"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 23 December 2016 with Scripture Matthew 1:18-25
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Matthew 1:18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh. 19 Her husband-to-be, Yosef, was a man who did what was right; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame. 20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet,
23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanu El.”[Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14]
(The name means, “God is with us.”)
24 When Yosef awoke he did what the angel of Adonai had told him to do — he took Miryam home to be his wife, 25 but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.[Complete Jewish Bible]
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For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
"She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." The restoration for which Psalm 80 cries out--"Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved"--is now fulfilled in God's promise, Jesus. Jesus saves from sin. We have so quickly interpreted sin as our personal failings or individual faults. But the Gospel of Matthew is not only referring to personal sin and the mending of a relationship between Jesus and "me." Matthew writes about saving the people, the community. Sin is the breakdown of community. It is living in isolation, individually or as a self-sufficient group. God-with-us calls us out of our isolation into the beauty of a vast and splendid universal communion. May our Advent hope always throw us into the beautiful messiness of humanity, of an infant born on the road, in a crowded town, without a home, in a manger.
O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver, the hope of all peoples and their Savior: Come and save us, O Lord our God. Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."
24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.[New Revised Standard Version]
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"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Thursday, 22 December 2016 with Scripture Matthew 1:18-25
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Matthew 1:18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh. 19 Her husband-to-be, Yosef, was a man who did what was right; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame. 20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet,
23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanu El.”[Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14]
(The name means, “God is with us.”)
24 When Yosef awoke he did what the angel of Adonai had told him to do — he took Miryam home to be his wife, 25 but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.[Complete Jewish Bible]
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For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
The Advent litany for today highlights another aspect of hope. We call upon Jesus, ruler of the nations, as cornerstone, as foundation, who makes all people one. The litany calls this deep hope desire. Our desire for Jesus is a desire for reconciliation; it is a desire for the nations and the religions in the world to lay down their arms and seek peace, a much more arduous task then going to war. We are called in our daily lives to do the same: to lay down our weapons, not forgetting but putting aside anger, disdain, hatred. Moving beyond our typical judgments--like Joseph was called by the angel to move beyond his own decision to repudiate Mary quietly--we enter into a plan, God's plan of restoration, that goes far beyond anything we ever could have hoped for or imagined.
O king of the nations, and their desire, come cornerstone that binds us in one: Restore the broken, make us new. Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay. Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."
24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.[New Revised Standard Version]
"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Thursday, 22 December 2016 with Scripture Matthew 1:18-25
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Matthew 1:18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh. 19 Her husband-to-be, Yosef, was a man who did what was right; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame. 20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet,
23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanu El.”[Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14]
(The name means, “God is with us.”)
24 When Yosef awoke he did what the angel of Adonai had told him to do — he took Miryam home to be his wife, 25 but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------
For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
The Advent litany for today highlights another aspect of hope. We call upon Jesus, ruler of the nations, as cornerstone, as foundation, who makes all people one. The litany calls this deep hope desire. Our desire for Jesus is a desire for reconciliation; it is a desire for the nations and the religions in the world to lay down their arms and seek peace, a much more arduous task then going to war. We are called in our daily lives to do the same: to lay down our weapons, not forgetting but putting aside anger, disdain, hatred. Moving beyond our typical judgments--like Joseph was called by the angel to move beyond his own decision to repudiate Mary quietly--we enter into a plan, God's plan of restoration, that goes far beyond anything we ever could have hoped for or imagined.
O king of the nations, and their desire, come cornerstone that binds us in one: Restore the broken, make us new. Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay. Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."
24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.[New Revised Standard Version]
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"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 21 December 2016 with Scripture Romans 1:1-7
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Romans 1:1 From: Sha’ul, a slave of the Messiah Yeshua, an emissary because I was called and set apart for the Good News of God.
2 God promised this Good News in advance through his prophets in the Tanakh. 3 It concerns his Son — he is descended from David physically; 4 he was powerfully demonstrated to be Son of God spiritually, set apart by his having been resurrected from the dead; he is Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and were given the work of being an emissary on his behalf promoting trust-grounded obedience among all the Gentiles, 6 including you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah.
7 To: All those in Rome whom God loves, who have been called, who have been set apart for him:
Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.[Complete Jewish Bible]
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For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
We are called to belong to Jesus. In baptism God has claimed us as God's own. What does this mean? It means that our life is now clothed in Jesus. For centuries, clothing was an identity. We still see some vestiges of that today, including among some clergy who wear collars. Our identity, inner and outer, is Jesus Christ. Jesus is now the one who defines the shape of our life. During the Advent season, we highlight one aspect of this formation in faith: through hope. Our hope in Jesus, our hope is in God's mercy; this hope shapes the way we live in the world. It shapes us much differently than the hope for material possessions or personal advancement. Though we wait for Jesus, though we eagerly anticipate Christmas Eve, God is already with us as deep hope for a world restored, a humanity reconciled, for peace, for the dawning morning star.
O morning star, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness: disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death’s dark shadow put to flight. Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,
6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.[New Revised Standard Version]
"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 21 December 2016 with Scripture Romans 1:1-7
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Romans 1:1 From: Sha’ul, a slave of the Messiah Yeshua, an emissary because I was called and set apart for the Good News of God.
2 God promised this Good News in advance through his prophets in the Tanakh. 3 It concerns his Son — he is descended from David physically; 4 he was powerfully demonstrated to be Son of God spiritually, set apart by his having been resurrected from the dead; he is Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and were given the work of being an emissary on his behalf promoting trust-grounded obedience among all the Gentiles, 6 including you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah.
7 To: All those in Rome whom God loves, who have been called, who have been set apart for him:
Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------
For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
We are called to belong to Jesus. In baptism God has claimed us as God's own. What does this mean? It means that our life is now clothed in Jesus. For centuries, clothing was an identity. We still see some vestiges of that today, including among some clergy who wear collars. Our identity, inner and outer, is Jesus Christ. Jesus is now the one who defines the shape of our life. During the Advent season, we highlight one aspect of this formation in faith: through hope. Our hope in Jesus, our hope is in God's mercy; this hope shapes the way we live in the world. It shapes us much differently than the hope for material possessions or personal advancement. Though we wait for Jesus, though we eagerly anticipate Christmas Eve, God is already with us as deep hope for a world restored, a humanity reconciled, for peace, for the dawning morning star.
O morning star, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness: disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death’s dark shadow put to flight. Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,
6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.[New Revised Standard Version]
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"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Tuesday, 20 December 2016 with Scripture Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
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Psalm 80:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
3 (2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
4 (3) God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
5 (4) Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
6 (5) You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
7 (6) You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
8 (7) God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
18 (17) Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.
19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
20 (19) Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.[Complete Jewish Bible]
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For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
Psalm 80 pleads that God come among us. This advent of God in our midst brings restoration. But as we have seen over these past few weeks, this restoration is not only a future hope, it is marvelously made manifest today: those who are blind can now see; those who are imprisoned are freed; those who could not walk now run. The psalm gives words to our deepest longing to see these acts of God, to know them in our lives, in the lives of our family and our community. Only God can bring restoration, only God can bring us back, only God can give life where death reigns. The psalm gives expression to our desire to be enveloped in the radiance of God's face: let your face shine on us.
O key of David, you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: come and lead the prisoners out, free those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Psalm 80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved...
17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.[New Revised Standard Version]
"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Tuesday, 20 December 2016 with Scripture Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
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Psalm 80:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
3 (2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
4 (3) God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
5 (4) Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
6 (5) You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
7 (6) You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
8 (7) God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
18 (17) Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.
19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
20 (19) Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------
For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
Psalm 80 pleads that God come among us. This advent of God in our midst brings restoration. But as we have seen over these past few weeks, this restoration is not only a future hope, it is marvelously made manifest today: those who are blind can now see; those who are imprisoned are freed; those who could not walk now run. The psalm gives words to our deepest longing to see these acts of God, to know them in our lives, in the lives of our family and our community. Only God can bring restoration, only God can bring us back, only God can give life where death reigns. The psalm gives expression to our desire to be enveloped in the radiance of God's face: let your face shine on us.
O key of David, you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: come and lead the prisoners out, free those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Psalm 80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved...
17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.[New Revised Standard Version]
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"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Monday, 19 December 2016 with Scripture Isaiah 7:10-16
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Isaiah 7:10 Adonai spoke again to Achaz; he said, 11 “Ask Adonai your God to give you a sign. Ask it anywhere, from the depths of Sh’ol to the heights above.” 12 But Achaz answered, “I won’t ask, I won’t test Adonai.”
13 Then [the prophet] said,
“Listen here, house of David!
Is trying people’s patience
such a small thing for you
that you must try the patience
of my God as well?
14 Therefore Adonai himself
will give you people a sign:
the young woman* will become pregnant,
bear a son and name him ‘Immanu El [God is with us].
15 By the time he knows enough
to refuse evil and choose good,
he will [have to] eat
curdled milk and [wild] honey.
16 Yes, before the child knows enough
to refuse evil and choose good,
the land whose two kings you dread
will be left abandoned.[Complete Jewish Bible]
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For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
Isaiah prophesies about God's surprising advent amongst us as a child. This prophecy occurs as an apparent confrontation with King Ahaz--who didn't have a very good reputation. God acts. God acts in a world that is turned in upon itself. God disrupts us in situations where we think more about ourselves and our own comfort rather than the good of our neighbor, where we build walls rather than bridges. God irrupts in our midst, not in a threatening way, not in condemnation, but as a child who is named God-with-us. The Advent Litany refers to this child as a sign who will shut the mouths of rulers, who will turn "business as usual" inside out, who will direct our gaze away from ourselves and towards the many humble, gentle, surprising ways God is already acting in the world. We are reminded again and again about that vigilant hope that marks a whole life of faith.
O root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you rulers will shut their mouths, to you all peoples make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer! Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Isaiah 7:10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.
13 Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.[New Revised Standard Version]
"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Monday, 19 December 2016 with Scripture Isaiah 7:10-16
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Isaiah 7:10 Adonai spoke again to Achaz; he said, 11 “Ask Adonai your God to give you a sign. Ask it anywhere, from the depths of Sh’ol to the heights above.” 12 But Achaz answered, “I won’t ask, I won’t test Adonai.”
13 Then [the prophet] said,
“Listen here, house of David!
Is trying people’s patience
such a small thing for you
that you must try the patience
of my God as well?
14 Therefore Adonai himself
will give you people a sign:
the young woman* will become pregnant,
bear a son and name him ‘Immanu El [God is with us].
15 By the time he knows enough
to refuse evil and choose good,
he will [have to] eat
curdled milk and [wild] honey.
16 Yes, before the child knows enough
to refuse evil and choose good,
the land whose two kings you dread
will be left abandoned.[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------
For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
Isaiah prophesies about God's surprising advent amongst us as a child. This prophecy occurs as an apparent confrontation with King Ahaz--who didn't have a very good reputation. God acts. God acts in a world that is turned in upon itself. God disrupts us in situations where we think more about ourselves and our own comfort rather than the good of our neighbor, where we build walls rather than bridges. God irrupts in our midst, not in a threatening way, not in condemnation, but as a child who is named God-with-us. The Advent Litany refers to this child as a sign who will shut the mouths of rulers, who will turn "business as usual" inside out, who will direct our gaze away from ourselves and towards the many humble, gentle, surprising ways God is already acting in the world. We are reminded again and again about that vigilant hope that marks a whole life of faith.
O root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you rulers will shut their mouths, to you all peoples make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer! Amen.
Dirk G. Lange
Associate Dean, Graduate Theological Education and Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary
Isaiah 7:10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.
13 Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.[New Revised Standard Version]
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