AME Zion Universal Reading January 8th 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Genesis Chapter 47

28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years, and Jacob's days, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty seven years.29When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have now found favor in your eyes, now place your hand beneath my thigh, and you shall deal with me with lovingkindness and truth; do not bury me now in Egypt.30I will lie with my forefathers, and you shall carry me out of Egypt, and you shall bury me in their grave." And he said, "I will do as you say."31And he said, "Swear to me. " So he swore to him, and Israel prostrated himself on the head of the bed.

Genesis Chapter 48

1Now it came to pass after these incidents that [someone] said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is ill." So he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.2And [someone] told Jacob and said, "Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you." And Israel summoned his strength and sat up on the bed.3And Jacob said to Joseph, "Almighty God appeared to me in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and He blessed me.4And He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and cause you to multiply, and I will make you into a congregation of peoples, and I will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting inheritance.'5And now, [as for] your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt, until I came to you, to the land of Egypt they are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine like Reuben and Simeon.6But your children, if you beget [any] after them, shall be yours; by their brothers' names they shall be called in their inheritance.7As for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died to me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still a stretch of land to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem."8Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and he said, "Who are these?"9Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God gave me here." So he said, "Now bring them near to me, so that I may bless them."

Isaiah 43:1–12 (NLT): The Savior of Israel

1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.

O Israel, the one who formed you says,

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

2 When you go through deep waters,

I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty,

you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression,

you will not be burned up;

the flames will not consume you.

3 For I am the Lord, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;

I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

4 Others were given in exchange for you.

I traded their lives for yours

because you are precious to me.

You are honored, and I love you.

5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.

I will gather you and your children from east and west.

6 I will say to the north and south,

‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel

from the distant corners of the earth.

7 Bring all who claim me as their God,

for I have made them for my glory.

It was I who created them.’ ”

8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind,

who have ears but are deaf.

9 Gather the nations together!

Assemble the peoples of the world!

Which of their idols has ever foretold such things?

Which can predict what will happen tomorrow?

Where are the witnesses of such predictions?

Who can verify that they spoke the truth?

10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord.

“You are my servant.

You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,

and understand that I alone am God.

There is no other God—

there never has been, and there never will be.

11 I, yes I, am the Lord,

and there is no other Savior.

12 First I predicted your rescue,

then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world.

No foreign god has ever done this.

You are witnesses that I am the only God,”

says the Lord.

Second Portion

Genesis Chapter 48

10Now Israel's eyes had become heavy with age, [to the extent that] he could not see. So he drew them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.11And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not expected to see [even] your face, and behold, God has shown me your children too."12And Joseph took them out from upon his [Jacob's] knees, and he prostrated himself to the ground.13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim at his right, from Israel's left, and Manasseh at his left, from Israel's right, and he brought [them] near to him.14But Israel stretched out his right hand and placed [it] on Ephraim's head, although he was the younger, and his left hand [he placed] on Manasseh's head. He guided his hands deliberately, for Manasseh was the firstborn.15And he blessed Joseph and said, "God, before Whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walked, God Who sustained me as long as I am alive, until this day,16may the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless the youths, and may they be called by my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply abundantly like fish, in the midst of the land."

Monday

Isaiah 43:14–28 (NLT): The Lord’s Promise of Victory

14 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon,

forcing the Babylonians to flee in those ships they are so proud of.

15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,

Israel’s Creator and King.

16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,

making a dry path through the sea.

17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt

with all its chariots and horses.

I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,

their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—

it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

19 For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,

the jackals and owls, too,

for giving them water in the desert.

Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland

so my chosen people can be refreshed.

21 I have made Israel for myself,

and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

22 “But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help.

You have grown tired of me, O Israel!

23 You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings.

You have not honored me with sacrifices,

though I have not burdened and wearied you

with requests for grain offerings and frankincense.

24 You have not brought me fragrant calamus

or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices.

Instead, you have burdened me with your sins

and wearied me with your faults.

25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake

and will never think of them again.

26 Let us review the situation together,

and you can present your case to prove your innocence.

27 From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me;

all your leaders broke my laws.

28 That is why I have disgraced your priests;

I have decreed complete destruction for Jacob

and shame for Israel.

Third Portion

Genesis Chapter 48

17And Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand on Ephraim's head, and it displeased him. So he held up his father's hand to remove it from upon Ephraim's head [to place it] on Manasseh's head.18And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, Father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."19But his father refused, and he said, "I know, my son, I know; he too will become a people, and he too will be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he, and his children['s fame] will fill the nations."20So he blessed them on that day, saying, "With you, Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh,' " and he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.21And Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am going to die, and God will be with you, and He will return you to the land of your forefathers.22And I have given you one portion over your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."

Tuesday

Ezekiel 37:1–14 (NLT): A Valley of Dry Bones

The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”

4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’ ”

10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.

11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’ ”

Fourth Portion

Genesis Chapter 49

1Jacob called for his sons and said, "Gather and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.2Gather and listen, sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel, your father.3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the first of my might. [You should have been] superior in rank and superior in power.4[You have] the restlessness of water; [therefore,] you shall not have superiority, for you ascended upon your father's couch; then you profaned [Him Who] ascended upon my bed.5Simeon and Levi are brothers; stolen instruments are their weapons.6Let my soul not enter their counsel; my honor, you shall not join their assembly, for in their wrath they killed a man, and with their will they hamstrung a bull.7Cursed be their wrath for it is mighty, and their anger because it is harsh. I will separate them throughout Jacob, and I will scatter them throughout Israel.8Judah, [as for] you, your brothers will acknowledge you. Your hand will be at the nape of your enemies, [and] your father's sons will prostrate themselves to you.9A cub [and] a grown lion is Judah. From the prey, my son, you withdrew. He crouched, rested like a lion, and like a lion, who will rouse him?10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples.11He binds his foal to a vine, and to a tendril [he binds] his young donkey. [He launders] his garment with wine, and with the blood of grapes binds his raiment.12[He is] red eyed from wine and white toothed from milk.13Zebulun will dwell on the coast of the seas; he [will be] at the harbor of the ships, and his boundary will be at Zidon.14Issachar is a strong-boned donkey, lying between the boundaries.15He saw a resting place, that it was good, and the land, that it was pleasant, and he bent his shoulder to bear [burdens], and he became an indentured laborer.16Dan will avenge his people, like one, the tribes of Israel.17Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper on the path, which bites the horse's heels, so its rider falls backwards.18For Your salvation, I hope, O Lord!

Wednesday

Ezekiel 37:15–28 (NLT): Reunion of Israel and Judah

15 Again a message came to me from the Lord: 16 “Son of man, take a piece of wood and carve on it these words: ‘This represents Judah and its allied tribes.’ Then take another piece and carve these words on it: ‘This represents Ephraim and the northern tribes of Israel.’ 17 Now hold them together in your hand as if they were one piece of wood. 18 When your people ask you what your actions mean, 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take Ephraim and the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one piece of wood in my hand.’

20 “Then hold out the pieces of wood you have inscribed, so the people can see them. 21 And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. 22 I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms. 23 They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful apostasy. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.

24 “My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees. 25 They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever. 27 I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the Lord, who makes Israel holy.”

Fifth Portion

Genesis Chapter 49

19[As for] Gad, a troop will troop forth from him, and it will troop back in its tracks.20From Asher will come rich food, and he will yield regal delicacies.21Naphtali is a swift gazelle; [he is one] who utters beautiful words.22A charming son is Joseph, a son charming to the eye; [of the] women, [each one] strode along to see him.23They heaped bitterness upon him and became quarrelsome; yea, archers despised him.24But his bow was strongly established, and his arms were gilded from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there he sustained the rock of Israel,25from the God of your father, and He will help you, and with the Almighty, and He will bless you [with] the blessings of the heavens above, the blessings of the deep, lying below, the blessings of father and mother.26The blessings of your father surpassed the blessings of my parents, the ends of the everlasting hills. May they come to Joseph's head and to the crown (of the head) of the one who was separated from his brothers.

Thursday

Hosea 11:1–12 (NLT): The Lord’s Love for Israel

1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and I called my son out of Egypt.

2 But the more I called to him,

the farther he moved from me,

offering sacrifices to the images of Baal

and burning incense to idols.

3 I myself taught Israel how to walk,

leading him along by the hand.

But he doesn’t know or even care

that it was I who took care of him.

4 I led Israel along

with my ropes of kindness and love.

I lifted the yoke from his neck,

and I myself stooped to feed him.

5 “But since my people refuse to return to me,

they will return to Egypt

and will be forced to serve Assyria.

6 War will swirl through their cities;

their enemies will crash through their gates.

They will destroy them,

trapping them in their own evil plans.

7 For my people are determined to desert me.

They call me the Most High,

but they don’t truly honor me.

8 “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel?

How can I let you go?

How can I destroy you like Admah

or demolish you like Zeboiim?

My heart is torn within me,

and my compassion overflows.

9 No, I will not unleash my fierce anger.

I will not completely destroy Israel,

for I am God and not a mere mortal.

I am the Holy One living among you,

and I will not come to destroy.

10 For someday the people will follow me.

I, the Lord, will roar like a lion.

And when I roar,

my people will return trembling from the west.

11 Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt.

Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria.

And I will bring them home again,”

says the Lord.

Charges against Israel and Judah

12  Israel surrounds me with lies and deceit,

but Judah still obeys God

and is faithful to the Holy One.

Sixth Portion

Genesis Chapter 49

27Benjamin is a wolf, he will prey; in the morning he will devour plunder, and in the evening he will divide the spoil."28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them; each man, according to his blessing, he blessed them.29And he commanded them and said to them, "I will be brought in to my people; bury me with my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for burial property.31There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca, and there I buried Leah.32The purchase of the field and the cave therein was from the sons of Heth."33And Jacob concluded commanding his sons, and he drew his legs [up] into the bed, and expired and was brought in to his people.

Genesis Chapter 50

1Joseph fell on his father's face, and he wept over him and kissed him.2And Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel.3And forty days were completed for him for so are the days of embalming completed and the Egyptians wept over him for seventy days.4When the days of his weeping had passed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's household, saying, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak now in Pharaoh's ears, saying,5'My father adjured me, saying, "Behold, I am going to die. In my grave, which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." So now, please let me go up and bury my father and return.' "6And Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father as he adjured you."7So Joseph went up to bury his father, and all Pharaoh's servants, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went up with him,8and Joseph's entire household and his brothers and his father's household; only their young children and their flocks and cattle did they leave in the land of Goshen.9And chariots and horsemen also went up with him, and the camp was very numerous.10And they came to the threshing floor of the thornbushes, which is on the other side of the Jordan, and there they conducted a very great and impressive eulogy, and he made for his father a mourning of seven days.11The Canaanite[s], the inhabitant[s] of the land, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of the thornbushes, and they said, "This is an intense mourning for the Egyptians." Therefore, they named it Abel Mizraim (Egypt mourns), which is on the other side of the Jordan.12And his sons did to him just as he had commanded them.13And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and they buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought for burial property from Ephron the Hittite before Mamre.14And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.15Now Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died, and they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us and return to us all the evil that we did to him."16So they commanded [messengers to go] to Joseph, to say, "Your father commanded [us] before his death, saying,17'So shall you say to Joseph, "Please, forgive now your brothers' transgression and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." ' " Joseph wept when they spoke to him.18His brothers also went and fell before him, and they said, "Behold, we are your slaves."19But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid, for am I instead of God?20Indeed, you intended evil against me, [but] God designed it for good, in order to bring about what is at present to keep a great populace alive.

Friday

2 Thessalonians 2:13–17 (NLT): Believers Should Stand Firm

13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Seventh Portion

Genesis Chapter 50

21So now do not fear. I will sustain you and your small children." And he comforted them and spoke to their hearts.22So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household, and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.23Joseph saw children of a third generation [born] to Ephraim; also the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees.24Joseph said to his brothers, "I am going to die; God will surely remember you and take you up out of this land to the land that He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."25And Joseph adjured the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely remember you, and you shall take up my bones out of here."26And Joseph died at the age of one hundred ten years, and they embalmed him and he was placed into the coffin in Egypt.

Saturday

2 Thessalonians 3:1–5 (NLT): Paul’s Request for Prayer

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2 Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. 5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:13–17 (NLT):

13 As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.

14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.

Paul’s Final Greetings

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

17 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. I do this in all my letters to prove they are from me.

Maftir Portion

Genesis Chapter 50

23Joseph saw children of a third generation [born] to Ephraim; also the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees.24Joseph said to his brothers, "I am going to die; God will surely remember you and take you up out of this land to the land that He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."25And Joseph adjured the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely remember you, and you shall take up my bones out of here."26And Joseph died at the age of one hundred ten years, and they embalmed him and he was placed into the coffin in Egypt.

Haftarah

I Kings Chapter 2

1And the days of David drew near that he should die; and he charged Solomon, his son, saying:2"I go the way of all the earth; you shall be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man;3And keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn;4That the Lord may continue His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,' said He, 'a man on the throne of Israel.'5Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, (and) what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace and put the blood of war upon his girdle (that was) about his loins, and in his shoes that (were) on his feet.6And you shall do according to your wisdom, and do not let his hoary head go down to the grave in peace.7But show kindness to the children of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at your table, for so did they befriend me when I fled from Absalom your brother.8And, behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim, and he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'9And now hold him not guiltless, for you are a wise man, and you will surely know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his hoary head down to the grave with blood."10And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.11And the days that David reigned over Israel (were) forty years, seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.12And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.