April 7: Psalms 131–133; Psalm 140; Psalm 142; Exodus 7:25–8:19; 2 Corinthians 3:7–18; Mark 10:17–31 - a podcast by Crossway

Psalms 131–133(Listen)

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

131   O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
  I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
2   But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3   O Israel, hope in the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore.

TheLordHas Chosen Zion

A Song of Ascents.

132   Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor,
    all the hardships he endured,
2   how he swore to the LORD
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3   “I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed,
4   I will not give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
5   until I find a place for the LORD,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6   Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
    we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7   “Let us go to his dwelling place;
    let us worship at his footstool!”
8   Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
9   Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
    and let your saints shout for joy.
10   For the sake of your servant David,
    do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11   The LORD swore to David a sure oath
    from which he will not turn back:
  “One of the sons of your body¹
    I will set on your throne.
12   If your sons keep my covenant
    and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
  their sons also forever
    shall sit on your throne.”
13   For the LORD has chosen Zion;
    he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14   “This is my resting place forever;
    here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15   I will abundantly bless her provisions;
    I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16   Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and her saints will shout for joy.
17   There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
    I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18   His enemies I will clothe with shame,
    but on him his crown will shine.”

When Brothers Dwell in Unity

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

133   Behold, how good and pleasant it is
    when brothers dwell in unity!²
2   It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
  on the beard of Aaron,
    running down on the collar of his robes!
3   It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion!
  For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
    life forevermore.

(ESV)

Psalm 140(Listen)

Deliver Me, OLord, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

140   Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
    preserve me from violent men,
2   who plan evil things in their heart
    and stir up wars continually.
3   They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,
    and under their lips is the venom of asps.Selah
4   Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
    preserve me from violent men,
    who have planned to trip up my feet.
5   The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
    and with cords they have spread a net;¹
    beside the way they have set snares for me.Selah
6   I say to the LORD, You are my God;
    give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!
7   O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
    you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8   Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
    do not further their²evil plot, or they will be exalted!Selah
9   As for the head of those who surround me,
    let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10   Let burning coals fall upon them!
    Let them be cast into fire,
    into miry pits, no more to rise!
11   Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
    let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12   I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
    and will execute justice for the needy.
13   Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
    the upright shall dwell in your presence.

(ESV)

Psalm 142(Listen)

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil¹of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

142   With my voice I cry out to the LORD;
    with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.
2   I pour out my complaint before him;
    I tell my trouble before him.
3   When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
  In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
4   Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
  no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.
5   I cry to you, O LORD;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
6   Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
  Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
7   Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
  The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.

(ESV)

Exodus 7:25–8:19(Listen)

25 Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

The Second Plague: Frogs

8 ¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs.3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people,²and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’”5 ³And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’”6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.”10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.”12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh.⁴13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’”17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 3:7–18(Listen)

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.16 But when one¹turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.17 Now the Lord²is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,³are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.⁴For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

(ESV)

Mark 10:17–31(Listen)

The Rich Young Man

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”18 And Jesus said to him,“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him,“You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again,“Children, how difficult it is¹to enter the kingdom of God!25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,²“Then who can be saved?”27 Jesus looked at them and said,“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”29 Jesus said,“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

(ESV)