Home > Reading > Daily Reading – August 27, 2019

2 Kings 22:8–20

22:8 Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe, “I found the scroll of the law in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan and he read it. 9Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported, “Your servants melted down the silver in the temple and handed it over to the construction foremen assigned to the Lord’s temple.” 10Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 11When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 12The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 13“Go, seek an oracle from the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.”

14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shullam son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, the supervisor of the wardrobe. (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh district.) They stated their business, 15and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 16“This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, all the things in the scroll that the king of Judah has read. 17This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 18Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said concerning the words you have heard: 19‘You displayed a sensitive spirit and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its residents into an appalling example of an accursed people. You tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 20‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace. You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.

(NET Bible)

Ps. 56

56:1 For the music director, according to the yonath-elem-rekhoqim style; a prayer of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath.

Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me.

All day long hostile enemies are tormenting me.

2Those who anticipate my defeat attack me all day long.

Indeed, many are fighting against me, O Exalted One.

3When I am afraid,

I trust in you.

4In God—I boast in his promise—

in God I trust; I am not afraid.

What can mere men do to me?

5All day long they cause me trouble;

they make a habit of plotting my demise.

6They stalk and lurk;

they watch my every step,

as they prepare to take my life.

7Because they are bent on violence, do not let them escape.

In your anger bring down the nations, O God.

8You keep track of my misery.

Put my tears in your leather container.

Are they not recorded in your scroll?

9My enemies will turn back when I cry out to you for help;

I know that God is on my side.

10In God—I boast in his promise—

in the Lord—I boast in his promise—

11in God I trust; I am not afraid.

What can mere men do to me?

12I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God;

I will give you the thank offerings you deserve,

13when you deliver my life from death.

You keep my feet from stumbling,

so that I might serve God as I enjoy life.

(NET Bible)

Matt. 26:17–35

26:17 Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” 19So the disciples did as Jesus had instructed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20When it was evening, he took his place at the table with the twelve. 21And while they were eating he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” 22They became greatly distressed and each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.” 25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus replied, “You have said it yourself.”

26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” 27And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 28for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

32But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33Peter said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” 34Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same thing.

(NET Bible)

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

Luther was not unaware of the difficulties that arise when parallel passages in the Gospels are compared with each other. So in the Lenten Postil, of 1525, he discusses the order of time in the three temptations of our Lord. He makes this statement: “The order in which these temptations came to Christ cannot be determined with certainty, for the evangelists do not agree. What Matthew places in the middle, Luke places at the end, and what he places in the middle, Matthew places at the end, as though he  placed little importance on the order. If we want to preach about it or discuss it, the order of Luke would be the best, for it makes a fine sequence that the devil first attacks through need and misfortune and, when this does not bring results, follows with fortune and honor. Finally, when this is all in vain, he strikes out with all force with errors, lies, and other spiritual deceits. But because they do not occur thus in our daily experience, but, as it happens, a Christian is tempted now with the last, now with the first, Matthew did not pay much attention to the order, as would be fitting for a preacher. And perhaps Christ was so tempted during the forty days that the devil did not observe any particular order but came today with the one temptation, tomorrow with the other, after ten days again with the first and so on as it happened to take place.” (45)

–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.

Learn More