M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Elijah Rebukes Ahab
18 Quite some time later—three years later!—this message from the Lord came to Elijah: “Go visit Ahab, and I’ll send some rain to the surface of the ground.” 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab, right when the famine in Samaria was most severe.
3 Ahab called for Obadiah, his household supervisor. This man, who feared the Lord very much, 4 had taken 100 prophets and had hidden them by fifties in a cave, providing them with food and water when Jezebel was trying to destroy the Lord’s prophets.
5 Ahab had instructed Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to all of the water springs and to all of the valleys. Maybe we’ll find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Also, maybe we won’t have to kill some of our cattle.” 6 So they divided the land between them so they could conduct their survey. Ahab went off by himself in one direction and Obadiah went off by himself in the other.
7 While Obadiah was on the road, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him and bowed down with his face to the ground. “It’s you, isn’t it, my master Elijah?”
8 “I am,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Look! Elijah!’”
9 But Obadiah replied, “What did I do wrong, that you would put me in a position where Ahab would execute me? 10 As surely as the Lord your God lives, there isn’t a nation or kingdom where my master hasn’t tried to find you. Whenever they would say ‘He isn’t here,’ he forced that kingdom or nation to swear that they hadn’t seen you. 11 But now you’re saying ‘Go tell your master, “Elijah is here!”’ 12 As soon as I’ve left you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you off to I don’t know where! Then when I go tell Ahab and he can’t find you, he’ll kill me, even though I have been your servant and have feared the Lord since I was young! 13 Hasn’t anyone told you, my master, what I did when Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets? I hid 100 of the Lord’s prophets by fifties in a cave and provided food and water for them. 14 Now you’re saying, ‘Go tell your master, “Elijah’s here!”’ He’s sure to kill me!”
15 But Elijah promised him, “As the Lord of the Heavenly Armies lives, in whose presence I stand, I will appear to Ahab today.”
16 So Obadiah went out to meet Ahab and reported to him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab asked him, “Is it really you, you destroyer of Israel?”
18 But Elijah[a] replied, “I’m no destroyer of Israel. But you and your ancestor’s household have been doing that, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commandments and have followed the Baals. 19 So go gather all of Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. Bring along 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah who are funded at Jezebel’s expense.”[b]
Elijah Defeats the Prophets of Baal
20 Ahab sent for the Israelis and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel, 21 where Elijah approached all the people and asked them, “How long will you keep hesitating[c] between both sides? If the Lord is God, go after him. If Baal, go after him.”
But the people didn’t say a word.
22 So Elijah told the people, “I’m the only one left over as a prophet of the Lord, am I? But Baal’s prophets number 450 men? 23 So let them provide two oxen. They can choose one ox for themselves. Cut it up, lay it on top of some wood, but don’t set fire to it. I will prepare the other ox and lay it on top of some wood, and I won’t set fire to it. 24 Then you can call on the name of your god, and I’ll call on the name of the Lord. Let the God who answers by fire be our God!”
“That’s a good idea!” all the people shouted.
25 So Elijah told the prophets of Baal, “Choose an ox for yourselves and you prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but don’t set fire to the offering.”
26 So they took the ox that was given to them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from early morning until noon. “Baal! Answer us!” they cried. But there was no response. Nobody answered. So they kept on dancing[d] around the altar that they had made.
27 Starting about noon, Elijah began to tease them:
“Shout louder!
“He’s a god, so maybe he’s busy.
“Maybe he’s relieving himself.
“Maybe he’s busy someplace.
“Maybe he’s taking a nap and somebody needs to wake him up.”
28 So the prophets of Baal[e] cried even louder and slashed themselves with swords and lances until their blood gushed out all over them, as was their custom. 29 They kept on raving right through midday and until it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, but there was still no response. Nobody answered, and nobody paid attention.
30 Eventually, Elijah told everybody, “Come here!” So everybody approached him, and he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob’s descendants, to whom the message from the Lord had come that “Israel is to be your name.” 32 So Elijah used the stones to build an altar to the name of the Lord. But then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two measures[f] of seed. 33 Then he laid the wood in order, cut the bull into pieces, and laid them on top of the wood.
“Fill four pitchers with water,” he ordered. “Then pour them out on the burnt offering and the wood.”
34 “Do it a second time,” he ordered. So they did it a second time.
“Do it a third time,” he said. So they did it a third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and completely filled the trench.[g]
Elijah’s Prayer and God’s Answer by Fire
36 As the time for the evening offering arrived, Elijah the prophet approached and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I, your servant, have done all of this in obedience to your word. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people may know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning back their hearts again.”
38 Right then the Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water that was in the trench! 39 When all the people saw what had happened, they fell flat on their faces and cried out “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”
40 But Elijah said, “Arrest the prophets of Baal. Don’t let even one of them get away.” So the people[h] seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi[i] Kishon and executed them there.
The Rain Storm Ends the Drought
41 After this, Elijah told Ahab, “Get up and have something to eat and drink, because there’s the sound of a coming rainstorm.” 42 So Ahab got up to get something to eat and drink while Elijah went back up to the top of Mount[j] Carmel, where he bowed low to the ground and placed his face between his knees.
43 Then he told his young servant, “Go and look toward the sea.”
So he went and looked out to sea. “Nothing there,” he said.
But Elijah told him to go back seven times. 44 On the seventh look, he said, “Look! There’s a cloud, a small one, about the size of a man’s hand. It’s coming up out of the sea!”
“Get up and find Ahab!” Elijah[k] said. “Tell him, ‘Mount your chariot and ride down the mountain[l] so the storm doesn’t stop you.’”
45 A little while later, the sky turned black with storm clouds and winds, and there was a heavy shower. So Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 After Ahab had left,[m] the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah, and he tucked his mantle into his belt and outran Ahab in a race to the city gate of Jezreel.
Greetings
1 From:[a] Paul, Silvanus,[b] and Timothy.
To: The church of the Thessalonians in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.[c]
May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[d] be yours!
Paul’s Prayer for the Thessalonians
2 We always thank God for all of you when we mention you in our prayers. 3 In the presence of our God and Father, we constantly remember how your faith is active,[e] your love is hard at work,[f] and your hope in our Lord Jesus the Messiah[g] is enduring.[h] 4 Brothers whom God loves, we know that he has chosen you, 5 for the gospel we brought[i] did not come to you in words only, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Indeed,[j] you know what kind of people we proved to be while we were with you, acting on your behalf.
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord. In spite of a great deal of suffering, you welcomed the word with the joy that the Holy Spirit produces.[k] 7 As a result, you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 From you the word of the Lord has spread out not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place where your faith in God has become known. As a result, we do not need to say anything about it.
9 For people[l] keep telling us what kind of welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve a living and true God 10 and to wait for his Son whom he raised from the dead to come back[m] from heaven. This Jesus is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Regulations for Israel’s Northern Land Divisions
48 “These are the names of the tribes from the northernmost extremity westward[a] along the road from Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath,[b] Hazar-enan (a border of Damascus) northward to the coast[c] of Hamath. The perimeter is to run[d] east-to-west;[e] the tribe of[f] Dan with one portion;[g] 2 running along the border of the tribe of Dan from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Asher with one portion; 3 running along the border of the tribe of Asher from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Naphtali with one portion; 4 running along the border of the tribe of Naphtali from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Manasseh with one portion; 5 running along the border of the tribe of Manasseh from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Ephraim with one portion; 6 running along the border of the tribe of Ephraim from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Reuben with one portion; 7 and running along the border of the tribe of Reuben from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, the tribe of Judah with one portion.”
Israel’s National Temple Allotment
8 “Running along the border of the tribe of Judah from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter you are to set apart the Terumah,[h] 25,000 units[i] wide, with its east-west length equal to one of the other apportionments, from the eastern perimeter to the western perimeter, with the Temple in the middle of it. 9 The Terumah that you are to give to the Lord is to be 25,000 units wide.”[j]
Allotments for the Priests
10 “The holy Terumah is to be reserved for these, the priests: Toward the north, 25,000 units in length;[k] toward the west, 10,000 units in width; toward the east, 10,000 units in width; and toward the south, 25,000 units in length. The Lord’s sanctuary is to be in its midst. 11 It is to be for use by[l] priests from the descendants of Zadok, who have observed the things with which I charged them and who did not wander astray when the Israelis went astray, just as the descendants of Levi wandered astray. 12 It is to be a Terumah for them from the allotment of the land, a Most Holy Place, adjoining the border of the descendants of Levi.”
13 “Alongside the border of the priests, the descendants of Levi are to be allotted 25,000 units in length and 10,000 units in width. The entire length is to be 25,000 units and its width 10,000 units. 14 Furthermore, they are not to sell or exchange any part of it, nor transfer these first fruits[m] of the land, because it is holy to the Lord.
15 “The rest, 5,000 units wide and 25,000 units along its front, will serve as a common portion for use by the city for housing and open spaces, since the city is to be in its midst. 16 These are to be its dimensions: the north side, 4,500 units; the south side, 4,500 units; the east side, 4,500 units; and the west side 4,500 units. 17 The city is to have urban areas set aside: on the north 250 units; on the south, 250 units, on the east, 250 units; and on the west, 250 units.
18 “The remainder of the length that borders the holy Terumah is to be 10,000 units long eastward and 10,000 units westward. It is to lie adjacent to the holy Terumah. Its harvest will produce food for those who work in the city. 19 The city workers who cultivate it are to come from all the tribes of Israel. 20 The entire Terumah is to be[n] 25,000 units by 25,000 units—you are to reserve it as a holy Terumah in the form of a square within the city limits.”
The Allotment for the Regent Prince
21 “Now the remainder of the allotment[o] on either side of the holy Terumah is to be for the Regent Prince and for city property[p]—adjoining the 25,000 units along the eastern border and adjoining the 25,000 units along the western border, and parallel to the allotments. These are to be for the Regent Prince. The holy Terumah and the sanctuary of the Temple is to stand in the middle of it. 22 Except for what belongs to the descendants of Levi and the city property, which will stand in the middle of what belongs to the Regent Prince, whatever is between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin is to belong to the Regent Prince.”
The Allotment for the Tribes
23 “Now as to the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin is to retain one portion.[q] 24 Adjacent to the border of Benjamin running from east to west, Simeon is to retain one portion. 25 Adjacent to the border of Simeon running from east to west, Issachar is to retain one portion. 26 Adjacent to the border of Issachar running from east to west, Zebulun is to retain one portion. 27 Adjacent to the border of Zebulun running from east to west, Gad is to retain one portion. 28 Adjacent to the border of Gad to the south and extending toward the south, the border is to proceed from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then to the Wadi[r] of Egypt,[s] and from there to the Mediterranean[t] Sea. 29 This is the land that you are to allocate by lottery to the tribes of Israel as their inheritance, and these are their respective divisions,” declares the Lord God.
The Gates of the City
30 “These are the exits from the city: On the north side, 4,500 units by measurement, 31 are to be the gates of the city. Named after the tribes of Israel, three gates are to serve the north site: one named the Reuben Gate, one named the Judah Gate, and one named the Levi Gate. 32 On the east side, 4,500 units by measurement,[u] there are to be three gates: one named the Joseph Gate, one named the Benjamin Gate, and one named the Dan Gate. 33 On the south side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Simeon Gate, one named the Issachar Gate, and one named the Zebulun Gate. 34 On the west side, 4,500 units by measurement,[v] there are to be three gates: one named the Gad Gate, one named the Asher Gate, and one named the Naphtali Gate. 35 A perimeter is to measure 18,000 units, and the name of the city from that time on is to be:
‘The Lord is There.’”
Davidic[a]
Praise God, who Creates
104 Bless the Lord, my soul;
Lord, my God, you are very great.
You are clothed in splendor and majesty;
2 you are wrapped in light like a garment,
stretching out the sky like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of his roof loft on the water above,[b]
making clouds his chariot,
walking on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes the winds his messengers,
blazing fires his servants.
5 He established the earth on its foundations,
so that it never falters.
6 You covered the primeval ocean like a garment;
the water stood above the mountains.
7 They flee at your rebuke;
they rush away at the sound of your thunders.
8 Mountains rise up and valleys sink
to the place you have ordained for them.
9 You have set a boundary they cannot cross;
they will never again cover the earth.
10 He causes springs to gush forth into rivers
that flow between the[c] mountains.
11 They give water[d] for animals of the field to drink;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Birds of the sky live beside them
and chirp a song[e] among the foliage.
13 He waters the mountains from his heavenly rooms;
the earth is satisfied from the fruit of your work.
14 He causes grass to sprout for the cattle
and plants for people to cultivate,
to produce food from the land,
15 like wine that makes the heart of people[f] happy,
oil that makes the face glow,
and food[g] that sustains people.[h]
16 The loftiest trees[i] are satisfied,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted,
17 the birds build their nests there,
and the heron builds[j] its nest among the evergreen.
18 The high mountains are for wild goats;
the cliffs are a refuge for the rock badger.
19 He made the moon to mark time;[k]
the sun knows its setting time.
20 You bring darkness and it becomes night;
when every beast of the forest prowls.
21 Young lions roar for prey,
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they[l] gather
and lie down in their dens.
23 People go out to their work
and labor until evening.
24 How numerous are your works, Lord!
You have made them all wisely;
the earth is filled with your creations.[m]
25 There is the deep and wide sea,
teeming with numberless creatures,
living things small and great.
26 There, the ships pass through;
Leviathan, which you created, frolics in it.
27 All of them look to you
to provide them[n] their food at the proper time.
28 They receive what you give them;
when you open your hand,
they are filled with good things.
29 When you withdraw your favor,[o]
they are disappointed;
Take away their breath,
and[p] they die[q] and return to dust.
30 When you send your spirit,[r] they are[s] created,
and you replenish the surface of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord last forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works!
32 He looks at the earth and it shakes;
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord with my whole being;[t]
I will sing to my God continually!
34 May my thoughts be pleasing to him;
indeed, I will rejoice in the Lord!
35 May sinners disappear from the land
and the wicked live no longer.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Hallelujah!
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.