WELS Through my Bible in Three Years

Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 03 Luke 22:1-13 LISTEN HERE Luke 22:1-13 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0503db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 22 The Plot to Kill Jesus The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. The chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find some way to put Jesus to death, because they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. He went away and spoke with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. He promised to do it and was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them away from the crowd. Jesus Celebrates the Passover The day of Unleavened Bread arrived, when it was necessary to sacrifice the Passover lamb. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” He told them, “Just as you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters. Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.” They went and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 02 Luke 21:25-38 LISTEN HERE Luke 21:25-38 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0502db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 21 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.” He told them a parable. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as they are sprouting leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is actually near. So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Amen I tell you: This generation will not pass away until all these things happen. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be Ready! “Watch yourselves or else your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly. For it will come like a trap on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Stay alert all the time, praying that you may be able to escape all these things that are going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” During the days, Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, and each night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to listen to him in the temple courts. Footnotes Daniel 7:13Or kind of peopleA few witnesses to the text read suddenly like a trap. Yes, it will come on all those . . . The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 01 Luke 21:1-24 LISTEN HERE Luke 21:1-24 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0501db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 21 The Poor Widow Gave More Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the offering box. He saw a poor widow there putting in two small coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than everyone, for all these put in some of their leftovers as gifts to God, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.” The Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World As some were talking about the temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said, “These things that you see here—the days will come when there will not be one stone left on another—every one will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what is the sign that these things are about to happen?” He said, “Watch out so that you are not deceived! For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. Whenever you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end will not be right then.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be horrifying sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. It will turn out to be your opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand how to defend yourselves, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all people for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By patient endurance you will gain your lives. “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are inside the city get out. Let those who are in the country not enter the city. For these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that has been written. How terrible it will be for those who are pregnant and nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken captive to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Footnotes Literally lepta. One lepton was a coin worth about 1⁄128 of an agricultural worker’s daily wages.Or put in gifts to God from their abundanceGreek adelphoi. Depending on the context, this plural word may refer to brothers or siblings (including any sisters). See Luke 14:26 where the text literally says brothers and sisters. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 30 Luke 19:47 – 20:47 LISTEN HERE Luke 19:47 – 20:47 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0430db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 19 Every day he was teaching in the temple courts, but the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the leaders of the people continued to look for a way to put him to death. They could not find any way to do it, because all the people were clinging to him and listening. Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned Luke 20 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the good news, the chief priests and experts in the law came to him with the elders. They asked him, “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things. Or who is the one who gave you this authority?” He answered them, “I will also ask you one question. Tell me: the baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?” They discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” So they answered that they did not know where it was from. Jesus said to them, “Neither am I going to tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” The Parable of the Wicked Tenants He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to some tenant farmers, and went away on a journey for a long time. When it was the right time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. The man went ahead and sent yet another servant, but they also beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. He then sent yet a third. They also wounded him and threw him out. The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my son, whom I love. Perhaps they will respect him.’ “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they talked it over with one another. They said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’ They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. So what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “May it never be!” But he looked at them and said, “Then what about this that is written: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush the one on whom it falls.” That very hour the chief priests and the experts in the law began looking for a way to lay hands on him, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. Paying Taxes to Caesar They watched him carefully and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, so that they could trap Jesus in something he said, and then deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor. They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right and show no partiality to anyone, but you teach the way of God on the basis of the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But he was aware of their deceit and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they answered. He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They were not able to trap him in what he said in the presence of the people. They were amazed at his answer and became silent. The God of the Living Some of the Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother. So there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless. The...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 29 Luke 19:29-46 LISTEN HERE Luke 19:29-46 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0429db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Luke 19 As he came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ahead, saying, “Go to the village ahead of you. When you enter it, you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’” Those who were sent ahead went and found things just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their robes on the colt and set Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their robes on the road. As he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud voice, for all the miracles they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” He replied, “I tell you, if these people would be silent, the stones would cry out.” As he came near, he saw the city and wept over it. He said, “If you, yes you, had only known on this day the things that would bring peace to you. But now, it is hidden from your eyes. In fact, the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. Within your walls, they will dash you and your children to the ground. And within your walls, they will not leave one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time when God came to help you.” Jesus Cleanses His Father’s House Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling things there. He told them, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of robbers’!” Footnotes Psalm 118:26Some witnesses to the text read this your day.The time when God came to help you is literally the time of your visitation.Some witnesses to the text add and buying.Isaiah 56:7Jeremiah 7:11 The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Share on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 28 Genesis 50 LISTEN HERE Genesis 50 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0428db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Joseph put his face against his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him. Joseph commanded the physicians who served him to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were set aside for him, for that is how many days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians mourned for him for seventy days. When the days of mourning for Jacob were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh. He said, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak directly to Pharaoh for me and say that my father made me take an oath. He said to me, ‘Look, I am dying. Bury me in my tomb that I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will return here again.” Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.” Joseph went up to bury his father, and all the officials of Pharaoh went up with him: the senior officials of Pharaoh’s household, all the elders of the land of Egypt, all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. Both chariots and horsemen went up with him. It was a very great entourage. They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is on the other side of the Jordan, and there they mourned with a very loud and bitter lament. Joseph mourned for his father seven days. When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, witnessed the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very solemn mourning by the Egyptians.” That is why they named the place Abel Mizraim. It is beyond the Jordan. His sons did for him just what he commanded them to do: They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field at Machpelah, which Abraham had purchased along with the field. He purchased it from Ephron the Hittite, as a piece of property for a burial site near Mamre. After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt—he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. Joseph and His Brothers When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and will pay us back in full for all of the evil that we did to him.” They sent the following message to Joseph: “Before he died your father commanded us, ‘You are to tell Joseph, “Please forgive the offense of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down in front of him, and they said, “See now, we are your servants.” Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring this to pass and to keep many people alive, as it is this day. Now therefore, do not be afraid. I will nourish you and your little ones.” He comforted them and spoke to them in a kind way. The Death of Joseph Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Joseph lived one hundred ten years. He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Makir, the son of Manasseh, were placed on Joseph’s knees when they were born. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Joseph made the descendants of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely visit you. Then you shall carry my bones up from here.” So Joseph died when he was one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Footnotes Abel Mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 27 Genesis 49 LISTEN HERE Genesis 49 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0427db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Jacob Blesses His Sons Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, so that I can declare to you what will happen to you in the days to come.” Assemble together, and listen to this, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my vigor, excelling in dignity and excelling in power. Boiling over like water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, and you defiled it. He went up to my couch! Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their daggers are weapons of violence. My soul, do not enter their council. My glory, do not join in their assembly. Yes, in their anger they killed men. In their spitefulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce. Cursed be their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob. I will scatter them in Israel. Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the throat of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down to you. Judah is a lion’s cub. You have gone up from the prey, my son. He stooped down. He crouched like a lion. He is like a lioness. Who will provoke him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until the one to whom it belongs comes. He will receive the obedience of the peoples. He will tie his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine. He has washed his clothing in wine, his garments in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. Zebulun will dwell at the seashore. He will provide a landing place for ships. His border will extend toward Sidon. Issachar is a strong-boned donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. He saw a resting place that was good. He saw land that was pleasant. He bows his shoulder under the burden and becomes a slave doing forced labor. Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake in the way, a viper in the path. It bites the horse’s heels, so that its rider falls backward. I have waited for your salvation, O Lord. Raiders will attack Gad, but he will attack their heels. Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce delicacies fit for a king. Naphtali is a doe set free, that bears beautiful fawns. Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall. The archers have fiercely attacked him. They shot at him and harassed him, but his bow remained steady. His arms and hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, by the God of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you with blessings from heaven above, blessings from the deep that lies below, blessings from the breasts and from the womb. The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of my parents, greater than the treasures of the ancient hills. They will rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of him who is elevated above his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the spoils. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them when he blessed them. He blessed each one with the appropriate blessing. He instructed them and said to them, “I am going to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham purchased along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 26 Genesis 47:13 – 48:22 LISTEN HERE Genesis 47:13 – 48:22 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0426db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Genesis 47 The Famine There was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan grew weak because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment for the grain that they purchased, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. When all the money in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan had been spent, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die right in front of your eyes? Look, our money is running out.” So Joseph said, “Give me your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock if your money is gone.” They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys. He supplied them with food for that year in exchange for all their livestock. When that year was ended, they came to him during the second year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord the fact that our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock belong to my lord. My lord can see that we have nothing left but our bodies and our lands. Why should we die right in front of your eyes, both we and our land? Purchase us and our land in exchange for bread, and we along with our land will serve Pharaoh. Give us seed, so that we may live and not die, so that the land will not be desolate.” So Joseph purchased all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every man among the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine had them in its grip, and the land became Pharaoh’s. As for the people, he made them all servants from one end of the territory of Egypt all the way to the other end of it. The land that belonged to the priests was the only land that he did not purchase, because the priests had a regular allotment from Pharaoh and ate from the allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, “Since I have purchased you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you to sow the land. This is what you shall do at the harvests: Give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths will be your own share, which you can use as seed to sow the field and as food for yourselves, for everyone in your household, and for your little ones.” They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” Joseph made it a regulation concerning the farmland in Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should receive a fifth of the produce. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s. Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they acquired possessions for themselves there. They were fruitful and multiplied greatly. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years. The time drew near that Israel must die, so he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truthfully with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, you are to carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” He said, “I will do as you have said.” He said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Israel bowed himself on the head post of the bed. Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh Genesis 48 Sometime after these things Joseph was told, “Come right away. Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him. Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you,” so Israel gathered his strength and sat up on the bed. Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 25 Genesis 46:1 – 47:12 LISTEN HERE Genesis 46:1 – 47:12 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0425db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Jacob Goes to Egypt Genesis 46 Israel traveled with all that he had until he came to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God called to Israel in a vision at night, “Jacob, Jacob!” Jacob said, “I am here.” He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will certainly bring you back again. And Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.” Jacob set out from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel transported Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. They took their livestock and their property that they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came into Egypt—Jacob, and all his offspring with him, his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters. So he brought all his offspring with him into Egypt. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, that is, Jacob and his sons: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah, but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahle’el. Those are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with his daughter Dinah. The total number of souls of his sons and his daughters was thirty-three. The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. Those are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and Zilpah bore these to Jacob, a total of sixteen souls. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, gave birth to them. The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Na’aman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob. The total was fourteen souls. The son of Dan was Hushim. The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob. The total was seven souls. The total number of souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct descendants, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, was sixty-six. The sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls. The total number of the souls in the house of Jacob who came into Egypt was seventy. Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to lead the way to Goshen. And so they arrived in the land of Goshen. Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He approached him, hugged him, and wept on his shoulder for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen you face-to-face and you are still alive.” Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go up and speak with Pharaoh. I will tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. These men are shepherds. They make their living taking care of livestock, and they have brought with them their flocks and their herds, and all that they have.’ This is what you should say when Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ You shall say, ‘Your servants have been...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 24 Genesis 45 LISTEN HERE Genesis 45 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0424db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Joseph was unable to control himself in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone out from my presence!” When no one else was left with him, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. He wept out loud. The Egyptians heard him, and the house of Pharaoh heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him, because they were terrified by his presence. Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me, please.” They came closer. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be upset or angry with yourselves for selling me to this place, since God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For two years now the famine has been in the land, and there are still five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me ahead of you to preserve you as survivors on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great act of deliverance. So it was not you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord over his entire household, and ruler over the whole land of Egypt. Hurry, go up to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not delay. You shall live in the land of Goshen, where you will be close to me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will take care of you here, for there are still five years of famine. Otherwise you will come to ruin, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’ Pay attention. Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You shall tell my father all about my position of honor in Egypt and about everything that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After that his brothers talked with him. This report was heard in Pharaoh’s house: “Joseph’s brothers have come.” This pleased Pharaoh and his officials. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Load your animals. Travel quickly to the land of Canaan. Get your father and your households, and return to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the rich food of the land. Now I command you to do this: Take carts from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives, and bring your father here. Also, do not worry about your belongings, for the best of the whole land of Egypt is yours.’” So that is what the sons of Israel did. Joseph gave them carts as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. He gave each one of them a change of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and supplies for his father on the journey. So he dismissed his brothers, and they departed. He said to them, “See to it that you do not quarrel on the way.” They went up from Egypt and came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan. They told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” He was stunned because he did not believe them. They told Jacob every word that Joseph had said to them. When he saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Footnotes Or wagons. Ancient pictorial evidence suggests the vehicles were two-wheeled ox carts, not four-wheeled wagons.Literally his heart was numb The Holy Bible,...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 23 Genesis 44 LISTEN HERE Genesis 44 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0423db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Joseph commanded the manager of his house, “Fill the men’s bags with food, as much as they can carry. Put each man’s money into the mouth of his bag. Put my cup, the silver cup, into the mouth of the bag of the youngest, along with his money for the grain.” The manager did exactly what Joseph told him to do. As soon as it became light in the morning, the men were sent on their way, with their donkeys. When they had left the city and still were not very far away, Joseph said to his manager, “Get up. Pursue those men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Isn’t this the cup that my lord drinks from and that he uses for divination? By doing this you have done evil.’” The steward caught up to them and spoke those words to them. They replied to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Your servants would never do such a thing! That money, which we found in the mouths of our bags—we brought it back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? If your cup is found with any of your servants, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” He said, “Fine, it will be just as you have said. If it is found with anyone, he will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.” Then each man quickly lowered his bag to the ground, and each man opened his bag. The manager searched, beginning with the oldest and finishing with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. Then they tore their clothing, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him. Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? Didn’t you know that a man like me can discover things by divination?” Judah said, “What can we tell my lord? What can we say? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the guilt of your servants. Here we are. We are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found.” Joseph said, “I would never do that. The man in whose hand the cup was found will be my slave, but as for the rest of you, go up in peace to your father.” Then Judah approached him and said, “O my lord, please let your servant speak to my lord directly. Do not let your anger burn against your servant, because you are just like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child from his old age, a young one. His brother is dead, and he alone is left from his mother, and his father loves him.’ You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, so that I may see him with my own eyes.’ We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he were to leave his father, his father would die.’ You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will never see my face again.’ And so it was that when we came to your servant, my father, we told him about the words of my lord. Our father said, ‘Go again. Buy us a little food.’ We said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go down, because we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave birth to two sons for me. The one has departed from me and I said, “I am sure he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since. If you take this one away from me as well, and mishap comes upon him, you will bring my gray hairs down to the grave with sorrow.’ So now when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since my father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life, when he sees that the boy is no more, he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 22 Genesis 43 LISTEN HERE Genesis 43 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0422db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible The famine in the land was severe, so when they had eaten all the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy a little more food for us.” Judah said to him, “The man sternly warned us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you, but if you do not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man that you had another brother?” They said, “The man interrogated us about ourselves and about our relatives. He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?” Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will get up and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I will serve as a guarantee for him. You can hold me accountable for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him in front of you, then let me bear the blame forever. Look, if we had not delayed, we certainly could have returned for a second time by now.” Their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then this is what you should do: Put some of the best products of the land into your containers and take a gift for the man: a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. Also take double the amount of silver with you. Take back the silver that was returned into the mouths of your bags. Perhaps it was an oversight. Also take your brother. Get going and return to the man. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. But if I am deprived of my children, I am deprived.” The men took that present, and they took double the amount of silver with them. They also took Benjamin. They got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his house, “Bring the men into the house. Butcher an animal and prepare it, for the men will dine with me at noon.” The manager did as Joseph commanded and brought the men to Joseph’s house. The brothers were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “Because of the money that was returned into our bags the first time, we are being brought in, so that he may find a pretext against us, pounce on us, seize us as slaves, and take our donkeys.” They approached the manager of Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the door of the house. They said, “Please, my lord, we really did come down the first time to buy food. When we came to the lodging place, we opened our bags, and to our surprise each man’s silver was in the mouth of his bag, the full amount of our money. We have brought it back with us. We have also brought down with us additional money to buy food. We do not know who put our money into our bags.” He said, “There is no problem. Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your bags. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them. The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, so they could wash their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. They prepared the gift for Joseph, who was coming at noon, because they heard that they would be eating bread there. When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gift that they had brought to the house, and they bowed down to the ground in front of him. He asked them about their welfare: “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 21 Genesis 42 LISTEN HERE Genesis 42 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0421db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Joseph and His Brothers When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing here looking at each other?” He also said, “Listen, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us there, so that we may live and not die.” So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin along with his other brothers, because he said, “Something bad might happen to him.” The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain because of the famine in the land of Canaan. Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where the land is exposed.” They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. We are all one man’s sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies.” He said to them, “No, you have come to see where the land is exposed!” They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. Listen, at the present time the youngest remains with our father, and one is no more.” Joseph said to them, “It is just as I said. You are spies! This is how you will be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall never get out of here, unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you to get your brother. The rest of you will be kept under arrest, so that your words may be tested, whether you are telling the truth. Otherwise, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies.” He kept them all together, confined in the jail for three days. On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do what I tell you and you will live, because I fear God. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in the jail, but the rest of you go and deliver grain to your houses to relieve the famine. Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words may be verified, and you will not die.” So they did as he said. They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the misery of his soul when he begged us, but we would not listen. That is why this misery has come upon us.” Reuben answered them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’? But you would not listen. So now payment for his blood is being required from us.” They did not know that Joseph understood them, because an interpreter was being used between them. Joseph turned away from them and wept. After he returned and spoke to them, he seized Simeon from among them and tied him up before their very eyes. Then Joseph gave a command to fill their containers with grain, to return each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the journey. So all this was done for them. They loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. When one of them opened his sack at the lodging place to give his donkey food, he saw his money. It was right there in the mouth of his bag. He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! Look, there it is, in my bag!” Their hearts sank, and they turned to one another trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” They came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him everything that had happened to them. They said, “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and accused us of being spies against the country. We...

Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 20 Genesis 41:14-57 LISTEN HERE Genesis 41:14-57 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0420db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Genesis 41 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon. Joseph shaved, changed his clothing, and went to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in my power. God will give Pharaoh an answer to give him peace of mind.” Pharaoh spoke to Joseph: “In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven fat, beautiful cows came up out of the river and were grazing in the marsh grass. Just then seven poor cattle, very ugly and thin, came up after them. They were uglier than any I had ever seen in the whole land of Egypt. The thin, ugly cattle ate up the first seven cattle, the fat ones, and when they had eaten them up, you could not even tell that they had eaten them, because they were still as ugly as they were at the beginning. Then I woke up. “Later I had another dream, in which I saw seven heads of grain grow on one stalk. They were full and good. Then I saw seven heads of grain spring up after them. They were withered, thin, and blasted by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told the dream to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. God has declared to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cattle are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. It is one dream. The seven thin, ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted by the east wind. They will be seven years of famine. This is the very thing that I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Look, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. Seven years of famine will come up after them, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will consume the land, and the abundance will not be remembered in the land because of the famine that follows, for it will be very severe. The double dream was shown to Pharaoh, because this matter is established by God, and God will bring it to pass very soon.” Joseph Comes to Power “Let Pharaoh, therefore, look for a man who is wise and discerning, and set him over the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does this, let him appoint overseers over the land to collect one fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. Let them collect all this food from these good years that are coming. Accumulate grain under the authority of Pharaoh to provide food for the cities, and let them store it. The food will be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt so that the land does not perish because of the famine.” The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. Pharaoh said to his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man, a man who has the spirit of God?” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people will submit to your word. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “Look, I have appointed you over the whole land of Egypt.” Pharaoh took his signet ring off of his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand. He dressed Joseph in robes made from the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in the second best chariot that he had. Men went ahead of him crying out, “Kneel down!” Pharaoh appointed him over the whole land of Egypt. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but...