Week 2, Saturday

Psalm 12

Psalm 12, from the Scottish Psalter.

Help Lord, because the godly man
doth daily fade away;
And from among the sons of men
the faithful do decay.
Unto his neighbor every one
doth utter vanity:
They with a double heart do speak,
and lips of flattery.

God shall cut off all flattering lips,
tongues that speak proudly, thus,
We’ll with our tongue prevail, our lips
are ours: who’s Lord ov’r us?
For poor oppressed, and for the sighs
of needy, rise will I,
Saith God, and him in safety set
from such as him defy.

The words of God are words most pure:
they be like silver try’d
In earthen furnace, seven times
that hath been purify’d.
Lord, thou shalt them preserve and keep
forever, from this race.
On each side walk the wicked, when
vile men are high in place.

Nehemiah 3

Nehemiah, chapter 3.

¹ Then arose Eliashib the high Priest with his brethren the Priests, and they built the sheep gate: they repaired it, and set up the doors thereof: even unto the tower of Meah repaired they it, and unto the tower of Hananeel.

² And next unto him builded the men of Jericho, and beside him Zaccur the son of Imri.

³ But the fish port did the sons of Senaah build, which also laid the beams thereof, and set on the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

⁴ And next unto them fortified Merimoth, the son of Urijah, the son of Hakkoz: and next unto them fortified Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel: and next unto them fortified Zadok, the son of Baana:

⁵ And next unto them fortified the Tekoites: but the great men of them put not their necks to the works of their lords.

⁶ And the gate of the old fishpool fortified Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodaiah: they laid the beams thereof, and set on the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

⁷ Next unto them also fortified Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, men of Gibeon, and of Mispah, unto the throne of the Duke, which was beyond the River.

⁸ Next unto him fortified Uzziel the son of Harhohiah of the goldsmiths: next unto him also fortified Hananiah, the son of Harakkahim, and they repaired Jerusalem unto the broad wall.

⁹ Also next unto them fortified Rephaiah, the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem.

¹⁰ And next unto him fortified Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house: and next unto him fortified Hattush, the son of Hashabniah.

¹¹ Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahath Moab fortified the second portion, and the tower of the furnaces.

¹² Next unto him also fortified Shallum, the son of Halloesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he, and his daughters.

¹³ The valley gate fortified Hanum, and the inhabitants of Zanuah: they built it, and set on the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, even a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung port.

¹⁴ But the dung port fortified Malchaiah, the son of Rechab, the ruler of the fourth part of Beth-haccarem: he built it, and set on the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

¹⁵ But the gate of the fountain fortified Shallum, the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the fourth part of Mizpah: he builded it, and covered it, and set on the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall unto the fishpool of Shelah by the Kings garden, and unto the steps that go down from the city of David.

¹⁶ After him fortified Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, until the other side over against the sepulchers of David, and to the fishpool that was repaired, and unto the house of the mighty.

¹⁷ After him fortified the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani, and the next unto him fortified Hashabiah the ruler of the half part of Keilah in his quarter.

¹⁸ After him fortified their brethren: Banai, the son of Henadad the ruler of the half part of Keilah:

¹⁹ And next unto him fortified Ezer, the son of Jeshua the ruler of Mizpah, the other portion over against the going up to the corner of the armor.

²⁰ After him was earnest Baruch the son of Zacchai, and fortified another portion from the corner unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high Priest.

²¹ After him fortified Merimoth, the son of Urijah, the son of Hakkoz, another portion from the door of the house of Eliashib, even as long as the house of Eliashib extended.

²² After him also fortified the Priests, the men of the plain.

²³ After them fortified Benjamin, and Hasshub over against their house: after him fortified Azariah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Anania, by his house.

²⁴ After him fortified Binnui, the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of Azariah unto the turning and unto the corner.

²⁵ Palal, the son of Uzai, from over against the corner, and the high tower, that lieth out from the Kings house, which is beside the court of the prison. After him, Pedaiah, the son of Parosh.

²⁶ And the Nethinims they dwelt in the fortress unto the place over against the water gate, Eastward, and to the tower that lieth out.

²⁷ After him fortified the Tekoites another portion over against the great tower, that lieth out, even unto the wall of the fortress.

²⁸ From above the horse gate forth fortified the Priests, every one over against his house.

²⁹ After them fortified Zadok the son of Immer over against his house: and after him fortified Shemaiah, the son of Shechaniah the keeper of the East gate.

³⁰ After him fortified Hananiah, the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the son of Zalaph, the sixth, another portion after him fortified Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, over against his chamber.

³¹ After him fortified Malachiah the goldsmiths son, until the house of the Nethinims, and of the merchants over against the gate Miphkad, and to the chamber in the corner.

³² And between the chamber of the corner unto the sheep gate fortified the goldsmiths and the merchants.

Acts 13

Acts, chapter 13.

¹ There were also in the Church that was at Antiochia, certain Prophets and teachers, as Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen (which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch) and Saul.

² Now as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them.

³ Then fasted they and prayed, and laid their hands on them, and let them go.

⁴ And they, after they were sent forth of the holy Ghost, came down unto Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

⁵ And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the Synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

⁶ So when they had gone throughout the isle unto Paphus, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, being a Jew, named Bariesus,

⁷ Which was with the Deputy Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

⁸ But Elimas, the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, and sought to turn away the Deputy from the faith.

⁹ Then Saul (which also is called Paul) being full of the holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

¹⁰ And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, the child of the devil, and enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight ways of the Lord?

¹¹ Now therefore behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, and not see the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about, seeking some to lead him by the hand.

¹² Then the Deputy when he saw what was done, believed, and was astonied at the doctrine of the Lord.

¹³ Now when Paul and they that were with him were departed by ship from Paphus, they came to Perga a city of Pamphylia: then John departed from them, and returned to Hierusalem.

¹⁴ But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antiochia a city of Pisidia, and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sate down.

¹⁵ And after the lecture of the Law and Prophets, the rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up and beckoned with the hand, and said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hearken.

¹⁷ The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought them out thereof.

¹⁸ And about the time of forty years, suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

¹⁹ And he destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, and divided their land to them by lot.

²⁰ Then afterward he gave unto them Judges about four hundred and fifty years, unto the time of Samuel the Prophet.

²¹ So after that, they desired a King, and God gave unto them Saul, the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

²² And after he had taken him away, he raised up David to be their King, of whom he witnessed, saying, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which will do all things that I will.

²³ Of this mans seed hath God according to his promise raised up to Israel, the Savior Jesus:

²⁴ When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

²⁵ And when John had fulfilled his course, he said, Whom ye think that I am, I am not he: but behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoe of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

²⁶ Ye men and brethren, children of the generation of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

²⁷ For the inhabitants of Hierusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the words of the Prophets, which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

²⁸ And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate to kill him.

²⁹ And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and put him in a sepulcher.

³⁰ But God raised him up from the dead.

³¹ And he was seen many days of them, which came up with him from Galile to Hierusalem, which are his witnesses unto the people.

³² And we declare unto you, that touching the promise made unto the fathers,

³³ God hath fulfilled it unto us their children, in that he raised up Jesus, even as it is written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee.

³⁴ Now as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he hath said thus, I will give you the holy things of David, which are faithful.

³⁵ Wherefore he saith also in another place, Thou wilt not suffer thine Holy one to see corruption.

³⁶ Howbeit, David after he had served his time by the counsel of God, he slept, and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption.

³⁷ But he whom God raised up, saw no corruption.

³⁸ Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.

³⁹ And from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses, by him every one that believeth, is justified.

⁴⁰ Beware therefore lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets,

⁴¹ Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish away: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall not believe, if a man would declare it you.

⁴² And when they were come out of the Synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles besought, that they would preach these words to them the next Sabbath day.

⁴³ Now when the congregation was dissolved, many of the Jews and Proselytes that feared God, followed Paul and Barnabas, which spake unto them, and exhorted them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴ And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together, to hear the word of God.

⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the people, they were full of envy, and spake against those things, which were spoken of Paul, contrarying them, and railing on them.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas spake boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁴⁷ For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have made thee a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be the salvation unto the end of the world.

⁴⁸ And when the Gentiles heard it, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained unto eternal life, believed.

⁴⁹ Thus the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country.

⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred certain devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

⁵¹ But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the holy Ghost.

The Belgic Confession

The Belgic Confession, Article 2.

BY WHAT MEANS GOD IS MADE KNOWN UNTO US.

We know him by two means: first, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures, great and small, are as so many characters leading us to contemplate the invisible things of God, namely, his eternal power and Godhead, as the Apostle Paul saith (Rom. i. 20). All which things are sufficient to convince men, and leave them without excuse. Secondly, he makes himself more clearly and fully known to us by his holy and divine Word; that is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know in this life, to his glory and our salvation.

Psa. xix. 2; Eph. iv. 6; Psa. xix. 8; 1 Cor. xii. 6

Let us pray.

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

Grant, Almighty God, that since thou hast at this time deigned in thy mercy to gather us to thy Church, and to enclose us within the boundaries of thy word, by which thou preservest us in the true and right worship of thy majesty,—O grant, that we may continue contented in this obedience to thee: and though Satan may, in many ways, attempt to draw us here and there, and we be also ourselves, by nature, inclined to evil, O grant, that being confirmed in faith, and united to thee by that sacred bond, we may yet constantly abide under the guidance of thy word, and thus cleave to Christ thy only-begotten Son, who has joined us forever to himself, that we may never by any means turn aside from thee, but be, on the contrary, confirmed in the faith of his gospel, until at length he will receive us all into his kingdom. Amen.

Tonight at your table

Tonight at your table, read Genesis 14 and Matthew 13 with your household.

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day.

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day. Read Genesis 15, Matthew 14, Nehemiah 4 and Acts 14 for yourself, and take your household to the assembly.

This week’s question for your table. How do you know your misery?