Scripture and Devotion for the Monday after the Third Sunday after the Epiphany: January 27, 2013 Scripture: Zechariah 4:1—5:11 (NKJV) 4:1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, What do you see? So I said, I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left. 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord. 6 So he answered and said to me: This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of Grace, grace to it! 8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth. 11 Then I answered and said to him, What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left? 12 And I further answered and said to him, What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains? 13 Then he answered me and said, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord. 14 So he said, These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth. 5:1 Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll. 2 And he said to me, What do you see? So I answered, I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits. 3 Then he said to me, This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: Every thief shall be expelled, according to this side of the scroll; and, Every perjurer shall be expelled, according to that side of it. 4 I will send out the curse, says the LORD of hosts; It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house and consume it, with its timber and stones. 5 Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth. 6 So I asked, What is it? And he said, It is a basket that is going forth. He also said, This is their resemblance throughout the earth: 7 Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket; 8 then he said, This is Wickedness! And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth. 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. 10 So I said to the angel who talked with me, Where are they carrying the basket? 11 And he said to me, To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base. Devotion: The Lord has done profound and wondrous acts throughout history. Some are more easily understood than others, but all of them are accomplished, and understood, by the power of His Spirit. Without His Spirit we fail to see the point of His works. That is why those who reject His Spirit offer up all sorts of explanations of their own, from the random occurrences of meaningless chance to the capricious designs of gods or spirits that are more selfish than holy. But by the power of Gods Spirit we are enlightened and blessed with the one true faith by which we are made able to see that everything the Lord does points to Jesus Christ crucified! The Word and Spirit of God give life and salvation to us, but those who reject His Spirit are the thieves and liars that plunder and corrupt His Church on earth and receive instead the curse. They stand condemned by the Law of God and they will suffer the consequences of their wickedness. They will be cast out and lose every blessing that the Lord has accomplished for them. No might or power of mankind is capable of doing what His Holy Spirit does, nor what the Father and the Son do! It is only by His profound and wondrous power that faith and grace come to us so that we may believe Jesus Christ is our Lord, promised to us through the ages and revealed to us from the Cross. Thanks be to God, Who truly gives us life and salvation in His Son!
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:42:31 +0000
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