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Bible reading for weekend July 16 -- 18 July 16 -- Jeremiah 12 and Matthew 26 July 17 -- Jeremiah 13 and Matthew 27 July 18 -- Jeremiah 14 and Matthew 28 ================    "I have forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies." (Jeremiah 12:7) THE LORD'S HERITAGE (ch 12-14). These messages from God through Jeremiah are delivered over a period of forty years, and Jeremiah here wants the Lord to execute his judgment, already! (12:1-4) Not only was Jeremiah the target of political opponents, he also suffered the loss of family support (12:5-6). He's ready to see the judgment program move forward. But God is patient and longsuffering, and several times he refers to his people as "my heritage" (or, "inheritance")(12:7-9, 14-15). The Lord loved the people of Israel and Judah -- the "beloved of his soul" -- and he brought them close to himself "that they might be for me...

Bible reading for Nov 24.  1 Chronicles 19-20. "And David said, 'I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me.' So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him." (19:2)  KINDNESS REBUFFED. These two chapters relate David's victories over two neighboring hostile nations, the Ammonites (ch 19) and the Philistines (ch 20). These victories foreshadow the future inheritance of David's descendant, the Messiah: "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession" (Psalm 2:8; cf Ps 110). What makes Hanun's response so despicable was that he was rejecting a kindness from David which was being made in good faith. He shamed and mocked the messengers who brought the offer of covenant friendship. Hanun serves as a warning not to foolishly reject, or treat lightly, the kindness w...

Bible reading for March 13:  Exodus 24; John 3. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." (Exodus 24:7-8)  The blood of the covenant.   Previously, the people of Israel had to stay away from Mount Sinai. It was a fearful sight, and people (and animals) were barred by penalty of death from approaching the presence of God there.  Now here's a change: the leaders of the people are invited to come to the mountain , and wonder of wonders, to see the glory of God and to eat in his presence.  What made the difference?  It was the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrificial offerings, the blood of the covenant.  This blood foreshadows the new covenant that Christ would i...

Bible reading for Jan 26:  Genesis 27; Matthew 26.  Genesis 27.   Rebekah and Jacob deceive Isaac , and Jacob receives the blessing intended for Esau.  As wrong as that action was, Isaac did not reverse his blessing .  Perhaps he remembered that this is what the Lord had said earlier.  It was God's will that the birthright and covenant blessing belong to Jacob.  From this day forth there is an even deeper divide between the two sons.  Jacob, however, will now enter God's school of training under his uncle Laban, a consummate con artist. Jacob, the trickster, will himself be tricked, and will learn some very hard lessons.   ==============    "Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." (Matt 26:13) Jesus is arrested (Matthew 26).  At the house of Simon the leper, a woman anoints Jesus' head with very expensive ointment ....