November 30: Psalms 131–133; Psalms 134–135; Zephaniah 3:1–13; 1 Peter 2:11–25; Matthew 20:1–16 - 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)

Psalms 134–135(Listen)

Come, Bless theLord

A Song of Ascents.

134   Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
    who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2   Lift up your hands to the holy place
    and bless the LORD!
3   May the LORD bless you from Zion,
    he who made heaven and earth!

Your Name, OLord, Endures Forever

135   Praise the LORD!
  Praise the name of the LORD,
    give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2   who stand in the house of the LORD,
    in the courts of the house of our God!
3   Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
    sing to his name, for it is pleasant!¹
4   For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his own possession.
5   For I know that the LORD is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
6   Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
7   He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8   He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
9   who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10   who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
11   Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and Og, king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12   and gave their land as a heritage,
    a heritage to his people Israel.
13   Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
    your renown,²O LORD, throughout all ages.
14   For the LORD will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.
15   The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
16   They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
17   they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18   Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.
19   O house of Israel, bless the LORD!
    O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20   O house of Levi, bless the LORD!
    You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21   Blessed be the LORD from Zion,
    he who dwells in Jerusalem!
  Praise the LORD!

(ESV)

Zephaniah 3:1–13(Listen)

Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations

3   Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
    the oppressing city!
2   She listens to no voice;
    she accepts no correction.
  She does not trust in the LORD;
    she does not draw near to her God.
3   Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;
  her judges are evening wolves
    that leave nothing till the morning.
4   Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
  her priests profane what is holy;
    they do violence to the law.
5   The LORD within her is righteous;
    he does no injustice;
  every morning he shows forth his justice;
    each dawn he does not fail;
    but the unjust knows no shame.
6   “I have cut off nations;
    their battlements are in ruins;
  I have laid waste their streets
    so that no one walks in them;
  their cities have been made desolate,
    without a man, without an inhabitant.
7   I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
    you will accept correction.
  Then your¹dwelling would not be cut off
    according to all that I have appointed against you.’²
  But all the more they were eager
    to make all their deeds corrupt.
8   “Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD,
    “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
  For my decision is to gather nations,
    to assemble kingdoms,
  to pour out upon them my indignation,
    all my burning anger;
  for in the fire of my jealousy
    all the earth shall be consumed.

The Conversion of the Nations

9   “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
    to a pure speech,
  that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD
    and serve him with one accord.
10   From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
    shall bring my offering.
11   “On that day you shall not be put to shame
    because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
  for then I will remove from your midst
    your proudly exultant ones,
  and you shall no longer be haughty
    in my holy mountain.
12   But I will leave in your midst
    a people humble and lowly.
  They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,
13     those who are left in Israel;
  they shall do no injustice
    and speak no lies,
  nor shall there be found in their mouth
    a deceitful tongue.
  For they shall graze and lie down,
    and none shall make them afraid.”

(ESV)

1 Peter 2:11–25(Listen)

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,¹whether it be to the emperor²as supreme,14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants³of God.17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

(ESV)

Matthew 20:1–16(Listen)

Laborers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius¹a day, he sent them into his vineyard.3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’5 So they went.Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’²16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

(ESV)