Week 3, Monday

Psalm 13

Psalm 13, from the Scottish Psalter.

How long wilt thou forget me, Lord,
shall it forever be?
O how long shall it be, that thou
wilt hide thy face from me?
How long take counsel in my soul,
still sad in heart, shall I?
How long exalted over me
shall be mine enemy?

O Lord my God, consider well,
and answer to me make:
Mine eyes enlighten, lest the sleep
of death me overtake.
Lest that mine enemy should say,
against him I prevail’d;
And, those that trouble me, rejoice
when I am mov’d and fail’d.

But I have all my confidence
thy mercy set upon:
My heart within me shall rejoice
in thy salvation.
I will unto the Lord my God
sing praises chearfully,
Because he hath his bountie shown
to me abundantly.

Nehemiah 5

Nehemiah, chapter 5.

¹ Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

² For there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters are many, therefore we take up corn, that we may eat and live.

³ And there were that said, We must gage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and take up corn for the famine.

⁴ There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the Kings tribute upon our lands and our vineyards.

⁵ And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, and our sons as their sons: and lo, we bring into subjection our sons and our daughters, as servants, and there be of our daughters now in subjection, and there is no power in our hands: for other men have our lands and our vineyards.

⁶ Then was I very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

⁷ And I thought in my mind, and I rebuked the princes, and the rulers, and said unto them, You lay burdens every one upon his brethren: and I set a great assembly against them,

⁸ And I said unto them, We (according to our ability) have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen: and will you sell your brethren again, or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and could not answer.

⁹ I said also, That which ye do, is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, for the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

¹⁰ For even I, my brethren, and my servants do lend them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this burden.

¹¹ Restore, I pray you, unto them this day their lands, their vineyards, their olives, and their houses, and remit the hundred part of the silver and of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil that ye exact of them.

¹² Then said they, We will restore it, and will not require it of them: we will do as thou hast said. Then I called the Priest, and caused them to swear, that they should do according to this promise.

¹³ So I shook my lap, and said, So let God shake out every man that will not perform this promise from his house, and from his labor: even thus let him be shaken out, and emptied. And all the Congregation said, Amen, and praised Yahweh: and the people did according to this promise.

¹⁴ And from the time that the King gave me charge to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year, even unto the two and thirtieth year of King Artahshashte, that is, twelve year, I, and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

¹⁵ For the former governors that were before me, had been chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: yea, and their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.

¹⁶ But rather I fortified a portion in the work of this wall, and we bought no land, and all my servants came thither together unto the work.

¹⁷ Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews, and rulers, which came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.

¹⁸ And there was prepared daily an ox, and six chosen sheep, and birds were prepared for me, and within ten days wine for all in abundance. Yet for all this I required not the bread of the governor: for the bondage was grievous unto this people.

¹⁹ Remember me, O my God, in goodness, according to all that I have done for this people.

Acts 15

Acts, chapter 15.

¹ Then came down certain from Judea, and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

² And when there was great dissension, and disputation by Paul and Barnabas against them, they ordained that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Hierusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this question.

³ Thus being brought forth by the Church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy unto all the brethren.

⁴ And when they were come to Hierusalem, they were received of the Church, and of the Apostles and Elders, and they declared what things God had done by them.

⁵ But said they, certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which did believe, rose up, saying, that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

⁶ Then the Apostles and Elders came together to look to this matter.

⁷ And when there had been great disputation, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Ye men and brethren, ye know that a good while ago, among us God chose out me, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe.

⁸ And God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, in giving unto them the holy Ghost even as he did unto us.

⁹ And he put no difference between us and them, after that by faith he had purified their hearts.

¹⁰ Now therefore, why tempt ye God, to lay a yoke on the disciples necks, which neither our fathers, nor we were able to bear?

¹¹ But we believe, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, even as they do.

¹² Then all the multitude kept silence, and heard Barnabas and Paul, which told what signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles by them.

¹³ And when they held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me.

¹⁴ Simeon hath declared, how God first did visit the Gentiles, to take of them a people unto his Name.

¹⁵ And to this agree the words of the Prophets, as it is written,

¹⁶ After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and the ruins thereof will I build again, and I will set it up,

¹⁷ That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my Name is called, saith the Lord which doeth all these things.

¹⁸ From the beginning of the world, God knoweth all his works.

¹⁹ Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them of the Gentiles that are turned to God,

²⁰ But that we send unto them, that they abstain themselves from filthiness of idols, and fornication, and that that is strangled, and from blood.

²¹ For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, seeing he is read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day.

²² Then it seemed good to the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antiochia with Paul and Barnabas: to wit, Judas whose surname was Barsabas and Silas, which were chief men among the brethren,

²³ And wrote letters by them after this manner, THE APOSTLES, and the Elders, and the brethren, unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antiochia, and in Syria, and in Cilicia, send greeting.

²⁴ Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us, have troubled you with words, and cumbered your minds, saying, Ye must be circumcised and keep the Law: to whom we gave no such commandment,

²⁵ It seemed therefore good to us, when we were come together with one accord, to send chosen men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶ Men that have given up their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷ We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, which shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

²⁸ For it seemed good to the holy Ghost, and to us, to lay no more burden upon you, than these necessary things,

²⁹ That is, that ye abstain from things offered to idols, and blood, and that that is strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

³⁰ Now when they were departed, they came to Antiochia, and after that they had assembled the multitude, they delivered the Epistle.

³¹ And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.

³² And Judas and Silas being Prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and strengthened them.

³³ And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace of the brethren unto the Apostles.

³⁴ Notwithstanding Silas thought good to abide there still.

³⁵ Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antiochia, teaching and preaching with many other, the word of the Lord.

³⁶ But after certain days, Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return, and visit our brethren in every city, where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

³⁷ And Barnabas counseled to take with them John, called Mark.

³⁸ But Paul thought it not meet to take him unto their company, which departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

³⁹ Then were they so stirred, that they departed asunder one from the other, so that Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus.

⁴⁰ And Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended of the brethren unto the grace of God.

⁴¹ And he went through Syria and Cilicia, stablishing the Churches.

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 3.

Question 6. Did God create man thus wicked and perverse?

No; but God created man good, and after his own image—that is, in righteousness and true holiness; that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him, and live with him in eternal blessedness, to praise and glorify him.

Question 7. From where, then, comes this depraved nature of man?

From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise, whereby our nature became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.

Question 8. But are we so far depraved that we are wholly unapt to any good, and prone to all evil?

Yes; unless we are born again by the Spirit of God.

A Church in the House

From Matthew Henry, A Church in the House, 1704.

It is a good thing when a Man hath a House of his own thus to convert it into a Church, by dedicating it to the Service and Honor of God, that it may be a Bethel, a House of God, and not a Bethaven, a House of Vanity and Iniquity. Every good Christian that is a Householder no doubt doth this habitually and virtually, having first given his own self to the Lord, he freely surrenders all he hath to him: But it may be of good use to do it actually and expressly, and often to repeat this Act of Resignation, This Stone which I have set for a Pillar shall be God’s House, Gen. 28. 22. Let all I have in my House, and all I do in it, be for the Glory of God; I own him to be my great Landlord, and I hold all from and under him; to him I promise to pay the Rents (the Quit-Rents) of daily Praises and Thanksgivings; and to do the Services, the easy Services of Gospel Obedience. Let Holiness to the Lord be written upon the House, and all the Furniture of it, according to the Word which God hath spoken, Zech. 14. 20, 21. That every Pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be Holiness to the Lord of Hosts. Let God by his Providence dispose of the Affairs of my Family, and by his Grace dispose the Affections of all in my Family, according to his Will, to his own Praise. Let me and mine be only, wholly, and forever his.

Be persuaded (Brethren) thus to dedicate your Houses to God, and beg of him to come and take Possession of them. If you never did it, do it tonight with all possible Seriousness and Sincerity. Lift up your Heads, O ye Gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Bring the Ark of the Lord into the Tent you have pitched, and oblige yourselves, and all yours, to attend it. Look upon your Houses as Temples for God, Places for Worship, and all your Possessions as dedicated Things, to be used for God’s Honor, and not to be alienated or profaned.

Let us pray.

Let us pray. A prayer of John Calvin.

Grant, Almighty God, that as we have not only been redeemed from Babylonian exile, but have also emerged from hell itself; for when we were the children of wrath thou didst freely adopt us, and when we were aliens, thou didst in thine infinite goodness open to us the gate of thy kingdom, that we might be made thy heirs through thy Son,—O grant that we may walk circumspectly before thee, and submit ourselves wholly to thee and to thy Christ, and not feign to be his members, but really prove ourselves to be his body, and to be so governed by his Spirit, that thou mayest at last gather us together into thy celestial kingdom, to which thou daily invitest us by the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tonight at your table

Tonight at your table, read Genesis 16 and Matthew 15 with your household.

This week’s question for your table. Did God create man thus wicked and perverse?