M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked and saw Esau coming with his 400 men! So Jacob separated the children. He put them with Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. ² He put the servants and their children in front. He put Leah and her children next. And he put Rachel and Joseph last. ³ He himself went on ahead. As he came near his brother, he bowed down to the ground seven times.

⁴ But Esau ran to meet Jacob. He hugged him and threw his arms around his neck. He kissed him, and they cried for joy. ⁵ Then Esau looked around and saw the women and children. “Who are these people with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has so kindly given to me.”

⁶ Then the female servants and their children came near and bowed down. ⁷ Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel. They bowed down too.

⁸ Esau asked, “Why did you send all those herds I saw?”

“I hoped I could do something to please you,” Jacob replied.

⁹ But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I’ve pleased you, accept this gift from me. Seeing your face is like seeing the face of God. You have welcomed me so kindly. ¹¹ Please accept the present that was brought to you. God has given me so much. I have everything I need.” Jacob wouldn’t give in. So Esau accepted it.

¹² Then Esau said, “Let’s be on our way. I’ll go with you.”

¹³ But Jacob said to him, “You know that the children are young. You also know that I have to take care of the cows and female sheep that are feeding their little ones. If the animals are driven hard for just one day, all of them will die. ¹⁴ So you go on ahead of me. I’ll move along only as fast as the flocks and herds and the children can go. I’ll go slowly until I come to you in Seir.”

¹⁵ Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“Why do that?” Jacob asked. “I just hope I’ve pleased you.”

¹⁶ So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. ¹⁷ But Jacob went to Sukkoth. There he built a place for himself. He also made shelters for his livestock. That’s why the place is named Sukkoth.

¹⁸ After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan. He camped where he could see the city. ¹⁹ For 100 pieces of silver he bought a piece of land. He got it from Hamor’s sons. Hamor was the father of Shechem. Jacob set up his tent on that piece of land. ²⁰ He also set up an altar there. He named it El Elohe Israel.

The Story of the Farmer

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the Sea of Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was very large. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it out on the lake. All the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things using stories. In his teaching he said, ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. ⁴ He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. So the plants did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears should listen.”

¹⁰ Later Jesus was alone. The 12 disciples asked him about the stories. So did the others around him. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you. But to outsiders everything is told using stories. ¹² In that way,

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this story? Then how will you understand any stories of this kind? ¹⁴ The seed the farmer plants is God’s message. ¹⁵ What is seed scattered on a path like? The message is planted. The people hear the message. Then Satan comes. He takes away the message that was planted in them. ¹⁶ And what is seed scattered on rocky places like? The people hear the message. At once they receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message. ¹⁸ And what is seed scattered among thorns like? The people hear the message. ¹⁹ But then the worries of this life come to them. Wealth comes with its false promises. The people also long for other things. All of these are the kinds of things that crowd out the message. They keep it from producing fruit. ²⁰ And what is seed scattered on good soil like? The people hear the message. They accept it. They produce a good crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”

A Lamp on a Stand

²¹ Jesus said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a large bowl or a bed? Don’t you put it on its stand? ²² What is hidden is meant to be seen. And what is put out of sight is meant to be brought out into the open. ²³ Whoever has ears should listen.”

²⁴ “Think carefully about what you hear,” he said. “As you give, so you will receive. In fact, you will receive even more. ²⁵ Whoever has something will be given more. Whoever has nothing, even what they have will be taken away from them.”

The Story of the Growing Seed

²⁶ Jesus also said, “Here is what God’s kingdom is like. A farmer scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day the seed comes up and grows. It happens whether the farmer sleeps or gets up. He doesn’t know how it happens. ²⁸ All by itself the soil produces grain. First the stalk comes up. Then the head appears. Finally, the full grain appears in the head. ²⁹ Before long the grain ripens. So the farmer cuts it down, because the harvest is ready.”

The Story of the Mustard Seed

³⁰ Again Jesus said, “What can we say God’s kingdom is like? What story can we use to explain it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² But when you plant the seed, it grows. It becomes the largest of all garden plants. Its branches are so big that birds can rest in its shade.”

³³ Using many stories like these, Jesus spoke the word to them. He told them as much as they could understand. ³⁴ He did not say anything to them without using a story. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

³⁵ When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ They left the crowd behind. And they took him along in a boat, just as he was. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. ³⁸ Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up. They said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith at all yet?”

⁴¹ They were terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

9 The king’s order had to be carried out on the 13th day of the 12th month. That was the month of Adar. On that day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to win the battle over them. But now everything had changed. The Jews had gained the advantage over those who hated them. ² The Jews gathered together in their cities. They gathered in all the territories King Xerxes ruled over. They came together to attack those who were trying to destroy them. No one could stand up against them. The people from all the other nations were afraid of them. ³ All the nobles in the territories helped the Jews. So did the royal officials, the governors and the king’s officers. That’s because they were so afraid of Mordecai. ⁴ He was well known in the palace. His fame spread all through the territories. So he became more and more important.

⁵ The Jews struck down with swords all their enemies. They killed them and destroyed them. They did what they pleased to those who hated them. ⁶ The Jews killed 500 men. They destroyed them in the fort of Susa. ⁷ They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, ⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, ⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha. ¹⁰ They were the ten sons of Haman. He was the son of Hammedatha. Haman had been the enemy of the Jews. They didn’t take anything that belonged to their enemies.

¹¹ A report was brought to the king that same day. He was told how many men had been killed in the fort of Susa. ¹² He said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed 500 men. They destroyed them in the fort of Susa. They also killed the ten sons of Haman there. What have they done in the rest of my territories? Now what do you want? I’ll give it to you. What do you want me to do for you? I’ll do that too.”

¹³ “If it pleases you,” Esther answered, “let the Jews in Susa carry out today’s order tomorrow also. Stick poles through the dead bodies of Haman’s ten sons. Set them up where everyone can see them.”

¹⁴ So the king commanded that it be done. An order was sent out in Susa. And the king’s men did to the bodies of Haman’s sons everything they were told to do. ¹⁵ The Jews in Susa came together on the 14th day of the month of Adar. They put 300 men to death in Susa. But they didn’t take anything that belonged to those men.

¹⁶ During that time, the rest of the Jews also gathered together. They lived in the king’s territories. They came together to fight for their lives. They didn’t want their enemies to bother them anymore. They wanted to get some peace and rest. So they killed 75,000 of their enemies. But they didn’t take anything that belonged to them. ¹⁷ It happened on the 13th of Adar. On the 14th day they rested. They made it a day to celebrate with great joy. And they enjoyed good food.

¹⁸ But the Jews in Susa had gathered together on the 13th and 14th. Then on the 15th they rested. They made it a day to celebrate with great joy. And they enjoyed good food.

¹⁹ That’s why Jews who live out in the villages celebrate on the 14th of Adar. They celebrate that day with great joy. And they enjoy good food. They also give presents to each other on that day.

Purim Is Celebrated

²⁰ Mordecai wrote down these events. He sent letters to all the Jews all through the territories of King Xerxes. It didn’t matter whether the Jews lived nearby or far away. ²¹ Mordecai told them to celebrate the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar. He wanted them to do it every year. ²² Mordecai told the Jews to celebrate the time when they got rest from their enemies. That was the month when their sadness was turned into joy. It was when their weeping turned into a day for celebrating. He wrote the letters to celebrate those days as times of joy. He wanted the people to enjoy good food. He told them to give presents of food to one another. He also wanted them to give gifts to people who were poor.

²³ So the Jews agreed to continue the celebrating they had started. They kept doing what Mordecai had written to them. ²⁴ Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. He had been the enemy of all the Jews. He had planned to destroy them. He had cast the lot to destroy them completely. The lot was called Pur. ²⁵ But the king had found out about Haman’s evil plan. So the king had sent out written orders. He had ordered that Haman’s evil plan against the Jews should happen to him instead. The king also commanded that poles be stuck through the dead bodies of Haman and his sons. Then they should be set up where everyone could see them. ²⁶ The days the Jews were celebrating were called Purim. Purim comes from the word Pur. Pur means Lot. Now the Jews celebrate these two days every year. They do it because of everything that was written in Mordecai’s letter. They also do it because of what they had seen and what had happened to them. ²⁷ So they established it as a regular practice. They decided they would always observe these two days of the year. They would celebrate in the required way. And they would celebrate at the appointed time. They and their children after them would always observe these days. And so would all who join them. ²⁸ The days should be remembered and celebrated. They should be remembered by every family for all time to come. They should be celebrated in every territory and in every city. The Jews should never stop celebrating the days of Purim. Their children after them should always remember these days.

²⁹ So Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote a second letter. She wrote it together with Mordecai the Jew. They wanted to give their full authority to this second letter about Purim. ³⁰ Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 territories of the kingdom of Xerxes. The letters had messages of kindness and hope in them. ³¹ The letters established the days of Purim at their appointed times. They spoke about what Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had ordered the people to do. Everything should be done in keeping with the directions the Jews had set up for themselves and their children after them. The directions applied to their times of fasting and sadness. ³² Esther’s order established the rules about Purim. It was written down in the records.

The Greatness of Mordecai

10 King Xerxes required people all through his kingdom to bring gifts. King Xerxes required gifts from its farthest shores. ² All the king’s powerful and mighty acts are written down. That includes the whole story of how important Mordecai was. The king had given him a position of great honor. All these things are written in the official records of the kings of Media and Persia. ³ The position of Mordecai the Jew was second only to the position of King Xerxes. Mordecai was the most important Jew. All the other Jews had the highest respect for him. That’s because he worked for the good of his people. And he spoke up for the benefit of all the Jews.

Abraham’s Faith Made Him Right With God

4 What should we say about these things? What did Abraham, the father of our people, discover about being right with God? ² Did he become right with God because of something he did? If so, he could brag about it. But he couldn’t brag to God. ³ What do we find in Scripture? It says, “Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham’s faith, and so his faith made him right with God.” (Genesis 15:6)

⁴ When a person works, their pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to them. ⁵ But things are different with God. He makes ungodly people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God. ⁶ King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed people are when God makes them right with himself. They are blessed because they don’t have to do anything in return. David says,

⁹ Is that blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have been saying that God accepted Abraham’s faith. So his faith made him right with God. ¹⁰ When did it happen? Was it after Abraham was circumcised, or before? It was before he was circumcised, not after! ¹¹ He was circumcised as a sign of the covenant God had made with him. It showed that his faith had made him right with God before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all believers who have not been circumcised. God accepts their faith. So their faith makes them right with him. ¹² And Abraham is also the father of those who are circumcised and believe. So just being circumcised is not enough. Those who are circumcised must also follow the steps of our father Abraham. He had faith before he was circumcised.

¹³ Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God. ¹⁴ Do those who depend on the law receive the promise? If they do, faith would mean nothing. God’s promise would be worthless. ¹⁵ The law brings God’s anger. Where there is no law, the law can’t be broken.

¹⁶ The promise is based on God’s grace. The promise comes by faith. All of Abraham’s children will certainly receive the promise. And it is not only for those who are ruled by the law. Those who have the same faith that Abraham had are also included. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ It is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:5) God considers Abraham to be our father. The God that Abraham believed in gives life to the dead. Abraham’s God also creates things that did not exist before.

¹⁸ When there was no reason for hope, Abraham believed because he had hope. He became the father of many nations, exactly as God had promised. God said, “That is how many children you will have.” (Genesis 15:5) ¹⁹ Abraham did not become weak in his faith. He accepted the fact that he was past the time when he could have children. At that time Abraham was about 100 years old. He also realized that Sarah was too old to have children. ²⁰ But Abraham kept believing in God’s promise. He became strong in his faith. He gave glory to God. ²¹ He was absolutely sure that God had the power to do what he had promised. ²² That’s why “God accepted Abraham because he believed. So his faith made him right with God.” (Genesis 15:6) ²³ The words “God accepted Abraham’s faith” were written not only for Abraham. ²⁴ They were written also for us. We believe in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. So God will accept our faith and make us right with himself. ²⁵ Jesus was handed over to die for our sins. He was raised to life in order to make us right with God.