Friday, 29 Tammuz 5785 / July 25, 2025
Event
Romans 9:1-21
English Standard Version
God's Sovereign Choice
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,[a] my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[b] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
Psalm 88:9-13
English Standard Version
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Event
Work day
Here and Now
Here and Now
I slept really late at 2AM and so I woke up later and doing my devotion at 6:10AM but I was praying for Harvey and our future family last night.
SOAP
Scriptures
Torah Parshat Matot-Massei, 6th Portion (Bamidbar (Numbers) 34:16-35:8)
Numbers 34
English Standard Version
List of Tribal Chiefs
16 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 You shall take one chief from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance. 19 These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 Of the tribe of the people of Dan a chief, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a chief, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a chief, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a chief, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a chief, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And of the tribe of the people of Asher a chief, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a chief, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29 These are the men whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan.
SOAP
Scriptures
Torah Parshat Matot-Massei, 6th Portion (Bamidbar (Numbers) 34:16-35:8)
Numbers 34
English Standard Version
List of Tribal Chiefs
16 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 You shall take one chief from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance. 19 These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 Of the tribe of the people of Dan a chief, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a chief, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a chief, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a chief, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a chief, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And of the tribe of the people of Asher a chief, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a chief, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29 These are the men whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan.
Numbers 35
Cities for the Levites
35 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. 3 The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. 4 The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits[a] all around. 5 And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.
6 “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. 8 And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.”
Cities for the Levites
35 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. 3 The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. 4 The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits[a] all around. 5 And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.
6 “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. 8 And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.”
WWCF Readings
Psalm 135-137
Psalm 135
Psalm 135
English Standard Version
Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant![a]
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown,[b] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord, give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant![a]
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown,[b] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 136
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew[c] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew[c] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 137
How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?
1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows[d] there we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!
1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows[d] there we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!
Bible in A Year
Hosea 12-14; Romans 9:1-21; Psalm 88:9-13
Hosea 12
English Standard Version
1 Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long;
they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria,
and oil is carried to Egypt.
The Lord's Indictment of Israel and Judah
2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah and will punish Jacob according to his ways;
he will repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God.
4 He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor.
He met God[a] at Bethel, and there God spoke with us—
5 the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial name:
6 “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”
7 A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress.
8 Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich; I have found wealth for myself;
in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”
9 I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents,
as in the days of the appointed feast.
10 I spoke to the prophets; it was I who multiplied visions, and through the prophets gave parables.
11 If there is iniquity in Gilead, they shall surely come to nothing: in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;
their altars also are like stone heaps on the furrows of the field.
12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram; there Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he guarded sheep.
13 By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was guarded.
14 Ephraim has given bitter provocation; so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him
and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.
Hosea 12
English Standard Version
1 Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long;
they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria,
and oil is carried to Egypt.
The Lord's Indictment of Israel and Judah
2 The Lord has an indictment against Judah and will punish Jacob according to his ways;
he will repay him according to his deeds.
3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God.
4 He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor.
He met God[a] at Bethel, and there God spoke with us—
5 the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial name:
6 “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”
7 A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress.
8 Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich; I have found wealth for myself;
in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”
9 I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents,
as in the days of the appointed feast.
10 I spoke to the prophets; it was I who multiplied visions, and through the prophets gave parables.
11 If there is iniquity in Gilead, they shall surely come to nothing: in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;
their altars also are like stone heaps on the furrows of the field.
12 Jacob fled to the land of Aram; there Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he guarded sheep.
13 By a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was guarded.
14 Ephraim has given bitter provocation; so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him
and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.
Hosea 13
The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel
1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel,
but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
2 And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them, “Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away,
like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.
4 But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed,[b] they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
7 So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open.
9 He destroys[c] you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper.
10 Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—those of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?
11 I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.
1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel,
but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
2 And now they sin more and more, and make for themselves metal images,
idols skillfully made of their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of them, “Those who offer human sacrifice kiss calves!”
3 Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away,
like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.
4 But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought;
6 but when they had grazed,[b] they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
7 So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8 I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open.
9 He destroys[c] you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper.
10 Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—those of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?
11 I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.
Hosea 14
English Standard Version
A Plea to Return to the Lord
1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows[a] of our lips.
3 Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”
4 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
English Standard Version
A Plea to Return to the Lord
1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows[a] of our lips.
3 Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”
4 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
6 his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 They shall return and dwell beneath my[b] shadow; they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you.[c]
I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.
9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
7 They shall return and dwell beneath my[b] shadow; they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you.[c]
I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.
9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
English Standard Version
God's Sovereign Choice
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,[a] my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[b] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
Psalm 88:9-13
English Standard Version
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Observation
In Romans 9, Paul emphasized there that Not all who are Jews, of Jewish blood are sons of Abraham not because they cannot prove their Jewishness but because their Spirit rejects the Son of GOD who is JESUS, the Jewish Messiah. For being chosen is not a matter of flesh and blood, it is a matter of a heart that's humble enough willing to be circumcised. The true sons of Abraham are the children of the promise, for they are the children who will receive JESUS as their Messiah and LORD. Even in the flesh and blood descendants of Abraham GOD emphasized that the chosen son is the one whom Sarah will bore, not from Hagar but of Sarah. Just as those who Believe like Abraham are children of the Promise, it was through Isaac's descendants who are the children of the Promise.
Application
As Gentiles, we who believe in KING JESUS, we are the children of the Promise, because of our faith, we are the true sons of Abraham who believed GOD just like Abraham believed GOD. But our faith comes from the Scriptures whom the disciples have witnessed the Baptism of JESUS and heard the FATHER's voice when HE pointed to JESUS and told the people "This is my beloved Son with whom my Soul is pleased." Confirming the very words of Isaiah the Prophet who has prophesied to Israel of GOD's Chosen Son, 700 years before JESUS came to earth. This is the foundation of our faith, it rests in the Disciples of JESUS who were with him, who witnessed all HIS works. Today, I will chose to believe GOD speaking to me just as Abraham believed in GOD who had been speaking to him. I chose to believe GOD even though the many things HE said did not make sense or required me to be broken because I had to surrender the things that were not pleasing to HIM.
Prayers
Dear AVI,
Blessed are YOU LORD GOD YESHUA KING of the Universe!!! Blessed is YOUR HOLY Name, YOU are faithful and true and all glory and honor belongs to YOU! O GOD Almighty! Let YOUR kingdom come let YOUR will be done unto Harvey and I, our families, our work, our wokers, our ministries, all YOU have entrusted to us here on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us everyday O GOD our daily bread, our needs, our wants, our sustenance comes from YOU. Forgive us our sins, cleanse us with the blood of YESHUA as YOU give us the grace to forgive all those that have wronged us. Do not lead us to the test but deliver us from all evil heal us and use us for YOUR glory, use our prayers to bring lost and sick souls into YOUR kingdom. O GOD Almighty have YOUR way in our lives. I pray even for our Parents Anton and Ellen, Dennis and Myra to receive from YOU love, joy, gratefulness, revelation, good health, sound mind and soul, peace O GOD, I pray that YOU fill our homes with YOUR holy SPIRIT and let YOUR love be the center of our lives. I pray for Harvey and me to always cling to YOU, to seek YOU, to receive from YOU, depend on YOU, love YOU with all our hearts, soul, mind, body and strength. I pray that YOU speak to Harvey and reveal to him, who I am in YOUR Kingdom for he is my kingdom assignment. I want YOU to O GOD to always lead us and guide us, help him to fast and to receive revelations from YOU, to walk in YOUR truth daily. I pray for Janie Rose, Michael Placencia, Raymund Cal, Fredo Ordoyo, Manuela Ugaddan and all who are lost, sick and captives of the evil one to be set free in JESUS Name for by YOUR Stripes and YOUR blood we are healed O GOD Almighty. I pray for Randy to be prepared to have a wife and to be blessed in his work and that YOU will give him the grace to be a provider for his future family. I pray for Liz to be submissive so that she will also be rewarded to have a husband by YOU. I pray that we will all find true love in YOUR Kingdom, and be married to the spouses YOU have chosen for us. I pray O GOD, help us to be submissive and obedient to YOU and to understand what YOU want us to do and move with YOU. O GOD, have YOUR way in Harvey and me, for YOU deserve all our heart, our devotion, our love, our life, O GOD, unto YOU belong all the glory, honor, power and praises!
In the Name of YESHUA KING of Kings, Amen!
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