April 2: Leviticus 5; Psalms 3–4; Proverbs 20; Colossians 3 - a podcast by Crossway

Leviticus 5(Listen)

5 “If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity;2 or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt;3 or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt;4 or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these;5 when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed,6 he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation¹for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

7 “But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two turtledoves or two pigeons,²one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall wring its head from its neck but shall not sever it completely,9 and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering.10 Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.

11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah³of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.12 And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the LORD’s food offerings; it is a sin offering.13 Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder⁴shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering.”

Laws for Guilt Offerings

14 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,15 “If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued⁵in silver shekels,⁶according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven.19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before⁷the LORD.”

(ESV)

Psalms 3–4(Listen)

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

3   O LORD, how many are my foes!
    Many are rising against me;
2   many are saying of my soul,
    “There is no salvation for him in God.”Selah¹
3   But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4   I cried aloud to the LORD,
    and he answered me from his holy hill.Selah
5   I lay down and slept;
    I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
6   I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
    who have set themselves against me all around.
7   Arise, O LORD!
    Save me, O my God!
  For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
    you break the teeth of the wicked.
8   Salvation belongs to the LORD;
    your blessing be on your people!Selah

Answer Me When I Call

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

4   Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
    You have given me relief when I was in distress.
    Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2   O men,²how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
    How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?Selah
3   But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
    the LORD hears when I call to him.
4   Be angry,³and do not sin;
    ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.Selah
5   Offer right sacrifices,
    and put your trust in the LORD.
6   There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
    Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”
7   You have put more joy in my heart
    than they have when their grain and wine abound.
8   In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
    for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

(ESV)

Proverbs 20(Listen)

20   Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
    and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.¹
2   The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
    whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
3   It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
    but every fool will be quarreling.
4   The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
    he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5   The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,
    but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6   Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
    but a faithful man who can find?
7   The righteous who walks in his integrity—
    blessed are his children after him!
8   A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    winnows all evil with his eyes.
9   Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
    I am clean from my sin”?
10   Unequal²weights and unequal measures
    are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
11   Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
    by whether his conduct is pure and upright.³
12   The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
    the LORD has made them both.
13   Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;
    open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
14   “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15   There is gold and abundance of costly stones,
    but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16   Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.⁴
17   Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
    but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
18   Plans are established by counsel;
    by wise guidance wage war.
19   Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets;
    therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.⁵
20   If one curses his father or his mother,
    his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21   An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
    will not be blessed in the end.
22   Do not say, “I will repay evil”;
    wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
23   Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD,
    and false scales are not good.
24   A man’s steps are from the LORD;
    how then can man understand his way?
25   It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
    and to reflect only after making vows.
26   A wise king winnows the wicked
    and drives the wheel over them.
27   The spirit⁶of man is the lamp of the LORD,
    searching all his innermost parts.
28   Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
    and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
29   The glory of young men is their strength,
    but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30   Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
    strokes make clean the innermost parts.

(ESV)

Colossians 3(Listen)

Put On the New Self

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4 When Christ who is your¹life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:²sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.³7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self⁴with its practices10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,⁵free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,⁶not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

(ESV)