Bible Readings for April 7, 2023

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Deuteronomy 31:1–32:27; Luke 12:8-34; Psalm 78:32-55; and Proverbs 12:21-23. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.  

---

Deuteronomy 31-32:27 (Contemporary English Version)

Deuteronomy 31

FINAL SPEECHES AND THE DEATH OF MOSES

 ¹Moses again spoke to the whole nation of Israel:     ²I am a hundred twenty years old, and I am no longer able to be your leader. And besides that, the LORD your God has told me that he won't let me cross the Jordan River. ^3-5But he has promised that he and Joshua will lead you across the Jordan to attack the nations that live on the other side. The LORD will destroy those nations just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings. Just remember--whenever you capture a place, kill everyone who lives there. 

    ⁶Be brave and strong! Don't be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The LORD your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you. 

    ⁷Then Moses called Joshua up in front of the crowd and said: 

   Joshua, be brave and strong as you lead these people into their land. The LORD made a promise long ago to Israel's ancestors that this land would someday belong to Israel. That time has now come, and you must divide up the land among the people. ⁸The LORD will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don't ever be afraid of your enemies.     

Read These Laws

 ⁹Moses wrote down all of these laws and teachings and gave them to the priests and the leaders of Israel. The priests were from the Levi tribe, and they carried the sacred chest that belonged to the LORD. ^10-11Moses told these priests and leaders:    Each year the Israelites must come together to celebrate the Festival of Shelters at the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped. You must read these laws and teachings to the people at the festival every seventh year, the year when loans do not need to be repaid. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 12-13}Everyone must come--men, women, children, and even the foreigners who live in your towns. And each new generation will listen and learn to worship the LORD their God with fear and trembling and to do exactly what is said in God's Law. 

Israel Will Reject the LORD

 ¹⁴The LORD told Moses, " You will soon die, so bring Joshua to the sacred tent, and I will appoint him the leader of Israel."    Moses and Joshua went to the sacred tent, ¹⁵and the LORD appeared in a thick cloud right over the entrance to the tent. ¹⁶The LORD said: 

   Moses, you will soon die. But Israel is going into a land where other gods are worshiped, and Israel will reject me and start worshiping these gods. The people will break the agreement I made with them, ¹⁷and I will be so furious that I will abandon them and ignore their prayers. I will send disasters and suffering that will nearly wipe them out. Finally, they will realize that the disasters happened because I abandoned them. ¹⁸They will pray to me, but I will ignore them because they were evil and started worshiping other gods. 

    ¹⁹Moses and Joshua, I am going to give you the words to a new song. Write them down and teach the song to the Israelites. If they learn it, they will know what I want them to do, and so they will have no excuse for not obeying me. ²⁰I am bringing them into the land that I promised their ancestors. It is a land rich with milk and honey, and the Israelites will have more than enough food to eat. But they will get fat and turn their backs on me and start worshiping other gods. The Israelites will reject me and break the agreement that I made with them. 

    ²¹When I punish the Israelites and their descendants with suffering and disasters, I will remind them that they know the words to this song, so they have no excuse for not obeying me. 

   I will give them the land that I promised, but I know the way they are going to live later on. 

    ²²Moses wrote down the words to the song ^[b<="">] right away, and he taught it to the Israelites. ²³The LORD told Joshua, " Be brave and strong! I will help you lead the people of Israel into the land that I have promised them." 

    ²⁴Moses wrote down all these laws and teachings in a book, ²⁵then he went to the Levites who carried the sacred chest and said: 

    ²⁶This is The Book of God's Law. Keep it beside the sacred chest that holds the agreement the LORD your God made with Israel. This book is proof that you know what the LORD wants you to do. ²⁷I know how stubborn and rebellious you and the rest of the Israelites are. You have rebelled against the LORD while I have been alive, and it will only get worse after I am gone. ²⁸So call together the leaders and officials of the tribes of Israel. I will bring this book and read every word of it to you, and I will call the sky and the earth as witnesses that all of you know what you are supposed to do. 

    ²⁹I am going to die soon, and I know that in the future you will stop caring about what is right and what is wrong, and so you will disobey the LORD and stop living the way I told you to live. The LORD will be angry, and terrible things will happen to you.     

The Song of Moses

 ³⁰Moses called a meeting of all the people of Israel, so he could teach them the words to the song that the LORD had given him. And here are the words:     

Deuteronomy 32

 ¹Earth and Sky,    listen to what I say! 

    ²Israel, I will teach you. 

   My words will be like gentle rain 

   on tender young plants, 

   or like dew on the grass. 

    ³Join with me in praising 

   the wonderful name 

   of the LORD our God. 

    ⁴The LORD is a mighty rock, ^[c<="">] and he never does wrong. 

   God can always be trusted 

   to bring justice. 

    ⁵But you lie and cheat 

   and are unfaithful to him. 

   You have disgraced yourselves 

   and are no longer worthy 

   to be his children. ^[d<="">] 6Israel, the LORD is your Father, 

   the one who created you, 

   but you repaid him 

   by being foolish. 

    ⁷Think about past generations. 

   Ask your parents 

   or any of your elders. 

   They will tell you 

    ⁸that God Most High 

   gave land to every nation. 

   He assigned a guardian angel 

   to each of them, ^[e<="">] 9but the LORD himself 

   takes care of Israel. ^[f<="">] 10Israel, the LORD discovered you 

   in a barren desert 

   filled with howling winds. 

   God became your fortress, 

   protecting you 

   as though 

   you were his own eyes. 

    ¹¹The LORD was like an eagle 

   teaching its young to fly, 

   always ready to swoop down 

   and catch them on its back. 

    ¹²Israel, the LORD led you, 

   and without the aid 

   of a foreign god, 

    ¹³he helped you 

   capture the land. 

   Your fields were rich 

   with grain. 

   Olive trees grew 

   in your stony soil, 

   and honey was found 

   among the rocks. 

    ¹⁴Your flocks and herds 

   produced milk and yogurt, 

   and you got choice meat 

   from your sheep and goats 

   that grazed in Bashan. 

   Your wheat was the finest, 

   and you drank the best wine. 

    ¹⁵Israel, ^[g<="">] you grew fat and rebelled against God, your Creator; 

   you rejected the Mighty Rock, ^[h<="">] your only place of safety. 

    ¹⁶You made God jealous and angry 

   by worshiping disgusting idols 

   and foreign gods. 

    ¹⁷You offered sacrifices 

   to demons, those useless gods ^[i<="">] that never helped you, 

   new gods that your ancestors 

   never worshiped. 

    ¹⁸You turned away 

   from God, your Creator; 

   you forgot the Mighty Rock, ^[j<="">] the source of your life. 

    ¹⁹You were the LORD's children, 

   but you made him angry. 

   Then he rejected you ²⁰and said, 

   " You are unfaithful 

   and can't be trusted. 

   So I won't answer your prayers; 

   I'll just watch and see 

   what happens to you. 

    ²¹You worshiped worthless idols, 

   and made me jealous 

   and angry! 

   Now I will send a cruel ^[k<="">] and worthless nation 

   to make you jealous and angry. 

    ²²" My people, I will breathe out fire 

   that sends you down 

   to the world of the dead. 

   It will scorch your farmlands 

   and burn deep down 

   under the mountains. 

    ²³I'll send disaster after disaster 

   to strike you like arrows. 

    ²⁴You'll be struck by starvation 

   and deadly diseases, 

   by the fangs of wild animals 

   and poisonous snakes. 

    ²⁵Young and old alike 

   will be killed in the streets 

   and terrified at home. 

    ²⁶" I wanted to scatter you, 

   so no one would remember 

   that you had ever lived. 

    ²⁷But I dreaded the sound 

   of your enemies saying, 

   We defeated Israel with no help 

   from the LORD. " 

    

Footnotes:

1. Deuteronomy 31:10 every seventh year. . . repaid: See 15.1,2 and the note there.
2. Deuteronomy 31:22 the words to the song: See 32.1-43.
3. Deuteronomy 32:4 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has " rock," which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the LORD to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
4. Deuteronomy 32:5 and are unfaithful. . . children: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5. Deuteronomy 32:8 He assigned. . . them: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text " So there were as many nations as Israel (that is, Jacob) had children."
6. Deuteronomy 32:9 Israel: The Hebrew text has " Jacob," another name for Israel's ancestor.
7. Deuteronomy 32:15 Israel: The Standard Hebrew Text has " Jeshurun," a rare name for Israel related to a word meaning " honest." The Samaritan Hebrew Text and one ancient translation also use " Jacob," another name for the ancestor of the nation of Israel.
8. Deuteronomy 32:15 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
9. Deuteronomy 32:17 disgusting idols. . . foreign gods. . . demons. . . those useless gods: Different ways of referring to gods of other nations.
10. Deuteronomy 32:18 Mighty Rock: See the note at 32.4.
11. Deuteronomy 32:21 cruel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

---

Luke 12:8-34 (Contemporary English Version)

Telling Others about Christ

(Matthew 10.32,33; 12.32; 10.19,20)

 ⁸If you tell others that you belong to me, the Son of Man will tell God's angels that you are my followers. ⁹But if you reject me, you will be rejected in front of them. ¹⁰If you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven, but if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you cannot be forgiven.     ¹¹When you are brought to trial in the Jewish meeting places or before rulers or officials, don't worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say. ¹²At that time the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say.     

A Rich Fool

 ¹³A man in a crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of what our father left us when he died."     ¹⁴Jesus answered, "Who gave me the right to settle arguments between you and your brother?" 

    ¹⁵Then he said to the crowd, "Don't be greedy! Owning a lot of things won't make your life safe." 

    ¹⁶So Jesus told them this story: 

   A rich man's farm produced a big crop, ¹⁷and he said to himself, "What can I do? I don't have a place large enough to store everything." 

    ¹⁸Later, he said, "Now I know what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. ¹⁹Then I'll say to myself, `You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.' " 

    ²⁰But God said to him, "You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?" 

    ²¹"This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God."     

Worry

(Matthew 6.25-34)

 ²²Jesus said to his disciples:    I tell you not to worry about your life! Don't worry about having something to eat or wear. ²³Life is more than food or clothing. ²⁴Look at the crows! They don't plant or harvest, and they don't have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds. ²⁵Can worry make you live longer? ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 26}If you don't have power over small things, why worry about everything else? ²⁷Look how the wild flowers grow! They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth ^[b<="">] wasn't as well clothed as one of these flowers. ²⁸God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won't he do even more for you? You have such little faith! ²⁹Don't keep worrying about having something to eat or drink. ³⁰Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need. ³¹But put God's work first, and these things will be yours as well.     

Treasures in Heaven

(Matthew 6.19-21)

 ³²My little group of disciples, don't be afraid! Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. ³⁴Your heart will always be where your treasure is.     

Footnotes:

1. Luke 12:25 live longer: Or " grow taller."
2. Luke 12:27 Solomon with all his wealth: The Jewish people thought that Solomon was the richest person who had ever lived.

---

Psalm 78:32-55 (Contemporary English Version)

³²But the rest kept on sinning 

   and would not trust 

   God's miracles. 

    ³³So he cut their lives short 

   and made them terrified. 

    ³⁴After he killed some of them, 

   the others turned to him 

   with all their hearts. 

    ³⁵They remembered God Most High, 

   the mighty rock ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} that kept them safe. 

    ³⁶But they tried to flatter God, 

   and they told him lies; 

    ³⁷they were unfaithful 

   and broke their promises. 

    ³⁸Yet God was kind. 

   He kept forgiving their sins 

   and didn't destroy them. 

   He often became angry, 

   but never lost his temper. 

    ³⁹God remembered that they 

   were made of flesh 

   and were like a wind 

   that blows once 

   and then dies down. 

    ⁴⁰While they were in the desert, 

   they often rebelled 

   and made God sad. 

    ⁴¹They kept testing him 

   and caused terrible pain 

   for the Holy One of Israel. 

    ⁴²They forgot about his power 

   and how he had rescued them 

   from their enemies. 

    ⁴³God showed them all kinds 

   of wonderful miracles 

   near Zoan ^[b<="">] in Egypt. ⁴⁴He turned the rivers of Egypt 

   into blood, 

   and no one could drink 

   from the streams. 

    ⁴⁵He sent swarms of flies 

   to pester the Egyptians, 

   and he sent frogs 

   to cause them trouble. 

    ⁴⁶God let worms and grasshoppers 

   eat their crops. 

    ⁴⁷He destroyed their grapevines 

   and their fig trees 

   with hail and floods. ^[c<="">] 48Then he killed their cattle 

   with hail 

   and their other animals 

   with lightning. 

    ⁴⁹God was so angry and furious 

   that he went into a rage 

   and caused them great trouble 

   by sending swarms 

   of destroying angels. 

    ⁵⁰God gave in to his anger 

   and slaughtered them 

   in a terrible way. 

    ⁵¹He killed the first-born son 

   of each Egyptian family. 

    ⁵²Then God led his people 

   out of Egypt 

   and guided them in the desert 

   like a flock of sheep. 

    ⁵³He led them safely along, 

   and they were not afraid, 

   but their enemies drowned 

   in the sea. 

    ⁵⁴God brought his people 

   to the sacred mountain 

   that he had taken 

   by his own power. 

    ⁵⁵He made nations run 

   from the tribes of Israel, 

   and he let the tribes 

   take over their land. 

    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 78:35 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
2. Psalm 78:43 Zoan: See the note at 78.12.
3. Psalm 78:47 floods: Or " frost."

---

Proverbs 12:21-23 (Contemporary English Version)

²¹Good people never have trouble, 

   but troublemakers 

   have more than enough. 

    ²²The LORD hates every liar, 

   but he is the friend of all 

   who can be trusted. 

    ²³Be sensible and don't tell 

   everything you know-- 

   only fools spread 

   foolishness everywhere.

---

Thought for the Day

 

“I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.” (Galatians 2:20 - Contemporary English Version) When Jesus died on the cross, we also died. And through that death, we've been set free from our past so that we can truly live in the present.

---

Quote for the Day

New Zealand political cartoonist and caricaturist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom for many years, David Low wrote, "Here lies a nuisance dedicated to sanity."

---

A Joke for Today

After a two-week criminal trial in a very high profile bank robbery case, the judge turns to the jury foreman and asks, "Has the jury reached a verdict in this case?"

"Yes, we have, your honor," The foreman responded.

"Would you please pass it to me," The judge declared, as he motioned for the bailiff to retrieve the verdict slip from the foreman and deliver it to him.

After the judge reads the verdict himself, he delivers the verdict slip back to his bailiff to be returned to the foreman and instructs the foreman, "Please read your verdict to the court."

"We find the defendant Not Guilty of all four counts of bank robbery." stated the foreman. The family and friends of the defendant jump for joy at the verdict and hug each other as they shout expressions of divine gratitude.

The man's attorney turns to his client and asks, "So, what do you think about that?"

The defendant, with a bewildered look on his face turns to his attorney and says, "I'm real confused here. Does this mean that I have to give all the money back?"

---

A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That we offer God thanks for all his blessings.