April 5: Psalms 120–123; Psalms 124–127; Exodus 5–6:1; 1 Corinthians 14:20–33; 1 Corinthians 14:39–40; Mark 9:42–50 - a podcast by Crossway

Psalms 120–123(Listen)

Deliver Me, OLord

A Song of Ascents.

120   In my distress I called to the LORD,
    and he answered me.
2   Deliver me, O LORD,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.
3   What shall be given to you,
    and what more shall be done to you,
    you deceitful tongue?
4   A warrior’s sharp arrows,
    with glowing coals of the broom tree!
5   Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
    that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6   Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
7   I am for peace,
    but when I speak, they are for war!

My Help Comes from theLord

A Song of Ascents.

121   I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2   My help comes from the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth.
3   He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4   Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
5   The LORD is your keeper;
    the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6   The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7   The LORD will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8   The LORD will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Let Us Go to the House of theLord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

122   I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
2   Our feet have been standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3   Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
4   to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the LORD,
  as was decreed for¹Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5   There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.
6   Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
7   Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
8   For my brothers and companions’ sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9   For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
    I will seek your good.

Our Eyes Look to theLordOur God

A Song of Ascents.

123   To you I lift up my eyes,
    O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2   Behold, as the eyes of servants
    look to the hand of their master,
  as the eyes of a maidservant
    to the hand of her mistress,
  so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
    till he has mercy upon us.
3   Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
    for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4   Our soul has had more than enough
    of the scorn of those who are at ease,
    of the contempt of the proud.

(ESV)

Psalms 124–127(Listen)

Our Help Is in the Name of theLord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

124   If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—
    let Israel now say—
2   if it had not been the LORD who was on our side
    when people rose up against us,
3   then they would have swallowed us up alive,
    when their anger was kindled against us;
4   then the flood would have swept us away,
    the torrent would have gone over us;
5   then over us would have gone
    the raging waters.
6   Blessed be the LORD,
    who has not given us
    as prey to their teeth!
7   We have escaped like a bird
    from the snare of the fowlers;
  the snare is broken,
    and we have escaped!
8   Our help is in the name of the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth.

TheLordSurrounds His People

A Song of Ascents.

125   Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2   As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the LORD surrounds his people,
    from this time forth and forevermore.
3   For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
    on the land allotted to the righteous,
  lest the righteous stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
4   Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
    and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5   But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
    the LORD will lead away with evildoers!
    Peace be upon Israel!

Restore Our Fortunes, OLord

A Song of Ascents.

126   When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
2   Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
  then they said among the nations,
    “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3   The LORD has done great things for us;
    we are glad.
4   Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
    like streams in the Negeb!
5   Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
6   He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
  shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

Unless theLordBuilds the House

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

127   Unless the LORD builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
  Unless the LORD watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
2   It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
  eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3   Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
4   Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children¹of one’s youth.
5   Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
  He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.²

(ESV)

Exodus 5–6:1(Listen)

Making Bricks Without Straw

5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.”5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many,¹and you make them rest from their burdens!”6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen,7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves.8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

10 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw.11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’”12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.13 The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.”14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”

15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this?16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.”19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.”20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh;21 and they said to them, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22 Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

God Promises Deliverance

6 But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 14:20–33(Listen)

20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign¹not for unbelievers but for believers.23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

Orderly Worship

26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

As in all the churches of the saints,

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 14:39–40(Listen)

39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

(ESV)

Mark 9:42–50(Listen)

Temptations to Sin

42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,¹it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,²to the unquenchable fire.³45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’49 For everyone will be salted with fire.⁴50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

(ESV)