Pr. DFD

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Morning Prayer #9

Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-9

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.

6 And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Footnotes:

a. Genesis 11:9 Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused

Illustration "The Tower of Babel" from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (The Book of Books in Pictures). © WELS used by permission for personal and congregational use.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Friday prior to Proper 17

[1]

Luke 14:1–14—Sunday’s Gospel speaks of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, but first challenging the puffed-up Pharisees to show Him why this would be wrong. They could give no answer.

Jesus then tells a parable which exhorts those puffed-up Pharisees—and us!-–to humble ourselves. One who has the mind of Christ will not seek to exalt himself over others, but will put himself in their service, as Christ did for us when he bore our sins to Calvary. When we bow in humble submission to the Lord, He shall exalt us. Indeed, He has already, by making us His children through the washing of Holy Baptism and giving us a seat at His heavenly banquet.

Some thoughts on Sunday’s Gospel lesson…

V. 1 Meals on the Sabbath were often luxurious and costly. Only cold dishes were permitted. “They watched Him” explains the reason for the invitation. Jesus had just bitterly denounced the Pharisees. (See Luke 11:39-52) In this lesson Jesus talks about seeking the lowest places at these feasts and about who ought to be the guests.

V. 7 “Chief rooms;” The first places were places of respect and honor. How the LORD – the essence of whose teaching is self-surrender and self-sacrifice must have been disturbed by the self-seeking pride of the Pharisees.

V. 11 This is the rule in Christ’s Kingdom. Whoever takes pride in his own work and merit will be abased by being excluded from the Kingdom. Whoever humbles himself. Acknowledging his own unworthiness and trusting alone in Christ, will be exalted by God’s grace. (See Matthew 23:12; Luke 18:14)

V. 12 The remark occurred some time later in the feast. Those attending the feast were from the upper ranks of Jewish society. “Not Thy friends;” Jesus did not mean to forbid our entertaining of those we love; He meant simply that, because of the life to come, we can do better. (See Nehemiah 8:10) “Lest they also bid thee;” this is manifestly a selfish motive. This section of the lesson is a lesson in selfless service. The Law required service to the poor. (See Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:11-13)

V. 14 Where there is not love, faith is mission. Hence, no recompense on the Last Day. The recompense is one of grace. The LORD gives rewards to those who seek no rewards.

For those outside the Church: Almighty and everlasting God, You desire not the death of a sinner but that all would repent and live. Hear our prayers for those outside the Church. Take away their iniquity, and turn them from their false gods to You, the living and true God. Gather them into Your holy Church to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. [2]

Collect for Friday of the week of Pentecost 11: O God, who in Thy Son didst come among us, and in him wilt come again, of Thy mercy grant us not to shrink from Thy presence, but to rejoice in it. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen [3] -26 August 2022

[1] Lift High the Cross © Copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Morning Prayer #8

The flood

Genesis 6-9 (Selected verses)

Increasing Corruption on Earth

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in[a] man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Noah and the Flood

9 Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,[c] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.[d] Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,[e] its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof[f] for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

7 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing[i] that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature.15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

The Flood Subsides

8 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

God's Covenant with Noah

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse[k] the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.."

Noah's Descendants

18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

Footnotes:

a. Genesis 6:3 Or My Spirit shall not contend with

b. Genesis 6:4 Or giants

c. Genesis 6:13 Hebrew The end of all flesh has come before me

d. Genesis 6:14 An unknown kind of tree; transliterated from Hebrew

e. Genesis 6:15 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

f. Genesis 6:16 Or skylight

g. Genesis 7:2 Or seven of each kind of clean animal

h. Genesis 7:3 Or seven of each kind

i. Genesis 7:4 Hebrew all existence; also verse 23

j. Genesis 7:20 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

k. Genesis 8:21 Or dishonor

l. Genesis 9:7 In Hebrew you is plural

m. Genesis 9:19 Or from these the whole earth was populated

n. Genesis 9:20 Or Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard

o. Genesis 9:27 Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for enlarge

Illustration from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (The Book of Books in Pictures). © WELS used by permission for personal and congregational use.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Thursday prior to Proper 17

[1]

Hebrews 13:1–17—How does a person’s humility manifest itself with regard to those around us? The writer to the Hebrews exhorts us to care for the needy: Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…remember those who are in prison…and those who are mistreated.

We ought always to bring to mind Christ’s example, who suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Furthermore, we ought to recall those heroes of the faith whom we heard about in the epistle readings a few weeks ago and imitate their faith. In the Church, we are to humble ourselves and obey our leaders and submit to them, for God has appointed them to keep watch over your souls.

The Epistle encourages the hearer to develop a life-style in direct opposition to the cultural patter of our modern society. “Independence” and “individuality” are the hallmarks of American society. The Biblical and secular understandings of these two words have little in common. The world views independence as freedom from something. The LORD views it as freedom for something. The world views individuality as life for oneself; God views it as life for others.

For the mission of the Church: Almighty God, You have called Your Church to witness that in Christ You have reconciled us to Yourself. Grant that by Your Holy Spirit we may proclaim the good news of Your salvation so that all who hear it may receive the gift of salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer for humility: O God, You resist the proud and give grace to the humble. Grant us true humility after the likeness of Your only Son that we may never be arrogant and prideful and thus provoke Your wrath but in all lowliness be made partakers of the gifts of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [2]

Collect for Thursday of the week of Pentecost 11: O Thou, who art the same yet art known to us through constant change, help us to realize Thy Providence and its ever-lasting laws, in whatsoever comes to pass. We see Thee within the order which Thou has made, and we believe in the Presence that besets us before and behind, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen - Anonymous [3] -25 August, 2022

[1] Lift High the Cross © Copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Wednesday prior to Proper 17

[1]

Proverbs 25:2–10—General admonitions for wise behavior

Humility is the key word in both the Gospel lesson (Luke 14:1, 7-14) and the Old Testament lesson (Proverbs 25:2-10) for this coming week. In the Gospel a humble person will not seek the top seat at dinner but will choose to sit at the foot of the table. Moreover, humility is show by inviting poor people who cannot reciprocate by inviting you. The opening verses of the Old Testament lesson from the book of Proverbs say the same as Jesus in the Gospel. While humility is not specifically taught in the Epistle lesson (Hebrews 13:1-8) which is the last section in the series from the book of Hebrews we see humility in the exhortation to love strangers and especially the needy. Pride makes us want to be Number One, to be out in front and to generate publicity. It is Christ Himself who humbled Himself; taking on flesh bearing our sin and suffering our guilt at the cross only to rise victoriously granting us free remission of all sin.

Pride does not know your rightful place in the scheme of things. We get “uppity” when we try to be more than we are; when we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. This was the problem with Adam and Eve; out of pride they wanted to be like God, knowing good and evil. Humility knows your place; accepts it, and keeps it. Be what you are! Do what you can – No more; and certainly no less! From our reading from Proverbs a subject is not to stand in the king’s place as though he were the king. This is pride and arrogance. If one does this, he is humiliated by being put in his proper place – a lower place. One with humility will be content to stay in his place. Today many are stepping out of their places because of pride; thinking they belong on a higher place in society.

The Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday is taken from the book of Proverbs which receives attention only four times in the three-year cycle of readings. In the B Series Proper 15; in the C Series a reading from Proverbs occurs at Holy Trinity, Proper 17 and Proper 18.

About 250 years after the death of Solomon, blessed by God as the wisest man ever to have lived, King Hezekiah’s men collected some of Solomon’s wise sayings from a larger collection. The first section used for Sunday’s Old Testament reading (vv. 2–7) relate to earthly kings. Whereas part of God’s glory is due to the fact that He is beyond our understanding. It is the glory of earthly kings to search out and discover.

When he became king, Solomon humbly asked God for “an understanding mind to govern Your people that I may discern between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9). To search out justice and enlightenment is to a ruler’s glory.

The second portion of the reading (vv. 8–10) teaches us humility in relations with our neighbor. We are not to be hasty in pursuing litigation to elevate ourselves over our neighbor; he may thereby put us to shame. Neither should we engage in gossip, warns v. 9. Similar warnings are also given in Proverbs 11:13, 20:19, and, of course, the Eighth Commandment.

Collect for Proper 17: O Lord of grace and mercy, teach us by Your holy Spirit to follow the example of Your Son in true humility, that we may withstand the temptatio0ns of the devil and with pure hearts and minds avoid ungodly pride; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. [2]

Collect for Pentecost 12: Almighty and everlasting God, always more ready to hear than we to pray and always ready to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down un us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving us the things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us the good things we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord ,[3]

Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 11: Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help protect and govern it always by your goodness; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen [4]-24 August, 2022

Monday, August 22, 2022

Morning Prayer #7

From Adam to Noah

Genesis 5:1-32 (Selected verses)

Adam's Descendants to Noah

This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man[a] when they were created.3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years;5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years 8 All the days of Seth were 912 years.

9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years . 11 All the days of Enosh were 905 years.

12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years. 14 All the days of Kenan were 910 years.

15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years. 17 All the days of Mahalalel were 895 years.

18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years .20 All the days of Jared were 962 years.

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God[b] after he fathered Methuselah 300 years. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not,[c] for God took him.

25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years. 27 All the days of Methuselah were 969 years.

28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief[d] from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years.

32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Footnotes:

a. Genesis 5:2 Hebrew adam

b. Genesis 5:22 Septuagint pleased God; also verse 24

c. Genesis 5:24 Septuagint was not found

d. Genesis 5:29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for rest

English Standard Version (ESV)

Tuesday prior to Proper 17

[1]

Psalm 131—This psalm of David is the psalm of a humble man, one whose heart is not lifted up by himself and one whose eyes are not raised too high. Instead of relying on himself, David has calmed and quieted his soul with the knowledge of the LORD and that all our hope is in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 131 – David’s humble learned contentment in the LORD

This psalm is titled A Song of Ascents. Of David. Commentators suggest two possible occasions for its composition. The first may be when Saul hunted David, and David was repeatedly accused of ambition for the throne of Israel. The second may be David’s in response to his wife, Michal, when she accused him of being vulgar and undignified after he danced in the procession of bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:16-23).

Whatever the occasion was, this short psalm is a beautiful denial of pride, arrogance, and selfish ambition. “It is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn. It speaks of a young child, but it contains the experience of a man in Christ.

A. David declares his humble heart.
Vs. 1a David renounces pride and arrogance.
Vs. 2b (1b) David renounces selfish ambition.

B. David declares his contented heart.
Vs. 2 Contentment like a weaned child.
Vs. 3 Exhorting Israel to find the same contentment.[2]

Collect for Psalm 131: Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, you promised your kingdom to those who are like children. Never let pride reign in our hearts, but let the Father’s compassion embrace all who willingly bear your gentle yoke now and forever. [3]

Collect for Tuesday of the week of Pentecost 11: O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [4]–23 August 2022

[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-131/

[4] ibid