Mar 10

Exodus 21
Job 39
Luke 24
2Corinthians 9

Daily Readings:

Exodus 21

1 ¶  Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

2  If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

3  If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4  If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

5  And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

6  Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

7  And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

8  If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

9  And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

10  If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

11  And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

12 ¶  He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

13  And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

14  But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

15  And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

16  And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17  And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18  And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:

19  If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

20  And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

21  Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

22 ¶  If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23  And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

24  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25  Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26  And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.

27  And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

28  If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.

29  But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.

30  If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

31  Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

32  If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

33  And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;

34  The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

35  And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.

36  Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

Job 39

1 ¶  Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

2  Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

3  They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.

4  Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

5  Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

6  Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

7  He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

8  The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

9  Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

10  Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

11  Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

12  Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?

13 ¶  Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

14  Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

15  And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

16  She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

17  Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

18  What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

19 ¶  Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

20  Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.

21  He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

22  He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

23  The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

24  He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

25  He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26 ¶  Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

27  Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

28  She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.

29  From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

30  Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

Luke 24

1 ¶  Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

2  And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

3  And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

4  And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

5  And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

6  He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

7  Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

8  And they remembered his words,

9  And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

10  It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

11  And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

12  Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

13 ¶  And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

14  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15  And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16  But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

17  And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18  And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19  And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

20  And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21  But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

22  Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

23  And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

24  And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

26  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

28  And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

29  But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

30  And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

31  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

32  And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

33  And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

34  Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

35  And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

36 ¶  And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

37  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

38  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

39  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

40  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

41  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

42  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

43  And he took it, and did eat before them.

44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48  And ye are witnesses of these things.

49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

50 ¶  And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

51  And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

52  And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

53  And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9

1 ¶  For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

2  For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

3  Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

4  Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

5  Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

6 ¶  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

9  (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

10  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

11  Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

12  For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

13  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

14  And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

15  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

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

F4-F01 The Firstfruits F4-F02 The Firstfruits F4-F03 The Firstfruits F4-F04 The Firstfruits

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