Feb 20

Exodus 3
Job 20
Luke 6
1Corinthians 7

Daily Readings:

Exodus 3

1 ¶  And God spake all these words, saying,

2  I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12 ¶  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13  Thou shalt not kill.

14  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15  Thou shalt not steal.

16  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

18 ¶  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

20  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

21  And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

22 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

23  Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

24  An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

25  And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

26  Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

Job 20

1 ¶  Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2  Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

3  I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

4  Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

5  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

6  Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

7  Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

8  He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

9  The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

10 ¶  His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

11  His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

12  Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

13  Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

14  Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

15  He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

16  He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.

17  He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

18  That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

19  Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

20  Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

21  There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

22  In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

23 ¶  When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

24  He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

25  It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

26  All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

27  The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

28  The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

29  This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

Luke 6

1 ¶  And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

2  And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

3  And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

4  How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

5  And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

6  And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

7  And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

8  But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

9  Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

10  And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

11  And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

12 ¶  And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

13  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

14  Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

15  Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

16  And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

17  And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

18  And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

19  And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

20 ¶  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21  Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

22  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

23  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

24  But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

25  Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

26  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

27 ¶  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

29  And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

30  Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 ¶  Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

39  And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40  The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

41  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42  Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

43  For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

1 Corinthians 7

1 ¶  Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

3  Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

4  The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

5  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

6  But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

7  For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

8  I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

9  But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

10 ¶  And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

11  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

12  But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

15  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

16  For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

17 ¶  But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

18  Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.

19  Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20  Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

21  Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.

22  For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.

23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

24  Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.

25 ¶  Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

26  I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.

27  Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

28  But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

29  But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

30  And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

31  And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

32  But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

33  But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

34  There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

35  And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

36 ¶  But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

37  Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

38  So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

39 ¶  The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

40  But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

Mediation of the Day: from Charles J Rolls’ book, ‘The Indescribable Christ’

D12-D01 The Daystar to Arise D12-D02 The Daystar to Arise D12-D03 The Daystar to Arise

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