Reflective Bible Study

⁷ I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. ⁸ This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

⁹ Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. ¹¹ Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? ¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Read Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

¹ The people of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert during the first month and set up camp near the town of Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.

² The Israelites had no water, so they went to Moses and Aaron ³ and complained, “Moses, we’d be better off if we had died along with the others in front of theLord’s sacred tent. ⁴ You brought us into this desert, and now we and our livestock are going to die! ⁵ Egypt was better than this horrible place. At least there we had grain and figs and grapevines and pomegranates. But now we don’t even have any water.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went to the entrance to the sacred tent, where they bowed down. The Lord appeared to them in all of his glory ^7-8 and said, “Moses, get your walking stick. Then you and Aaron call the people together and command that rock to give you water. That’s how you will provide water for the people of Israel and their livestock.”

⁹ Moses obeyed and took his stick from the sacred tent. ¹⁰ After he and Aaron had gathered the people around the rock, he said, “Look, you rebellious people, and you will see water flow from this rock!” ¹¹ He raised his stick in the air and struck the rock two times. At once, water gushed from the rock, and the people and their livestock had water to drink.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you refused to believe in my power, these people did not respect me. And so, you will not be the ones to lead them into the land I have promised.”

¹³ The Israelites had complained against the Lord, and he had shown them his holy power by giving them water to drink. So they named the place Meribah, which means “Complaining.”

Read Numbers 20:1-13 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

²⁹ He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey’s colt tied up. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here.³¹ Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³² Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them. ³³ They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵ Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their coats on the road.

³⁷ Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives. There the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had seen. They shouted,

³⁸ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!”

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “tell your disciples to stop!”

⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Read Luke 19:29-40 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

¹³ When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his followers, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and still others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ Then Jesus asked them, “And who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because no person taught you that. My Father in heaven showed you who I am. ¹⁸ So I tell you, you are Peter. On this rock I will build my church, and the power of death will not be able to defeat it.¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; the things you don’t allow on earth will be the things that God does not allow, and the things you allow on earth will be the things that God allows.” ²⁰ Then Jesus warned his followers not to tell anyone he was the Christ.

Read Matthew 16:13-20 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!