Is. 63:15–64:12

63:15 Look down from heaven and take notice,

from your holy, majestic palace!

Where are your zeal and power?

Do not hold back your tender compassion!

16For you are our father,

though Abraham does not know us

and Israel does not recognize us.

You, Lord, are our father;

you have been called our Protector from ancient times.

17Why, Lord, do you make us stray from your ways

and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you?

Return for the sake of your servants,

the tribes of your inheritance!

18For a short time your special nation possessed a land,

but then our adversaries knocked down your holy sanctuary.

19We existed from ancient times,

but you did not rule over them;

they were not your subjects.

64:1 (63:19b) If only you would tear apart the sky and come down!

The mountains would tremble before you!

2(64:1) As when fire ignites dry wood

or fire makes water boil,

let your adversaries know who you are,

and may the nations shake at your presence!

3When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise,

you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

4Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who intervenes for those who wait for him.

5You assist those who delight in doing what is right,

who observe your commandments.

Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.

How then can we be saved?

6We are all like one who is unclean,

all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight.

We all wither like a leaf;

our sins carry us away like the wind.

7No one invokes your name,

or makes an effort to take hold of you.

For you have rejected us

and handed us over to our own sins.

8Yet, Lord, you are our father.

We are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the product of your labor.

9Lord, do not be too angry!

Do not hold our sins against us continually.

Take a good look at your people, at all of us.

10Your chosen cities have become a wilderness;

Zion has become a wilderness,

Jerusalem, a desolate ruin.

11Our holy temple, our pride and joy,

the place where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire;

all our prized possessions have been destroyed.

12In light of all this, how can you still hold back, Lord?

How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

Ps. 52

52:1 For the music director, a well-written song by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.”

Why do you boast about your evil plans, O powerful man?

God’s loyal love protects me all day long.

2Your tongue carries out your destructive plans;

it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.

3You love evil more than good,

lies more than speaking the truth. (Selah)

4You love to use all the words that destroy,

and the tongue that deceives.

5Yet God will make you a permanent heap of ruins.

He will scoop you up and remove you from your home;

he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)

6When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,

and will mock the evildoer, saying:

7“Look, here is the man who would not make God his protector.

He trusted in his great wealth

and was confident about his plans to destroy others.”

8But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God;

I continually trust in God’s loyal love.

9I will continually thank you when you execute judgment;

I will rely on you, for your loyal followers know you are good.

Gal. 4:1–20

4:1 Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything. 2But he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3So also we, when we were minors, were enslaved under the basic forces of the world. 4But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights. 6And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls “Abba! Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God.

8Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all. 9But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless basic forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? 10You are observing religious days and months and seasons and years. 11I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain. 12I beg you, brothers and sisters, become like me, because I have become like you. You have done me no wrong!

13But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you, 14and though my physical condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God, as though I were Christ Jesus himself! 15Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me! 16So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

17They court you eagerly, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly. 18However, it is good to be sought eagerly for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you. 19My children—I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! 20I wish I could be with you now and change my tone of voice, because I am perplexed about you.