M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Parashat Emor
Holiness Code for Kohanim
21 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: A kohen is not to allow himself to become unclean for the dead among his people, 2 except for his relatives that are nearest to him—his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, 3 or his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband. For her he may allow himself to become unclean. 4 But he is not to defile himself—a husband among his people—and so profane himself.
5 “Kohanim are not to shave their heads, nor shave off the corners of their beards, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 6 They are to be holy to their God, and not profane the Name of their God, for they present the offerings of Adonai made by fire, the bread of their God. Therefore they are to be holy. 7 They are not to marry women who are defiled as prostitutes, or profane. Neither should they marry women divorced from their husbands, for a kohen is holy to his God. 8 Therefore you are to sanctify him, because he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, Adonai, who sanctifies you, am holy.
9 “The daughter of any kohen, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, profanes her father. She is to be burned with fire.
10 “He who is the kohen gadol among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured and is consecrated to put on the garments, is not to let the hair of his head hang loose or tear his clothes, 11 nor should he go near any dead person, defiling himself, even for his father or his mother. 12 He is not to go out of the Sanctuary or profane the Sanctuary of his God—for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am Adonai.
13 “He should take a wife in her virginity. 14 A widow, or one divorced, or one who has been defiled as a prostitute, he is not to marry. He is to take a virgin from his own people as a wife, 15 so as not to corrupt his offspring among his people. For I am Adonai who sanctifies him.”
16 Adonai spoke to Moses saying: 17 “Say to Aaron: None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the food of his God. 18 Any man who has a defect is not to draw near: no one blind or lame or disfigured or deformed, 19 or a man who has a crippled foot or crippled hand 20 or a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect or a rash or scabs, or who has damaged testicles. 21 None of the offspring of Aaron the kohen who has a defect should come near to present the offerings of Adonai made by fire. Since he has a defect, he is not to come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the food of his God, both from the most holy and the holy. 23 But he is not to approach the curtain or come near the altar, because of the defect on him, so that he may not desecrate My sanctuaries, for I am Adonai who sanctifies them.”
24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons, and to all Bnei-Yisrael.
Walking with Integrity
Psalm 26
1 Of David.
Vindicate me, Adonai,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and trusted in Adonai without wavering.
2 Probe me, Adonai, and test me,
refine my mind and my heart.
3 For Your love is before my eyes
and I have walked in Your truth.
4 I have not sat with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I detest the company of evildoers,
and do not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence,
so I can walk around Your altar, Adonai,
7 hearing the voice of thanksgiving
while proclaiming all Your wonders.
8 Adonai, I love the House where You live,
the place where Your glory dwells.
9 Do not take my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with people of bloodshed—
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hand is full of bribes.
11 But I—I will walk in my integrity.
Redeem me and be gracious to me.
12 My feet stand on level ground.
In congregations I will bless Adonai.
Let Your Heart Take Courage
Psalm 27
1 Of David.
Adonai is my light and my salvation:
whom should I fear?
Adonai is the stronghold of my life:
whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers approached me to devour my flesh
—my adversaries and my foes—they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army camp besieges me, my heart will not fear.
Though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of Adonai,
that will I seek:
to dwell in the House of Adonai
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of Adonai,
and to meditate in His Temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His sukkah,
conceal me in the shelter of His tent,
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then will my head be high above my enemies around me.
In His Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I will sing, yes, sing praises to Adonai.
7 Hear, Adonai, when I call with my voice,
be gracious to me and answer me.
8 To You my heart says: “Seek My face.”
Your face, Adonai, I seek.
9 Do not hide Your face from me.
Do not turn Your servant away in anger.
You have been my help.
Do not abandon me or forsake me,
O God my salvation.
10 Though my father and my mother
forsake me, Adonai will take me in.
11 Teach me Your way, Adonai,
and lead me on a level path—
because of my enemies.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes.
For false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13 Surely I trust that I will see the goodness
of Adonai in the land of the living.
14 Wait for Adonai.
Be strong, let Your heart take courage,
and wait for Adonai.
Futility of Human Labor
4 Again I looked and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold,
I saw the tears of the oppressed,
but they have no comforter.
Power is in the hand of their oppressors,
but they had no comforter.
2 So I considered the dead,
who are already dead,
more fortunate than the living,
who are still alive.
3 Yet better than both
is one who has not yet been,
who has never seen the evil work
that is done under the sun.
4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill that is done come from man’s envy of his neighbor; this too is fleeting and striving after the wind.
5 The fool folds his hands together
and eats his own flesh.
6 Better is a handful with tranquility
than two handfuls of toil
and striving after the wind.
7 Again I saw something futile under the sun:
8 There is one who has no one else,
neither son nor brother,
yet there is no end to all his toil.
His eyes are not content with riches.
“So, for whom am I toiling,
and depriving myself of prosperity?”
This too is meaningless—
a grievous task!
Two Are Better Than One
9 Two are better than one,
because they get a good return for their effort.
10 For if they fall,
the one will lift up his companion.
But oy to the one who falls
and has no one to lift him up!
11 Furthermore, if two lie together,
then they will be warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though a man might overpower one,
two can stand against him.
Moreover a threefold cord cannot be quickly broken.
13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning. 14 For he came out of prison to become king—though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15 I considered all the living that walk under the sun as well as the next youth who stands in his place. 16 There is no end to all the people—to all who were before him. Also those who will come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this too is meaningless and striving after the wind.
Watch Your Words Before God
17 Watch your feet when you go to the House of God. Draw near to listen, rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing wrong.
6 Let all who are under the yoke as slaves consider their own masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 And let those who have believing masters not disrespect them because they are brothers, but serve them even more, since those who share in the benefit are believers and loved. Teach and encourage these things.
Finding True Riches
3 If anyone passes on a different teaching and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and with the instruction in keeping with godliness, 4 he is prideful, understanding nothing. Instead he is obsessed with arguments and disputes about words—out of which come envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between people corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. [a] 7 For we brought nothing into this world, So we cannot take anything out of it. [b] 8 But having food and clothing, with these things we shall be content. [c] 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. [d] 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil—some, longing for it, have gone astray from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith! Take hold of the eternal life—you were called to it, and you made the good confession for it in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Messiah Yeshua who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 15 This He will reveal in His own time—the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, [e] 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or is able to see.[f] To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Direct those who are rich in this present age not to be proud or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches,[g] but rather on God—who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 Direct them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous, sharing, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so they might take hold of the true life.
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge— 21 by professing it, some have missed the mark concerning the faith.
Grace be with you.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.