November 23: Psalm 105:1–22; Psalm 105:23–45; 1 Maccabees 4:1-25; Revelation 21:22–22:5; Matthew 18:1–9 - 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)

Revelation 21:22–22:5(Listen)

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The River of Life

22 Then the angel¹showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life²with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

(ESV)

Matthew 18:1–9(Listen)

Who Is the Greatest?

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them3 and said,“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,¹it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin!²For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell³of fire.

(ESV)