SCRIPTURES TAKEN BY LOT BEFORE THE LORD WITH NOTES
December 2, 2024 Monday
Amos 7 and Genesis 34
In both of these chapters God’s judgment is emphasized in relation to Israel being few of number and small compared to other nations about them. God stays His judgment upon the earth in relation to the remnant of Israel being righteous and also holds back the nations from destroying Israel because of a righteous remnant whether it be Israel when they are righteous as a nation or when there is within Israel a righteous remnant.
Gen 34:21-31 (KJV)
21These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.22Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.23Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.24And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.25And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.26And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.27The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.28They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,29And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.30And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.31And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?
Amos 7:1-17 (KJV)
1Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.2And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.3The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.4Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.5Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.6The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.7Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.8And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:9And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:13But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.14Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:15And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.16Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.17Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
December 4, 2024 Wednesday
Joshua 2 and Exodus 4
In both these chapters there is a response to signs and wonders and miracles by the hand of God. Rahab the harlot responded with faith in the God of Israel and in Exodus the Egyptian elite responded with unbelief to the point of fighting God and His people. Moses responded to signs and wonders with unwillingness to believe and obey God’s full offering in service to God.
Exod 4:1-20 (KJV)
1And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.2And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.3And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.4And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:5That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.6And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.7And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.8And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.9And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.10And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.11And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?12Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.13And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.14And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.15And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.16And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.17And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.18And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.19And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.20And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
Exod 4:24-26 (KJV)
24And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.25Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.26So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
Josh 2:8-17 (KJV)
8And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;9And 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.10For 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.11And 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.12Now 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:13And 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.14And 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.15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.16And 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.17And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
December 5, 2024 Thursday
Psalm 8 and Amos 7
In both chapters we see that God uses the weakest and the most insignificant to show His strength through so that the wicked and the mighty that do not know God would be put to silence and be brought down from their natural strength to humility before God. God’s mercy is revealed that transcends God’s consuming judgment that would destroy Israel.
Ps 8:1-9 (KJV)
1To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.2Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.3When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:7All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;8The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.9O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Amos 7:4-9 (KJV)
4Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.5Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.6The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.7Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.8And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:9And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
December 6, 2024 Friday
Jeremiah 38 and 1 Samuel 31
These two chapters reveal the response of obedience resulting in deliverance in extreme trial and the response of disobedience resulting in severe judgment and death. In Jeremiah we see the obedience of Jeremiah to speak the truth from God at the cost of a slow painful death and his deliverance. In Samuel we see the disobedience of Saul resulting in tradgic death which contrasts to the obedience of David driven to hide among his enemies before becoming King.
Jer 38:14-28 (KJV)
14Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.15Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?16So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.17Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:18But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.19And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.20But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.21But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:22And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.23So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.24Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.25But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:26Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.27Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.28So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.
1Sam 31:1-6 (KJV)
1Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.4Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
1Sam 31:11-13 (KJV)
11And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;12All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.13And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.