March 20 - Matthew 19.1-15, Numbers 9-10 and Ecclesiastes 7
March 20 - Matthew 19.1-15, Numbers 9-10 and Ecclesiastes 7
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Teaching about Divorce
 3Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. They came up to him and asked, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"
4Jesus answered, "Don't you know that in the beginning the Creator made a man and a woman? 5That's why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. He becomes like one person with his wife. 6Then they are no longer two people, but one. And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together."
7The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why did Moses say that a man could write out divorce papers and send his wife away?"
8Jesus replied, "You are so heartless! That's why Moses allowed you to divorce your wife. But from the beginning God did not intend it to be that way. 9I say that if your wife has not committed some terrible sexual sin, you must not divorce her to marry someone else. If you do, you are unfaithful."
10The disciples said, "If that's how it is between a man and a woman, it's better not to get married."
11Jesus told them, "Only those people who have been given the gift of staying single can accept this teaching. 12Some people are unable to marry because of birth defects or because of what someone has done to their bodies. Others stay single in order to serve God better. Anyone who can accept this teaching should do so."
Jesus Blesses Little Children
13Some people brought their children to Jesus, so that he could place his hands on them and pray for them. His disciples told the people to stop bothering him. 14But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and don't try to stop them! People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom." 15After Jesus had placed his hands on the children, he left.
Regulations for Celebrating Passover Numbers 9 During the first month of Israel's second year in the Sinai Desert, the LORD had told Moses 2to say to the people, "Celebrate Passover 3in the evening of the fourteenth day of this month and do it by following all the regulations." 4-5Moses told the people what the LORD had said, and they celebrated Passover there in the desert in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.6Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the LORD, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron, 7"Even though we have touched a dead body, why can't we celebrate Passover and offer sacrifices to the LORD at the same time as everyone else?"
8Moses said, "Wait here while I go into the sacred tent and find out what the LORD says about this."
9The LORD then told Moses 10to say to the community of Israel:
The Cloud over the Sacred Tent
15-16As soon as the sacred tent was set up, a thick cloud appeared and covered it. The cloud was there each day, and during the night, a fire could be seen in it. 17-19The LORD used this cloud to tell the Israelites when to move their camp and where to set it up again. As long as the cloud covered the tent, the Israelites did not break camp. But when the cloud moved, they followed it, and wherever it stopped, they camped and stayed there, 20-22whether it was only one night, a few days, a month, or even a year. As long as the cloud remained over the tent, the Israelites stayed where they were. But when the cloud moved, so did the Israelites. 23They obeyed the LORD's commands and went wherever he directed Moses.
The Silver Trumpets Numbers 10 The LORD told Moses:
The Israelites Begin Their Journey 11On the twentieth day of the second month of that same year, the cloud over the sacred tent moved on. 12So the Israelites broke camp and left the Sinai Desert. And some time later, the cloud stopped in the Paran Desert. 13This was the first time the LORD had told Moses to command the people of Israel to move on.
14Judah and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out first, carrying their banner. Nahshon son of Amminadab was the leader of the Judah tribe, 15Nethanel son of Zuar was the leader of the Issachar tribe, 16and Eliab son of Helon was the leader of the Zebulun tribe.
17The sacred tent had been taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites carried it, marching behind the Judah camp.
18Reuben and the tribes that camped alongside it marched out second, carrying their banner. Elizur son of Shedeur was the leader of the Reuben tribe, 19Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was the leader of the Simeon tribe, 20and Eliasaph son of Deuel was the leader of the Gad tribe.
21Next were the Kohathites, carrying the objects for the sacred tent, which was to be set up before they arrived at the new camp.
22Ephraim and the tribes that camped alongside it marched next, carrying their banner. Elishama son of Ammihud was the leader of the Ephraim tribe, 23Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was the leader of the Manasseh tribe, 24and Abidan son of Gideoni was the leader of the Benjamin tribe.
25Dan and the tribes that camped alongside it were to protect the Israelites against an attack from behind, and so they marched last, carrying their banner. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was the leader of the tribe of Dan, 26Pagiel son of Ochran was the leader of the Asher tribe, 27and Ahira son of Enan was the leader of the Naphtali tribe.
28This was the order in which the Israelites marched each time they moved their camp.
29Hobab the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, was there. And Moses said to him, "We're leaving for the place the LORD has promised us. He has said that all will go well for us. So come along, and we will make sure that all goes well for you."
30"No, I won't go," Hobab answered. "I'm returning home to be with my own people."
31"Please go with us!" Moses said. "You can be our guide because you know the places to camp in the desert. 32Besides that, if you go, we will give you a share of the good things the LORD gives us."
33The people of Israel began their journey from Mount Sinai. They traveled three days, and the Levites who carried the sacred chest led the way, so the LORD could show them where to camp. 34And the cloud always stayed with them.
35Each day as the Israelites began their journey, Moses would pray, "Our LORD, defeat your enemies and make them run!" 36And when they stopped to set up camp, he would pray, "Our LORD, stay close to Israel's thousands and thousands of people."
The Best in Life Ecclesiastes 7 A good reputation at the time of death is better than loving care
at the time of birth.
 2It's better to go to a funeral
than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us
that we all must die.
3Choose sorrow over laughter
because a sad face
may hide a happy heart.
4A sensible person mourns,
but fools always laugh.
 5 Harsh correction is better
than the songs of a fool.
6Foolish laughter is stupid.
It sounds like thorns
crackling in a fire.
7Corruption makes fools
of sensible people,
and bribes can ruin you.
8Something completed is better
than something just begun;
patience is better
than too much pride.
9Only fools get angry quickly
and hold a grudge.
10It isn't wise to ask,
"Why is everything worse
than it used to be?"
11Having wisdom is better
than an inheritance.
12Wisdom will protect you
just like money;
knowledge with good sense
will lead you to life.
13Think of what God has done!
 If God makes something crooked,
can you make it straight?
14When times are good,
you should be cheerful;
when times are bad,
think what it means.
God makes them both
to keep us from knowing
what will happen next.
Some of Life's Questions 15I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, and I have seen criminals live to a ripe old age. 16So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart! 17Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. 18Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.
19Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
20No one in this world always does right.
21Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. 22Haven't you cursed many others?
23I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all of this, but it was too much for me. 24The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. 25So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
26Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. 27With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, 28but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. 29I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.
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This reading is from The
Holy Bible, Contemporary English Version, copyright © American
Bible Society, 1995.
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