Obadiah 1:1–14
1:1 The vision that Obadiah saw.
The Sovereign Lord says this concerning Edom:
We have heard a report from the Lord.
An envoy was sent among the nations, saying,
“Arise! Let us make war against Edom!”
2The Lord says, “Look! I will make you a weak nation;
you will be greatly despised!
3Your presumptuous heart has deceived you—
you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs,
whose home is high in the mountains.
You think to yourself,
‘No one can bring me down to the ground!’
4Even if you were to soar high like an eagle,
even if you were to make your nest among the stars,
I can bring you down even from there!” says the Lord.
5“If thieves came to rob you during the night,
they would steal only as much as they wanted.
If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards,
they would leave some behind for the poor.
But you will be totally destroyed!
6How the people of Esau will be thoroughly plundered!
Their hidden valuables will be ransacked!
7All your allies will force you from your homeland!
Your treaty partners will deceive you and overpower you.
Your trusted friends will set an ambush for you
that will take you by surprise!
8“At that time,” the Lord says,
“I will destroy the wise sages of Edom,
the advisers from Esau’s mountain.
9Your warriors will be shattered, O Teman,
so that everyone will be destroyed from Esau’s mountain!
10“Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob,
shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever.
11You stood aloof while strangers took his army captive
and foreigners advanced to his gates.
When they cast lots over Jerusalem,
you behaved as though you were in league with them.
12You should not have gloated when your relatives suffered calamity.
You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah when they were destroyed.
You should not have boasted when they suffered adversity.
13You should not have entered the city of my people when they experienced distress.
You should not have joined in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress.
You should not have looted their wealth when they endured distress.
14You should not have stood at the fork in the road to slaughter those trying to escape.
You should not have captured their refugees when they suffered adversity.
(NET Bible)Ps. 100
100:1 A thanksgiving psalm.
Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
2Worship the Lord with joy.
Enter his presence with joyful singing.
3Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us and we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give him thanks.
Praise his name.
5For the Lord is good.
His loyal love endures,
and he is faithful through all generations.
(NET Bible)Mark 6:1–13
6:1 Now Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did he get these ideas? And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands? 3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him. 4Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own house.” 5He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then he went around among the villages and taught.
7Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9and to put on sandals but not to wear two tunics. 10He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the area. 11If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12So they went out and preached that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with olive oil and healed them.
(NET Bible)
Even in the introduction [to his lectures on Galatians delivered between 1535 and 1545] Luther discussed how the six days of creation are to be understood. He recalls that Hilary and Augustine, these two great lights of the church, were of the opinion that the world was created suddenly and not gradually in the course of six days. Then he opposes this view and writes: “Because we are not sufficiently able to understand how these days occurred nor why God wished to observe such distinctions of times, we shall rather admit our ignorance than attempt to twist the words unnecessarily into an unnatural meaning. As far, therefore, as St. Augustine’s opinion is concerned, we hold that Moses spoke literally not allegorically or figuratively, that is, the world and all its creatures was created within the six days as the words declare. Because we are not able to comprehend we shall remain disciples and leave the instructorship to the Holy Ghost.” (51)
–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.