and not to selfish gain!” Psalm 119.36
Prayer for the week: Dear heavenly Father, you speak to us through the Holy Scriptures. Grant that
we may hear, read, respect, learn, and have your Word carved on our hearts in
such a way that the overwhelming glory and enduring benefit and comfort of the
Word grasps and holds us in the blessed hope of everlasting life, given us
through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Bible readings for the day: (an “ear glimpse” from
the minor prophets)
Hosea 1.1 (Hosea is the only prophet from the
Northern Kingdom of Israel among the major and minor prophets. His prophetic
vocation began in the last years of the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II
(786-746 BC) and continued through the disintegration of the kingdom until its
ultimate fall to the Assyrians in 722/721.)
The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the
son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of
Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Joel 1.1 The
word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel…
Amos 1.1-3 (The
earliest of the prophets among the prophetic books, his ministry dates from the
reign of Jeroboam II (786-746 BC) and overlaps with the ministry of Hosea. Like
Hosea, Amos preaches to the northern kingdom of Israel, though Amos himself is
from Tekoa, a small town in the southern kingdom of Judah. Amos was not a
professional prophet; rather he was called by God from the care of flocks and
sycamore trees in Judah to proclaim God’s word of judgment to Israel.)
1.1The words of
Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw
concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days
of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two
years before the earthquake.
2 And he said:
“The Lord roars from Zion
and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds mourn,
and the top of Carmel withers.”
3 Thus says the Lord…
Jonah 1.1 (Unlike
the other prophetic books, Jonah is a narrative about a prophet rather
than a collection of prophetic words. The story is set during the reign of
Jeroboam II, 786-746BC.)
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah
the son of Amittai, saying…”
Prayer of the Day: Gracious and almighty Father, thank
you: you are not an abstraction or another one of our ideas. You put your Word
for us on the lips of real people in real time and place. And in these “last
days” you have spoken most clearly to us in your Son. He is the exact imprint
of your nature… righteousness for us, the unrighteous. Grant unto us ears to
hear; in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a little fun that gives
further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1YBYrJ8Hzg&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot
“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.
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