and the width of one curtain [shall be] four cubits; the same measure for all the curtains.3"Five of these curtains shall be joined to one another, and [the other] five curtains shall [also] be joined to one another.4"And you shall make loops of blue wool on the edge of one curtain [that is] at the edge of the [first] set, and so shall you do on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set.5"You shall make fifty loops on [the edge of] one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set; the loops shall correspond to one another.6"And you shall make fifty golden clasps, and you shall fasten the curtains to one another with the clasps; so shall the Mishkan become one.7"And [then] you shall make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the Mishkan; you shall make eleven curtains.8"The length of one curtain [shall be] thirty cubits, and the width of one curtain four cubits; the same measure for the eleven curtains.9"And you shall join the five curtains by themselves, and the [other] six curtains by themselves; and you shall fold the sixth curtain before the front of the tent.10"And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of one curtain, [which is] at the edge of the [first] set, and fifty loops on the edge of the [outermost] curtain of the second set.11"And you shall make fifty copper clasps; you shall bring the clasps into the loops, and you shall fasten the tent together so that it will become one.12"And the overhanging excess in the curtains of the tent half of the extra curtain shall hang over the rear of the Mishkan.13"And the cubit from here and the cubit from there of the excess in the length of the curtains of the tent shall hang over the sides of the Mishkan from here and from there to cover it.14"And you shall make a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red and a covering of tachash skins above.
Tuesday
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.
Fourth Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 26
15"And you shall make the planks for the Mishkan of acacia wood, upright.16"Ten cubits [shall be] the length of each plank, and a cubit and a half [shall be] the width of each plank.17"Each plank shall have two square pegs, rung like, one even with the other; so shall you make all the planks of the Mishkan.18"And you shall make the planks for the Mishkan, twenty planks for the southern side.19"And you shall make forty silver sockets under the twenty planks; two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs, and two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs.20"And for the second side of the Mishkan on the northern side twenty planks.21"And their forty silver sockets: two sockets under one plank and two sockets under one plank.22"And for the western end of the Mishkan you shall make six planks.23"And you shall make two planks at the corners of the Mishkan at the end.24"And they shall be matched evenly from below, and together they shall match at its top, [to be put] into the one ring; so shall it be for both of them; they shall be for the two corners.25"And there shall be eight planks and their silver sockets, sixteen sockets two sockets under one plank and two sockets under one plank.26"And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the planks of one side of the Mishkan,27"and five bars for the planks of the second side of the Mishkan, and five bars for the planks of the [rear] side of the Mishkan, on the westward end.28"And the middle bar in the midst of the planks shall [extend and] penetrate from one end to the other end.29"And you shall overlay the planks with gold, and their rings you shall make of gold as holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold.30"And you shall erect the Mishkan according to its proper manner, as you will have been shown on the mountain.
Wednesday
Isaiah 42:8–17 (NLT):
8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
9 Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!
Sing, all you who sail the seas,
all you who live in distant coastlands.
11 Join in the chorus, you desert towns;
let the villages of Kedar rejoice!
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
shout praises from the mountaintops!
12 Let the whole world glorify the Lord;
let it sing his praise.
13 The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero;
he will come out like a warrior, full of fury.
He will shout his battle cry
and crush all his enemies.
14 He will say, “I have long been silent;
yes, I have restrained myself.
But now, like a woman in labor,
I will cry and groan and pant.
15 I will level the mountains and hills
and blight all their greenery.
I will turn the rivers into dry land
and will dry up all the pools.
16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path,
guiding them along an unfamiliar way.
I will brighten the darkness before them
and smooth out the road ahead of them.
Yes, I will indeed do these things;
I will not forsake them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say, ‘You are our gods,’
will be turned away in shame.
Fifth Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 26
31"And you shall make a dividing curtain of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen; the work of a master weaver he shall make it, in a [woven] cherubim design.32"And you shall place it on four pillars of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, their hooks [shall be] gold, on four silver sockets.33"And you shall place the dividing curtain beneath the clasps. You shall bring there on the inner side of the dividing curtain the Ark of the Testimony, and the dividing curtain shall separate for you between the Holy and the Holy of Holies.34"And you shall place the ark cover over the Ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies.35"And you shall place the table on the outer side of the dividing curtain and the menorah opposite the table, on the southern side of the Mishkan, and you shall place the table on the northern side.36"And you shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen the work of an embroiderer.37"You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia and overlay them with gold, their hooks [shall be] gold, and you shall cast for them five copper sockets.
Thursday
Psalm 119:121–136 (NLT):
121 Don’t leave me to the mercy of my enemies,
for I have done what is just and right.
122 Please guarantee a blessing for me.
Don’t let the arrogant oppress me!
123 My eyes strain to see your rescue,
to see the truth of your promise fulfilled.
124 I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love,
and teach me your decrees.
125 Give discernment to me, your servant;
then I will understand your laws.
126 Lord, it is time for you to act,
for these evil people have violated your instructions.
127 Truly, I love your commands
more than gold, even the finest gold.
128 Each of your commandments is right.
That is why I hate every false way.
Pe
129 Your laws are wonderful.
No wonder I obey them!
130 The teaching of your word gives light,
so even the simple can understand.
131 I pant with expectation,
longing for your commands.
132 Come and show me your mercy,
as you do for all who love your name.
133 Guide my steps by your word,
so I will not be overcome by evil.
134 Ransom me from the oppression of evil people;
then I can obey your commandments.
135 Look upon me with love;
teach me your decrees.
136 Rivers of tears gush from my eyes
because people disobey your instructions.
Sixth Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 27
1And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height [shall be] three cubits.2And you shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be from it, and you shall overlay it with copper.3And you shall make its pots to remove its ashes, and its shovels and its sprinkling basins and its flesh hooks and its scoops; you shall make all its implements of copper.4And you shall make for it a copper grating of netting work, and you shall make on the netting four copper rings on its four ends.5And you shall place it beneath the ledge of the altar from below, and the net shall [extend downward] until the middle of the altar.6And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with copper.7And its poles shall be inserted into the rings, and the poles shall be on both sides of the altar when it is carried.8You shall make it hollow, out of boards; as He showed you on the mountain, so shall they do.
Friday
1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 (NLT):
Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
Seventh Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 27
9And you shall make the courtyard of the Mishkan on the southern side [there shall be] hangings for the courtyard of twisted fine linen, one hundred cubits long on one side.10And its pillars [shall be] twenty and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [shall be of] silver.11And so for the northern end in the length hangings one hundred [cubits] long, its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.12The width of the courtyard on the western side, hangings fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten.13The width of the courtyard on the eastern side, fifty cubits.14The hangings on the shoulder [shall be] fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.15And on the second shoulder [there shall be] fifteen hangings, their pillars three and their sockets three.16And at the gate of the courtyard shall be a screen of twenty cubits, [made] of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen, the work of an embroiderer; their pillars four and their sockets four.17All the pillars around the courtyard [shall have] silver bands, silver hooks, and copper sockets.18The length of the courtyard [shall be] one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty [cubits]. The height [of the hangings] shall be five cubits of twisted fine linen, and their sockets [shall be of] copper.19All the implements of the Mishkan for all its labor, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard [shall be] copper.
Saturday
1 Peter 2:1–12 (NLT):
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
Living Stones for God’s House
4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,
“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”
7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”
8 And,
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
Maftir Portion
Shemot - Exodus Chapter 27
17All the pillars around the courtyard [shall have] silver bands, silver hooks, and copper sockets.18The length of the courtyard [shall be] one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty [cubits]. The height [of the hangings] shall be five cubits of twisted fine linen, and their sockets [shall be of] copper.19All the implements of the Mishkan for all its labor, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard [shall be] copper.
Haftarah
Melachim I - I Kings Chapter 5
26And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they both made a league together.27And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.28And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month alternately, a month they were in Lebanon, (and) two months at home, and Adoniram (was) over the levy.29And Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountains.30Besides Solomon's chief officers that were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.31And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, heavy stones, to lay the foundation of the house (with) hewn stone.32And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did hew (them), and they prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.
Melachim I - I Kings Chapter 6
1And it was in the four hundred and eightieth year after the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month Ziv, which (is) the second month of Solomon's reign over Israel, that he did (begin to) build the house of the Lord.2And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof (was) sixty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.3And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits (was) the length thereof, before the breadth of the house, (and) ten cubits (was) the breadth thereof before the house.4And he made for the house windows broad without, and narrow within.5And against the wall of the house he built a chamber round about, (against) the walls of the house round about, (both) of the temple and of the sanctuary, and he made chambers round about.6The nethermost chamber (was) five cubits broad, and the middle (was) six cubits broad, and the third (was) seven cubits broad, for he made rebatements in (the wall of) the house round about on the outside, that (the beams) should not have hold in the walls of the house.7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe (nor) any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.8The door of the lowest chamber (was) in the right side of the house, and with winding stairs they went up into the middle (chamber), and from the middle into the third.9And he built the house, and finished it, and he covered the house with panelling and joined planks of cedar.10And he built the chambers against all the house, (each) five cubits high; and he covered the house with timber of cedar.11And the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying,12(Concerning) this house which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, and execute My ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with you, which I spoke to David your father.13And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people, Israel.
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