---
Luke 12:15 - And He (Jesus) said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
He asked one of the senior members of the church to take care of his bank book. The church member accepted the request. One day, the senior church member asked the older gentleman why he wanted him to keep his bank book. The old man answered, "I have a grown son and daughter and am worried that their intention is not to take care of me but rather that they were waiting for me to die, so they can inherit my money."
He has a will that states they will inherit his money after he dies, but he is afraid they do not value his care, just his money.
The old man wears worn clothes, lives in a small shelter, and tries to cook and clean for himself, something which he really is not physically able to do. He meets with the church member who is looking after his bank book at least two or three times a week to make sure his money is safe. Along with that, he is always talking bad about his neighbors and his neighborhood. He is restless in every aspect of his life.
He is just like the fellow in the Bible who cannot sleep well because of his large properties.
When asked why he does not use his money to properly take care of himself, the man does not have a good answer. He says he comes to church for his safety and then he immediately wants to change the topic of discussion.
This man has the money he needs to take care of himself, but chooses to live miserably.
In this regard, Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Our life on earth is short, as Job spoke, "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away, he does not endure. Man's days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed" (Job 14:1-2, 5).
We do not need to dwell on dying, but rather to recognize that our time on earth, compared to our life in heaven, is very short. If we do, it is easy to lose perspective and allow ourselves to become greedy and jealous. This can make us paranoid of other people, including our friends, neighbors, and family members. We think as though some people are our enemies and are after us. We feel that some people are following us, and it is possible for us to become very suspicious of our nearby friends, neighbors, and even our own family members.
Far better for us to trust in the Lord. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. His blessing of salvation, which comes through faith in and forgiveness from the sacrificial substitution of His Son, shows the depth of His care.
Truly, if the Lord has done that for us, why would we think that He would now turn around and leave us uncared for and defenseless? It is unthinkable, and it is against the Savior's promise that He would always be with us.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord forgive us when we think we must do everything ourselves. Let us rather rejoice that the Savior has already done what we could not. This we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion comes from our Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Ethiopia. It was written by Berhanu Moges. Moges, Lutheran Hour Ministries' director in Ethiopia, has attended Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. There he took courses in personal issues, biblical studies, finance, and computer.
Established in Addis Ababa in 1996, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Ethiopia shares the Gospel in this country of more than 100 million people through Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and the Equipping the Saints (ETS) program, working in partnership with church congregations to organize these workshops. Sports events, dramatic performances, Bible competitions, and other activities have been effective in engaging young people between the ages of 12 and 35. Moreover, evangelism rallies have proven wonderfully successful in reaching people, drawing thousands and including non-Christians and Muslims. Here films, music and drama are offered -- all designed to share the Gospel message.
Be sure to check out LHM's International Ministries' blog page. You can find it by clicking here.
Luke 12:15 - And He (Jesus) said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our international ministry centers to write our Sunday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
There is an older gentleman I know who recently joined the church.He asked one of the senior members of the church to take care of his bank book. The church member accepted the request. One day, the senior church member asked the older gentleman why he wanted him to keep his bank book. The old man answered, "I have a grown son and daughter and am worried that their intention is not to take care of me but rather that they were waiting for me to die, so they can inherit my money."
He has a will that states they will inherit his money after he dies, but he is afraid they do not value his care, just his money.
The old man wears worn clothes, lives in a small shelter, and tries to cook and clean for himself, something which he really is not physically able to do. He meets with the church member who is looking after his bank book at least two or three times a week to make sure his money is safe. Along with that, he is always talking bad about his neighbors and his neighborhood. He is restless in every aspect of his life.
He is just like the fellow in the Bible who cannot sleep well because of his large properties.
When asked why he does not use his money to properly take care of himself, the man does not have a good answer. He says he comes to church for his safety and then he immediately wants to change the topic of discussion.
This man has the money he needs to take care of himself, but chooses to live miserably.
In this regard, Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Our life on earth is short, as Job spoke, "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away, he does not endure. Man's days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed" (Job 14:1-2, 5).
We do not need to dwell on dying, but rather to recognize that our time on earth, compared to our life in heaven, is very short. If we do, it is easy to lose perspective and allow ourselves to become greedy and jealous. This can make us paranoid of other people, including our friends, neighbors, and family members. We think as though some people are our enemies and are after us. We feel that some people are following us, and it is possible for us to become very suspicious of our nearby friends, neighbors, and even our own family members.
Far better for us to trust in the Lord. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. His blessing of salvation, which comes through faith in and forgiveness from the sacrificial substitution of His Son, shows the depth of His care.
Truly, if the Lord has done that for us, why would we think that He would now turn around and leave us uncared for and defenseless? It is unthinkable, and it is against the Savior's promise that He would always be with us.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord forgive us when we think we must do everything ourselves. Let us rather rejoice that the Savior has already done what we could not. This we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion comes from our Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Ethiopia. It was written by Berhanu Moges. Moges, Lutheran Hour Ministries' director in Ethiopia, has attended Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. There he took courses in personal issues, biblical studies, finance, and computer.
Established in Addis Ababa in 1996, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Ethiopia shares the Gospel in this country of more than 100 million people through Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and the Equipping the Saints (ETS) program, working in partnership with church congregations to organize these workshops. Sports events, dramatic performances, Bible competitions, and other activities have been effective in engaging young people between the ages of 12 and 35. Moreover, evangelism rallies have proven wonderfully successful in reaching people, drawing thousands and including non-Christians and Muslims. Here films, music and drama are offered -- all designed to share the Gospel message.
Be sure to check out LHM's International Ministries' blog page. You can find it by clicking here.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Ezekiel 27-29; 1 Peter 3
Ezekiel 27:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “You, human being, raise this lament for Tzor; 3 say to Tzor, located at the gateways to the sea, merchant for peoples to many coastlands, that Adonai Elohim says:
‘Tzor, you have said,
“My beauty is perfect.”
4 Your borders are in the heart of the sea,
your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They used cypress logs from S’nir
to fashion all your planking.
They took cedars from the L’vanon
to make masts for you.
6 Out of oaks from Bashan
they made your oars.
Your deck they made of ivory
inlaid in larch from the coasts of Kittim.
7 Richly woven linen from Egypt
was used for your sail, which was also your banner.
Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was used to cover your deck-tent.
8 The people of Tzidon and Arvad
served as your oarsmen.
Your own skilled men, Tzor,
were there as your pilots.
9 The leaders and craftsmen of G’val
sealed the cracks between your boards.
“‘Every seagoing ship and its crew
came to you to trade in your wares.
10 Men from Paras, Lud and Put
were [mercenaries] in your army;
hanging shield and helmet on you,
they showed off your splendor.
11 Men from Arvad and your own army
were posted around on your walls.
The Gamadim were in your towers;
they hung their shields all around your walls,
making your beauty perfect.
12 “‘Tarshish did business with you because of the quantity and variety of your resources; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods. 13 Greece, Tuval and Meshekh traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your wares. 14 The people of Togarmah traded for your merchandise with horses, horsemen and mules. 15 The men of D’dan traded with you. Many coastlands were your customers, giving you ivory tusks and ebony in payment. 16 Aram traded with you, because you were so wealthy; for your goods they exchanged green feldspar, purple stuff, embroidery, fine linen, coral and rubies. 17 Y’hudah and the land of Isra’el also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat from Minnit, millet, honey, olive oil and resin for healing. 18 Because you were so wealthy, with such a variety of valuable merchandise, Dammesek traded wine from Helbon and white wool with you. 19 V’dan and Yavan from Uzal traded ironwork, cassia and aromatic cane for your goods. 20 D’dan traded with you for riding gear. 21 Arabia and all the princes of K’dar were your customers; for your goods they traded lambs, rams and goats. 22 The traders of Sh’va and Ra‘mah exchanged the best quality spices, all kinds of precious stones and gold for your goods. 23 The merchants of Haran, Kaneh and ‘Eden, who traded also with Sh’va, Ashur and Kilmad, 24 brought you in exchange for your goods rich clothes, cloaks made of blue material and embroidery, and cedar-lined chests filled with multicolored clothing and bound with cords. 25 “Tarshish” ships transported your imports and exports.
“‘So you were full, loaded down,
surrounded by the sea.
26 Your oarsmen brought you
through heavy seas.
But the east wind will break you
surrounded by the sea.
27 Your riches, your goods, your merchandise,
your crew, your pilots, your ship-sealers,
your traders, all your warriors aboard,
and all the others in the ship with you
will sink surrounded by the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.
28 When they hear the cries of your pilots,
the mainland coasts will tremble.
29 The oarsmen, crew and pilots
will disembark and stand on shore,
30 mourning aloud at your fate,
crying bitterly,
throwing dust on their heads,
rolling in the ashes,
31 shaving their heads bald for you,
wrapping themselves in sackcloth,
with heartfelt bitterness weeping for you
in bitter lamentation.
32 Wailing, they will raise a lament for you;
this will be their lament for you:
“‘“Who anywhere in the sea
has ever been silenced like Tzor?
33 When your wares came forth from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with your vast wealth and variety of goods
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 But now you have been wrecked by the waves,
sunk in the watery depths;
your merchandise and all your people
have gone down with you.
35 All who live along the coasts
are aghast at you;
their kings are horribly afraid,
their faces are convulsed;
36 the merchants among the peoples
are gasping at your fate;
you are an object of terror,
and you will cease to exist.”’”
28:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, tell the prince of Tzor that Adonai Elohim says:
‘Because you are so proud
and have said, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne of God,
surrounded by the sea”;
yet you are a man, not God,
even though you think that you think like God.
3 Sure, you are wiser than Dani’el!
No secret can be hidden from you!
4 By your wisdom and discernment
you have acquired wealth,
you have gathered gold and silver
into your treasuries.
5 By your great skill in trading
you have increased your wealth,
and it is because of your wealth
that you have become so proud.
6 “Therefore Adonai Elohim says,
‘Because you think that you think like God,
7 I will bring foreigners against you,
the most barbarous of the nations,
to draw their swords against your fine wisdom
and defile your splendor.
8 They will lower you into the pit to die
a violent death surrounded by the sea.
9 Will you still say, “I am God,”
to them who are about to kill you?
You are a man, you are not God,
in the hands of those who defile you.
10 You will die the deaths of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners.
For I have spoken,’
says Adonai Elohim.”
11 The word of Adonai came to me: 12 “Human being, raise a lament for the king of Tzor, and tell him that Adonai Elohim says:
‘You put the seal on perfection;
you were full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;
13 you were in ‘Eden, the garden of God;
covered with all kinds of precious stones —
carnelians, topaz, diamonds,
beryl, onyx, jasper,
sapphires, green feldspar, emeralds;
your pendants and jewels were made of gold,
prepared the day you were created.
14 You were a keruv, protecting a large region;
I placed you on God’s holy mountain.
You walked back and forth
among stones of fire.
15 You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created,
until unrighteousness
was found in you.
16 “‘When your commerce grew,
you became filled with violence;
and in this way you sinned.
Therefore I have thrown you out, defiled,
from the mountain of God;
I have destroyed you, protecting keruv,
from among the stones of fire.
17 Your heart grew proud because of your beauty,
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
But I have thrown you on the ground;
before kings I have made you a spectacle.
18 By your many crimes in dishonest trading,
you have profaned your sanctuaries;
therefore I brought forth fire from within you,
and it has devoured you;
I reduced you into ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who can see you.
19 All who know you among the peoples
will be aghast at you.
You are an object of terror,
and you will cease to exist.’”
20 The word of Adonai came to me: 21 “Human being, turn your face toward Tzidon, and prophesy against it. 22 Say that Adonai Elohim says:
‘I am against you, Tzidon;
but I will be glorified in you.
They will know that I am Adonai,
once I execute judgments in her
and show my holiness in her.
23 For I will send plagues into her,
and blood will flow in her streets;
attacked from all sides by the sword,
the wounded will fall within her.
Then they will know that I am Adonai.
24 “‘The house of Isra’el will no longer have a briar pricking away at them, no longer will any of its contemptuous neighbors be a thorn to stab them. Then they will know that I am Adonai Elohim.’
25 “Adonai Elohim says, ‘Once I have gathered the house of Isra’el from the peoples among whom they are scattered, once I have shown my holiness in them as the Goyim watch, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Ya‘akov. 26 They will have security when they live there, building houses and planting vineyards; yes, they will live in safety, once I have executed judgments against all their contemptuous neighbors. Then they will know that I am Adonai their God.’”
29:1 On the twelfth day of the tenth month of the tenth year, the word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, turn your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt; prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak out; and say that Adonai Elohim says:
‘I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt,
you big crocodile
lying in the streams of the Nile!
You say, “My Nile is mine;
I made it for myself.”
4 But I will put hooks in your jaws
and make your Nile fish stick to your scales.
Yes, I will bring you up from your Nile,
with all your Nile fish sticking to your scales,
5 and leave you in the desert,
you and all your Nile fish.
You will fall in the open field
and not be gathered or buried;
but I will give you as food
to wild animals and birds.
6 Then all who live in Egypt
will know that I am Adonai,
because they have been a support made of straw
for the house of Isra’el.
7 When they grasped you in hand, you splintered
and threw all their shoulders out of joint;
when they leaned on you, you broke
and made them all wrench their backs.’
8 “Therefore Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will bring the sword against you and eliminate both your people and your animals. 9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate waste, and they will know that I am Adonai; because he said, “The Nile is mine; I made it.” 10 So I am against you and your Nile; and I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate waste from Migdol to S’venah, all the way to the border of Ethiopia. 11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 Yes, I will make the land of Egypt desolate, even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities; they will be desolate forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.’
13 “For this is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered — 14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of their origin, Patros. But there they will be a humble kingdom, 15 the humblest of kingdoms. It will never again dominate other nations; I will reduce them, so that they never again rule other nations. 16 Moreover, they will no longer be a source of confidence for Isra’el to turn to; rather, it will only bring to mind their guilt in having turned to them before. Then they will know that I am Adonai Elohim.’”
17 On the first day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year, the word of Adonai came to me: 18 “Human being, N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel had his army mount a massive expedition against Tzor; [the loads of dirt they carried] made every head bald and every shoulder raw; yet neither he nor his army derived any benefit from Tzor out of this expedition against it. 19 Therefore Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will give the land of Egypt to N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel. He will carry off its riches, take its spoil and its prey; and these will be the wages for his army. 20 I am giving him the land of Egypt as his wages for which he worked, because they were working for me,’ says Adonai Elohim. 21 ‘When that day comes I will cause power to return to the house of Isra’el, and I will enable you [Yechezk’el] to open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am Adonai.’”
1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, wives, submit to your husbands; so that even if some of them do not believe the Word, they will be won over by your conduct, without your saying anything, 2 as they see your respectful and pure behavior. 3 Your beauty should not consist in externals such as fancy hairstyles, gold jewelry or what you wear; 4 rather, let it be the inner character of your heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. In God’s sight this is of great value. 5 This is how the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves and submit to their husbands, 6 the way Sarah obeyed Avraham, honoring him as her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not succumb to fear.
7 You husbands, likewise, conduct your married lives with understanding. Although your wife may be weaker physically, you should respect her as a fellow-heir of the gift of Life. If you don’t, your prayers will be blocked.
8 Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, 9 not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but, on the contrary, with blessing. For it is to this that you have been called, so that you may receive a blessing. 10 For
“Whoever wants to love life and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,
11 turn from evil and do good,
seek peace and chase after it.
12 For Adonai keeps his eyes on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayers;
but the face of Adonai is against
those who do evil things.”[1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:13-17(12-16)]
13 For who will hurt you if you become zealots for what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for being righteous, you are blessed! Moreover, don’t fear what they fear or be disturbed, 15 but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts;[1 Peter 3:15 Isaiah 8:12-13] while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear, 16 keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are spoken against, those who abuse the good behavior flowing from your union with the Messiah may be put to shame. 17 For if God has in fact willed that you should suffer, it is better that you suffer for doing what is good than for doing what is evil.
18 For the Messiah himself died for sins, once and for all, a righteous person on behalf of unrighteous people, so that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but brought to life by the Spirit; 19 and in this form he went and made a proclamation to the imprisoned spirits, 20 to those who were disobedient long ago, in the days of Noach, when God waited patiently during the building of the ark, in which a few people — to be specific, eight — were delivered by means of water. 21 This also prefigures what delivers us now, the water of immersion, which is not the removal of dirt from the body, but one’s pledge to keep a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. 22 He has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God,[1 Peter 3:22 Psalm 110:1] with angels, authorities and powers subject to him.
---
“My beauty is perfect.”
4 Your borders are in the heart of the sea,
your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They used cypress logs from S’nir
to fashion all your planking.
They took cedars from the L’vanon
to make masts for you.
6 Out of oaks from Bashan
they made your oars.
Your deck they made of ivory
inlaid in larch from the coasts of Kittim.
7 Richly woven linen from Egypt
was used for your sail, which was also your banner.
Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was used to cover your deck-tent.
8 The people of Tzidon and Arvad
served as your oarsmen.
Your own skilled men, Tzor,
were there as your pilots.
9 The leaders and craftsmen of G’val
sealed the cracks between your boards.
“‘Every seagoing ship and its crew
came to you to trade in your wares.
10 Men from Paras, Lud and Put
were [mercenaries] in your army;
hanging shield and helmet on you,
they showed off your splendor.
11 Men from Arvad and your own army
were posted around on your walls.
The Gamadim were in your towers;
they hung their shields all around your walls,
making your beauty perfect.
12 “‘Tarshish did business with you because of the quantity and variety of your resources; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods. 13 Greece, Tuval and Meshekh traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your wares. 14 The people of Togarmah traded for your merchandise with horses, horsemen and mules. 15 The men of D’dan traded with you. Many coastlands were your customers, giving you ivory tusks and ebony in payment. 16 Aram traded with you, because you were so wealthy; for your goods they exchanged green feldspar, purple stuff, embroidery, fine linen, coral and rubies. 17 Y’hudah and the land of Isra’el also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat from Minnit, millet, honey, olive oil and resin for healing. 18 Because you were so wealthy, with such a variety of valuable merchandise, Dammesek traded wine from Helbon and white wool with you. 19 V’dan and Yavan from Uzal traded ironwork, cassia and aromatic cane for your goods. 20 D’dan traded with you for riding gear. 21 Arabia and all the princes of K’dar were your customers; for your goods they traded lambs, rams and goats. 22 The traders of Sh’va and Ra‘mah exchanged the best quality spices, all kinds of precious stones and gold for your goods. 23 The merchants of Haran, Kaneh and ‘Eden, who traded also with Sh’va, Ashur and Kilmad, 24 brought you in exchange for your goods rich clothes, cloaks made of blue material and embroidery, and cedar-lined chests filled with multicolored clothing and bound with cords. 25 “Tarshish” ships transported your imports and exports.
“‘So you were full, loaded down,
surrounded by the sea.
26 Your oarsmen brought you
through heavy seas.
But the east wind will break you
surrounded by the sea.
27 Your riches, your goods, your merchandise,
your crew, your pilots, your ship-sealers,
your traders, all your warriors aboard,
and all the others in the ship with you
will sink surrounded by the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.
28 When they hear the cries of your pilots,
the mainland coasts will tremble.
29 The oarsmen, crew and pilots
will disembark and stand on shore,
30 mourning aloud at your fate,
crying bitterly,
throwing dust on their heads,
rolling in the ashes,
31 shaving their heads bald for you,
wrapping themselves in sackcloth,
with heartfelt bitterness weeping for you
in bitter lamentation.
32 Wailing, they will raise a lament for you;
this will be their lament for you:
“‘“Who anywhere in the sea
has ever been silenced like Tzor?
33 When your wares came forth from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with your vast wealth and variety of goods
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 But now you have been wrecked by the waves,
sunk in the watery depths;
your merchandise and all your people
have gone down with you.
35 All who live along the coasts
are aghast at you;
their kings are horribly afraid,
their faces are convulsed;
36 the merchants among the peoples
are gasping at your fate;
you are an object of terror,
and you will cease to exist.”’”
28:1 The word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, tell the prince of Tzor that Adonai Elohim says:
‘Because you are so proud
and have said, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne of God,
surrounded by the sea”;
yet you are a man, not God,
even though you think that you think like God.
3 Sure, you are wiser than Dani’el!
No secret can be hidden from you!
4 By your wisdom and discernment
you have acquired wealth,
you have gathered gold and silver
into your treasuries.
5 By your great skill in trading
you have increased your wealth,
and it is because of your wealth
that you have become so proud.
6 “Therefore Adonai Elohim says,
‘Because you think that you think like God,
7 I will bring foreigners against you,
the most barbarous of the nations,
to draw their swords against your fine wisdom
and defile your splendor.
8 They will lower you into the pit to die
a violent death surrounded by the sea.
9 Will you still say, “I am God,”
to them who are about to kill you?
You are a man, you are not God,
in the hands of those who defile you.
10 You will die the deaths of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners.
For I have spoken,’
says Adonai Elohim.”
11 The word of Adonai came to me: 12 “Human being, raise a lament for the king of Tzor, and tell him that Adonai Elohim says:
‘You put the seal on perfection;
you were full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;
13 you were in ‘Eden, the garden of God;
covered with all kinds of precious stones —
carnelians, topaz, diamonds,
beryl, onyx, jasper,
sapphires, green feldspar, emeralds;
your pendants and jewels were made of gold,
prepared the day you were created.
14 You were a keruv, protecting a large region;
I placed you on God’s holy mountain.
You walked back and forth
among stones of fire.
15 You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created,
until unrighteousness
was found in you.
16 “‘When your commerce grew,
you became filled with violence;
and in this way you sinned.
Therefore I have thrown you out, defiled,
from the mountain of God;
I have destroyed you, protecting keruv,
from among the stones of fire.
17 Your heart grew proud because of your beauty,
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
But I have thrown you on the ground;
before kings I have made you a spectacle.
18 By your many crimes in dishonest trading,
you have profaned your sanctuaries;
therefore I brought forth fire from within you,
and it has devoured you;
I reduced you into ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who can see you.
19 All who know you among the peoples
will be aghast at you.
You are an object of terror,
and you will cease to exist.’”
20 The word of Adonai came to me: 21 “Human being, turn your face toward Tzidon, and prophesy against it. 22 Say that Adonai Elohim says:
‘I am against you, Tzidon;
but I will be glorified in you.
They will know that I am Adonai,
once I execute judgments in her
and show my holiness in her.
23 For I will send plagues into her,
and blood will flow in her streets;
attacked from all sides by the sword,
the wounded will fall within her.
Then they will know that I am Adonai.
24 “‘The house of Isra’el will no longer have a briar pricking away at them, no longer will any of its contemptuous neighbors be a thorn to stab them. Then they will know that I am Adonai Elohim.’
25 “Adonai Elohim says, ‘Once I have gathered the house of Isra’el from the peoples among whom they are scattered, once I have shown my holiness in them as the Goyim watch, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Ya‘akov. 26 They will have security when they live there, building houses and planting vineyards; yes, they will live in safety, once I have executed judgments against all their contemptuous neighbors. Then they will know that I am Adonai their God.’”
29:1 On the twelfth day of the tenth month of the tenth year, the word of Adonai came to me: 2 “Human being, turn your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt; prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak out; and say that Adonai Elohim says:
‘I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt,
you big crocodile
lying in the streams of the Nile!
You say, “My Nile is mine;
I made it for myself.”
4 But I will put hooks in your jaws
and make your Nile fish stick to your scales.
Yes, I will bring you up from your Nile,
with all your Nile fish sticking to your scales,
5 and leave you in the desert,
you and all your Nile fish.
You will fall in the open field
and not be gathered or buried;
but I will give you as food
to wild animals and birds.
6 Then all who live in Egypt
will know that I am Adonai,
because they have been a support made of straw
for the house of Isra’el.
7 When they grasped you in hand, you splintered
and threw all their shoulders out of joint;
when they leaned on you, you broke
and made them all wrench their backs.’
8 “Therefore Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will bring the sword against you and eliminate both your people and your animals. 9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate waste, and they will know that I am Adonai; because he said, “The Nile is mine; I made it.” 10 So I am against you and your Nile; and I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate waste from Migdol to S’venah, all the way to the border of Ethiopia. 11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 Yes, I will make the land of Egypt desolate, even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities; they will be desolate forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.’
13 “For this is what Adonai Elohim says: ‘At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered — 14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of their origin, Patros. But there they will be a humble kingdom, 15 the humblest of kingdoms. It will never again dominate other nations; I will reduce them, so that they never again rule other nations. 16 Moreover, they will no longer be a source of confidence for Isra’el to turn to; rather, it will only bring to mind their guilt in having turned to them before. Then they will know that I am Adonai Elohim.’”
17 On the first day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year, the word of Adonai came to me: 18 “Human being, N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel had his army mount a massive expedition against Tzor; [the loads of dirt they carried] made every head bald and every shoulder raw; yet neither he nor his army derived any benefit from Tzor out of this expedition against it. 19 Therefore Adonai Elohim says, ‘I will give the land of Egypt to N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel. He will carry off its riches, take its spoil and its prey; and these will be the wages for his army. 20 I am giving him the land of Egypt as his wages for which he worked, because they were working for me,’ says Adonai Elohim. 21 ‘When that day comes I will cause power to return to the house of Isra’el, and I will enable you [Yechezk’el] to open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am Adonai.’”
1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, wives, submit to your husbands; so that even if some of them do not believe the Word, they will be won over by your conduct, without your saying anything, 2 as they see your respectful and pure behavior. 3 Your beauty should not consist in externals such as fancy hairstyles, gold jewelry or what you wear; 4 rather, let it be the inner character of your heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. In God’s sight this is of great value. 5 This is how the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves and submit to their husbands, 6 the way Sarah obeyed Avraham, honoring him as her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not succumb to fear.
7 You husbands, likewise, conduct your married lives with understanding. Although your wife may be weaker physically, you should respect her as a fellow-heir of the gift of Life. If you don’t, your prayers will be blocked.
8 Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, 9 not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but, on the contrary, with blessing. For it is to this that you have been called, so that you may receive a blessing. 10 For
“Whoever wants to love life and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,
11 turn from evil and do good,
seek peace and chase after it.
12 For Adonai keeps his eyes on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayers;
but the face of Adonai is against
those who do evil things.”[1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:13-17(12-16)]
13 For who will hurt you if you become zealots for what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for being righteous, you are blessed! Moreover, don’t fear what they fear or be disturbed, 15 but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts;[1 Peter 3:15 Isaiah 8:12-13] while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear, 16 keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are spoken against, those who abuse the good behavior flowing from your union with the Messiah may be put to shame. 17 For if God has in fact willed that you should suffer, it is better that you suffer for doing what is good than for doing what is evil.
18 For the Messiah himself died for sins, once and for all, a righteous person on behalf of unrighteous people, so that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but brought to life by the Spirit; 19 and in this form he went and made a proclamation to the imprisoned spirits, 20 to those who were disobedient long ago, in the days of Noach, when God waited patiently during the building of the ark, in which a few people — to be specific, eight — were delivered by means of water. 21 This also prefigures what delivers us now, the water of immersion, which is not the removal of dirt from the body, but one’s pledge to keep a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. 22 He has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God,[1 Peter 3:22 Psalm 110:1] with angels, authorities and powers subject to him.
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Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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