Teaching about Divorce

(Mark 10.1-12)

19 When Jesus finished teaching, he left Galilee and went to the part of Judea east of the Jordan River. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed their sick.

³ Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. They came up to him and asked, “Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

^4 (A) Jesus answered, “Don't you know in the beginning the Creator made a man and a woman? ^5 (B) That's why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. He becomes like one person with his wife. ⁶ Then they are no longer two people, but one. And no one should separate a couple God has joined together.”

^7 (C) The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why did Moses say a man could write out divorce papers and send his wife away?”

⁸ Jesus replied, “You are so heartless! That's why Moses allowed you to divorce your wife. But from the beginning God did not intend it to be that way. ^9 (D) I say if your wife has not committed some terrible sexual sin,^[a] you must not divorce her to marry someone else. If you do, you are unfaithful.”

¹⁰ The disciples said, “If that's how it is between a man and a woman, it's better not to get married.”

¹¹ Jesus told them, “Only those people who have been given the gift of staying single can accept this teaching. ¹² Some people are unable to marry because of birth defects or because of what someone has done to their bodies. Others stay single in order to serve God better. Anyone who can accept this teaching should do so.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

(Mark 10.13-16; Luke 18.15-17)

¹³ Some people brought their children to Jesus, so he could place his hands on them and pray for them. His disciples told the people to stop bothering him. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and don't try to stop them! People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom.”^{[b] 15} After Jesus had placed his hands on the children, he left.

Regulations for Celebrating Passover

9 ^(A) During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert,^[a] the Lord had told Moses ² to say to the people, “Celebrate Passover ³ in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month^[b] and do it by following all the regulations.” ^4-5 Moses told the people what the Lord had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.

⁶ Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the Lord, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron, ⁷ “Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the Lord at the same time as everyone else?”

⁸ Moses said, “Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the Lord says about this.”

⁹ The Lord then told Moses ¹⁰ to say to the community of Israel:

If any of you or your descendants touch a dead body and become unfit to worship me, or if you are away on a long journey, you may still celebrate Passover. ¹¹ But it must be done in the second month,^[c] in the evening of the fourteenth day. Eat the Passover lamb with thin bread and bitter herbs, ^12 (B) and don't leave any of it until morning or break any of the animal's bones. Be sure to follow these regulations.

¹³ But if any of you are fit to worship me, and yet refuse to celebrate Passover when you are not away on a journey, you will no longer belong to my people. You will be punished because you did not offer sacrifices to me at the proper time.

¹⁴ Anyone, including foreigners who live among you, can celebrate Passover, if they follow all the regulations.

The Cloud over the Sacred Tent

(Exodus 40.34-38)

^15-16 As soon as the sacred tent was set up,^[d] a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. ^17-19 The Lord used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, ^20-22 whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites. ²³ They obeyed the Lord's commands and went wherever he directed Moses.

The Silver Trumpets

10 The Lord told Moses:

² Have someone make two trumpets out of hammered silver. These will be used to call the people together and to give the signal for moving your camp. ³ If both trumpets are blown, everyone is to meet with you at the entrance to the sacred tent. ⁴ But if just one is blown, only the twelve tribal leaders need to come together.

^5-6 Give a signal on a trumpet when it is time to break camp. The first blast will be the signal for the tribes camped on the east side, and the second blast will be the signal for those on the south. ⁷ But when you want everyone to come together, sound a different signal on the trumpet. ⁸ The priests of Aaron's family will be the ones to blow the trumpets, and this law will never change.

⁹ Whenever you go into battle against an enemy attacking your land, give a warning signal on the trumpets. Then I, the Lord, will hear it and rescue you. ¹⁰ During the celebration of the New Moon Festival and other religious festivals, sound the trumpets while you offer sacrifices. This will be a reminder that I am the Lord your God.

The Israelites Begin Their Journey

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month^[e] of that same year, the cloud over the sacred tent moved on. ¹² So the Israelites broke camp and left the Sinai Desert. And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert.^{[f] 13} This was the first time the Lord had told Moses to command the people of Israel to move on.

¹⁴ Judah and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out first, carrying their banner. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the leader of the Judah tribe, ¹⁵ Nethanel son of Zuar was the leader of the Issachar tribe, ¹⁶ and Eliab son of Helon was the leader of the Zebulun tribe.

¹⁷ The sacred tent had been taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites carried it, marching behind the Judah camp.

¹⁸ Reuben and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out second, carrying their banner. Elizur son of Shedeur was the leader of the Reuben tribe, ¹⁹ Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was the leader of the Simeon tribe, ²⁰ and Eliasaph son of Deuel was the leader of the Gad tribe.

²¹ Next were the Kohathites, carrying the objects for the sacred tent, which was to be set up before they arrived at the new camp.

²² Ephraim and the tribes that camped alongside it marched next, carrying their banner. Elishama son of Ammihud was the leader of the Ephraim tribe, ²³ Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was the leader of the Manasseh tribe, ²⁴ and Abidan son of Gideoni was the leader of the Benjamin tribe.

²⁵ Dan and the tribes that camped alongside it were to protect the Israelites against an attack from behind, and so they marched last, carrying their banner. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the leader of the tribe of Dan, ²⁶ Pagiel son of Ochran was the leader of the Asher tribe, ²⁷ and Ahira son of Enan was the leader of the Naphtali tribe.

²⁸ This was the order in which the Israelites marched each time they moved their camp.

²⁹ Hobab^[g] the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, was there. And Moses said to him, “We're leaving for the place the Lord has promised us. He has said that all will go well for us. So come along, and we will make sure that all goes well for you.”

³⁰ “No, I won't go,” Hobab answered. “I'm returning home to be with my own people.”

³¹ “Please go with us!” Moses said. “You can be our guide because you know the places to camp in the desert. ³² Besides that, if you go, we will give you a share of the good things the Lord gives us.”

³³ The people of Israel began their journey from Mount Sinai.^[h] They traveled three days, and the Levites who carried the sacred chest led the way, so the Lord could show them where to camp. ³⁴ And the cloud always stayed with them.

^35 (C) Each day as the Israelites began their journey, Moses would pray, “Our Lord, defeat your enemies and make them run!” ³⁶ And when they stopped to set up camp, he would pray, “Our Lord, stay close to Israel's thousands and thousands of people.”

The Best in Life

Some of Life's Questions

¹⁵ I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, while criminals live and prosper. ¹⁶ So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart! ¹⁷ Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. ¹⁸ Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.

¹⁹ Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.

²⁰ No one in this world always does right.

²¹ Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. ²² Haven't you cursed many others?

²³ I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all this, but it was too much for me. ²⁴ The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. ²⁵ So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.

²⁶ Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. ²⁷ With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, ²⁸ but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. ²⁹ I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.