Daily Devotions · September 18
Reading for September 18
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Ezekiel 45–46 · Luke 1
Ezekiel 45–46 · Luke 1, Berean Standard Bible
Ezekiel 45
“When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you are to set aside a portion for the LORD, a holy portion of the land 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits wide. This entire tract of land will be holy. 2 Within this area there is to be a section for the sanctuary 500 cubits square, with 50 cubits around it for open land. 3 From this holy portion, you are to measure off a length of 25,000 cubits and a width of 10,000 cubits, and in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It will be a holy portion of the land to be used by the priests who minister in the sanctuary, who draw near to minister before the LORD. It will be a place for their houses, as well as a holy area for the sanctuary. 5 An adjacent area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide shall belong to the Levites who minister in the temple; it will be their possession for towns in which to live. 6 As the property of the city, you are to set aside an area 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, adjacent to the holy district. It will belong to the whole house of Israel. 7 Now the prince will have the area bordering each side of the area formed by the holy district and the property of the city, extending westward from the western side and eastward from the eastern side, running lengthwise from the western boundary to the eastern boundary and parallel to one of the tribal portions. 8 This land will be his possession in Israel. And My princes will no longer oppress My people, but will give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes. 9 For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Enough, O princes of Israel! Cease your violence and oppression, and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing My people, declares the Lord GOD.’ 10 You must use honest scales, a just ephah, and a just bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer, and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure for both. 12 The shekel will consist of twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will equal one mina. 13 This is the contribution you are to offer: a sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and a sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley. 14 The prescribed portion of oil, measured by the bath, is a tenth of a bath from each cor (a cor consists of ten baths or one homer, since ten baths are equivalent to a homer). 15 And one sheep shall be given from each flock of two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. These are for the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for the people, declares the Lord GOD. 16 All the people of the land must participate in this contribution for the prince in Israel. 17 And it shall be the prince’s part to provide the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings for the feasts, New Moons, and Sabbaths—for all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel. 18 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary. 19 And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court. 20 You must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays unintentionally or in ignorance. In this way you will make atonement for the temple. 21 On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to observe the Passover, a feast of seven days, during which unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 On that day the prince shall provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land. 23 Each day during the seven days of the feast, he shall provide seven bulls and seven rams without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD, along with a male goat for a sin offering. 24 He shall also provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull and an ephah for each ram, along with a hin of olive oil for each ephah of grain. 25 During the seven days of the feast that begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and oil.’
Ezekiel 46
“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘The gate of the inner court that faces east must be kept shut during the six days of work, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests sacrifice his burnt offerings and peace offerings. He is to bow in worship at the threshold of the gate and then depart, but the gate must not be shut until evening. 3 On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people of the land are also to bow in worship before the LORD at the entrance to that gateway. 4 The burnt offering that the prince presents to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six unblemished male lambs and an unblemished ram. 5 The grain offering with the ram shall be one ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, along with a hin of oil per ephah. 6 On the day of the New Moon he shall offer a young, unblemished bull, six lambs, and a ram without blemish. 7 He is to provide a grain offering of an ephah with the bull, an ephah with the ram, and as much as he is able with the lambs, along with a hin of oil per ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he shall go in through the portico of the gateway, and he shall go out the same way. 9 When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship must go out by the south gate, and whoever enters by the south gate must go out by the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each must go out by the opposite gate. 10 When the people enter, the prince shall go in with them, and when they leave, he shall leave. 11 At the festivals and appointed feasts, the grain offering shall be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and as much as one is able to give with the lambs, along with a hin of oil per ephah. 12 When the prince makes a freewill offering to the LORD, whether a burnt offering or a peace offering, the gate facing east must be opened for him. He is to offer his burnt offering or peace offering just as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and the gate must be closed after he goes out. 13 And you shall provide an unblemished year-old lamb as a daily burnt offering to the LORD; you are to offer it every morning. 14 You are also to provide with it every morning a grain offering of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour—a grain offering to the LORD. This is a permanent statute. 15 Thus they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil every morning as a regular burnt offering.’ 16 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons as an inheritance, it will belong to his descendants. It will become their property by inheritance. 17 But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will belong to that servant until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs only to his sons; it shall be theirs. 18 The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people by evicting them from their property. He is to provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people will be displaced from his property.’” 19 Then the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate into the holy chambers facing north, which belonged to the priests, and he showed me a place there at the far western end 20 and said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them into the outer court and transmit holiness to the people.” 21 Then he brought me into the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw a separate court in each of its corners. 22 In the four corners of the outer court there were enclosed courts, each forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. Each of the four corner areas had the same dimensions. 23 Around the inside of each of the four courts was a row of masonry with ovens built at the base of the walls on all sides. 24 And he said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple will cook the sacrifices offered by the people.”
Luke 1
Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. 5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years. 8 One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside. 11 Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. 16 Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 “How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” 19 “I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day this comes to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he took so long in the temple. 22 When he came out and was unable to speak to them, they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. 23 And when the days of his service were complete, he returned home. 24 After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared, 25 “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!” 34 “How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her. 39 In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, 40 where she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord’s word to her will be fulfilled.” 46 Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48 For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. 49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, 55 as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.” 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. 57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. 59 On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah. 60 But his mother replied, “No! He shall be called John.” 61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who bears this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted to name the child. 63 Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All their neighbors were filled with awe, and people throughout the hill country of Judea were talking about these events. 66 And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. 67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, 70 as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past, 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, 73 the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives. 76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, 77 to give to His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high, 79 to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain.
How to SOAP
Grab a journal and a pen. Read the chapters above and watch for the verse that stops you. Then take it through four steps.
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Scripture
Write out the verse that stood out to you.
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Observation
What is it saying? Who is speaking, and to whom?
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Application
What does it mean for your life today? Be specific.
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Prayer
Talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you live it.
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Why daily devotions?
Devotions are time set aside each day to read God's Word and let Him speak. The point isn't checking off chapters. It's meeting with Him.
Ten or fifteen minutes is enough to start. Pick a time and a place and keep the appointment. Mornings work well for a lot of us, before the phone and the day start talking.
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