February 17: Psalm 105:1–22; Psalm 105:23–45; Genesis 32:3–21; 1 John 2:18–29; John 10:19–30 - a podcast by Crossway

Psalm 105:1–22(Listen)

Tell of All His Wondrous Works

105   Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
2   Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
3   Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4   Seek the LORD and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
5   Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6   O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
7   He is the LORD our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
8   He remembers his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9   the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
10   which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11   saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance.”
12   When they were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
13   wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
14   he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
15   saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”
16   When he summoned a famine on the land
    and broke all supply¹of bread,
17   he had sent a man ahead of them,
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18   His feet were hurt with fetters;
    his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19   until what he had said came to pass,
    the word of the LORD tested him.
20   The king sent and released him;
    the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21   he made him lord of his house
    and ruler of all his possessions,
22   to bind²his princes at his pleasure
    and to teach his elders wisdom.

(ESV)

Psalm 105:23–45(Listen)

23   Then Israel came to Egypt;
    Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
24   And the LORD made his people very fruitful
    and made them stronger than their foes.
25   He turned their hearts to hate his people,
    to deal craftily with his servants.
26   He sent Moses, his servant,
    and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27   They performed his signs among them
    and miracles in the land of Ham.
28   He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
    they did not rebel¹against his words.
29   He turned their waters into blood
    and caused their fish to die.
30   Their land swarmed with frogs,
    even in the chambers of their kings.
31   He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
    and gnats throughout their country.
32   He gave them hail for rain,
    and fiery lightning bolts through their land.
33   He struck down their vines and fig trees,
    and shattered the trees of their country.
34   He spoke, and the locusts came,
    young locusts without number,
35   which devoured all the vegetation in their land
    and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36   He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their strength.
37   Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold,
    and there was none among his tribes who stumbled.
38   Egypt was glad when they departed,
    for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39   He spread a cloud for a covering,
    and fire to give light by night.
40   They asked, and he brought quail,
    and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.
41   He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed through the desert like a river.
42   For he remembered his holy promise,
    and Abraham, his servant.
43   So he brought his people out with joy,
    his chosen ones with singing.
44   And he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
45   that they might keep his statutes
    and observe his laws.
  Praise the LORD!

(ESV)

Genesis 32:3–21(Listen)

3 And Jacob sent¹messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.”7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps,8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children.12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau,14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.”17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’”19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him,20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him²with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”³21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

(ESV)

1 John 2:18–29(Listen)

Warning Concerning Antichrists

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.¹21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.25 And this is the promise that he made to us²—eternal life.

26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Children of God

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

(ESV)

John 10:19–30(Listen)

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?”21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

I and the Father Are One

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”25 Jesus answered them,“I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me,26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me,¹is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.30 I and the Father are one.”

(ESV)