Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting. Luke 15:10
Joshua 5-6
Joshua 5
The Circumcision at Gilgal
1 When all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their heart melted in fear, and they lost spirit because of the Israelites.
2 At that time, the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives, and circumcise the sons of Israel again, the second time.” 3 Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the Israelites walked 40 years in the wilderness until all the nation, the men of age for war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord. The Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land which the Lord swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.
8 When they were done circumcising the whole nation, they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.
9 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, as it is to this day.
The Passover at Gilgal
10 The Israelites encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. 11 They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day. 12 The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The Israelites did not have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”
14 He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the Lord’s army.”
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
15 The prince of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.
Joshua 6
The Walls of Jericho
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out, and no one came in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, “I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. 3 All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the city wall shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.”
6 Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Ark of the Lord.”
7 They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the Ark of the Lord.”
8 It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord advanced and blew the trumpets, and the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the Ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went.
10 Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11 So he caused the ark of the Lord to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp and stayed in the camp. 12 Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the Ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the Ark of the Lord went on continually and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after Ark of the Lord. The trumpets sounded as they went. 14 The second day they marched around the city once and returned into the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! 17 The city shall be devoted, the city and all that is in it, to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But as for you, keep yourselves from any accursed thing, lest you make yourselves accursed, when you take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse, bringing trouble to it. 19 But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord. They shall come into the Lord’s treasury.”
20 So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city. 21 They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” 23 The young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. 24 They burned the city with fire and all that was in it, except the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron which they put into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 But Rahab the prostitute, the lives of her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua spared. She lives in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.” 27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.
Luke 15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to Jesus to hear him. 2 The Pharisees and the scribes complained, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 He told them this parable. 4 “Which of you men, if you had 100 sheep, and lost one of them, would not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? 5 When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that just the same, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 Or what woman, if she had ten coins, if she lost one coin, would not light a lamp, sweep the house, and look diligently until she found it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’ 10 Just the same, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11 He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his estate with riotous living. 14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17 But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
20 “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his shoulders and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. 27 He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and healthy.’ 28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘All these years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31 “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ ”
Psalm 81
Sing for Joy to God our Strength
For the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. By Asaph.
1 Sing aloud to God, our strength!
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song, and bring in the tambourine,
the sweet sound of the harp and lyre.
3 Blow the trumpet at the New Moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He appointed it in Joseph as a covenant,
when he went out over the land of Egypt,
I heard a language that I did not know.
6 “I removed his shoulder from the burden.
His hands were freed from the basket.
7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you.
I answered you in the secret place of thunder.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.”
Selah.
8 “Hear, my people, and I will testify to you,
Israel, if you would listen to me!
9 There shall be no foreign god in you,
nor shall you worship any foreign god.
10 I am the Lord, your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people did not listen to my voice.
Israel desired none of me.
12 So I let them go after the stubbornness of their hearts,
that they might walk in their own counsel.
13 Oh that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord would cringe before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat.
I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”
Proverbs 13:1
1 A wise son listens to his father’s instruction,
but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.