M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
18 The Eternal One appeared once again to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was resting at the entrance to his tent in the middle of a hot afternoon. 2 Abraham glanced up and saw there were three men standing nearby. They seemed to appear out of nowhere. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent out to where they were standing and greeted them warmly, instinctively bowing to the ground.
Abraham: 3 My lord, if you would like to stay for a while, I beg you not to pass me by. I am your humble servant. 4 Let me send someone for water in order to wash your feet. Please go and sit down under that tree over there and rest. 5 Meanwhile, let me send for some bread so that you can nourish yourselves. After that I will not detain you further—you may be on your way—since you have come and honored your servant with your presence.
Three Men: Please, go and do what you have suggested.
6 In spite of the heat, Abraham hurried into his tent to Sarah.
Abraham (to Sarah): Sarah, we have guests. Quickly prepare three measures[a] of our best flour, knead it, and make cakes.
7 Then Abraham ran to where his herds were pastured. He took a tender calf and gave it to one of his servants, who rushed off to prepare the choice meat. 8 When it was ready, Abraham took curds and milk, along with the meat, and he placed all of this lavish feast before his honored guests. He stood nearby under the tree while they ate to their fill.
Three Men: 9 Where is Sarah, your wife?
Abraham: She’s right in there . . . in the tent.
One of the Men: 10 I will return here to you when life emerges from the womb[b] of your wife, Sarah. She will give birth to a son.[c]
Now Sarah was behind her guests, listening to all of this from the entrance of the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were quite old at this time, well advanced in years, and Sarah had long ago gone through menopause. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying under her breath, “At my age—old and decrepit, as is my husband—both of us long past having any desire to engage in lovemaking?” 13 But the Eternal heard what Sarah said and addressed Abraham.
Eternal One: Why does Sarah laugh and say to herself, “There’s no way I’m going to give birth at my age!” 14 Is anything too difficult for the Eternal One to accomplish? At a time that I will determine, I will return here to you when life emerges from her womb. I’m telling you, Sarah will give birth to a son.[d]
15 Sarah was embarrassed and tried to deny laughing. She feared these were no ordinary guests.
Sarah: I wasn’t laughing.
Eternal One: That is not true, Sarah. You did laugh.
16 At that point, the three men set off on foot toward Sodom, and Abraham walked with them to start them on their way.
Eternal One (to the other two men): 17 I wonder if I should hide from Abraham what I am about to do. 18 After all, Abraham will become the father of a great and powerful nation, and all the other nations of the earth will find their blessing in him.[e] 19 I have chosen him for a reason, namely that he will carefully instruct his children and his household to keep themselves strong in relationship to Me and to walk in My ways by doing what is good and right in the world and by showing mercy and justice to all others. I know he will uphold his end of the covenant, so that he can ensure My promises to him will be fulfilled and upheld as well.
20 (continuing so Abraham could hear) I have heard terrible things—urgent and outraged calls for help—coming from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and their sin has become a serious problem. 21 I must go down and see for Myself whether the outcries against them that My ears have heard are really true. If not, I will know.
22 At this point the men turned and headed toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Eternal One. 23 Then Abraham approached Him solemnly and pled for the city.
Abraham (to God): God, would You really sweep away the people who do what is right along with those who are wicked? 24 What if there were 50 upright people within the city? Would You still wipe the place out and not spare it on behalf of the 50 upright people who live there? 25 Surely it can’t be Your nature to do something like that—to kill the right-living along with those who act wickedly, to consign the innocent to the same fate as the guilty. It is inconceivable to me that You, my God, would do anything like that! Will not the “Merciful and Loving Judge” of all the earth do what is just?
Eternal One: 26 If I find 50 good and true people in the city of Sodom, I give you My word I will spare the entire city on their behalf.
Abraham (emboldened): 27 Look, I know I am just a human being, scooped from the dust and ashes of the earth, but if I might implore You, Lord, a bit further: 28 What if the city lacked 5 of those 50 right-living people? What then? Would You destroy the entire city because it lacked those 5?
Eternal One: I won’t destroy the city if I find 45 good and true people there.
Abraham (persisting): 29 Suppose 40 are found there.
Eternal One: I won’t destroy the city for the sake of 40.
Abraham: 30 Please don’t be angry, Lord, at my boldness. Let me ask this: What if You found 30 there who are good and true?
Eternal One: I will not do it, even if I find only 30 there.
Abraham: 31 Since I have implored the Lord this far, may I ask: What if there were 20?
Eternal One: For the sake of 20, I will not destroy the city.
Abraham: 32 Please don’t be angry, Lord, at my boldness. Let me ask this just once more: suppose only 10 are found?
Eternal One: For the sake of only 10, I still will not destroy it.
Scripture records here an amazing exchange between the Lord and Abraham. In all of the Bible there is nothing quite like it. In these verses Abraham is negotiating with God over the fate of Sodom and its inhabitants. But this is no game. Abraham isn’t bargaining with a peddler over the cost of his wares; the lives of many people hang in the balance. Abraham has followed God long enough and knows Him well enough to stand confident as he presses and probes the extent of God’s mercy. God’s mercy, he learns, runs deep; but there are limits, and Sodom has crossed the line.
33 At this point the Eternal ended the conversation with Abraham and went on His way, and Abraham returned to his home.
Jesus is providing an entirely different perspective on success and happiness. The new Kingdom is breaking in, and the new community is coming together. This is the logic of that Kingdom and that community: to inhabit God’s story, this is what must be done. To accrue fame and comfort and riches is counter to this new community. In the economics of this new community, real success is marked by a willingness to sacrifice one’s very life to God, and the promised rewards are immense.
17 Six days later, Jesus went up to the top of a high mountain with Peter, James, and John. 2 There, something spectacular happened: Jesus’ face began to glow and gleam and shine like the morning sun. His clothes gleamed too—bright white, like sunlight mirroring off a snowfall. He was, in a word, transfigured. 3 Suddenly there at the top of the mountain were Moses and Elijah, those icons of the faith, beloved of God. And they talked to Jesus.
Peter: 4 Lord, how amazing that we are here to see these heroes of our faith, these men through whom God spoke. Should I quickly build some shelter, three small tabernacles, for You, for Moses, and for Elijah?
5 As Peter spoke, a bright cloud enveloped all of them.
Voice from the Cloud: This is My beloved Son. With Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.
This is but an echo of the Voice that spoke at Jesus’ ritual cleansing in baptism. It is an echo of what God said through Moses during his final sermon on the mount. God promised that although Moses could not enter the promised land, He would send His people another prophet. Moses’ very last wish for his beloved people was that they would listen to this new prophet when He would come.
6 This voice from heaven terrified the three disciples, and they fell prostrate on the ground. 7 But Jesus—who was, by this time, used to His disciples being plagued by fear—touched them.
Jesus: Get up. Don’t be afraid.
8 And when the disciples got up, they saw they were alone with their Lord.
9 The four men hiked back down the mountain, and Jesus told His disciples to stay silent.
Jesus: Don’t tell anyone what happened here, not until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
Why does Jesus often instruct His disciples to keep secrets? In this case, perhaps He does because He realizes they will not understand the meaning of the transfiguration until they live through that other hilltop event, the death of Jesus on the cross. Believers, like the disciples, will better understand this bath of light and revelation when they, too, come to Golgotha and the cross.
Disciples: 10 Master, why do the scribes teach that the prophet Elijah must come first?
Jesus: 11 Scripture tells us clearly that indeed Elijah will come to restore all things. 12 But see this: Elijah has come already. No one recognized him for who he was, so he was arrested and killed. That is part of the preparation of which our Scripture speaks: for the Son of Man, too, will be arrested and killed at the hands of people who do not see Him for who He is.
13 And then the disciples realized the man they knew as John the Baptist[a] was the one Jesus was speaking of.
14 They had come down from the mountain, and as they headed toward town, they came to a crowd. As they approached the crowd, a man rushed up to Jesus and knelt before Him.
Man from the Crowd: 15 Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures. Sometimes when they come on, my son falls into the fire or into a pond. We are very concerned for him. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.
Jesus: 17 This generation is no better than the generation who wandered in the desert, who lost faith and bowed down to golden idols as soon as Moses disappeared upon Mount Sinai! How long will I have to shepherd these unbelieving sheep? (turning to the man) Bring the boy to Me.
18 The man did, and Jesus castigated the demon who had taken up residence in the boy. And the demon fled the boy’s body at the sound of Jesus’ voice, and the boy was healed from that moment on. No more shaking. No more falling into fires.
19 Later, when they were away from the crowds, the disciples asked Jesus why they hadn’t been able to drive out the demon themselves.
Jesus: 20 Because you have so little faith. I tell you this: if you had even a faint spark of faith, even faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and because of your faith, the mountain would move. If you had just a sliver of faith, you would find nothing impossible. [21 But this kind is not realized except through much prayer and fasting.][b]
22 Jesus and the disciples came to Galilee.
Jesus: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill Him, and on the third day, He will be resurrected, vindicated, newly alive.
The disciples were filled with grief.
24 Then Jesus and His disciples went toward Capernaum, and when they arrived there, some people who had collected the two-drachma tax that went for the upkeep of the temple came up to Peter.
Temple Tax Collectors: Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?
Peter: 25 He does pay the tax.
Jesus knows that He and His followers are the true temple, and yet Jesus is canny. It is not quite time to shake the foundations of the temple or of the old way of doing things. And so He pays the tax and bides His time.
So when Peter came into the house where they were staying, Jesus explored the subject.
Jesus: Simon, what do you think? When kings collect taxes and duties and tolls, from whom do they collect? Do they levy taxes on their own people or on strangers and foreigners?
Peter: 26 The foreigners, my Lord.
Jesus: Well, then, we children of the King should be exempt from this two-drachma tax. 27 But all in all, it’s better not to make any waves; we’d better go on and pay the tax. So do this: go out to the lake and throw out your line. And when you catch a fish, open its jaws and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take this to the tax collectors, and pay your taxes and Mine.
7 Later, when the wall was completed and the doors had finally been set in their places, the temple gatekeepers were appointed to protect the city, with the help of the singers and the Levites. 2 I placed Hanani, my brother, in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, the captain of the fortress. Hanani was honest and faithful, and in the fear of God he surpassed most men. 3 I commissioned these two men.
Nehemiah: Do not open the gates of Jerusalem while the sun is fully risen; make sure you close and secure the gates, and the gatekeepers will still watch over them. As for the guards, get men who live within Jerusalem. Have some stand watch at the regular stations and have those whose houses abut the city wall stand guard in front of their homes.
4 While Jerusalem was large and open, its population was still very small. In fact, no homes had yet been rebuilt, and without people it seemed empty.
5 It was at that time that God inspired me to gather those people who were in the city. I called the nobles, the officials of the city, and the common folk. I had found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return to Jerusalem; this is what the record showed:
6 A list of the Jews exiled under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, living in the province of Jerusalem who returned from captivity in Babylon. They came back to Jerusalem and other towns around Judah, each returning to his home. 7 They were the first to journey back, following the leadership of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The men of the population of Israel, listed by their family of origin— 8 Parosh’s descendants: 2,172; 9 Shephatiah’s descendants: 372; 10 Arah’s descendants: 652; 11 Pahath-moab’s descendants (from Jeshua and Joab’s line): 2,818; 12 Elam’s descendants: 1,254; 13 Zattu’s descendants: 845; 14 Zaccai’s descendants: 760; 15 Binnui’s descendants: 648; 16 Bebai’s descendants: 628; 17 Azgad’s descendants: 2,322; 18 Adonikam’s descendants: 667; 19 Bigvai and his descendants: 2,067; 20 Adin’s descendants: 655; 21 Ater’s descendants (from Hezekiah’s line): 98; 22 Hashum’s descendants: 328; 23 Bezai’s descendants: 324; 24 Hariph’s descendants: 112; 25 Gibeon’s descendants: 95.
The men in the population of Israel listed by their place of origin— 26 the people of Bethlehem and Netophah: 188; 27 the people of Anathoth: 128; 28 the people of Beth-azmaveth: 42; 29 the people of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: 743; 30 the people of Ramah and Geba: 621; 31 the people of Michmas: 122; 32 the people of Bethel and Ai: 123; 33 the people of Nebo (the other one): 52; 34 the people of Elam (the other one): 1,254; 35 the people of Harim: 320; 36 the people of Jericho: 345; 37 the people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 721; 38 the people of Senaah: 3,930.
The men in the population of Israel listed by their responsibilities— 39 the priestly families—Jedaiah’s descendants (from Jeshua’s line): 973; 40 Immer’s descendants: 1,052; 41 Pashhur’s descendants: 1,247; 42 Harim’s descendants: 1,017; 43 the Levitical families—Jeshua’s descendants (from Kadmiel and Hodevah’s line): 74. 44 The singers—Asaph’s descendants: 148. 45 The gatekeepers—Shallum’s, Ater’s, Talmon’s, Akkub’s, Hatita’s, and Shobai’s descendants: 138. 46 The temple servants—Ziha’s, Hasupha’s, Tabbaoth’s, 47 Keros’s, Sia’s, Padon’s, 48 Lebana’s, Hagaba’s, Shalmai’s, 49 Hanan’s, Giddel’s, Gahar’s, 50 Reaiah’s, Rezin’s, Nekoda’s, 51 Gazzam’s, Uzza’s, Paseah’s, 52 Besai’s, Meunim’s, Nephushesim’s, 53 Bakbuk’s, Hakupha’s, Harhur’s, 54 Bazlith’s, Mehida’s, Harsha’s, 55 Barkos’s, Sisera’s, Temah’s, 56 Neziah’s, and Hatipha’s descendants. 57 The descendants of Solomon’s servants—Sotai’s, Sophereth’s, Perida’s, 58 Jaala’s, Darkon’s, Giddel’s, 59 Shephatiah’s, Hattil’s, Pochereth-hazzebaim’s, and Amon’s descendants. 60 Combined, the temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants added up to 392.
61 At the time of our reckoning, people from the outlying towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer came into Jerusalem. Their names, however, could not be found in the official record, and they had no records of their own to prove they had descended from the families of Israel. This group included 62 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda and totaled 642 people. 63 Three families claiming to come from priestly families also returned: Hobaiah’s, Hakkoz’s, and Barzillai’s descendants. (Barzillai had married a woman descended from Barzillai of Gilead—he took her name as his own). 64 After searching the genealogical records they, too, were unable to find their names, and so they were considered impure and disqualified from serving in the priesthood. 65 As the governor appointed by Persia,[a] I ordered them not to eat any of the sacred food set apart for priests until a priest could be found to consult God on this matter with the sacred stones, Urim and Thummim.
Much like the Urim and Thummim, the exact identity of this book of the law (8:3) cannot be positively known. Most assume this law is some form of the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Old Testament. Those books are the foundational principles for the Jews’ proper worship of God, containing some 613 specific laws, so it is likely the text (or at the very least the knowledge) of the Pentateuch would have survived the exile because of its importance. Priests would have cared for it and not let the laws be completely forgotten among their people.
Because of their separation from Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, proper worship of God has been impossible during the exile. After 100 years in foreign lands, the layperson may have remembered to observe the major laws such as “Do not murder,” but the details of festivals and Sabbath observance are surely forgotten. So, many years later, it only takes half a day of reading to remind the Jews of their covenant with God and reinvigorate them to serve Him.
Not much is known about these ancient divination devices called Urim and Thummim. They are first mentioned in Exodus as 28:30 when God is giving Moses instructions on the clothing for the high priest. These tools were to be carried in the breast piece of judgment, and presumably were only used by the high priest. Suggestions as to their form and function come from the discovery of similar devices in other cultures of the ancient Near East. They may have been flat stones painted different colors, metal objects engraved with symbols, large dice, small sticks, or anything else imaginable. However they may have relayed God’s will, they were clearly effective tools used to discover God’s will in political situations.
66 When our census was complete, we numbered 42,360, 67 as well as the 7,337 male and female servants, 245 male and female singers, 68 and many animals: 736 horses, 245 mules, 69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70 Some of the heads of families made contributions so that the work we had begun could continue. As the governor, I contributed 1,000 gold coins, 50 gold bowls, 30 priests’ robes, and 630 pounds of silver.[b] 71 Then other family leaders began to give too: 20,000 gold coins and roughly 2,750 pounds of silver. 72 Together the rest of the community added 20,000 gold coins, 2,500 pounds of silver, and 67 priestly robes. 73 Then the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, many common folk, and the rest of Israel returned to live in their towns. This was finished by the beginning of the seventh month.
Paul and Silas are keeping a low profile in order to advance the cause of Jesus. Paul’s first miracle in the area is to cast out an evil spirit from a girl. This sets off an unexpected chain of events bringing the men into the city court to be beaten before the crowds. This sounds like the start of a very bad day. Silas must wonder, “Paul, what were you doing? Is your aggravation with this wandering girl worth all this trouble?” But they neither fight nor despair; instead, they sing, pray to God, and love their captors. Paul and Silas demonstrate that believers are not easily distracted or depressed as long as serving God is their priority.
17 After leaving Philippi and passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. There was a Jewish synagogue there. 2-3 As he had done in other cities, Paul attended the synagogue and presented arguments, based on the Hebrew Scriptures, that the Anointed had to suffer and rise from the dead.
Paul: Who is this suffering and rising Anointed One I am proclaiming to you? He is Jesus.
He came back the next two Sabbaths—repeating the same pattern. 4 Some of the ethnically Jewish people from the synagogue were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas. Even more devout Greeks who had affiliated with Judaism came to believe—along with quite a few of the city’s leading women. 5-6 Seeing this movement growing, the unconvinced Jewish people became protective and angry. They found some ruffians hanging out in the marketplaces and convinced them to help start a riot. Soon a mob formed, and the whole city was seething with tension. The mob was going street by street, looking for Paul and Silas—who were nowhere to be found. Frustrated, when the mob came to the house of a man named Jason, now known as a believer, they grabbed him and some other believers they found there and dragged them to the city officials.
Mob: These people—they’re political agitators turning the world upside down! They’ve come here to our fine city, 7 and this man, Jason, has given them sanctuary and made his house a base for their operations. We want to expose their real intent: they are trying to overturn Caesar’s sensible decrees. They’re saying that Jesus is king, not Caesar!
8 Of course, this disturbed the crowd at large and the city officials especially, 9 so they demanded bail from Jason and the others before releasing them.
10 The believers waited until dark and then sent Paul and Silas off to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the synagogue.
Though Paul is known as the Emissary to the Gentiles, wherever he goes he proclaims Jesus to the Jews in the synagogue from the Hebrew Scriptures first.
11 The Jewish people here were more receptive than they had been in Thessalonica. They warmly and enthusiastically welcomed the message and then, day by day, would check for themselves to see if what they heard from Paul and Silas was truly in harmony with the Hebrew Scriptures. 12 Many of them were convinced, and the new believers included—as in Thessalonica—quite a few of the city’s leading Greek women and important men also. 13 Reports got back to Thessalonica that Paul and Silas were now spreading God’s message in Berea; the Jewish people who had incited the riot in Thessalonica quickly came to Berea to do the same once again. 14-15 The believers sent Paul away. A small group escorted him, first to the coast, and then all the way to Athens. Silas and Timothy, however, remained in Berea. Later they received instructions from Paul to join him in Athens as soon as possible.
16 So Paul found himself alone for some time in Athens. He would walk through the city, feeling deeply frustrated about the abundance of idols there. 17 As in the previous cities, he went to the synagogue. Once again, he engaged in debate about Jesus with both ethnic Jews and devout Greek-born converts to Judaism. He would even wander around in the marketplace, speaking with anyone he happened to meet. 18 Eventually he got into a debate with some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Some were dismissive from the start.
Philosophers: What’s this fast-talker trying to pitch?
Others: He seems to be advocating the gods of distant lands.
They said this because of what Paul had been preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.
The philosophers misunderstand Paul’s message. They think he is talking about two deities: Jesus and Anastasis (the Greek word for “resurrection”).
19-21 This stirred their curiosity, because the favorite pastime of Athenians (including foreigners who had settled there) was conversation about new and unusual ideas. So they brought him to the rock outcropping known as the Areopagus, where Athens’ intellectuals regularly gathered for debate, and they invited him to speak.
Athenians: May we understand this new teaching of yours? It is intriguingly unusual. We would love to know its meaning.
Paul: 22 Athenians, as I have walked your streets, I have observed your strong and diverse religious ethos. You truly are a religious people. 23 I have stopped again and again to examine carefully the religious statues and inscriptions that fill your city. On one such altar, I read this inscription: “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” I am not here to tell you about a strange foreign deity, but about this One whom you already worship, though without full knowledge. 24 This is the God who made the universe and all it contains, the God who is the King of all heaven and all earth. It would be illogical to assume that a God of this magnitude could possibly be contained in any man-made structure, no matter how majestic. 25 Nor would it be logical to think that this God would need human beings to provide Him with food and shelter—after all, He Himself would have given to humans everything they need—life, breath, food, shelter, and so on.
This is the only universal God, the One who makes all people whatever their nationality or culture or religion.
26 This God made us in all our diversity from one original person, allowing each culture to have its own time to develop, giving each its own place to live and thrive in its distinct ways. 27 His purpose in all this was that people of every culture and religion would search for this ultimate God, grope for Him in the darkness, as it were, hoping to find Him. Yet, in truth, God is not far from any of us. 28 For you know the saying, “We live in God; we move in God; we exist in God.” And still another said, “We are indeed God’s children.” 29 Since this is true, since we are indeed offspring of God’s creative act, we shouldn’t think of the Deity as our own artifact, something made by our own hands—as if this great, universal, ultimate Creator were simply a combination of elements like gold, silver, and stone. 30 No, God has patiently tolerated this kind of ignorance in the past, but now God says it is time to rethink our lives and reject these unenlightened assumptions. 31 He has fixed a day of accountability, when the whole world will be justly evaluated by a new, higher standard: not by a statue, but by a living man. God selected this man and made Him credible to all by raising Him from the dead.
32 When they heard that last phrase about resurrection from the dead, some shook their heads and scoffed, but others were even more curious.
Others: We would like you to come and speak to us again.
33 Paul left at that point, 34 but some people followed him and came to faith, including one from Areopagus named Dionysius, a prominent woman named Damaris, and others.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.