321 " Give ear , O heavens , and let me speak ; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth . 2 " Let my teaching drop as the rain , My speech distill as the dew , As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb . 3 " For I proclaim the name of the Lord ; Ascribe greatness to our God ! 4 " The Rock ! His work is perfect , For all His ways are just ; A God of faithfulness and without injustice , Righteous and upright is He. 5 " They have acted corruptly toward Him, They are not His children , because of their defect ; But are a perverse and crooked generation . 6 "Do you thus repay the Lord , O foolish and unwise e people ? Is not He your Father who has bought you? He has made you and established you.
7 "Remember the days of old , Consider the years of all generations . Ask your father , and he will inform you, Your elders , and they will tell you. 8 " When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance , When He separated the sons of man , He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of Israel . 9 " For the Lord'S portion is His people ; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance . 10 " He found him in a desert land , And in the howling waste of a wilderness ; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye . 11 " Like an eagle that stirs up its nest , That hovers over its young , He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions . 12 " The Lord alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him. 13 " He made him ride on the high places of the earth , And he ate the produce of the field ; And He made him suck honey from the rock , And oil from the flinty rock , 14 Curds of cows , and milk of the flock , With fat of lambs , And rams , the breed of Bashan , and goats , With the finest e of the wheat - And of the blood of grapes you drank wine .
15 " But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked - You are grown fat , thick , and sleek - Then he forsook God who made him, And scorned the Rock of his salvation . 16 " They made Him jealous with strange gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger . 17 " They sacrificed to demons who were not God , To gods whom they have not known , New gods who came lately , Whom your fathers did not dread . 18 "You neglected the Rock who begot you, And forgot the God who gave you birth .
19 " The Lord saw this, and spurned them Because of the provocation of His sons and daughters . 20 "Then He said , 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; For they are a perverse generation , Sons in whom is no faithfulness . 21 ' They have made Me jealous with what is not God ; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols . So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people ; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation , 22 For a fire is kindled in My anger , And burns to the lowest part of Sheol , And consumes the earth with its yield , And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains . 23 ' I will heap misfortunes on them; I will use My arrows on them. 24 ' They will be wasted by famine , and consumed by plague And bitter destruction ; And the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, With the venom of crawling things of the dust . 25 ' Outside e the sword will bereave , And inside e terror - Both young man and virgin , The nursling with the man of gray hair .
26 'I would have said , " I will cut them to pieces , I will remove the memory of them from men ," 27 Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy , That their adversaries would misjudge , That they would say , " Our hand is triumphant , And the Lord has not done all this ."' 28 " For they are a nation lacking in counsel , And there is no understanding in them. 29 " Would that they were wise , that they understood this , That they would discern their future ! 30 " How could one chase a thousand , And two put ten thousand to flight , Unless e e their Rock had sold them, And the Lord had given them up? 31 "Indeed their rock is not like our Rock , Even our enemies themselves judge this. 32 "For their vine is from the vine of Sodom , And from the fields of Gomorrah ; Their grapes are grapes of poison , Their clusters , bitter . 33 "Their wine is the venom of serpents , And the deadly poison of cobras . 34 ' Is it not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up in My treasuries ? 35 ' Vengeance is Mine, and retribution , In due time their foot will slip ; For the day of their calamity is near , And the impending things are hastening upon them.' 36 " For the Lord will vindicate His people , And will have compassion on His servants , When He sees that their strength is gone , And there is none remaining, bond or free . 37 "And He will say , ' Where are their gods , The rock in which they sought refuge ? 38 ' Who ate the fat of their sacrifices , And drank the wine of their drink offering ? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your hiding place !
39 ' See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life . I have wounded and it is I who heal , And there is no one who can deliver from My hand . 40 'Indeed , I lift up My hand to heaven , And say , as I live forever , 41 If I sharpen My flashing sword , And My hand takes hold on justice , I will render vengeance on My adversaries , And I will repay those who hate Me. 42 ' I will make My arrows drunk with blood , And My sword will devour flesh , With the blood of the slain and the captives , From the long-haired leaders of the enemy .' 43 " Rejoice , O nations , with His people ; For He will avenge the blood of His servants , And will render vengeance on His adversaries , And will atone for His land and His people ."
44 Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people , he, with Joshua the son of Nun . 45 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel , 46 he said to them, " Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today , which you shall command your sons to observe carefully , even all the words of this law . 47 "For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life . And by this word you will prolong your days in the land , which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess ."
48 The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day , saying , 49 " Go up to this mountain of the Abarim , Mount Nebo , which is in the land of Moab opposite e Jericho , and look at the land of Canaan , which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession . 50 "Then die on the mountain where e you ascend , and be gathered to your people , as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people , 51 because e you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh e , in the wilderness of Zin , because e you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel . 52 " For you shall see the land at a distance e , but you shall not go there , into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel ."
331 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death . 2 He said , " The Lord came from Sinai , And dawned on them from Seir ; He shone forth from Mount Paran , And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones ; At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them. 3 " Indeed , He loves the people ; All Your holy ones are in Your hand , And they followed in Your steps ; Everyone receives of Your words . 4 " Moses charged us with a law , A possession for the assembly of Jacob . 5 " And He was king in Jeshurun , When the heads of the people were gathered , The tribes of Israel together .
6 " May Reuben live and not die , Nor his men be few ." 7 And this regarding Judah ; so he said , "Hear , O Lord , the voice of Judah , And bring him to his people . With his hands he contended for them, And may You be a help against his adversaries ."
8 Of Levi he said , "Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man , Whom You proved at Massah , With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah ; 9 Who said of his father and his mother , 'I did not consider them'; And he did not acknowledge his brothers , Nor did he regard his own sons , For they observed Your word , And kept Your covenant . 10 " They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob , And Your law to Israel . They shall put incense before You, And whole burnt offerings on Your altar . 11 "O Lord , bless his substance , And accept the work of his hands ; Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, And those who hate him, so that they will not rise again."
12 Of Benjamin he said , " May the beloved of the Lord dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day , And he dwells between His shoulders ." 13 Of Joseph he said , " Blessed of the Lord be his land , With the choice things of heaven , with the dew , And from the deep lying beneath , 14 And with the choice yield of the sun , And with the choice produce of the months . 15 "And with the best things of the ancient mountains , And with the choice things of the everlasting hills , 16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness , And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush . Let it come to the head of Joseph , And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers . 17 "As the firstborn of his ox , majesty is his, And his horns are the horns of the wild ox ; With them he will push the peoples , All at once , to the ends of the earth . And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim , And those are the thousands of Manasseh ."
18 Of Zebulun he said , "Rejoice , Zebulun , in your going forth , And, Issachar , in your tents . 19 " They will call peoples to the mountain ; There they will offer righteous sacrifices ; For they will draw out the abundance of the seas , And the hidden treasures of the sand ." 20 Of Gad he said , "Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad ; He lies down as a lion , And tears the arm , also the crown of the head . 21 " Then he provided the first part for himself, For there the ruler's portion was reserved ; And he came with the leaders of the people ; He executed the justice of the Lord , And His ordinances with Israel ."
22 Of Dan he said , "Dan is a lion's whelp , That leaps forth from Bashan ." 23 Of Naphtali he said , " O Naphtali , satisfied with favor , And full of the blessing of the Lord , Take possession of the sea and the south ." 24 Of Asher he said , "More blessed than sons is Asher ; May he be favored by his brothers , And may he dip his foot in oil . 25 " Your locks will be iron and bronze , And according to your days , so will your leisurely walk be.
26 " There is none like the God of Jeshurun , Who rides the heavens to your help , And through the skies in His majesty . 27 " The eternal God is a dwelling place , And underneath are the everlasting arms ; And He drove out the enemy from before e you, And said , 'Destroy !' 28 " So Israel dwells in security , The fountain of Jacob secluded , In a land of grain and new wine ; His heavens also drop down dew . 29 " Blessed are you, O Israel ; Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord , Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty ! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places ."
341 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo , to the top of Pisgah , which is opposite e Jericho . And the Lord showed him all the land , Gilead as far as Dan , 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh , and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea , 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho , the city of palm trees , as far as Zoar . 4 Then the Lord said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob , saying , 'I will give it to your descendants '; I have let you see it with your eyes , but you shall not go over there ."
5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab , according to the word of the Lord . 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab , opposite Beth-peor ; but no man knows his burial place to this day . 7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died , his eye was not dim , nor his vigor abated . 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days ; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end .
9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom , for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses . 10 Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses , whom the Lord knew face to face , 11 for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh , all his servants , and all his land , 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel .
26 The inscription of the charge against Him read , " THE KING OF THE JEWS ." 27 They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left . 28 [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says , "And He was numbered with transgressors ."] 29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads , and saying , "Ha ! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days , 30 save Yourself , and come down from the cross !" 31 In the same way the chief priests also , along with the scribes , were mocking Him among themselves and saying , " He saved others ; He cannot e save Himself . 32 "Let this Christ , the King of Israel , now come down from the cross , so that we may see and believe !" Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.
33 When the sixth hour came , darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour . 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice , " ELOI , ELOI , LAMA SABACHTHANI ?" which is translated , "MY GOD , MY GOD , WHY e HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying , "Behold , He is calling for Elijah ." 36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine , put it on a reed , and gave Him a drink , saying , "Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down ." 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry , and breathed His last . 38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom . 39 When the centurion , who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last , he said , "Truly this man was the Son of God !" 40 There were also some women looking on from a distance , among whom were Mary Magdalene , and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses , and Salome . 41 When He was in Galilee , they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem .
42 When evening had already come , because it was the preparation day , that is, the day before the Sabbath , 43 Joseph of Arimathea came , a prominent member of the Council , who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God ; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate , and asked for the body of Jesus . 44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time , and summoning the centurion , he questioned him as to whether He was already dead . 45 And ascertaining this from the centurion , he granted the body to Joseph . 46 Joseph bought a linen cloth , took Him down , wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock ; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb . 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid .
(Read Mark 15:22-32)
The place where our Lord Jesus was crucified, was called the place of a scull; it was the common place of execution; for he was in all respects numbered with the transgressors. Whenever we look unto Christ crucified, we must remember what was written over his head; he is a King, and we must give up ourselves to be his subjects, as Israelites indeed. They crucified two thieves with him, and him in the midst; they thereby intended him great dishonour. But it was foretold that he should be numbered with the transgressors, because he was made sin for us. Even those who passed by railed at him. They told him to come down from the cross, and they would believe; but they did not believe, though he gave them a more convincing sign when he came up from the grave. With what earnestness will the man who firmly believes the truth, as made known by the sufferings of Christ, seek for salvation! With what gratitude will he receive the dawning hope of forgiveness and eternal life, as purchased for him by the sufferings and death of the Son of God! and with what godly sorrow will he mourn over the sins which crucified the Lord of glory!
(Read Mark 15:33-41)
There was a thick darkness over the land, from noon until three in the afternoon. The Jews were doing their utmost to extinguish the Sun of Righteousness. The darkness signified the cloud which the human soul of Christ was under, when he was making it an offering for sin. He did not complain that his disciples forsook him, but that his Father forsook him. In this especially he was made sin for us. When Paul was to be offered as a sacrifice for the service saints, he could joy and rejoice, Philippians 2:17; but it is another thing to be offered as a sacrifice for the sin of sinners. At the same instant that Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom. This spake terror to the unbelieving Jews, and was a sign of the destruction of their church and nation. It speaks comfort to all believing Christians, for it signified the laying open a new and living way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. The confidence with which Christ had openly addressed God as his Father, and committed his soul into his hands, seems greatly to have affected the centurion. Right views of Christ crucified will reconcile the believer to the thought of death; he longs to behold, love, and praise, as he ought, that Saviour who was wounded and pierced to save him from the wrath to come.
(Read Mark 15:42-47)
We are here attending the burial of our Lord Jesus. Oh that we may by grace be planted in the likeness of it! Joseph of Arimathea was one who waited for the kingdom of God. Those who hope for a share in its privileges, must own Christ's cause, when it seems to be crushed. This man God raised up for his service. There was a special providence, that Pilate should be so strict in his inquiry, that there might be no pretence to say Jesus was alive. Pilate gave Joseph leave to take down the body, and do what he pleased with it. Some of the women beheld where Jesus was laid, that they might come after the sabbath to anoint the dead body, because they had not time to do it before. Special notice was taken of Christ's sepulchre, because he was to rise again. And he will not forsake those who trust in him, and call upon him. Death, deprived of its sting, will soon end the believer's sorrows, as it ended those of the Saviour.
