incline your ears to the words of my mouth!” Psalm 78.1
Prayer for the week:
Give our ears to your teaching, O Lord; incline them to the words of
your mouth. Convince us to tell your glorious deeds and the wonders you have
done to our children that they and their children may set their hope in you
alone; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Bible reading for the day: Exodus 1.1-22 (The
epic of God’s relationship with his chosen people and his will to bless all
families through them continues.)
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt
with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben,
Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and
Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All
the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in
Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his
brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people
of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew
exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over
Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said
to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty
for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with
them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and
fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore
they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens.
They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But
the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread
abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So
they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made
their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of
work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the
Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When
you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it
is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But
the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded
them, but let the male children live. 18 So the
king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this,
and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives
said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for
they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So
God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very
strong. 21 And because the midwives feared
God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh
commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you
shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
Prayer (based on the T.R.I.P. method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank
you for the depth of your riches and wisdom and knowledge. Your sovereign
promise and call have always been a threat to human pride. Repent your people of
casting their sons into the Nile by neglecting to raise them as Christians.
Like the midwives, teach us to fear, love, and trust you above all else… that
our children may know life in your Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved, classic hymn
that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teI3ayeBxX0&ab_channel=Koine
The First Commandment, with a Promise:
I am the Lord your God.
You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20.2-3
What does this mean for us?
We are to fear, love, and trust God above anything else. (from
The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)
Benediction: I am the Lord your God and you shall be
my people. Amen.
*This is now
our congregation’s 99th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading
from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.
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