Day 33 – February 2, 2021

Genesis 33

Jacob and Esau Meet

1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau his brother was coming, and four hundred men with him. So Jacob divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.

2 Then he put the maidservants and their sons in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.

3 He then crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him; and they wept.

5 Then he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” He replied, “The children God mercifully gave your servant.”†

6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down.

7 Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Rachel and Joseph came near, and they bowed down.

8 Then Esau said, “What are these things to you, all this company I met?” So he said, “That your servant might find grace in the sight of my Lord.”

9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”

10 But Jacob replied, “If I have now found grace in your sight, receive the present from my hands, inasmuch as I have seen your face, as though someone might see the face of God; and you were pleased with me.

11 Receive my blessing I brought you, because God has shown me mercy; and I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows the children are weak, and the flocks and herds with me are giving birth. If therefore the men should drive them hard one day, all the cattle would die.

14 Let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace the children are able to bear, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

15 Then Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people with me.” But he said, “What need is there? It is enough that I found grace in my lord’s sight.”

16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

17 Then Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built houses, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore, he called the name of that place, Succoth.

18 Then Jacob came safely to Salem, a city of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, when he came from Mesopotamia of Syria; and he took up a position in front of the city.

19 He then bought the parcel of land where he pitched his tent from Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred male lambs.†

20 There he set up an altar and called on the God of Israel.

Psalms 32

13 The Lord looked attentively from heaven; He saw all the sons of men. 

14 From His prepared dwelling-place, He looked upon all who dwell on the earth, 

15 He who alone fashioned their hearts, He who understands all their works. 

16 A king is not saved by his large army, And a giant shall not be saved by his immense strength; 

17 A horse is a false hope for salvation, And it shall not be saved by its enormous power. 

18 Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 

19 To deliver their souls from death And to keep them alive in famine. 

20 Our soul shall wait for the Lord; He is our helper and protector; 

21 For our heart shall be glad in Him, And we hope in His holy name. 

22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, As we hope in You.

Proverbs of Solomon 6

Playing with Fire

26 When you walk about, bring along this commandment And let it be with you;† 

27 And as you sleep, let it guard you, That when you arise, it may speak to you. 

28 For a commandment of law is a lamp and a light, And the way of life is reproof and instruction, 

29 That you may keep yourself from a married woman And from the slanderous tongue of a strange woman. 

30 Do not let the desire of beauty conquer you; Neither be caught by her eyes, Nor captivated by her eyelids; 

31 For the value of a prostitute is only one loaf, And such a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

Matthew 21

Jewish Leaders Question Jesus

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”†

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25 The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.”

27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Sinners Believe

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’

29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.

30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.†

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

Leaders Mistreat God’s Messengers

33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.†

34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. 

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”†

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’ ? 

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.Ӡ

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.