M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Josiah’s Desecration Predicted by a Man of God
13 Right when Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn some incense, a man of God arrived in Bethel from Judah in obedience to a command from the Lord. 2 He cursed[a] the altar in this[b] message from the Lord: “Hey altar! Hey altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘Pay attention to this! A son is going to be born in David’s dynasty. His name will be Josiah. He will sacrifice the priests who burn incense on you in these high places. Human bones will be burned on you!’”[c]
3 Later that same day, he gave them a special display of power[d] of what was to come when he said, “Here’s proof[e] that the Lord has decreed this:[f] Look! This altar will be split apart and the ashes that are on it will spill out.”
4 When he heard the man of God curse[g] the altar in Bethel, the king pointed at the man of God from where the king was standing at the altar. “Seize him!” he ordered. But all of a sudden his hand that he had stretched out dried up, and he could not bring it back to his side! 5 Also, the altar broke apart and the ashes that were on it spilled out from the altar, providing just the proof that the man of God had predicted in his message from the Lord!
6 “Please!” the king begged the man of God, “Ask the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored for me!” So the man of God asked the Lord, and the king’s hand was immediately and fully restored, just like it had been before. 7 So the king told the man of God, “Come back to my palace and rest a while. I’d like to give you a reward.”
8 But the man of God replied to the king, “Even if you were to offer me half of your house, I wouldn’t go with you, and I’m sure not going to eat even a piece of bread or drink water in this place, 9 because the Lord commanded me specifically, ‘You are not to eat bread, drink water, or return by the way that you came to arrive here!’” 10 Then he left, returning a different way than the one by which he had traveled to Bethel.
An Old Prophet Rebukes the Man of God
11 Now there was an old prophet who lived in Bethel, and his sons went to him and told him everything that the man of God had accomplished that day in Bethel, including the message that he had delivered to the king. 12 “Which way did he go?” their father asked him, since his sons had observed the way that the man of God had taken to return to Judah from Bethel. 13 “Saddle my donkey for me!” he ordered.[h] So they saddled the donkey for him 14 and he rode off after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree.[i] “You’re the man of God who came from Judah, aren’t you?” the old prophet[j] asked him.
“I am,” he replied.
15 “Come home with me and have a meal,” he told him.
16 But he replied, “I can’t go back with you to your home, be in your company, or even eat food or drink water with you in this place, 17 because I’ve been given a command in the form of this message from the Lord: ‘You are to eat no food, drink no water, and do not return to Judah[k] by traveling the way by which you go there.’”
18 “I’m a prophet like you,” the old man replied, “and an angel spoke to me and delivered this message from the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house and give him food and water.’” But he was lying, 19 and the man of God[l] accompanied the old prophet[m] back to his house, ate some food, and drank some water.
20 Later, while they were sitting down at the table, a message from the Lord was delivered to the prophet who had brought him back, 21 so he cried out to the man of God from Judah: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you disobeyed a command from the Lord and haven’t done what the Lord your God commanded you to do, 22 but instead you returned to eat and drink in the very place that he told you “Eat no food and drink no water,” your body will not be buried in the same grave as your ancestors.’”
A Lion Kills the Man of God
23 After the meal was over, and the man had eaten food and had drunk water, the old prophet saddled the donkey for him—that is, for the man of God whom he had brought back. 24 Not long after the man of God[n] had left, a lion met him along the road and killed him. His body was left lying in the middle of the road with the donkey standing beside it and with the lion also standing next to the body. 25 When some men passed by and noticed the body lying in the middle of the road and the lion standing beside the body, they went straight to the city and told what had happened in the city where the old prophet lived.
26 The prophet who had brought the man of God[o] back from the road learned about it. “It’s the man of God who disobeyed the message from the Lord,” he said. “That’s why the Lord gave him to that lion, which mauled him and killed him, just as the message from the Lord told me to rebuke him.” 27 Then he ordered his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they did. 28 The old prophet[p] went out and located the body on the road where the donkey and the lion were standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. 29 The prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to the city where the old man lived so he could mourn and bury him.
30 He buried the corpse in his own grave and his family mourned for him, crying out, “Oh, no! My brother!”
31 After he had buried the man of God,[q] he gave these instructions to his children: “When I die, bury me in the same grave in which the man of God is buried. Place my bones beside his, 32 because what he predicted by a message from the Lord against the altar in Bethel and the temples built in the high places of the cities of Samaria will certainly come about.”
33 Despite everything that happened, Jeroboam never did repent of his evil practices. Instead, he appointed even more people to act as priests for the high places. Anyone who wanted to be a priest was ordained to be a priest in the high places. 34 This practice became so sinful that the Lord decided[r] to erase Jeroboam’s dynasty, thus eliminating it from the face of the earth.
Closing Exhortations
4 Therefore, my dear brothers whom I long for, my joy and my victor’s crown, this is how you must stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. 2 I urge Euodia and Syntyche to have the same attitude in the Lord. 3 Yes, I also ask you, my true partner,[a] to help these women. They have worked hard with me to advance[b] the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
4 Keep on rejoicing in the Lord at all times. I will say it again: Keep on rejoicing! 5 Let your gracious attitude[c] be known to all people. The Lord is near: 6 Never worry about anything. Instead, in every situation let your petitions be made known to God through prayers and requests, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s peace, which goes far beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your hearts and minds in union with the Messiah[d] Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things. 9 Likewise, keep practicing these things: what you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.
The Philippians’ Gifts
10 Now I rejoice in the Lord greatly, because once again you have shown your concern for me. Of course, you were concerned for me but you did not have an opportunity to show it.[e] 11 I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. 12 I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little. 13 I can do all things through him[f] who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, it was kind of you to share my troubles.
15 You Philippians also know that in the early days[g] of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church participated with me in the matter of giving and receiving except for you. 16 Even while I was in Thessalonica, you provided for my needs not once, but twice. 17 It is not that I am looking for a gift. No, I want to see that you receive the fruit that increases to your benefit. 18 I have been paid in full and have more than enough. I am fully supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus what you sent—a fragrant aroma, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah[h] Jesus. 20 Glory belongs to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.
Final Greeting
21 Greet every saint who is in union with the Messiah[i] Jesus. The brothers who are with me send their greetings to you. 22 All the saints, especially those of the emperor’s[j] household, greet you.
23 May the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[k] be with your spirit! Amen.[l]
The Vision of the Gates
43 Next, he brought me to the east-facing gate, 2 and the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. His voice sounded like roaring[a] water, and the land shimmered from his glory. 3 His appearance in the vision that I was having was similar to what I observed in the vision where he had come to destroy the city, and also like the visions that I saw by the Chebar River. I fell flat on my face 4 while the glory of the Lord entered the Temple through the east-facing gate. 5 Just then, the Spirit lifted me up and carried me into the inner courtyard, where the glory of the Lord was filling the Temple! 6 I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple, and a man appeared, standing beside me!
God to Live among His People
7 “Son of Man,” the Lord God told[b] me, “This is where my throne is, where I place the soles of my feet, and where I will live among the Israelis forever. The house of Israel will no longer defile my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their unfaithfulness, by the lifeless idols[c] of their kings on their funeral mounds,[d] 8 by their setting up their threshold too close to my threshold and their door post too close to my door post, with a wall between me and them. After all, they have defiled my holy name by the loathsome things that they did, so I devoured them in my anger. 9 But now let them send their unfaithfulness—that is, the lifeless idols[e] of their kings—far away from me, and I will live among them forever.”
Ezekiel Describes the Temple
10 “And now, Son of Man, describe the Temple to the house of Israel. They will be ashamed because of their sin. They will measure its pattern. 11 If they are ashamed of everything that they’ve done, you are to reveal to them the design of the Temple, its structure, its exits and entrances, its plans, its ordinances, and all of its regulations. Write it down where they can see it and remember all of its designs and regulations, so they will implement them. 12 This is to be the regulation for the Temple: the entire area on top of the mountain is to be considered wholly consecrated. This is to be the law of the Temple.”
The Altar
13 “Here are the measurements of the altar in cubits that were a cubit and a handbreadth[f] long: its base is a cubit[g] long and a cubit[h] wide, and its border around the edge at one handbreadth[i] is to be the height of the altar. 14 From the base on the ground to its lower edge is to be two cubits,[j] with its width to be one cubit.[k] From the lesser ledge to the larger edge is to be four cubits.[l] Its width is to be one cubit.[m] 15 The hearth is to be four cubits high,[n] and four horns are to extend upwards from the hearth. 16 The hearth is to be twelve cubits[o] long and twelve cubits[p] wide; that is, it will be a four-sided square. 17 It is to have a ledge fourteen cubits[q] long by fourteen cubits[r] wide around the four sides. Its border is to be half a cubit[s] and its base is to be a cubit[t] all around, with its steps facing east.”
The Offerings
18 Then he told me, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘These are the regulations for the altar, starting the day that it is constructed for presenting burnt offerings and sprinkling blood. 19 You are to present to the Levitical priests, Zadok’s descendants, who will approach me to serve me, a young bull for a sin offering,’ declares the Lord God. 20 You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar,[u] on the four corners of its ledge, and on the border that surrounds it, thus cleansing it and making an atonement for it. 21 You are also to present a bull for a sin offering, incinerating it in the appointed place at the Temple, outside the sanctuary.
22 ‘The second day following commencement of offerings,[v] you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering to cleanse the altar the same way they cleansed it with the bull. 23 After you’ve finished the cleansing, you are to present a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect. 24 You are to present them in the Lord’s presence, and the priests are to throw salt on them and then present them as a burnt offering to the Lord.
25 ‘Every day for a week, you are to prepare a goat for a sin offering, a young bull, and a ram from the flock, each[w] without defect. 26 For a seven day period they are to make atonement for the altar, purifying it and consecrating it. 27 When they will have completed this period,[x] starting the next day,[y] the priests are to offer your burnt offerings on the altar, along with your peace offerings, and I will accept you,’ declares the Lord God.”
Worship and Obedience
95 Come! Let us sing joyfully to the Lord!
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us shout with songs of praise to him.
3 For the Lord is an awesome God;
a great king above all divine beings.[a]
4 He holds in his hand the lowest parts of the earth
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea that he made belongs to him,
along with the dry land that his hands formed.
6 Come! Let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel in the presence of the Lord, who made us.
7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture
and the flock in his care.[b]
If only you would listen to his voice today,
8 do not be stubborn like your ancestors were[c] at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah, in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested me.
They tested me,
even though they had seen my awesome deeds.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation, so I said,
“They are a people whose hearts continuously err,
and they have not understood my ways.”
11 So in my anger I declared an oath:
“They are not to enter my place of rest.”
Give Glory to the Lord
96 Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord!
Bless his name!
Proclaim his deliverance every day!
3 Declare his glory among the nations
and his awesome deeds among all the peoples!
4 For the Lord is great,
and greatly to be praised;
he is awesome above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
might and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name,
bring an offering and enter his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Declare among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
Indeed, he established the world so that it will not falter.
He will judge people fairly.
11 The heavens will be glad
and the earth will rejoice;
even the sea and everything that fills it will roar.[d]
12 The field and all that is in it will rejoice;
then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 in the Lord’s presence,
because he is coming;
indeed, he will come to judge the earth.
He will judge the world fairly
and its people reliably.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.