Ezek. 14
14:1 Then some men from Israel’s elders came to me and sat down in front of me. 2The Lord’s message came to me: 3“Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek me? 4Therefore speak to them and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When anyone from the house of Israel erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet, I, the Lord, am determined to answer him personally according to the enormity of his idolatry. 5I will do this in order to capture the hearts of the house of Israel, who have alienated themselves from me on account of all their idols.’
6“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Return! Turn from your idols, and turn your faces away from your abominations. 7For when anyone from the house of Israel, or the resident foreigner who lives in Israel, separates himself from me and erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet to seek something from me, I, the Lord, am determined to answer him personally. 8I will set my face against that person and will make him an object lesson and a byword and will cut him off from among my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9“‘As for the prophet, if he is made a fool by being deceived into speaking a prophetic word—I, the Lord, have made a fool of that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10They will bear their punishment; the punishment of the one who sought an oracle will be the same as the punishment of the prophet who gave it 11so that the house of Israel will no longer go astray from me, nor continue to defile themselves by all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
12The Lord’s message came to me: 13“Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it, cut off its bread supply, cause famine to come on it, and kill both people and animals. 14Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15“Suppose I were to send wild animals through the land and kill its children, leaving it desolate, without travelers due to the wild animals. 16Even if these three men were in it, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, they could not save their own sons or daughters; they would save only their own lives, and the land would become desolate.
17“Or suppose I were to bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through the land,’ and I were to kill both people and animals. 18Even if these three men were in it, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, they could not save their own sons or daughters—they would save only their own lives.
19“Or suppose I were to send a plague into that land and pour out my rage on it with bloodshed, killing both people and animals. 20Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, they could not save their own son or daughter; they would save only their own lives by their righteousness.
21“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send my four terrible judgments—sword, famine, wild animals, and plague—to Jerusalem to kill both people and animals! 22Yet some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come out to you, and when you see their behavior and their deeds, you will be consoled about the catastrophe I have brought on Jerusalem—for everything I brought on it. 23They will console you when you see their behavior and their deeds, because you will know that it was not without reason that I have done everything that I have done in it, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
(NET Bible)Ps. 76
76:1 For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.
God has revealed himself in Judah;
in Israel his reputation is great.
2He lives in Salem;
he dwells in Zion.
3There he shattered the arrows,
the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. (Selah)
4You shine brightly and reveal your majesty,
as you descend from the hills where you killed your prey.
5The bravehearted were plundered;
they “fell asleep.”
All the warriors were helpless.
6At the sound of your battle cry, O God of Jacob,
both rider and horse “fell asleep.”
7You are awesome! Yes, you!
Who can withstand your intense anger?
8From heaven you announced what their punishment would be.
The earth was afraid and silent
9when God arose to execute judgment,
and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)
10Certainly your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise;
you reveal your anger in full measure.
11Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them.
Let all those who surround him bring tribute to the awesome one.
12He humbles princes;
the kings of the earth regard him as awesome.
(NET Bible)2 Tim. 2:1–13
2:1 So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And what you heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well. 3Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please the one who recruited him. 5Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner unless he competes according to the rules. 6The farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops. 7Think about what I am saying and the Lord will give you understanding of all this.
8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel, 9for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned! 10So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they, too, may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory. 11This saying is trustworthy:
If we died with him, we will also live with him.
12If we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we deny him, he will also deny us.
13If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.
(NET Bible)–Johann Michael Reu, Luther on the Scriptures
This daily Bible reading guide, Reading the Word of God, was conceived and prepared as a result of the ongoing discussions between representatives of three church bodies: Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The following individuals have represented their church bodies and approved this introduction and the reading guide: LCC: President Robert Bugbee; NALC: Bishop John Bradosky, Revs. Mark Chavez, James Nestingen, and David Wendel; LCMS: Revs. Albert Collver, Joel Lehenbauer, John Pless, and Larry Vogel.