Home > Reading > Daily Reading – August 11, 2019

2 Kings 11:4–12:3

11:4 In the seventh year Jehoiada summoned the officers of the units of hundreds of the Carians and the royal bodyguard. He met with them in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement with them and made them swear an oath of allegiance in the Lord’s temple. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5He ordered them, “This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace. 6Another third of you will be stationed at the Foundation Gate. Still another third of you will be stationed at the gate behind the royal guard. You will take turns guarding the palace. 7The two units who are off duty on the Sabbath will guard the Lord’s temple and protect the king. 8You must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever approaches your ranks must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.”

9The officers of the units of hundreds did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath, and reported to Jehoiada the priest. 10The priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and the shields that were kept in the Lord’s temple. 11The royal bodyguard took their stations, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 12Jehoiada led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. They clapped their hands and cried out, “Long live the king!”

13When Athaliah heard the royal guard shout, she joined the crowd at the Lord’s temple. 14Then she saw the king standing by the pillar, according to custom. The officers stood beside the king with their trumpets, and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!” 15Jehoiada the priest ordered the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, “Bring her outside the temple to the guards. Put to death by the sword anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. 16They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. There she was executed.

17Jehoiada then drew up a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, stipulating that they should be loyal to the Lord. 18All the people of the land went and demolished the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols to bits. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar. Jehoiada the priest then placed guards at the Lord’s temple. 19He took the officers of the units of hundreds, the Carians, the royal bodyguard, and all the people of the land, and together they led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Gate of the Royal Bodyguard, and the king sat down on the royal throne. 20All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah with the sword in the royal palace.

21(12:1) Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign. 12:1 (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 2Jehoash did what the Lord approved all his days when Jehoiada the priest taught him. 3But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

(NET Bible)

Ps. 40

40:1 For the music director, a psalm of David.

I relied completely on the Lord,

and he turned toward me

and heard my cry for help.

2He lifted me out of the watery pit,

out of the slimy mud.

He placed my feet on a rock

and gave me secure footing.

3He gave me reason to sing a new song,

praising our God.

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord.

4How blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord

and does not seek help from the proud or from liars.

5O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;

you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us.

No one can thwart you.

I want to declare your deeds and talk about them,

but they are too numerous to recount.

6Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern.

You make that quite clear to me.

You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.

7Then I say,

“Look, I come!

What is written in the scroll pertains to me.

8I want to do what pleases you, my God.

Your law dominates my thoughts.”

9I have told the great assembly about your justice.

Look, I spare no words.

O Lord, you know this is true.

10I have not failed to tell about your justice;

I spoke about your reliability and deliverance.

I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness.

11O Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me.

May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me!

12For innumerable dangers surround me.

My sins overtake me

so I am unable to see;

they outnumber the hairs of my head

so my strength fails me.

13Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!

O Lord, hurry and help me!

14May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed.

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed.

15May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be humiliated and disgraced.

16May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you.

May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually,

“May the Lord be praised!”

17I am oppressed and needy.

May the Lord pay attention to me.

You are my helper and my deliverer.

O my God, do not delay.

(NET Bible)

Matt. 20:17–34

20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way, 18“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death, 19and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day, he will be raised.”

20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. 21He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23He told them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

24Now when the other 10 heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 26It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed them. 30Two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 31The crowd scolded them to get them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

(NET Bible)

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

Here (II Samuel 23:2, ‘The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue’) it becomes too marvelous and soars too high for me. God grant that I may at least partially attain to it, for he here begins to speak of the Holy Triune essence of the divine Godhead. First he mentions the Holy Ghost; to Him he ascribes all that the prophets foretell. It is these and similar statements to which St. Peter refers in the II Epistle 1:21, ‘For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, etc … ’Therefore we sing in the Creed, concerning the Holy Ghost, ‘Who spake by the Prophets.’ So we refer all of Scripture to the Holy Ghost.” In the same way he refers to Dan. 7:13, 14. “So it is the Spirit who speaks through Daniel, for such secret thing no one could know if the Holy Ghost had not revealed it through the prophets as we have frequently said before, that Holy Scripture has been spoken by the Holy Ghost.” (36–37)

–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.

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