The Lord Answered the Prayers of Moses

(Exodus 34.9,10,27-29)

Moses said to Israel:

^10 (A) When I had taken the second set of stones up the mountain, I spent 40 days and nights there, just as I had done before. Once again, the Lord answered my prayer and did not destroy you. ¹¹ Instead, he told me, “Moses, get ready to lead the people into the land that I promised their ancestors.”^[a]

What the Lord Wants

Moses said:

¹² People of Israel, what does the Lord your God want from you? The Lord wants you to respect and follow him, to love and serve him with all your heart and soul, ¹³ and to obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. Do this, and all will go well for you.

¹⁴ Everything belongs to the Lord your God, not only the earth and everything on it, but also the sky and the highest heavens. ¹⁵ Yet the Lord loved your ancestors and wanted them to belong to him. So he chose them and their descendants rather than any other nation, and today you are still his people.

¹⁶ Remember your agreement with the Lord and stop being so stubborn. ^17 (B) The Lord your God is more powerful than all other gods and lords, and his tremendous power is to be feared. His decisions are always fair, and you cannot bribe him to change his mind. ^18 (C) The Lord defends the rights of orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing. ¹⁹ And you should also care for them, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

²⁰ Respect the Lord your God, be faithful, and serve only him, making promises in his name. ²¹ Offer your praises to him, because you have seen him work such terrifying miracles for you.

^22 (D) When your ancestors went to live in Egypt, there were only 70 of them. But the Lord has blessed you, and now there are more of you than there are stars in the sky.

A Vision of the Lord in the Temple

6 ^(A) In the year that King Uzziah died,^[a] I had a vision of the Lord. He was on his throne high above, and his robe filled the temple. ² Flaming creatures with six wings each were flying over him. They covered their faces with two of their wings and their bodies with two more. They used the other two wings for flying, ^3 (B) as they shouted,

^4 (C) As they shouted, the doorposts of the temple shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. ⁵ Then I cried out, “I'm doomed! Everything I say is sinful, and so are the words of everyone around me. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.”

⁶ One of the flaming creatures flew over to me with a burning coal that it had taken from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. ⁷ It touched my lips with the hot coal and said, “This has touched your lips. Your sins are forgiven, and you are no longer guilty.”

⁸ After this, I heard the Lord ask, “Is there anyone I can send? Will someone speak for us?”

“I'll go,” I answered. “Send me!”

^9 (D) Then the Lord told me to go and speak this message to the people:

The Lord also said,

¹¹ Then I asked the Lord, “How long will this last?”

The Lord answered:

Until their towns are destroyed and their houses are deserted, until their fields are empty, ¹² and I have sent them far away, leaving their land in ruins.

Why Jesus Used Stories

(Mark 4.10-12; Luke 8.9,10)

¹⁰ Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you use stories to speak to the people?”

¹¹ Jesus answered:

I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. ^12 (A) Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose even what little they have. ¹³ I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand. ^14 (B) So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,

^16 (C) But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear! ¹⁷ Many prophets and good people were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you they did not see or hear.