Bible in a YearMonth 11Week 44Day 305
Day 305 of 365~10 min

The Ark Returns: God's Power Restored

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Old Testament
1 Samuel 4–7
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1. The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2. The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. When they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field. 3. When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us get the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.” 4. So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5. When the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6. When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” They understood that Yahweh’s ark had come into the camp. 7. The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before. 8. Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9. Be strong, and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight!” 10. The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter; for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell. 11. God’s ark was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. 12. A man of Benjamin ran out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with dirt on his head. 13. When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching; for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it, all the city cried out. 14. When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does the noise of this tumult mean?” The man hurried, and came and told Eli. 15. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes were set, so that he could not see. 16. The man said to Eli, “I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army.” He said, “How did the matter go, my son?” 17. He who brought the news answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and God’s ark has been captured.” 18. When he made mention of God’s ark, Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. 19. His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her. 20. About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Don’t be afraid; for you have given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it. 21. She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”; because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22. She said, “The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken.” 1. Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2. The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3. When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4. When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact. 5. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into Dagon’s house, step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day. 6. But Yahweh’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders. 7. When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us; for his hand is severe on us, and on Dagon our god.” 8. They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there. 9. It was so, that after they had carried it there, Yahweh’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great so that tumors broke out on them. 10. So they sent God’s ark to Ekron. As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to us, to kill us and our people.” 11. They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12. The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven. 1. Yahweh’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2. The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with Yahweh’s ark? Show us how we should send it to its place.” 3. They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don’t send it empty; but by all means return a trespass offering to him. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.” 4. Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. 5. Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his hand from you, from your gods, and from your land. 6. Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people go, and they departed? 7. “Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them; 8. and take Yahweh’s ark, and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by its side; and send it away, that it may go. 9. Behold; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.” 10. The men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11. They put Yahweh’s ark on the cart, and the coffer with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12. The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh. 13. The people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there, where there was a great stone. Then they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Yahweh. 15. The Levites took down Yahweh’s ark, and the coffer that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Yahweh. 16. When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17. These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; 18. and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone, on which they set down Yahweh’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. 19. He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into Yahweh’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20. The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? To whom shall he go up from us?” 21. They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back Yahweh’s ark. Come down, and bring it up to yourselves.” 1. The men of Kiriath Jearim came, and took Yahweh’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep Yahweh’s ark. 2. From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long; for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh. 3. Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4. Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only. 5. Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.” 6. They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah. 7. When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8. The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying to Yahweh our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.” 9. Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel; and Yahweh answered him. 10. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines, and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel. 11. The men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, until they came under Beth Kar. 12. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Yahweh helped us until now.” 13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. Yahweh’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14. The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites. 15. Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16. He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places. 17. His return was to Ramah, for his house was there; and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there.

World English Bible (WEB) — Public Domain
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New Testament
Luke 13–16
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1. Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2. Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3. I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way. 4. Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? 5. I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.” 6. He spoke this parable. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. 7. He said to the vine dresser, ‘Behold, these three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none. Cut it down. Why does it waste the soil?’ 8. He answered, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it, and fertilize it. 9. If it bears fruit, fine; but if not, after that, you can cut it down.’” 10. He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11. Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up. 12. When Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13. He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God. 14. The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!” 15. Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water? 16. Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” 17. As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. 18. He said, “What is God’s Kingdom like? To what shall I compare it? 19. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and put in his own garden. It grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.” 20. Again he said, “To what shall I compare God’s Kingdom? 21. It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” 22. He went on his way through cities and villages, teaching, and traveling on to Jerusalem. 23. One said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?” He said to them, 24. “Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able. 25. When once the master of the house has risen up, and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside, and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ then he will answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26. Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27. He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets, in God’s Kingdom, and yourselves being thrown outside. 29. They will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit down in God’s Kingdom. 30. Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.” 31. On that same day, some Pharisees came, saying to him, “Get out of here, and go away, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32. He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I complete my mission. 33. Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, for it can’t be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.’ 34. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused! 35. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” 1. When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him. 2. Behold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him. 3. Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 4. But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go. 5. He answered them, “Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, wouldn’t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” 6. They couldn’t answer him regarding these things. 7. He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them, 8. “When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him, 9. and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place. 10. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” 12. He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back. 13. But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; 14. and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.” 15. When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!” 16. But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people. 17. He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’ 18. They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19. “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’ 20. “Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’ 21. “That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’ 22. “The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’ 23. “The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24. For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper.’” 25. Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them, 26. “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. 27. Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my disciple. 28. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29. Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, 30. saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31. Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32. Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace. 33. So therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple. 34. Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it? 35. It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 1. Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. 2. The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.” 3. He told them this parable. 4. “Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? 5. When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6. When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7. I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance. 8. Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? 9. When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.’ 10. Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.” 11. He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them. 13. Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14. When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15. He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16. He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18. I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20. “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22. “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23. Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; 24. for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ They began to celebrate. 25. “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26. He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. 27. He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’ 28. But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. 29. But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30. But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31. “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32. But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’” 1. He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2. He called him, and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3. “The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’ 5. Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’ 6. He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7. Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8. “His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light. 9. I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents. 10. He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12. If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13. No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.” 14. The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him. 15. He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16. The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall. 18. Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery. 19. “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, 21. and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22. The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. 23. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 24. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25. “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish. 26. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’ 27. “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; 28. for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ 29. “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 30. “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31. “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”

World English Bible (WEB) — Public Domain
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Wisdom
Psalms 124
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1. If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, let Israel now say, 2. if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, when men rose up against us; 3. then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; 4. then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; 5. then the proud waters would have gone over our soul. 6. Blessed be Yahweh, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. 7. Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8. Our help is in Yahweh’s name, who made heaven and earth.

World English Bible (WEB) — Public Domain
✦ Key Verse
1 Samuel 7:12

What to notice today

Israel's defeat and loss of the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines revealed their dependence on religious symbols rather than genuine faith in God. After the Ark was captured and the Philistines experienced divine judgment, Israel recovered it and established their spiritual renewal under Samuel's leadership at Mizpah. Jesus teaches in Luke's gospel that true repentance requires bearing fruit worthy of change, and that God's kingdom belongs to those who receive it with childlike faith rather than self-righteousness.

Today's Quiz

Question 1

What happened to the Israelites when they brought the Ark of the Covenant to battle against the Philistines?

Question 2

What did the Philistines experience after capturing the Ark of the Covenant?

Question 3

In Luke 13, Jesus uses a parable about a fig tree to teach what lesson?

✦ Reflection

When have you relied on outward religious practices or symbols instead of genuine trust in God? What would it look like for you to experience spiritual renewal like Israel did at Mizpah?

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Today's Verse

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Matthew 22:37 (NIV)

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