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Monday
First Lesson
Numbers 16:1-14
1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of
Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son
of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children
of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous
in the congregation, men of renown:
3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against
Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing
all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD
is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the
congregation of the LORD?
4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even
tomorrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and
will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen
will he cause to come near unto him.
6 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
7 And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD
tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose,
he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel
hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring
you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the
LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren
the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?
11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered
together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur
against him?
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab:
which said, We will not come up:
13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a
land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness,
except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth
with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards:
wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.
1st Lesson Questions -
Numbers 16:1-14. What was Dathan's and Abiram's sin? Is it still prevalent in our day within the Church? How so? RESOLVE.
Second Lesson
Luke 1:1-25
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order
a declaration of those things which are most surely believed
among us,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning
were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding
of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order,
most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein
thou hast been instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain
priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was
of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and
they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office
before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was
to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without
at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing
on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell
upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy
prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son,
and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice
at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall
drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with
the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord
their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient
to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for
the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this?
for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that
stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee,
and to show thee these glad tidings.
20 And,
behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the
day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest
not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he
tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they
perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned
unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that as soon as the days of his ministration
were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid
herself five months, saying,
25 Thus
hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on
me, to take away my reproach among men.
2nd Lesson Questions -
Luke 1:1-25. Zechariah's disbelief made him mute. (V. 20) How has my disbelief inhibited me in the past? Elisabeth, after becoming pregnant, said that God had taken away her reproach among men (V. 25) - that is to say, she believed that her prior barrenness was a sign of divine disfavour, and that therefore her being with child was a blessing from God. How have times changed, in this regard? Are there some who act as if pregnancy is the "reproach"? RESOLVE.