Wednesday 24 April 2024 DAILY LECTIONARY

[info at dailylectionary.org]

Wednesday 24 April 2024 
DAILY LECTIONARY

Email Evangelism, forward to a friend: http://www.dailylectionary.org
************************************************************************
Exodus 33:1-23

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go, leave this place, you and the people
whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land
of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, “To your
descendants I will give it.” I will send an angel before you, and I
will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the
Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing
with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, or I would
consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.’

 When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one
put on ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, ‘Say to the
Israelites, “You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I
should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your
ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.” ’ Therefore the
Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb
onwards.
 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far
off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who
sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside
the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would
rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch
Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent,
the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the
tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the
pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people
would rise and bow down, all of them, at the entrance of their tents.
Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a
friend. Then he would return to the camp; but his young assistant,
Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent.
 Moses said to the Lord, ‘See, you have said to me, “Bring up
this people”; but you have not let me know whom you will send with
me. Yet you have said, “I know you by name, and you have also found
favour in my sight.” Now if I have found favour in your sight, show
me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight.
Consider too that this nation is your people.’ He said, ‘My
presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ And he said to
him, ‘If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here.
For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I
and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be
distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the
earth.’

 The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing that you have
asked; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by
name.’ Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ And he said,
‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim
before you the name, “The Lord”;* and I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
But’, he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me
and live.’ And the Lord continued, ‘See, there is a place by me
where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will
put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand
until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall
see my back; but my face shall not be seen.’
************************************************************************
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters,* that our coming to you was
not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully
maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to
declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our
appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but
just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message
of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please
God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we
never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did
we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though
we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle*
among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So
deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not
only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have
become very dear to us.

 You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters;* we worked
night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we
proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also,
how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you
believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father
with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you
should lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom
and glory.
************************************************************************
Matthew 5:17-20

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I
have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until
heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,* not one stroke of a
letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore,
whoever breaks* one of the least of these commandments, and teaches
others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven;
but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the
kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds
that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven.
************************************************************************
Morning Psalms: Psalm 119:49-72

Psalm 119:49-72

Remember your word to your servant,
   in which you have made me hope. 
This is my comfort in my distress,
   that your promise gives me life. 
The arrogant utterly deride me,
   but I do not turn away from your law. 
When I think of your ordinances from of old,
   I take comfort, O Lord. 
Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
   those who forsake your law. 
Your statutes have been my songs
   wherever I make my home. 
I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
   and keep your law. 
This blessing has fallen to me,
   for I have kept your precepts. 

The Lord is my portion;
   I promise to keep your words. 
I implore your favour with all my heart;
   be gracious to me according to your promise. 
When I think of your ways,
   I turn my feet to your decrees; 
I hurry and do not delay
   to keep your commandments. 
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
   I do not forget your law. 
At midnight I rise to praise you,
   because of your righteous ordinances. 
I am a companion of all who fear you,
   of those who keep your precepts. 
The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
   teach me your statutes. 

You have dealt well with your servant,
   O Lord, according to your word. 
Teach me good judgement and knowledge,
   for I believe in your commandments. 
Before I was humbled I went astray,
   but now I keep your word. 
You are good and do good;
   teach me your statutes. 
The arrogant smear me with lies,
   but with my whole heart I keep your precepts. 
Their hearts are fat and gross,
   but I delight in your law. 
It is good for me that I was humbled,
   so that I might learn your statutes. 
The law of your mouth is better to me
   than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
************************************************************************
Evening Psalms: Psalm 49, 53

Psalm 49

Hear this, all you peoples;
   give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 
both low and high,
   rich and poor together. 
My mouth shall speak wisdom;
   the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. 
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
   I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp. 

Why should I fear in times of trouble,
   when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, 
those who trust in their wealth
   and boast of the abundance of their riches? 
Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life,*
   there is no price one can give to God for it. 
For the ransom of life is costly,
   and can never suffice, 
that one should live on for ever
   and never see the grave.* 

When we look at the wise, they die;
   fool and dolt perish together
   and leave their wealth to others. 
Their graves* are their homes for ever,
   their dwelling-places to all generations,
   though they named lands their own. 
Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
   they are like the animals that perish. 

Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
   the end of those* who are pleased with their lot.
          Selah 
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
   Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,*
   and their form shall waste away;
   Sheol shall be their home.* 
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
   for he will receive me.
          Selah 

Do not be afraid when some become rich,
   when the wealth of their houses increases. 
For when they die they will carry nothing away;
   their wealth will not go down after them. 
Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
   —for you are praised when you do well for yourself— 
they* will go to the company of their ancestors,
   who will never again see the light. 
Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
   they are like the animals that perish.

Psalm 53

Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’
   They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
   there is no one who does good. 

God looks down from heaven on humankind
   to see if there are any who are wise,
   who seek after God. 

They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
   there is no one who does good,
   no, not one. 

Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
   who eat up my people as they eat bread,
   and do not call upon God? 

There they shall be in great terror,
   in terror such as has not been.
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;*
   they will be put to shame,* for God has rejected them. 

O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
   When God restores the fortunes of his people,
   Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
************************************************************************


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://dailylectionary.org/pipermail/dailylectionary_dailylectionary.org/attachments/20240424/f90611fb/attachment.htm>