Daily Bible Reading: July 14

Joshua 20. Then Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses, that the manslayer who strikes down any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become for you as a refuge from the avenger of blood.

And he shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and speak his case in the hearing of the elders of that city. And they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, so that he may live among them.

Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor without premeditation, and did not hate him beforehand. And he shall live in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days.

Then the manslayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from which he fled. So they set apart Kadesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah.

Now beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, in Ramoth, in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.

These were the appointed cities for all the sons of Israel, and for the sojourner who sojourns among them, that whoever strikes down any person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands before the congregation.

The Levites Receive Their Cities and Pasture Lands

Joshua 21. Then the heads of the households of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of households of the tribes of the sons of Israel. And they spoke to them at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, saying, Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle.

So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these cities with their pasture lands, according to the command of Yahweh. Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, received thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, and from the tribe of the Simeonites, and from the tribe of Benjamin.

Now the rest of the sons of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh. And the sons of Gershon received thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribe of Asher, and from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The sons of Morari, according to their families, received twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, and from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun. So the sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, as Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses.

They also gave from the tribe of the sons of Judah, and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name. And they were for the sons of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, for the lot was theirs first.

So they gave them Kiriath Arba, Arba being the father of Anak, that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its pasture lands all around it. But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, as his possession.

Thus to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, Libna also with its pasture lands, Jatir with its pasture lands, Ashtamoah with its pasture lands, Holon with its pasture lands, and Debir with its pasture lands, and Aen with its pasture lands, and Judah with its pasture lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands, nine cities from these two tribes.

From the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Gaba with its pasture lands, Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands, four cities. All the cities of the sons of Aaron the priest were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

Then the cities from the tribe of Ephraim were allotted to the families of the son of Kohath, the Levites, even to the rest of the sons of Kohath. And they gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands, and Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands, four cities.

From the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibethon with its pasture lands, Ejilon with its pasture lands, and Gath-ramon with its pasture lands, four cities. From the half-tribe of Manasseh they gave Tanakh with its pasture lands, and Gath-ramon with its pasture lands, two cities.

All the cities with their pasture lands from the families of the rest of the sons of Kohath were ten. Now to the sons of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites. From the half-tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan and Bashan, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands, two cities.

From the tribe of Issachar they gave Kishion with its pasture lands, Daburoth with its pasture lands, Jarmuth with its pasture lands, and Ganim with its pasture lands, four cities. From the tribe of Asher they gave Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, Helkoth with its pasture lands, and Reob with its pasture lands, four cities.

From the tribe of Naphtali they gave Kadesh and Galilee, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and Hamath-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands, three cities.

All the cities of the Gershonites, according to their families, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands. Now to the families of the sons of Morari, the rest of the Levites, they gave from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneum with its pasture lands, and Karta with its pasture lands, Demna with its pasture lands, Nahalal with its pasture lands, four cities.

From the tribe of Reuben they gave Bezer with its pasture lands, and Jehaz with its pasture lands, Ketemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephoth with its pasture lands, four cities. Cities. From the tribe of Gad they gave Ramoth and Gilead, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasture lands, and Mahanaim with its pasture lands, Heshba with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands, four cities in all.

All these were the cities of the sons of Merari, according to their families. The rest of the families of the Levites, and their lot was twelve cities. All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasture lands.

These cities each had its surrounding pasture lands. Thus it was with all these cities. So Yahweh gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it.

And Yahweh gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And no one of all their enemies stood before them. Yahweh gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one promise of the good promises which Yahweh had promised to the house of Israel failed.

All came to pass. Acts 1. The first account, O Theophilus, I composed about all that Jesus began to do and teach. Until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over forty days, and speaking about the things concerning the kingdom of God.

And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, you heard of from Me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? But He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to the end of the earth. And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying, that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

These all with one accord were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers.

A crowd of about one hundred twenty persons was there together, and said, Men, brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry. Now this man acquired a field with the price of his unrighteousness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his intestines gushed out.

And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem, so that in their language that field was called haqqadamah, that is, field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his residence be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it, and let another man take his office.

Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning with the baptism of John until the day that he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.

And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.

The Vanity of Idols and the Sovereignty of Yahweh

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles. Jeremiah 10 Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says Yahweh, Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens, although the nations are terrified by them.

For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They make it beautiful with silver and with gold. They strengthen it with nails and with hammers, so that it will not totter.

Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, and they cannot speak. They must be carried, because they cannot take a step. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, nor can they do any good. There is none like you, O Yahweh.

You are great, and great is your name and might. Who should not fear you, O King of the nations? Indeed, it is your due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like you.

But they are altogether senseless and foolish. They are in a discipline of vanities. It is mere wood. Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of a craftsman in the hands of a goldsmith.

Blue and purple are their clothing. They are all the work of wise craftsmen. But Yahweh is the true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

Thus you shall say to them, The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens. It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom.

And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. When He gives forth His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His storehouses.

Every man is senseless, devoid of knowledge. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven images. For his molten images are a lie, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, a work of mockery. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

The portion of Jacob is not like these. For the Maker of all is He, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. Yahweh of hosts is His name. Gather up your bundle from the ground, you who inhabit a land under siege.

For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I will cause them distress that they may find it. Woe is me because of my injury. My wound is desperately sick.

But I said, Truly this is a sickness, and I must bear it. My tent is destroyed, and all my ropes are torn out. My sons have gone from me, and are no more. There is no one to stretch out my tent again, or to set up my curtains.

For the shepherds have become senseless and have not sought Yahweh. Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered. The sound of a report, Behold, it comes, a great quaking out of the land of the north, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a haunt of jackals.

I know, O Yahweh, that a man's way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Discipline me, O Yahweh, but with justice, not with your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not know you, and on the families that do not call your name.

The Olivet Discourse: Signs of the End and the Coming of the Son of Man

For they have devoured Jacob, they have devoured him, and consumed him, and have made desolate his abode. Matthew 24. In coming out from the temple, Jesus was going along, and his disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to him.

And he answered and said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down. Now as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?

And Jesus answered and said to them, See to it that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. And you are going to hear of wars, and rumors of wars.

See that you are not alarmed. For those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. And at that time many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another.

Many false prophets will arise, and will deceive many. And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations.

And then the end will come. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, let the reader understand. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his garment. But woe to those who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved.

But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or, There he is, do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Behold, I have told you in advance. Therefore, if they say to you, Behold, he is in the wilderness, do not go out. Or, Behold, he is in the inner rooms, do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and appears even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the sky to the other. Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

So you too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.

And they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away. So will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two in the field. One will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding grain at the mill.

One will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

For this reason you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think he will. Who then is the faithful and prudent slave whom his master put in charge of his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master is not coming for a long time, and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the hypocrites.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.