Scripture and Devotion for the Tuesday after Ad te levavi: December 3, 2013 Scripture: Isaiah 9:8—10:11 (NKJV) 9:8 The LORD sent a word against Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. 9 All the people will know—Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria—who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 10 The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars. 11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and spur his enemies on, 12 the Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. 14 Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, palm branch and bulrush in one day. 15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men, nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, and kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke. 19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is burned up, and the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand and not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 10:1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall among the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 as I have done to Samaria and her idols, shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols? Devotion: The nation of Judah believed that, because they had the temple and the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem, they were untouchable. Its ex opere operato, its automatic: no matter how evil they are, God will never let them fall! But the Lords real presence had been given to them to strengthen their faith, not to embolden them in faithlessness! Their faithless abuse of this great gift would result in Gods punishment, not His protection. We see the same thing today. Some imagine that America lives under Gods special protection and blessing. As this nation becomes increasingly faithless and wicked, we should learn a lesson from history! More to the point, in our own lives, we can start to turn a tolerant eye toward some of our sins: Im Baptized; Im Communed; this much sin is probably okay. None of it is okay! That is why we need Holy Baptism, the Holy Supper, Holy Absolution and the preaching of the Word! These are gifts, not that make sin tolerable, but that take our intolerable sins away! So throw away your idols—your idolatry of Nation, your idolatries of wealth or pleasure, your idolatry of self. In the day of trouble, no idol will save you. Instead, cling to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as He comes to you in Word and Sacrament. There, you have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 12:00:00 +0000
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