Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Law of the Lord

119 Happy are those whose way is without blame, who walk in the Law of the Lord. ² Happy are those who keep His Law and look for Him with all their heart. ³ They also do not sin, but walk in His ways. ⁴ You have set down Laws that we should always obey. ⁵ O, that my ways may be always in keeping with Your Law! ⁶ Then I will not be put to shame when I respect Your Word. ⁷ I will praise You with a heart that is right when I learn how right You judge. ⁸ I will obey Your Law. Do not leave me all alone.

Laws about Paying Back What Is Owed

22 “If a man steals a bull or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he will pay five bulls for the bull and four sheep for the sheep. ² If the robber is caught while breaking in, and is hit so that he dies, the owner of the house is not guilty for his blood. ³ But if the sun has risen on him, there will be guilt for his blood. The robber must pay for the loss. If he has nothing, then he must be sold for stealing. ⁴ If the stolen bull or donkey or sheep is found alive with him, he must pay twice what it is worth. ⁵ If a man lets his cattle eat from a field or grape-field and lets his cattle loose to eat in another man’s field, he will pay for the loss from the best of his own field or grape-field.

⁶ “When a fire starts and spreads to thorn bushes so as to burn up picked grain or standing grain or the field itself, he who started the fire will pay for the loss.

⁷ “If a man gives his neighbor money or things to keep for him, and it is stolen from the man’s house, if the robber is caught he will pay twice as much as the loss. ⁸ If the robber is not caught, then the owner of the house will be brought to the judges. They will see if he stole what belongs to his neighbor. ⁹ For every wrong act, if it is for bull, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any lost thing about which someone says, ‘This is mine,’ the stories of both men will come in front of the judges. Whoever the judges say is guilty will pay his neighbor twice as much as the loss.

¹⁰ “If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, bull, sheep or any animal to keep for him, and it dies or is hurt or is driven away while no one is looking, ¹¹ the two men will make a promise before the Lord that he has not taken what belongs to his neighbor. The owner will take his word for it. And he will not make him pay for the loss. ¹² But if it is stolen from him, he will pay the owner for the loss. ¹³ If the animal is torn to pieces, let him bring it to prove what happened. He will not pay for what has been torn to pieces.

¹⁴ “If a man asks to use anything that belongs to his neighbor, and it gets hurt or dies while its owner is not with it, the man who was using it will pay for the loss. ¹⁵ If its owner is with it, the man who was using it will not pay for the loss. If he paid money to use it, then the loss is paid for.

The New Way of Worship Is Better

9 There were special ways of worship and a special holy place made by man for the Old Way of Worship. ² A big tent was built and set up. It was called the holy place. It had a light and a table, and the holy bread was on the table. ³ Behind the second curtain there was another tent. This was called the Holiest Place of All. ⁴ In the inside tent there was an altar where special perfume was burned. There was also a large box made of wood called the box of the Way of Worship. Both of these were covered with gold inside and out. Inside the box was a pot made of gold with the bread from heaven. It also had in it Aaron’s stick that once started to grow. The stones on which the Law of Moses was written were in it. ⁵ Above the box were the cherubim of honor. Their wings were spread up and over and met in the center. On the top of the box and under the shadow of their wings was the mercy-seat. We cannot tell anymore about these things now.

⁶ When everything was finished, the Jewish religious leaders went in and out of the outside tent to do the things which had to be done to worship God. ⁷ Once each year the head religious leader would go into the inside tent alone. He would not go in without blood. He gave this blood to God as a gift in worship for his own sins and for the sins of all the people who sinned without knowing it.

⁸ And so the Holy Spirit is teaching that, with the Old Way of Worship, the people could not go into the Holiest Place of All as long as the outside tent and its Old Way of Worship were being used. ⁹ The outside tent is a picture of that day. With the Old Way of Worship, animals killed and gifts given in worship to God could not take away the guilty feeling of sin. ¹⁰ The Old Way of Worship was made up of Laws about what to eat and drink. These Laws told how to wash and other things to do with the body. These things had to be done until Christ came to bring a better way of worship.

The New Way of Worship Has a Better Gift

¹¹ But Christ came as the Head Religious Leader of the good things God promised. He made the way for man to go to God. He was a greater and more perfect tent. He was not made by human hands and was not a part of this earth. ¹² Christ went into the Holiest Place of All one time for all people. He did not take the blood of goats and young cows to give to God as a gift in worship. He gave His own blood. By doing this, He bought us with His own blood and made us free from sin forever.