Matthew 2:13-23 Acts 2:22-47 Psalms 4 Genesis 9-11

Matthew 2:13-23
Mat 2:13 After the scholars were gone, God's angel showed up again in Joseph's dream and commanded, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him."
Mat 2:14 Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight.
Mat 2:15 They lived in Egypt until Herod's death. This Egyptian exile fulfilled what Hosea had preached: "I called my son out of Egypt."
Mat 2:16 Herod, when he realized that the scholars had tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills. (He determined that age from information he'd gotten from the scholars.)
Mat 2:17 That's when Jeremiah's sermon was fulfilled:
Mat 2:18 A sound was heard in Ramah, weeping and much lament. Rachel weeping for her children, Rachel refusing all solace, Her children gone, dead and buried.
Mat 2:19 Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt:
Mat 2:20 "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead."
Mat 2:21 Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel.
Mat 2:22 When he heard, though, that Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, as king in Judea, he was afraid to go there. But then Joseph was directed in a dream to go to the hills of Galilee.
Mat 2:23 On arrival, he settled in the village of Nazareth. This move was a fulfillment of the prophetic words, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Acts 2:22-47
Act 2:22 "Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you--the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge--
Act 2:23 this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him.
Act 2:24 But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him.
Act 2:25 David said it all: I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side.
Act 2:26 I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic; I've pitched my tent in the land of hope.
Act 2:27 I know you'll never dump me in Hades; I'll never even smell the stench of death.
Act 2:28 You've got my feet on the life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around.
Act 2:29 "Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried--his tomb is in plain sight today.
Act 2:30 But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom,
Act 2:31 seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah--'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.'
Act 2:32 This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it.
Act 2:33 Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand
Act 2:35 Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet."
Act 2:36 "All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt--God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross."
Act 2:37 Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
Act 2:38 Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Act 2:39 The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away--whomever, in fact, our Master God invites."
Act 2:40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!"
Act 2:41 That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up.
Act 2:42 They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
Act 2:43 Everyone around was in awe--all those wonders and signs done through the apostles!
Act 2:44 And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common.
Act 2:45 They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
Act 2:46 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful,
Act 2:47 as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

Psalms 4
Psa 4:1 A David psalm. When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room; Now I'm in trouble again: grace me! hear me!
Psa 4:2 You rabble--how long do I put up with your scorn? How long will you lust after lies? How long will you live crazed by illusion?
Psa 4:3 Look at this: look Who got picked by GOD! He listens the split second I call to him.
Psa 4:4 Complain if you must, but don't lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking.
Psa 4:5 Build your case before God and wait for his verdict.
Psa 4:6 Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God's more-than-enough,
Psa 4:7 More joy in one ordinary day Than they get in all their shopping sprees.
Psa 4:8 At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep, For you, GOD, have put my life back together.

Genesis 9-11
Gen 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth!
Gen 9:2 Every living creature--birds, animals, fish--will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them.
Gen 9:3 All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else.
Gen 9:4 Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it--don't eat that.
Gen 9:5 "But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans.
Gen 9:6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans let his blood be shed, Because God made humans in his image reflecting God's very nature.
Gen 9:7 You're here to bear fruit, reproduce, lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!"
Gen 9:8 Then God spoke to Noah and his sons:
Gen 9:9 "I'm setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you,
Gen 9:10 along with everything alive around you--birds, farm animals, wild animals--that came out of the ship with you.
Gen 9:11 I'm setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth."
Gen 9:12 God continued, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you.
Gen 9:13 I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth.
Gen 9:14 From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud,
Gen 9:15 I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living, that never again will floodwaters destroy all life.
Gen 9:16 When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth."
Gen 9:17 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I've set up between me and everything living on the Earth."
Gen 9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.
Gen 9:19 These are the three sons of Noah; from these three the whole Earth was populated.
Gen 9:20 Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard.
Gen 9:21 He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent.
Gen 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent.
Gen 9:23 Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backwards and covered their father's nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father's exposed body.
Gen 9:24 When Noah woke up with his hangover, he learned what his youngest son had done.
Gen 9:25 He said, Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves, a slave to his brothers!
Gen 9:26 Blessed be GOD, the God of Shem, but Canaan shall be his slave.
Gen 9:27 God prosper Japheth, living spaciously in the tents of Shem. But Canaan shall be his slave.
Gen 9:28 Noah lived another 350 years following the flood.
Gen 9:29 He lived a total of 950 years. And he died.
Gen 10:1 This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, they themselves had sons.
Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras.
Gen 10:3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, Togarmah.
Gen 10:4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, Rodanim.
Gen 10:5 The seafaring peoples developed from these, each in its own place by family, each with its own language.
Gen 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, Canaan.
Gen 10:7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba, Dedan.
Gen 10:8 Cush also had Nimrod. He was the first great warrior on Earth.
Gen 10:9 He was a great hunter before GOD. There was a saying, "Like Nimrod, a great hunter before GOD."
Gen 10:10 His kingdom got its start with Babel; then Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the country of Shinar.
Gen 10:11 From there he went up to Asshur and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
Gen 10:12 and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah.
Gen 10:13 Egypt was ancestor to the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim,
Gen 10:14 the Pathrusim, the Casluhim (the origin of the Philistines), and the Kaphtorim.
Gen 10:15 Canaan had Sidon his firstborn, Heth,
Gen 10:16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,
Gen 10:17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,
Gen 10:18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread out,
Gen 10:19 going from Sidon toward Gerar, as far south as Gaza, and then east all the way over to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and on to Lasha.
Gen 10:20 These are the descendants of Ham by family, language, country, and nation.
Gen 10:21 Shem, the older brother of Japheth, also had sons. Shem was ancestor to all the children of Eber.
Gen 10:22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
Gen 10:23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, Meshech.
Gen 10:24 Arphaxad had Shelah and Shelah had Eber.
Gen 10:25 Eber had two sons, Peleg (so named because in his days the human race divided) and Joktan.
Gen 10:26 Joktan had Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
Gen 10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
Gen 10:28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
Gen 10:29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab--all sons of Joktan.
Gen 10:30 Their land goes from Mesha toward Sephar as far as the mountain ranges in the east.
Gen 10:31 These are the descendants of Shem by family, language, country, and nation.
Gen 10:32 This is the family tree of the sons of Noah as they developed into nations. From them nations developed all across the Earth after the flood.
Gen 11:1 At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language.
Gen 11:2 It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down.
Gen 11:3 They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them well." They used brick for stone and tar for mortar.
Gen 11:4 Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth."
Gen 11:5 GOD came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built.
Gen 11:6 GOD took one look and said, "One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they'll come up with next--they'll stop at nothing!
Gen 11:7 Come, we'll go down and garble their speech so they won't understand each other."
Gen 11:8 Then GOD scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city.
Gen 11:9 That's how it came to be called Babel, because there GOD turned their language into "babble." From there GOD scattered them all over the world.
Gen 11:10 This is the story of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he had Arphaxad. It was two years after the flood.
Gen 11:11 After he had Arphaxad, he lived 600 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:12 When Arphaxad was thirty-five years old, he had Shelah.
Gen 11:13 After Arphaxad had Shelah, he lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:14 When Shelah was thirty years old, he had Eber.
Gen 11:15 After Shelah had Eber, he lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:16 When Eber was thirty-four years old, he had Peleg.
Gen 11:17 After Eber had Peleg, he lived 403 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:18 When Peleg was thirty years old, he had Reu.
Gen 11:19 After he had Reu, he lived 209 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:20 When Reu was thirty-two years old, he had Serug.
Gen 11:21 After Reu had Serug, he lived 207 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:22 When Serug was thirty years old, he had Nahor.
Gen 11:23 After Serug had Nahor, he lived 200 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:24 When Nahor was twenty-nine years old, he had Terah.
Gen 11:25 After Nahor had Terah, he lived 119 more years and had other sons and daughters.
Gen 11:26 When Terah was seventy years old, he had Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Gen 11:27 This is the story of Terah. Terah had Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran had Lot.
Gen 11:28 Haran died before his father, Terah, in the country of his family, Ur of the Chaldees.
Gen 11:29 Abram and Nahor each got married. Abram's wife was Sarai; Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran. Haran had two daughters, Milcah and Iscah.
Gen 11:30 Sarai was barren; she had no children.
Gen 11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and Sarai his daughter-in-law (his son Abram's wife) and set out with them from Ur of the Chaldees for the land of Canaan. But when they got as far as Haran, they settled down there.
Gen 11:32 Terah lived 205 years. He died in Haran.