June 30

Joshua 2
Psalms 123
Psalms 124
Psalms 125
Isaiah 62
Matthew 10

Daily Readings:

Joshua 2

1 ¶  And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

2  And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

3  And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.

4  And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:

5  And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

6  But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

7  And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

8 ¶  And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

9  And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

11  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

12  Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:

13  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

14  And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

15  Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

16  And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.

17  And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

18  Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

19  And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

20  And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

21  And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

22 ¶  And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

23  So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:

24  And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

Psalm 123

1 ¶  « A Song of degrees. » Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2  Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3  Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4  Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 124

1 ¶  « A Song of degrees of David. » If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

2  If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

3  Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

4  Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

5  Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

6 ¶  Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7  Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

8  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125

1 ¶  « A Song of degrees. » They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

2  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

3  For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

4 ¶  Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

5  As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

Isaiah 62

1 ¶  For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

2  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

3  Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

4  Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

5  For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

6 ¶  I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

7  And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8  The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

9  But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

10 ¶  Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

11  Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

12  And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Matthew 10

1 ¶  And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

2  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3  Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

4  Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

5 ¶  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

9  Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

10  Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

11  And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

12  And when ye come into an house, salute it.

13  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

15  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

16 ¶  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

24  The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

26  Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

27  What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

41  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Mediation of the Day: from Charles J Rolls’ book, ‘Time’s Noblest Name’

M13-M01 The Maintainer1 M13-M02 The Maintainer2 M13-M03 The Maintainer3

This entry was posted in Daily Readers, June, M'Cheyne's Reader. Bookmark the permalink.