Week 1, Saturday

Psalm 6

Psalm 6, from the Scottish Psalter.

Lord in thy wrath rebuke me not,
Nor in thy hot rage chasten me.
Lord pity me, for I am weak:
Heal me, for my bones vexed be.
My soul is also vexed sore:
But, Lord, how long stay wilt thou make?
Return, O Lord, my soul set free:
O save me for thy mercies sake.

Because those that deceased are,
Of thee shall no remembrance have:
And who is he that will to thee
Give praises lying in the grave?
I with my groaning weary am,
I also all the night, my bed
Have caused for to swim, and I
With tears my couch have watered.

Mine eye consum’d with grief grows old,
Because of all mine enemies.
Hence from me wicked workers all,
For God hath heard my weeping cries.
God hath my supplication heard;
My pray’r received graciously.
Sham’d, and sore vex’d be all my foes,
Sham’d, and back-turned suddenly.

Ezra 6

Ezra, chapter 6.

¹ Then King Darius gave commandment, and they made search in the library of the treasures, which were there laid up in Babel.

² And there was found in a coffer (in the palace that was in the province of the Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus written, as a memorial,

³ IN THE FIRST year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the house of God in Jerusalem, Let the house be built, even the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the walls thereof be joined together: let the height thereof be three score cubits, and the breadth thereof three score cubits,

⁴ Three orders of great stones, and one order of timber, and let the expenses be given of the Kings house.

⁵ And also let them render the vessels of the house of God (of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple, which was in Jerusalem, and brought unto Babel) and let him go unto the Temple that is in Jerusalem to his place, and put them in the house of God.

⁶ Therefore Tatnai captain beyond the River, and Shethar Boznai, (and their companions Apharsecaie, which are beyond the River) be ye far from thence.

⁷ Suffer ye the work of this house of God, that the captain of the Jews and the Elders of the Jews may build this house of God in his place.

⁸ For I have given a commandment what ye shall do to the Elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God, that of the revenues of the King, which is of the tribute beyond the River, there be incontinently expenses given unto these men that they cease not.

⁹ And that which they shall have need of, let it be given unto them day by day, whether it be young bullocks, or rams, or lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the Priests that are in Jerusalem, that there be no fault,

¹⁰ That they may have to offer sweet odors unto the God of heaven, and pray for the Kings life, and for his sons.

¹¹ And I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this sentence, the wood shall be pulled down from his house, and shall be set up, and he shall be hanged thereon, and his house shall be made a dunghill for this.

¹² And the God that hath caused his Name to dwell there, destroy all Kings and people that put to their hand to alter, and to destroy this house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree, let it be done with speed.

¹³ Then Tatnai the captain beyond the River, and Shethar Boznai and their companions, according to that which Darius had sent, so they did speedily.

¹⁴ So the Elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered by the prophesying of Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, and they builded and finished it, by the appointment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus and Darius, and Artahshashte king of Persia.

¹⁵ And this house was finished the third day of the month Adar, which was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶ And the children of Israel, the Priests, and the Levites, and the residue of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,

¹⁷ And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve goats, for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

¹⁸ And they set the Priests in their order, and the Levites in their courses over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

¹⁹ And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

²⁰ (For the Priests and the Levites were purified altogether) and they killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the Priests, and for themselves.

²¹ So the children of Israel which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them, from the filthiness of the Heathen of the land, to seek Yahweh God of Israel, did eat,

²² And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for Yahweh had made them glad, and turned the heart of the King of Asshur unto them, to encourage them in the work of the house of God, even the God of Israel.

Acts 6

Acts, chapter 6.

¹ And in those days, as the number of the disciples grew, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians towards the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministering.

² Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples together, and said, It is not meet that we should leave the word of God to serve the tables.

³ Wherefore brethren, look you out among you seven men of honest report, and full of the holy Ghost, and of wisdom, which we may appoint to this business.

⁴ And we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministration of the word.

⁵ And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Steven a man full of faith and of the holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a Proselyte of Antiochia,

⁶ Which they set before the Apostles: and they prayed, and laid their hands on them.

⁷ And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples was multiplied in Hierusalem greatly, and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith.

⁸ Now Steven full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

⁹ Then there arose certain of the Synagogue, which are called Libertines, and Cyrenians, and of Alexandria, and of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, and disputed with Steven.

¹⁰ But they were not able to resist the wisdom, and the Spirit by the which he spake.

¹¹ Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and God.

¹² Thus they moved the people and the Elders, and the Scribes: and running upon him, caught him, and brought him to the Council,

¹³ And set forth false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the Law.

¹⁴ For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the ordinances, which Moses gave us.

¹⁵ And as all that sate in the Council, looked steadfastly on him, they saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel.

The Belgic Confession

The Belgic Confession, Article 1.

THERE IS ONE ONLY GOD.

We all believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God; and that he is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good.

Eph. iv. 5; Deut. vi. 4; 1 Tim. ii. 5; 1 Cor. viii. 6; Jean iv. 24; Es. xl. 28; Rom. xi. 33; Rom. i. 20; Mal. iii. 6; Es. xliv. 6; 1 Tim. i. 17; Jér. xii. 1; Matt. xix. 17; Jacq. i. 17; 1 Chron. xxix. 10,11, 12

Let us pray.

Let us pray, in preparation for the Lord’s Day. A prayer of John Calvin.

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast not only of late adopted us as thy children, but before we were born, and as thou hast been pleased to sign us, as soon as we came forth from our mother’s womb, with the symbol of that holy redemption, which has been obtained for us by the blood of thy only begotten Son, though we have by our ingratitude renounced so great a benefit,—O grant, that being mindful of our defection and unfaithfulness, of which we are all guilty, and for which thou hast justly rejected us, we may now with true humility and obedience of faith embrace the grace of thy gospel now again offered to us, by which thou reconcilest thyself to us; and grant that we may steadfastly persevere in pure faith, so as never to turn aside from the true obedience of faith, but to advance more and more in the knowledge of thy mercy, that having strong and deep roots, and being firmly grounded in the confidence of sure faith, we may never fall away from the true worship of thee, until thou at length receivest us into that eternal kingdom, which has been procured for us by the blood of thy only Son. Amen.

Tonight at your table

Tonight at your table, read Genesis 6 and Matthew 6 with your household.

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day.

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day. Read Genesis 7, Matthew 7, Ezra 7 and Acts 7 for yourself, and take your household to the assembly.

This week’s question for your table. What is your only comfort in life and in death?