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Wednesday
The First
Lesson
Numbers 22:41-23:12
41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam,
and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence
he might see the utmost part of the people.
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and
prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered
on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and
I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever
he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven
altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return
unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice,
he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab
hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east,
saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I
defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills
I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not
be reckoned among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth
part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let
my last end be like his!
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I
took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed
them altogether.
12 And
he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which
the LORD hath put in my mouth?
1st Lesson Questions -
Numbers 22:41-23:12. Could Balaam's words in verse 12 be mine, or do I cave in and say what people want me to, rather than what God would have me say? How about during the last twenty-four hours? RESOLVE.
The Second
Lesson
Luke 3:1-22
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch
of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of
the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God
came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4 As
it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet,
saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye
the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall
be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the
rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized
of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from
the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin
not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father:
for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise
up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every
tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,
and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats,
let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat,
let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him,
Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed
you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what
shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither
accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in
their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you
with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose
shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his
floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff
he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto
the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias
his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod
had done,
20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that
Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove
upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art
my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Luke 3:1-22. Compare Isaiah 40:3-5 with verses 4-6. Can a person preach repentance without repenting himself? What do I need to turn from? RESOLVE.