ESV: Book of Common Prayer Daily Office Lectionary

March 11 (3 Lent): Ps. [83] or 42, 43; Ps. 85, 86; Gen. 46:1-7, 28-34; 1 Cor. 9:1-15; Mark 6:30-46 (ESV)

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Psalm 83 (Listen)

O God, Do Not Keep Silence

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

83:1 O God, do not keep silence;
  do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
  those who hate you have raised their heads.
They lay crafty plans against your people;
  they consult together against your treasured ones.
They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
  let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
For they conspire with one accord;
  against you they make a covenant—
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
  Moab and the Hagrites,
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
  Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Asshur also has joined them;
  they are the strong arm of the children of Lot.     Selah

Do to them as you did to Midian,
  as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
who were destroyed at En-dor,
  who became dung for the ground.
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
  all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
  of the pastures of God.”

O my God, make them like whirling dust,
  like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest,
  as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so may you pursue them with your tempest
  and terrify them with your hurricane!
Fill their faces with shame,
  that they may seek your name, O LORD.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
  let them perish in disgrace,
that they may know that you alone,
  whose name is the LORD,
  are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 42 (Listen)

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
  so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
  for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food
  day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
  “Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
  as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
  and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
  a multitude keeping festival.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
  therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
  from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
  at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
  have gone over me.
By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
  and at night his song is with me,
  a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, my rock:
  “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
  because of the oppression of the enemy?”
As with a deadly wound in my bones,
  my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
  “Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalm 43 (Listen)

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

43:1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
  against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
  deliver me!
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
  why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
  because of the oppression of the enemy?

Send out your light and your truth;
  let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
  and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
  to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
  O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalm 85 (Listen)

Revive Us Again

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

85:1 LORD, you were favorable to your land;
  you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
  you covered all their sin.     Selah
You withdrew all your wrath;
  you turned from your hot anger.

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
  and put away your indignation toward us!
Will you be angry with us forever?
  Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
  that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
  and grant us your salvation.

Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
  for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
  but let them not turn back to folly.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
  that glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
  righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
  and righteousness looks down from the sky.
Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
  and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him
  and make his footsteps a way.

Psalm 86 (Listen)

Great Is Your Steadfast Love

A Prayer of David.

86:1 Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
  for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am godly;
  save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
  for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
  for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
  abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
  listen to my plea for grace.
In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
  for you answer me.

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
  nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
  and worship before you, O Lord,
  and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
  you alone are God.
Teach me your way, O LORD,
  that I may walk in your truth;
  unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
  and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
  you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
  a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
  and they do not set you before them.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
  slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
  give your strength to your servant,
  and save the son of your maidservant.
Show me a sign of your favor,
  that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
  because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Genesis 46:1-7 (Listen)

Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt

46:1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here am I.” Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.”

Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

Genesis 46:28-34 (Listen)

Jacob and Joseph Reunited

He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

1 Corinthians 9:1-15 (Listen)

Paul Surrenders His Rights

9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.

Mark 6:30-46 (Listen)

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Water

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

Footnotes

[1] 83:13 Or like a tumbleweed
[2] 42:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[3] 42:2 Revocalization yields and see the face of God
[4] 42:5 Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5
[5] 9:5 Greek a sister as wife
[6] 6:37 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer

This reading plan is adapted from the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer.

March 10 (3 Lent): Ps. 119:97-120; Ps. 81, 82; Gen. 45:16-28; 1 Cor. 8:1-13; Mark 6:13-29 (ESV)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Psalm 119:97-120 (Listen)

Mem

Oh how I love your law!
  It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
  for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
  for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
  for I keep your precepts.
I hold back my feet from every evil way,
  in order to keep your word.
I do not turn aside from your rules,
  for you have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
  sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding;
  therefore I hate every false way.

Nun

Your word is a lamp to my feet
  and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
  to keep your righteous rules.
I am severely afflicted;
  give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD,
  and teach me your rules.
I hold my life in my hand continually,
  but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
  but I do not stray from your precepts.
Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
  for they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
  forever, to the end.

Samekh

I hate the double-minded,
  but I love your law.
You are my hiding place and my shield;
  I hope in your word.
Depart from me, you evildoers,
  that I may keep the commandments of my God.
Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
  and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
Hold me up, that I may be safe
  and have regard for your statutes continually!
You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
  for their cunning is in vain.
All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
  therefore I love your testimonies.
My flesh trembles for fear of you,
  and I am afraid of your judgments.

Psalm 81 (Listen)

Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.

81:1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
  shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
  the sweet lyre with the harp.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
  at the full moon, on our feast day.

For it is a statute for Israel,
  a rule of the God of Jacob.
He made it a decree in Joseph
  when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
“I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
  your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I delivered you;
  I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
  I tested you at the waters of Meribah.     Selah
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
  O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you;
  you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
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.

“But my people did not listen to my voice;
  Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
  to follow their own counsels.
Oh, that my people would listen to me,
  that Israel would walk in my ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies
  and turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,
  and their fate would last forever.
But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
  and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 82 (Listen)

Rescue the Weak and Needy

A Psalm of Asaph.

82:1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
  in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly
  and show partiality to the wicked?     Selah
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
  maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
  deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”

Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!

Genesis 45:16-28 (Listen)

When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

1 Corinthians 8 (Listen)

Food Offered to Idols

8:1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Mark 6:13-29 (Listen)

And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

The Death of John the Baptist

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Footnotes

[1] 119:100 Or the elders
[2] 119:112 Or statutes; the reward is eternal
[3] 81:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[4] 81:4 Or just decree
[5] 81:5 Or against
[6] 81:6 Hebrew his; also next line
[7] 81:16 That is, Israel; Hebrew him
[8] 82:7 Or fall as one man, O princes
[9] 45:20 Hebrew Let your eye not pity
[10] 45:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
[11] 8:1 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians' letter; see 7:1
[12] 8:3 Greek him
[13] 8:10 Greek reclining at table
[14] 8:10 Or fortified; Greek built up
[15] 8:12 Or brothers and sisters
[16] 6:14 Greek his
[17] 6:14 Some manuscripts He
[18] 6:14 Greek baptizer; also verse 24
[19] 6:27 Greek his

This reading plan is adapted from the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer.

March 9 (3 Lent): Ps. 78:1-39; Ps. 78:40-72; Gen. 45:1-15; 1 Cor. 7:32-40; Mark 6:1-13 (ESV)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Psalm 78:1-39 (Listen)

Tell the Coming Generation

A Maskil of Asaph.

78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
  incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
  I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
  that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
  but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
  and the wonders that he has done.

He established a testimony in Jacob
  and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
  to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
  the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
  so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
  but keep his commandments;
and that they should not be like their fathers,
  a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
  whose spirit was not faithful to God.

The Ephraimites, armed with the bow,
  turned back on the day of battle.
They did not keep God's covenant,
  but refused to walk according to his law.
They forgot his works
  and the wonders that he had shown them.
In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders
  in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
He divided the sea and let them pass through it,
  and made the waters stand like a heap.
In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
  and all the night with a fiery light.
He split rocks in the wilderness
  and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
He made streams come out of the rock
  and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

Yet they sinned still more against him,
  rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
They tested God in their heart
  by demanding the food they craved.
They spoke against God, saying,
  “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
He struck the rock so that water gushed out
  and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
  or provide meat for his people?”

Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;
  a fire was kindled against Jacob;
  his anger rose against Israel,
because they did not believe in God
  and did not trust his saving power.
Yet he commanded the skies above
  and opened the doors of heaven,
and he rained down on them manna to eat
  and gave them the grain of heaven.
Man ate of the bread of the angels;
  he sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
  and by his power he led out the south wind;
he rained meat on them like dust,
  winged birds like the sand of the seas;
he let them fall in the midst of their camp,
  all around their dwellings.
And they ate and were well filled,
  for he gave them what they craved.
But before they had satisfied their craving,
  while the food was still in their mouths,
the anger of God rose against them,
  and he killed the strongest of them
  and laid low the young men of Israel.

In spite of all this, they still sinned;
  despite his wonders, they did not believe.
So he made their days vanish like a breath,
  and their years in terror.
When he killed them, they sought him;
  they repented and sought God earnestly.
They remembered that God was their rock,
  the Most High God their redeemer.
But they flattered him with their mouths;
  they lied to him with their tongues.
Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
  they were not faithful to his covenant.
Yet he, being compassionate,
  atoned for their iniquity
  and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
  and did not stir up all his wrath.
He remembered that they were but flesh,
  a wind that passes and comes not again.

Psalm 78:40-72 (Listen)

How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
  and grieved him in the desert!
They tested God again and again
  and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember his power
  or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
when he performed his signs in Egypt
  and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
He turned their rivers to blood,
  so that they could not drink of their streams.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them,
  and frogs, which destroyed them.
He gave their crops to the destroying locust
  and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
He destroyed their vines with hail
  and their sycamores with frost.
He gave over their cattle to the hail
  and their flocks to thunderbolts.
He let loose on them his burning anger,
  wrath, indignation, and distress,
  a company of destroying angels.
He made a path for his anger;
  he did not spare them from death,
  but gave their lives over to the plague.
He struck down every firstborn in Egypt,
  the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
Then he led out his people like sheep
  and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,
  but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
And he brought them to his holy land,
  to the mountain which his right hand had won.
He drove out nations before them;
  he apportioned them for a possession
  and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God
  and did not keep his testimonies,
but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
  they twisted like a deceitful bow.
For they provoked him to anger with their high places;
  they moved him to jealousy with their idols.
When God heard, he was full of wrath,
  and he utterly rejected Israel.
He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh,
  the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
and delivered his power to captivity,
  his glory to the hand of the foe.
He gave his people over to the sword
  and vented his wrath on his heritage.
Fire devoured their young men,
  and their young women had no marriage song.
Their priests fell by the sword,
  and their widows made no lamentation.
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
  like a strong man shouting because of wine.
And he put his adversaries to rout;
  he put them to everlasting shame.

He rejected the tent of Joseph;
  he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
but he chose the tribe of Judah,
  Mount Zion, which he loves.
He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
  like the earth, which he has founded forever.
He chose David his servant
  and took him from the sheepfolds;
from following the nursing ewes he brought him
  to shepherd Jacob his people,
  Israel his inheritance.
With upright heart he shepherded them
  and guided them with his skillful hand.

Genesis 45:1-15 (Listen)

Joseph Provides for His Brothers and Family

45:1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

1 Corinthians 7:32-40 (Listen)

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

Mark 6:1-13 (Listen)

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

6:1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.

And he went about among the villages teaching.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Footnotes

[1] 78:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[2] 78:9 Hebrew armed and shooting
[3] 78:33 Hebrew in
[4] 78:33 Or vapor
[5] 78:42 Hebrew hand
[6] 7:36 Greek virgin; also verses 37, 38
[7] 7:36 Or her
[8] 6:9 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin

This reading plan is adapted from the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer.

March 8 (3 Lent): Ps. 80; Ps. 77, [79]; Gen. 44:18-34; 1 Cor. 7:25-31; Mark 5:21-43 (ESV)

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Psalm 80 (Listen)

Restore Us, O God

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony. Of Asaph, a Psalm.

80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
  you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
  Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
  and come to save us!

Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!

O LORD God of hosts,
  how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears
  and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
  and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
  you drove out the nations and planted it.
You cleared the ground for it;
  it took deep root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered with its shade,
  the mighty cedars with its branches.
It sent out its branches to the sea
  and its shoots to the River.
Why then have you broken down its walls,
  so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
The boar from the forest ravages it,
  and all that move in the field feed on it.

Turn again, O God of hosts!
  Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
  the stock that your right hand planted,
  and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
  may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
  the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
Then we shall not turn back from you;
  give us life, and we will call upon your name!

Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Psalm 77 (Listen)

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

77:1 I cry aloud to God,
  aloud to God, and he will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
  in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
  my soul refuses to be comforted.
When I remember God, I moan;
  when I meditate, my spirit faints.     Selah

You hold my eyelids open;
  I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I consider the days of old,
  the years long ago.
I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;
  let me meditate in my heart.”
  Then my spirit made a diligent search:
“Will the Lord spurn forever,
  and never again be favorable?
Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
  Are his promises at an end for all time?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
  Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”     Selah

Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
  yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
  and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
  What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
  you have made known your might among the peoples.
You with your arm redeemed your people,
  the children of Jacob and Joseph.     Selah

When the waters saw you, O God,
  when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
  indeed, the deep trembled.
The clouds poured out water;
  the skies gave forth thunder;
  your arrows flashed on every side.
The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
  your lightnings lighted up the world;
  the earth trembled and shook.
Your way was through the sea,
  your path through the great waters;
  yet your footprints were unseen.
You led your people like a flock
  by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 79 (Listen)

How Long, O LORD?

A Psalm of Asaph.

79:1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
  they have defiled your holy temple;
  they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the bodies of your servants
  to the birds of the heavens for food,
  the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
They have poured out their blood like water
  all around Jerusalem,
  and there was no one to bury them.
We have become a taunt to our neighbors,
  mocked and derided by those around us.

How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever?
  Will your jealousy burn like fire?
Pour out your anger on the nations
  that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
  that do not call upon your name!
For they have devoured Jacob
  and laid waste his habitation.

Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
  let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
  for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation,
  for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
  for your name's sake!
Why should the nations say,
  “Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
  be known among the nations before our eyes!

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
  according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
  the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
  will give thanks to you forever;
  from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Genesis 44:18-34 (Listen)

Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’

“When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. One left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

“Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

1 Corinthians 7:25-31 (Listen)

The Unmarried and the Widowed

Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Mark 5:21-43 (Listen)

Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus's Daughter

And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Footnotes

[1] 80:3 Or Turn us again; also verses 7, 19
[2] 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
[3] 77:6 Hebrew lacks I said
[4] 77:10 Or This is my grief: that the right hand of the Most High has changed
[5] 77:19 Hebrew unknown
[6] 79:8 Or the iniquities of former generations
[7] 7:25 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians' letter; see 7:1
[8] 7:25 Greek virgins
[9] 7:26 Or impending
[10] 7:28 Greek virgin; also verse 34
[11] 5:36 Or ignoring; some manuscripts hearing
[12] 5:38 Greek he

This reading plan is adapted from the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer.

March 7 (3 Lent): Ps. 93, 96; Ps. 34; Gen. 44:1-17; Rom. 8:1-10; John 5:25-29 (ESV)

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Psalm 93 (Listen)

The LORD Reigns

93:1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
  the floods have lifted up their voice;
  the floods lift up their roaring.
Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
  mightier than the waves of the sea,
  the LORD on high is mighty!

Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, forevermore.

Psalm 96 (Listen)

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

96:1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
  sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
  tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
  his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
  he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
  but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
  strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
  ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
  bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
  tremble before him, all the earth!

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
  let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
  let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
  before the LORD, for he comes,
  for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
  and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Psalm 34 (Listen)

Taste and See That the LORD Is Good

Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
  his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
  let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
  and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me
  and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
  and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
  and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
  around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
  for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
  but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Come, O children, listen to me;
  I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life
  and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
  and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
  seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
  and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
  to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
  and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
  and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
  but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
  not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,
  and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
  none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Genesis 44:1-17 (Listen)

Joseph Tests His Brothers

44:1 Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack, and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”

When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants.” He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Romans 8:1-10 (Listen)

Life in the Spirit

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

John 5:25-29 (Listen)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Footnotes

[1] 96:9 Or in holy attire
[2] 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
[3] 44:4 Septuagint (compare Vulgate) adds Why have you stolen my silver cup?
[4] 8:1 Some manuscripts add who walk not according to the flesh (but according to the Spirit)
[5] 8:2 Some manuscripts me
[6] 8:3 Or and as a sin offering

This reading plan is adapted from the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer.

March 6 (2 Lent): Ps. 75, 76; Ps. 23, 27; Gen. 43:16-34; 1 Cor. 7:10-24; Mark 5:1-20 (ESV)

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Psalm 75 (Listen)

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75:1 We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.

“At the set time that I appoint
  I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
  it is I who keep steady its pillars.     Selah
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
  and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
  or speak with haughty neck.’”

For not from the east or from the west
  and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
but it is God who executes judgment,
  putting down one and lifting up another.
For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup
  with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
  and all the wicked of the earth
  shall drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

Psalm 76 (Listen)

Who Can Stand Before You?

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

76:1 In Judah God is known;
  his name is great in Israel.
His abode has been established in Salem,
  his dwelling place in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
  the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.     Selah

Glorious are you, more majestic
  than the mountains of prey.
The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;
  they sank into sleep;
all the men of war
  were unable to use their hands.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
  both rider and horse lay stunned.

But you, you are to be feared!
  Who can stand before you
  when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
  the earth feared and was still,
when God arose to establish judgment,
  to save all the humble of the earth.     Selah

Surely the wrath of man shall praise you;
  the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.
Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them;
  let all around him bring gifts
  to him who is to be feared,
who cuts off the spirit of princes,
  who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

Psalm 23 (Listen)

The LORD Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
  He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
  for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
  I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
  your rod and your staff,
  they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
  in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
  my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
  all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
  forever.

Psalm 27 (Listen)

The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the LORD,
  that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
  all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
  and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
  be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
  “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
  Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
  O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
  O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
  but the LORD will take me in.

Teach me your way, O LORD,
  and lead me on a level path
  because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
  for false witnesses have risen against me,
  and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
  in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
  be strong, and let your heart take courage;
  wait for the LORD!

Genesis 43:16-34 (Listen)

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph's house. And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the door of the house, and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

1 Corinthians 7:10-24 (Listen)

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

Mark 5:1-20 (Listen)

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea.

The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Footnotes

[1] 75:1 Hebrew They
[2] 76:10 Or extremity
[3] 23:2 Hebrew beside waters of rest
[4] 23:3 Or in right paths
[5] 23:4 Or the valley of deep darkness
[6] 23:6 Or Only
[7] 23:6 Or steadfast love
[8] 23:6 Or shall return to dwell
[9] 23:6 Hebrew for length of days
[10] 27:1 Or refuge
[11] 27:3 Or in this
[12] 27:4 Or meditate
[13] 27:8 The command (seek) is addressed to more than one person
[14] 27:8 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
[15] 27:13 Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed
[16] 43:34 Hebrew and became intoxicated
[17] 7:15 Some manuscripts us
[18] 7:21 Greek bondservant; also twice in verse 22 and once in verse 23 (plural)
[19] 7:24 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 29
[20] 5:1 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes
[21] 5:2 Greek he; also verse 9
[22] 5:15 Greek daimonizomai; also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons
[23] 5:17 Greek him

This reading plan is adapted from the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer.

March 5 (2 Lent): Ps. 95, 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; Ps. 73; Gen. 43:1-15; 1 Cor. 7:1-9; Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Psalm 95 (Listen)

Let Us Sing Songs of Praise

95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
  let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
  let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the LORD is a great God,
  and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
  the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
  and his hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
  let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
For he is our God,
  and we are the people of his pasture,
  and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
  as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your fathers put me to the test
  and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
For forty years I loathed that generation
  and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
  and they have not known my ways.”
Therefore I swore in my wrath,
  “They shall not enter my rest.”

Psalm 69:1-23 (Listen)

Save Me, O God

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

69:1 Save me, O God!
  For the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
  where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
  and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying out;
  my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
  with waiting for my God.

More in number than the hairs of my head
  are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
  those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
  must I now restore?
O God, you know my folly;
  the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
  O Lord GOD of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
  O God of Israel.
For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
  that dishonor has covered my face.
I have become a stranger to my brothers,
  an alien to my mother's sons.

For zeal for your house has consumed me,
  and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
  it became my reproach.
When I made sackcloth my clothing,
  I became a byword to them.
I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
  and the drunkards make songs about me.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
  At an acceptable time, O God,
  in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
Deliver me
  from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
  and from the deep waters.
Let not the flood sweep over me,
  or the deep swallow me up,
  or the pit close its mouth over me.

Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;
  according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Hide not your face from your servant;
  for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
  ransom me because of my enemies!

You know my reproach,
  and my shame and my dishonor;
  my foes are all known to you.
Reproaches have broken my heart,
  so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
  and for comforters, but I found none.
They gave me poison for food,
  and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

Let their own table before them become a snare;
and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
and make their loins tremble continually.

Psalm 69:24-30 (Listen)

Pour out your indignation upon them,
  and let your burning anger overtake them.
May their camp be a desolation;
  let no one dwell in their tents.
For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
  and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
Add to them punishment upon punishment;
  may they have no acquittal from you.
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
  let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:31-36 (Listen)

This will please the LORD more than an ox
  or a bull with horns and hoofs.
When the humble see it they will be glad;
  you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
For the LORD hears the needy
  and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

Let heaven and earth praise him,
  the seas and everything that moves in them.
For God will save Zion
  and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
  the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
  and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

Psalm 73 (Listen)

Book Three

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

A Psalm of Asaph.

73:1 Truly God is good to Israel,
  to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
  my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
  when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pangs until death;
  their bodies are fat and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are;
  they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
  violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes swell out through fatness;
  their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice;
  loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against the heavens,
  and their tongue struts through the earth.
Therefore his people turn back to them,
  and find no fault in them.
And they say, “How can God know?
  Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
Behold, these are the wicked;
  always at ease, they increase in riches.
All in vain have I kept my heart clean
  and washed my hands in innocence.
For all the day long I have been stricken
  and rebuked every morning.
If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
  I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.

Truly you set them in slippery places;
  you make them fall to ruin.
How they are destroyed in a moment,
  swept away utterly by terrors!
Like a dream when one awakes,
  O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
When my soul was embittered,
  when I was pricked in heart,
I was brutish and ignorant;
  I was like a beast toward you.

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
  you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
  and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
  but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
  you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
  I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
  that I may tell of all your works.

Genesis 43:1-15 (Listen)

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt

43:1 Now the famine was severe in the land. And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’” Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

1 Corinthians 7:1-9 (Listen)

Principles for Marriage

7:1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Mark 4:35-41 (Listen)

Jesus Calms a Storm

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Footnotes

[1] 69:1 Or waters threaten my life
[2] 69:10 Hebrew lacks and humbled
[3] 69:22 Hebrew; a slight revocalization yields (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome) a snare, and retribution and a trap
[4] 69:27 Hebrew may they not come into your righteousness
[5] 73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them
[6] 73:26 Hebrew rock
[7] 43:14 Hebrew El Shaddai
[8] 7:6 Or I say this:

This reading plan is adapted from the Daily Office Lectionary found in The Book of Common Prayer.