Monday 23 June 2014 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

Monday 23 June 2014  
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Numbers 16:1-19

Now Korah son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben—took two hundred and fifty Israelite men, leaders of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men,* and they confronted Moses. They assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. So why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?’ When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. Then he said to Korah and all his company, ‘In the morning the Lord will make known who is his, and who is holy, and who will be allowed to approach him; the one whom he will choose he will allow to approach him. Do this: take censers, Korah and all your* company, and tomorrow put fire in them, and lay incense on them before the Lord; and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be the holy one. You Levites have gone too far!’ Then Moses said to Korah, ‘Hear now, you Levites! Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to allow you to approach him in order to perform the duties of the Lord’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation and serve them? He has allowed you to approach him, and all your brother Levites with you; yet you seek the priesthood as well! Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the Lord. What is Aaron that you rail against him?’

 Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab; but they said, ‘We will not come! Is it too little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also lord it over us? It is clear you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come!’

 Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, ‘Pay no attention to their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed any one of them.’ And Moses said to Korah, ‘As for you and all your company, be present tomorrow before the Lord, you and they and Aaron; and let each one of you take his censer, and put incense on it, and each one of you present his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.’ So each man took his censer, and they put fire in the censers and laid incense on them, and they stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. Then Korah assembled the whole congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole congregation.
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Romans 3:21-31

But now, irrespective of law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ* for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement* by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.*

 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
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Matthew 19:13-22

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
 Then someone came to him and said, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ And he said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these;* what do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money* to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. ******************************************************************
Morning Psalms:  Psalm 89:1-18

Psalm 89:1-18

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord,* for ever;
   with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. 
I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever;
   your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. 


You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
   I have sworn to my servant David: 
“I will establish your descendants for ever,
   and build your throne for all generations.” ’
          Selah 


Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
   your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. 
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
   Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 
a God feared in the council of the holy ones,
   great and awesome* above all that are around him? 
O Lord God of hosts,
   who is as mighty as you, O Lord?
   Your faithfulness surrounds you. 
You rule the raging of the sea;
   when its waves rise, you still them. 
You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
   you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 
The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;
   the world and all that is in it—you have founded them. 
The north and the south*—you created them;
   Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 
You have a mighty arm;
   strong is your hand, high your right hand. 
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
   steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 
Happy are the people who know the festal shout,
   who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance; 
they exult in your name all day long,
   and extol* your righteousness. 
For you are the glory of their strength;
   by your favour our horn is exalted. 
For our shield belongs to the Lord,
   our king to the Holy One of Israel.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 89:19-52

Psalm 89:19-52

Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said:
   ‘I have set the crown* on one who is mighty,
   I have exalted one chosen from the people. 
I have found my servant David;
   with my holy oil I have anointed him; 
my hand shall always remain with him;
   my arm also shall strengthen him. 
The enemy shall not outwit him,
   the wicked shall not humble him. 
I will crush his foes before him
   and strike down those who hate him. 
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
   and in my name his horn shall be exalted. 
I will set his hand on the sea
   and his right hand on the rivers. 
He shall cry to me, “You are my Father,
   my God, and the Rock of my salvation!” 
I will make him the firstborn,
   the highest of the kings of the earth. 
For-ever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
   and my covenant with him will stand firm. 
I will establish his line for ever,
   and his throne as long as the heavens endure. 
If his children forsake my law
   and do not walk according to my ordinances, 
if they violate my statutes
   and do not keep my commandments, 
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
   and their iniquity with scourges; 
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
   or be false to my faithfulness. 
I will not violate my covenant,
   or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 
Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
   I will not lie to David. 
His line shall continue for ever,
   and his throne endure before me like the sun. 
It shall be established for ever like the moon,
   an enduring witness in the skies.’
          Selah 


But now you have spurned and rejected him;
   you are full of wrath against your anointed. 
You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
   you have defiled his crown in the dust. 
You have broken through all his walls;
   you have laid his strongholds in ruins. 
All who pass by plunder him;
   he has become the scorn of his neighbours. 
You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
   you have made all his enemies rejoice. 
Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword,
   and you have not supported him in battle. 
You have removed the sceptre from his hand,*
   and hurled his throne to the ground. 
You have cut short the days of his youth;
   you have covered him with shame.
          Selah 


How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?
   How long will your wrath burn like fire? 
Remember how short my time is—*
   for what vanity you have created all mortals! 
Who can live and never see death?
   Who can escape the power of Sheol?
          Selah 


Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
   which by your faithfulness you swore to David? 
Remember, O Lord, how your servant is taunted;
   how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,* 
with which your enemies taunt, O Lord,
   with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed. 


Blessed be the Lord for ever.Amen and Amen.
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