March 26: Psalm 85; Exodus 30–31; Nehemiah 11–12:26; 1 Corinthians 3 - a podcast by Crossway

Psalm 85(Listen)

Revive Us Again

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

85   LORD, you were favorable to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2   You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you covered all their sin.Selah
3   You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.
4   Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us!
5   Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6   Will you not revive us again,
    that your people may rejoice in you?
7   Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
    and grant us your salvation.
8   Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
    but let them not turn back to folly.
9   Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.
10   Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11   Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12   Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.
13   Righteousness will go before him
    and make his footsteps a way.

(ESV)

Exodus 30–31(Listen)

The Altar of Incense

30 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.2 A cubit¹shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it,8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations.9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”

The Census Tax

11 The LORD said to Moses,12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel²according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs),³half a shekel as an offering to the LORD.14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’s offering.15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for your lives.16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives.”

The Bronze Basin

17 The LORD said to Moses,18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it,19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering⁴to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”

The Anointing Oil and Incense

22 The LORD said to Moses,23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane,24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin⁵of olive oil.25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony,27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense,28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand.29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

34 The LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part),35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you.37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD.38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”

Oholiab and Bezalel

31 The LORD said to Moses,2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you:7 the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent,8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense,9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand,10 and the finely worked garments,⁶the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests,11 and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”

The Sabbath

12 And the LORD said to Moses,13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever.17 It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

(ESV)

Nehemiah 11–12:26(Listen)

The Leaders in Jerusalem

11 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten¹remained in the other towns.2 And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.

3 These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property in their towns: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon’s servants.4 And in Jerusalem lived certain of the sons of Judah and of the sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez;5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shilonite.6 All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 valiant men.

7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah,8 and his brothers, men of valor, 928.²9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city.

10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God,12 and their brothers who did the work of the house, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah,13 and his brothers, heads of fathers’ houses, 242; and Amashsai, the son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,14 and their brothers, mighty men of valor, 128; their overseer was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim.

15 And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who were over the outside work of the house of God;17 and Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who was the leader of the praise,³who gave thanks, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.18 All the Levites in the holy city were 284.

19 The gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were 172.20 And the rest of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, every one in his inheritance.21 But the temple servants lived on Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants.

22 The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the work of the house of God.23 For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a fixed provision for the singers, as every day required.24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king’s side⁴in all matters concerning the people.

Villages Outside Jerusalem

25 And as for the villages, with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, and in Dibon and its villages, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,26 and in Jeshua and in Moladah and Beth-pelet,27 in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its villages,28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages,29 in En-rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.31 The people of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages,32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.36 And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah were assigned to Benjamin.

Priests and Levites

12 These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.9 And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers stood opposite them in the service.10 And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,11 Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.

12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded as heads of fathers’ houses; so too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.23 As for the sons of Levi, their heads of fathers’ houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.24 And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch.25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates.26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 3(Listen)

Divisions in the Church

3 But I, brothers,¹could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled²master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you³are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

(ESV)