M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Chapter 24[a]
Census of the People. 1 Once again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying: “Go forth and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 2 Therefore, the king said to Joab and to all the army commanders who were with him: “Go throughout all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and take a census of the people so that I may know how many there are.”
3 Joab said to the king in response: “May the Lord, your God, increase the number of your people a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king live to see it. But why does my lord the king want to undertake this task?” 4 However, the king was determined to follow through on this enterprise, and he overruled Joab and the army commanders. Therefore, they departed from the presence of the king in order to take the census.
5 After crossing the Jordan, they began at Aroer and the town in the middle of the valley, and then they moved on toward Gad and Jazer. 6 After that, they proceeded to Gilead and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites. Next they came to Dan, and from Dan they cut across to Sidon 7 and arrived at the fortress of Tyre, moving on afterward to all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites, and then to the Negeb of Judah, at Beer-sheba.
8 Having traveled throughout the entire country, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab then reported to the king the number of those who had been recorded in the census. In Israel there were eight hundred thousand men who were fit for military service, and in Judah there were five hundred thousand.[b]
10 The Pestilence. However, after the census had been taken, David was stricken with remorse, and he said to the Lord: “I have committed a grievous sin in what I have done. I beseech you, Lord, to forgive the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” 11 When David arose the following morning, the word of the Lord had come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying: 12 “Go forth and say to David: ‘This is the word of the Lord: “I offer you three alternatives.” Choose one of them, and I will inflict it upon you.” ’ ”
13 Therefore, Gad came to David and reported what the Lord had said. Then he asked him: “Which do you choose? Do you prefer three years of famine to afflict your land? Or do you prefer to take flight for three months while your enemies pursue you? Or do you prefer to have your land afflicted with three days of pestilence? Consider carefully the choices you have been offered and decide what answer I am to take back to the one who sent me.”
14 David said to Gad: “I am in a desperate plight. It is far better to fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Let me not fall into the hands of men.” 15 Therefore, David chose the option of the pestilence. Then the Lord sent a pestilence throughout Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand of the people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba.
16 However, when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord regretted the terrible calamity that he had approved, and he said to the angel who was afflicting the people: “That is enough! Stay your hand!” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord: “I was the one who sinned. I was the one who acted wickedly. What have these sheep done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.”
18 Sacrifice of Atonement. On that day Gad came to David and said to him: “Go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 Therefore, David obeyed Gad’s instructions and went up as the Lord had commanded.
20 When Araunah looked down and beheld the king and his retinue coming toward him, he went forth and prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Then Araunah asked: “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied: “I have come to purchase the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord so that the plague may be lifted from the people.”
22 In reply, Araunah said to David: “I beseech my lord the king to take and offer up whatever he wishes. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering, as well as the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for wood. 23 All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” Then he added: “May the Lord, your God, look favorably upon your offering.”
24 However, the king said to Araunah: “No. I insist on paying you for this. Under no circumstances will I offer up to the Lord, my God, burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” Therefore, David purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.[c]
25 Then David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, the Lord answered David’s supplications for the land, and the plague was lifted from Israel.
Chapter 4
Set Free by Christ. 1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is a minor, he is no different from a slave, even though he is the owner of it all. 2 He remains under the supervision of guardians and trustees until the date designated by the father. 3 This is also true of us. As long as we were children, we were enslaved to the forces of this world.
4 However, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, crying out “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son; and if you are a son, then through God you are also an heir.
No Return to Slavery.[a] 8 Previously, when you did not know God, you were slaves to forces who were not really gods at all. 9 But now that you have come to know God—or rather to be known by God—how can you turn back once again to those powerless and destitute forces? How can you consider becoming enslaved once again? 10 You even observe special days and months and seasons and years. 11 Now I am afraid for you, that I have labored among you in vain.
12 Appeal To Enter into Freedom from the Law. I beg you, brethren, to be like me, just as I have become like you. You never did me any wrong. 13 As you remember, it was because of illness[b] that I originally preached the gospel to you. 14 And though my illness was a trial to you, it did not lead to any scorn or revulsion; rather, you welcomed me as an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
15 What has become of your blessedness? For I can testify that, if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I have told you the truth?
17 Others are seeking to curry your favor, but they are not sincere. They are attempting to alienate you from us so that you may make them the sole object of your attention. 18 It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not just when I am in your presence. 19 You are my children, and I am experiencing the pain of giving birth to you all over again, until Christ is formed in you. 20 I truly wish that I could be with you now and be able to alter my approach to you, because I do not know what to think about you.
21 Sarah and Hagar Foreshadow the Two Covenants.[c] And so tell me, you who are so eager to be subject to the Law: why do you not listen to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 The son by the slave woman was born through the flesh. The son by the free woman was born through a promise.
24 Now this is an allegory. These women represent two covenants. One covenant is given on Mount Sinai and bears children who are born into slavery; this is Hagar. 25 Hagar stands for Sinai, a mountain in Arabia, and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, for she is in slavery together with her children. 26 However, the Jerusalem that is above is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
“Rejoice, you barren woman
who never bore a child;
break forth in song and shout with joy,
you who never were in labor.
For more numerous are the children of the deserted wife
than the children of the one who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brethren, are, like Isaac, the children of the promise. 29 But just as in those days the child who was born through the flesh persecuted the child who was born through the Spirit, so is it now also. 30 However, what does Scripture say?
“Drive out the slave woman and her son!
For the son of the slave woman shall not share the inheritance
with the son of the free woman.”
31 Therefore, brethren, we are the children not of the slave woman but of the free woman.
Chapter 31
Allegory of the Great Cypress. 1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, this word of the Lord was addressed to me: 2 Son of man, say to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his hordes:
What can compare in greatness with you?
3 Consider Assyria, formerly a cypress in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches and lofty in stature,
and its top above the thick foliage.
4 The waters nourished it;
deep springs caused it to grow tall;
those springs also made its rivers flow
around the place it was planted,
sending forth streams of water
to all the trees of the field.[a]
5 Therefore, it towered in height
above all other trees of the field.
Its branches grew long
because of the abundant water.
6 All the birds of the air
rested in its boughs.
Under its branches, all the wild animals of the field
gave birth to their young,
and numerous people of every race
dwelt in its shade.
7 It was beautiful and stately
in the length of its branches,
for its roots sank down
to a source of abundant water.
8 The cedars in the garden of God
could not compare with it,
nor could the fir trees equal its boughs.
No plane tree had such branches;
no tree in the garden of God
could equal its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful
with its mass of foliage;
it was the envy of all the trees in Eden
that were in the garden of God.
10 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because it grew to a towering stature, with its top reaching the clouds, and then became arrogant with pride about its height, 11 I handed it over to the prince of the nations.[b] I empowered him to deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have rejected it.
12 Foreigners from the most barbarous nations cut it down and abandoned it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys, and its boughs lie broken in every ravine throughout the land. All the peoples of the land fled from its shade and abandoned it.
13 On its fallen trunk
all the birds of the air rested,
and all the wild animals
sought shelter among its branches.
14 Thus, never again will any tree by the waters grow to a lofty height and stretch its top to the clouds, nor will any well-watered tree ever attain such a height.
For all of them are destined for death,
for the depths below,
along with all mortal beings
who go down to the abyss.
15 Thus says the Lord God: On the day it went down to Sheol, I closed the deep over it. I stopped its streams, and its mighty waters were held back. I cast gloom over Lebanon because of it, and all the trees of the countryside began to wither. 16 I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I hurled it down to Sheol with those who go down to the abyss. All the trees of Eden, the loveliest and the best of Lebanon, were consoled, all that were well watered. 17 Those who dwelt in its shade, its allies among the nations, went down with it to Sheol, to those killed by the sword.
18 Which among the trees of Eden was your equal in glory and greatness? Yet you have been hurled down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie in the company of the uncircumcised who have been slain by the sword. Thus, it will be for Pharaoh and all his hordes, says the Lord God.
Psalm 79[a]
Prayer for Restoration
1 A psalm of Asaph.[b]
[c]O God, the nations have invaded your heritage;
they have profaned your holy temple
and turned Jerusalem into a heap of ruins.
2 They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of the air,
the flesh of your saints
to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and no one is left to bury them.[d]
4 We have become the scorn of our neighbors,
mocked and derided by those around us.[e]
5 [f]How long, O Lord?[g] Will you be angry forever?
How long will your rage continue to blaze like a fire?
6 [h]Pour out your wrath on the nations
that refuse to acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms
that fail to call on your name.[i]
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and ravaged his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of our ancestors;
let your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate straits.[j]
9 [k]Help us, O God, our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and wipe away our sins
for your name’s sake.[l]
10 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”
Before our eyes make it clearly known among those nations
that you avenge[m] the blood of your servants.
11 Let the groans of the captives come before you;
through your great power
save those who have been sentenced to death.[n]
12 Repay our neighbors sevenfold[o] in their breasts, O Lord,
for the insults with which they taunted you.
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will offer thanks to you[p] forever;
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
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