AME Zion Universal Reading January 7th, 2023

Artisans Called by God
Jan 6, 2024
11 min read

Hebrews 11:1–40 (NLT): Great Examples of Faith

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Monday

Isaiah 33:15–22 (NLT):

15 Those who are honest and fair,

who refuse to profit by fraud,

who stay far away from bribes,

who refuse to listen to those who plot murder,

who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—

16 these are the ones who will dwell on high.

The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress.

Food will be supplied to them,

and they will have water in abundance.

17 Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor,

and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.

18 You will think back to this time of terror, asking,

“Where are the Assyrian officers

who counted our towers?

Where are the bookkeepers

who recorded the plunder taken from our fallen city?”

19 You will no longer see these fierce, violent people

with their strange, unknown language.

20 Instead, you will see Zion as a place of holy festivals.

You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure.

It will be like a tent whose ropes are taut

and whose stakes are firmly fixed.

21 The Lord will be our Mighty One.

He will be like a wide river of protection

that no enemy can cross,

that no enemy ship can sail upon.

22 For the Lord is our judge,

our lawgiver, and our king.

He will care for us and save us.

Tuesday

Psalm 106:1–12 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

2 Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?

Who can ever praise him enough?

3 There is joy for those who deal justly with others

and always do what is right.

4 Remember me, Lord, when you show favor to your people;

come near and rescue me.

5 Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.

Let me rejoice in the joy of your people;

let me praise you with those who are your heritage.

6 Like our ancestors, we have sinned.

We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!

7 Our ancestors in Egypt

were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds.

They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them.

Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.

8 Even so, he saved them—

to defend the honor of his name

and to demonstrate his mighty power.

9 He commanded the Red Sea to dry up.

He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert.

10 So he rescued them from their enemies

and redeemed them from their foes.

11 Then the water returned and covered their enemies;

not one of them survived.

12 Then his people believed his promises.

Then they sang his praise.

Wednesday

Hebrews 11:20–29 (NLT):

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

Thursday

Hebrews 11:32–40 (NLT):

Friday

Psalm 106:13–48 (NLT):

13 Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done!

They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!

14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild,

testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.

15 So he gave them what they asked for,

but he sent a plague along with it.

16 The people in the camp were jealous of Moses

and envious of Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.

17 Because of this, the earth opened up;

it swallowed Dathan

and buried Abiram and the other rebels.

18 Fire fell upon their followers;

a flame consumed the wicked.

19 The people made a calf at Mount Sinai;

they bowed before an image made of gold.

20 They traded their glorious God

for a statue of a grass-eating bull.

21 They forgot God, their savior,

who had done such great things in Egypt—

22 such wonderful things in the land of Ham,

such awesome deeds at the Red Sea.

23 So he declared he would destroy them.

But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people.

He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.

24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land,

for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.

25 Instead, they grumbled in their tents

and refused to obey the Lord.

26 Therefore, he solemnly swore

that he would kill them in the wilderness,

27 that he would scatter their descendants among the nations,

exiling them to distant lands.

28 Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor;

they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead!

29 They angered the Lord with all these things,

so a plague broke out among them.

30 But Phinehas had the courage to intervene,

and the plague was stopped.

31 So he has been regarded as a righteous man

ever since that time.

32 At Meribah, too, they angered the Lord,

causing Moses serious trouble.

33 They made Moses angry,

and he spoke foolishly.

34 Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land,

as the Lord had commanded them.

35 Instead, they mingled among the pagans

and adopted their evil customs.

36 They worshiped their idols,

which led to their downfall.

37 They even sacrificed their sons

and their daughters to the demons.

38 They shed innocent blood,

the blood of their sons and daughters.

By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan,

they polluted the land with murder.

39 They defiled themselves by their evil deeds,

and their love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight.

40 That is why the Lord’s anger burned against his people,

and he abhorred his own special possession.

41 He handed them over to pagan nations,

and they were ruled by those who hated them.

42 Their enemies crushed them

and brought them under their cruel power.

43 Again and again he rescued them,

but they chose to rebel against him,

and they were finally destroyed by their sin.

44 Even so, he pitied them in their distress

and listened to their cries.

45 He remembered his covenant with them

and relented because of his unfailing love.

46 He even caused their captors

to treat them with kindness.

47 Save us, O Lord our God!

Gather us back from among the nations,

so we can thank your holy name

and rejoice and praise you.

48 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

Saturday

Romans 5:12–21 (NLT): Adam and Christ Contrasted

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.