#meribah

And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes. These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin. Numbers 27:13-14 No one really wants to miss out on big events that occur.…

04/66 Headpiece to Numbers by Sarah van Niekerk Wood engraving by Sarah van Niekerk (British 1934-2018) in The Reader’s Digest Bible (illustrated edition) 1990

Hebrew Scripture Torah Lesson: Numbers 20:22-29

They set out from Kadesh, and the Israelites, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, “Let Aaron be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land that I have given to the Israelites, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up Mount Hor; strip Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar. But Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there.” Moses did as the Lord had commanded; they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments, and put them on his son Eleazar; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.

Psalm 138

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;  before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple  and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;  for you have exalted your name  and your word  above everything. On the day I called, you answered me,  you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,  for they have heard the words of your mouth. They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,  for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;  but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,  you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand,  and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;  your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of your hands.

New Testament Lesson: Acts 9:19b-25

For several days Saul was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.

After some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

Year C Epiphany 5 Thursday

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Yahweh has made it clear that Israel is his special people, and that he has every intention of keeping his promise to Abraham. These descendants have nothing to fear and only reason to hope after they’ve been  miraculously led out of Egypt and into the wilderness, but that’s not the case, is it? Pharaoh terrified them at the Red Sea, the waters of Marah proved them as…

Gender: Female

Pronunciation: me-REE-ba

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Quarrelling 

Ranking in the US top 1000: Not ranked

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