Verse for the week: “O Lord, what is man
that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?” Psalm 144.3
Prayer for the week: Dear heavenly Father, you speak to us through the Holy Scriptures. Grant that
we may hear, read, respect, learn, and swallow them in such a way that the overwhelming
glory and enduring benefit and comfort of the Word will help us grasp and hold
the blessed hope of everlasting life, given us through our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Bible reading for the day: Ezekiel 1.1-3:15 (Ezekiel
overlaps in time with Jeremiah; he was a priest deported to Babylon with other
community elite ten years before the final exile. He prophesied in Babylon from 593-571 BC. The
first chapters detail the glory of the Lord and his call of Ezekiel.)
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth
day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the
heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On
the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of
King Jehoiachin), 3 the word of
the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the
land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of
the Lord was upon him there.
4 As I looked,
behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud,
with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the
midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. 5 And
from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And
this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 but
each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. 7 Their
legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's
foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under
their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four
had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings
touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without
turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of
their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the
right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had
the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. And
their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which
touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 And
each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went,
without turning as they went. 13 As for the
likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals
of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living
creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth
lightning. 14 And the living creatures darted
to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the
living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one
for each of the four of them. 16 As for the
appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was
like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their
appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When
they went, they went in any of their four directions without
turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall
and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 And
when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the
living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever
the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with
them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When
those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those
rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of
the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the
living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like
awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And
under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward
another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And
when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many
waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like
the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And
there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they
stood still, they let down their wings.
26 And above the expanse
over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in
appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne
was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward
from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal,
like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the
appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there
was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance
of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance
of the brightness all around.
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory
of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the
voice of one speaking.
2.1 And he said to me, “Son
of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And
as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet,
and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to
me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels,
who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed
against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also
are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them,
‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether
they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they
will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And
you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their
words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit
on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their
looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you
shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for
they are a rebellious house.
8 “But you, son of man,
hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open
your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And
when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a
scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it
before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were
written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
3.1 And he said to
me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go,
speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my
mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he
said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and
fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as
sweet as honey.
4 And he said to
me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to
them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign
speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6 not
to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot
understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But
the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not
willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard
forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have
made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their
foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint have
I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for
they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, he said
to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in
your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to
the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus
says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
12 Then the
Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a
great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its
place!” 13 It was the sound of the wings
of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the
wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. 14 The
Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of
my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me. 15 And
I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal,
and I sat where they were dwelling. And I sat there overwhelmed
among them seven days.
Prayer of the Day: Gracious and almighty Father, your
glory exceeds that of your creation. Your strength, sight, wisdom, vision,
range, agility, and brightness exceed us… yet you deign to give yourself most
fully to us in the same flesh as ours… the same language as ours… in Christ
crucified for our rescue; such is your love for your hard-headed,
stubborn-hearted children. Thank you. Cause me and your church to be nourished
by, to fill our stomachs and souls on your strong Word… no matter the looks and
resistance from within us and without. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved hymn that gives
further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYybVf4RxaU&ab_channel=BeautifulSaviorSeaTac
“Thy kingdom come…”
What does this mean?
God’s kingdom comes indeed without our praying for it, but we ask in
this petition that it may come also to us.
When does this happen? God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father
gives us his Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his holy Word and
live a godly life on earth now and in heaven forever. (from The Small
Catechism, Martin Luther)
Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure
in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149.4
*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.
