M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
15 The Eternal One spoke to Moses and Aaron.
Eternal One: 2 Go, talk with the Israelites, and tell them that if a man has any sort of a discharge from his body, the discharge renders him impure.
This is the general principle: a bodily discharge produces a state of ritual impurity for both men and women. As we see in this chapter, some of these discharges are abnormal and caused by active infections or diseases. When this is the case, healing is required. But some discharges are actually normal. For example, a woman’s period is normal, but there are conditions that cause her to bleed at odd times or too much. Again, in such cases, healing is required.
Eternal One: 3 A man’s discharge makes him impure regardless of whether his body allows it to flow out of him or blocks its flow altogether. 4 If the person with the discharge lies down in a bed or sits down on a couch, it becomes impure. 5-6 Any person who has contact with that bed or that couch must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will remain impure until dusk. 7 Any person who touches the discharging man must wash his or her clothes and bathe in water. He will remain impure until dusk. 8 If the discharging man spits on a person who is ritually clean, then that person must wash his garments and bathe in water. He will remain impure until dusk. 9 If the discharging man rides on a saddle, the riding saddle will be impure as well. 10 Therefore, if anyone touches any of the items that were under the discharging man, then that person will be impure until dusk. Whoever picks up and carries any of these items must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will remain impure until dusk. 11 If the discharging man does not wash his hands and touches another person, then that person must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will remain impure until dusk. 12 If the discharging man touches a clay cup, then it must be shattered; but a wooden cup shall be washed with water.
The impurity of the clay is because it has penetrated the vessel, but the wood is saved because it is less porous.
13 Once the discharging man is healed, he must wait seven days to make sure the ailment doesn’t return before his ritual cleansing. He will wash his clothes and bathe in running water so that he can be ritually pure again. 14 On the eighth day, he is to bring two turtledoves or young pigeons into My presence and hand them to the priest at the entrance of the congregation tent. 15 The priest will present the birds—one of them as a purification offering for sin and the other as a burnt offering. The priest will come before Me and cover the impurity of the man with a discharge.
16 If a man ejaculates, then he must bathe his whole body with water and remain impure until dusk. 17 If an item of clothing or leather is touched by semen, then it must be cleaned thoroughly with water and will remain impure until dusk. 18 If a man ejaculates while lying with a woman, then both must bathe with water and remain impure until dusk.
The impurity referred to in these verses has to do with ceremonial and ritual practices such as making sacrifices, going to festivals, or receiving a revelation. Men, like women, have times when they become ritually impure. For men it happens whenever they have an ejaculation. For women it happens whenever they have their period. It’s important to note that these bodily functions are normal and natural, not sinful or evil. The ancients knew the power of such events for making them one with their wives and ultimately creating life. Through these bodily fluids men and women become partners with God in creating other humans who are made in the image and likeness of God. Such power cannot and must not be taken lightly.
Eternal One: 19 When a woman has her menstrual period and discharges her blood, she must stay in a state of her menstrual impurity for seven days. Any person who touches her will be impure until dusk. 20 Anything she lies down upon or sits down on during her menstruation will be impure, 21-23 and any person who touches her bed or her cushion or anything else she sits on must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will remain impure until dusk. 24 If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her menstrual period and her menstrual blood gets on him, he will be impure for seven days, and any bed he lies down upon will be impure as well.
25 If a woman discharges blood for several days beyond her menstrual period or outside of it, then she will treat those days as if she were having her menstrual period and will be impure. 26 Treat every bed she lies down upon during her irregular discharge like the bed she lies down upon while she is in her menstrual period. Anything she sits down upon will be considered impure just as it is when she is menstruating. 27 By the same token, any person who touches the items she touches will be impure and must wash his clothes and bathe in water and remain impure until dusk. 28 When the woman’s discharge stops, she will wait seven days before she is ritually cleansed. 29 On the eighth day, she will bring two turtledoves or young pigeons and present them to the priest at the entrance of the congregation tent. 30 The priest will present one as a purification offering for sin and the other as a burnt offering. The priest will come before Me and cover the impurity of the woman with a discharge.
31 This is how you are to separate and deal with the people of Israel during those times when they are ritually impure, so that they will not die from their impurity by defiling My sanctuary that stands among them.
32 These are the instructions for what to do when someone has a discharge of any kind; and for the man who has become impure from his ejaculation, 33 for the woman who is not well from her menstrual period, for any man or woman who has a discharge, and for the man who has sexual relations with a ritually impure woman.
Psalm 18
For the worship leader. A song of David, the Eternal One’s servant, who addressed these words to the Eternal after He had rescued him from Saul and his other enemies.
This Davidic psalm is also found in 2 Samuel 22. It expresses gratitude to God for saving him.
1 I love You, Eternal One, source of my power.
2 The Eternal is my rock, my fortress, and my salvation;
He is my True God, the stronghold in which I hide,
my strong shield, the horn that calls forth help, and my tall-walled tower.
3 I call out to the Eternal, who is worthy to be praised—
that’s how I will be rescued from my enemies.
4 The bonds of death encircled me;
the currents of destruction tugged at me;
5 The sorrows of the grave wrap around me;
the traps of death lay in wait for me.
6 In my time of need, I called to the Eternal;
I begged my True God for help.
He heard my voice echo up to His temple,
and my cry came to His ears.
7 Because of His great anger, the earth shook and staggered;
the roots of the mountains shifted.
8 Smoke poured out from His nose,
and devouring fire burst from His mouth.
Coals glowed from Him.
9 He bent the heavens and descended;
inky darkness was beneath His feet.
10 He rode upon a heavenly creature,[a] flying;
He was carried quickly on the wings of the wind.
11 He took darkness as His hiding place—
both the dark waters of the seas and the dark clouds of the sky.
12 Out from His brilliance
hailstones and burning coals
broke through the clouds.
13 The Eternal thundered in the heavens;
the Highest spoke; His voice rumbled [in the midst of hail and lightning].[b]
14 He shot forth His arrows and scattered the wicked;
He flung forth His lightning and struck them.
15 Then the deepest channels of the seas were visible,
and the very foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Eternal One,
at the blast of wind from Your nostrils.
16 He reached down His hand from above me; He held me.
He lifted me from the raging waters.
17 He rescued me from my strongest enemy,
from all those who sought my death,
for they were too strong.
18 They came for me in the day of my destruction,
but the Eternal was the support of my life.
19 He set me down in a safe place;
He saved me to His delight; He took joy in me.
20 The Eternal One responded to me according to my goodness;
I kept my hands clean, and He blessed me.
21 I kept the ways of the Eternal
and have not walked away from my True God in wickedness.
22 All His laws were there before me,
and I did not push His statutes away.
23 I was blameless before Him;
I kept myself from guilt and shame.
24 That’s why the Eternal has rewarded me for my right living;
He’s rewarded me because He saw my hands were clean.
25 You are loyal to those who are loyal;
with the innocent, You prove to be innocent;
26 With the clean, You prove to be clean;
and with the twisted, You make Yourself contrary.
27 For You rescue humble people,
but You bring the proud back in line.
28 You are the lamp who lights my way;
the Eternal, my God, lights up my darkness.
29 With Your help, I can conquer an army;
I can leap over walls with a helping hand from You.
30 Everything God does is perfect;
the promise of the Eternal rings true;
He stands as a shield for all who hide in Him.
31 Who is the True God except the Eternal?
Who stands like a rock except our God?
32 The True God who encircled me with strength
and made my pathway straight.
33 He made me sure-footed as a deer
and placed me high up where I am safe.
34 He teaches me to fight
so that my arms can bend a bronze bow.
35 You have shielded me with Your salvation,
supporting me with Your strong right hand,
and it makes me strong.
36 You taught me how to walk with care
so my feet will not slip.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them
and did not stop until they were destroyed.
38 I broke them and threw them down beneath my feet,
and they could not rise up again.
39 For You equipped me for battle,
and You made my enemies fall beneath me.
40 You made my enemies turn tail and run,
and all who wanted my destruction, I destroyed.
41 They looked everywhere, but no one came to rescue them;
they asked the Eternal, but He did not answer them.
42 I beat them to sand, to dust that blows in the wind;
I flung them away like trash in the gutters.
43 You rescued me from conflict with the peoples;
You raised me up to rule over nations.
People who did not know me have come to serve me.
44 Strangers come to me, afraid.
As soon as they hear about me, they serve me;
45 Strangers who have lost heart
come fearfully to me from behind their high walls.
46 The Eternal is alive! My Rock is blessed,
and exalted is the True God of my deliverance—
47 The God who avenged me
and placed the peoples under me,
48 Who rescued me from all my foes.
Truly, You raised me up above my enemies
and saved me from the violent ones.
49 For this I will praise You among the nations, O Eternal,
and sing praises to Your name.
50 He is a tower of salvation for His king
and shows His enduring love to His anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.
29 The one who remains defiant after repeated reprimands
will suddenly be shattered, and there will be no remedy for him.
2 When just leaders are in power, the citizens celebrate;
but when evil people gain control, their joys become moans.
3 An adult who loves wisdom and follows its ways gives his parents joy,
but one who hangs out with women of the street will lose everything.
4 A king brings stability to a land with his justice,
but one who makes unjust demands brings it to ruin.
5 The one who flatters his friend
is laying a trap that will catch his friend’s feet.
6 An evil person is sure to be trapped by his sin,
but a man who lives right is free to sing and be glad.
7 The just get involved with the poor and know their issues,
but the wicked cannot comprehend such concerns.
8 Mockers stir up a city and inflame passions,
but the wise know how to put out the fire and ease tensions.
9 When the wise go to court against a fool,
there will be ranting and raving but no resolution.
10 Bloodthirsty men despise those who are honest,
but the just find a way to help them.
11 A fool does not think before he unleashes his temper,
but a wise man holds back and remains quiet.
12 When it is known that a ruler listens to the words of liars,
soon he will have only scoundrels for advisors.
13 A poor man and his oppressor have this in common:
the Eternal created them and provides both with light and life.
14 The king who is fair in his treatment of the poor
will see his dynasty continue forever.
15 Corporal punishment and correction produce wisdom,
but a child left to follow his own willful way shames his mother.
16 When evil people are free to flourish, sin is on the rise,
but the just will surely see their destruction.
17 If you discipline your children, they will make your life easier
and refresh your soul.
18 Where there is no vision from God, the people run wild,
but those who adhere to God’s instruction know genuine happiness.
19 Words are not enough to correct a servant;
even if he understands, he will not respond.
20 Have you ever met someone who is overly eager to talk?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 If you indulge your servant from early in life,
in the end it won’t go well for either of you.
22 A hot-head provokes quarrels,
and one mastered by anger commits all kinds of sins.
23 A person’s pride brings him down,
but one of humble spirit has a firm hold on honor and respect.
24 Anyone who teams up with a thief must despise his own life,
for he is bound by an oath to tell the truth and yet refuses.[a]
25 If you fear other people, you are walking into a dangerous trap;
but if you trust in the Eternal, you will be safe.
26 Many people vie for special treatment from a ruler,
yet genuine justice proceeds from the Eternal.
27 The right-living are disgusted by the actions of the unjust;
likewise, the wicked are disgusted by the ways of the righteous.
Paul brings the situation to life for them: on one side, the rebellious one opposes God by corrupting God’s world, telling lies, and instigating fear; but on the other side, there’s Jesus, who comes from above and rains mercy over the world with His blood. He stands ready to return to face these enemies. Paul is trying to explain this epic battle with eternal consequences to his friends who have been led astray by false revelations. While this spiritual battle will occur in the future, skirmishes representing the two sides are already taking place in the church; so remain diligent and faithful in service of the Lord.
3 Brothers and sisters, having shared all this, let me ask you to pray for us. Pray that this message of the Lord will spread quickly and receive the praise and respect it deserves from others as it has with you. 2 Pray also that we would all be rescued from the snares of harmful, wicked people—after all, not all people are believing. 3 Still, the Lord is true to His promises; He will hold you up and guard you against the evil one. 4 We do not doubt the Lord’s intentions for you; we are confident that you are carrying out, and will continue to carry out, the commands we are sending your way. 5 May the Lord guide your hearts into God’s pure love and keep you headed straight into the strong and sure grip of the Anointed One.
6 For the sake of the church, brothers and sisters, we insist in the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed that you withdraw from any brother or sister who is out of order and unwilling to work, who is straying from the line of teaching we passed on to all of you. 7 You know how essential it is to imitate us in the way we live life. We were never undisciplined 8 nor did we take charity from anyone while we were with you. Instead, you saw how we worked very hard day and night so we wouldn’t be a burden to even one person in the community. 9 We had the right to depend on your help and hospitality, as you know; but we wanted to give you a model you could follow, to lay a path of footprints for you to walk in. 10 This is exactly why, while with you, we commanded you: “Anyone not willing to work shouldn’t get to eat!” 11 You see, we are hearing that some folks in the community are out of step with our teaching; they are idle, not working, but really busy doing nothing—and yet still expect to be fed! 12 If this is you or someone else in the community, we insist and urge you in the Lord Jesus the Anointed that you go to work quietly, earn your keep, put food on your own table, and supply your own necessities. 13 And to the rest of you, brothers and sisters, never grow tired of doing good.
14 If someone disregards the instructions of this letter, make a note of who it is and don’t have anything to do with that person so that this one may be shamed. 15 Don’t consider someone like this an enemy (he is an enemy only to himself) but warn him as if you were redirecting your own brother.
Work is part of the ongoing work of creation, an aspect of God’s image in us. Those who do not work will be unfulfilled and a burden to those around them.
16 And now, dear friends, may the Lord of peace Himself grace you with peace always and in everything. May the Lord be present with all of you.
17 This final greeting is by me, Paul, written by my own hand. This is my signature, letting you know that this is a genuine letter from me, and so I write to you:
18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus the Anointed be with all of you.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.