Category: Daily Bible Reading Blog

A blog following the daily readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.

Luke 2:1-14

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            It is Christmas Eve.  Over the centuries since Christ’s birth we in the Western world have tended to so romanticize the Nativity that we have lost the scandal of grace.  So, in order to attempt a humble return to the original impact of Jesus coming to earth, I offer a contemporary version of Luke’s account of the shepherds and angels….
 
            In those days a law went out from the President that everyone in the country should be registered for the draft.  And all went to be registered, each to his own town.  And Joseph also went up from his hick small town to another small village called Bethlehem, because that is where his family was originally from.  He took his betrothed wife, Mary, with him and she was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in an old ratty blanket and laid him in a dresser drawer in the trailer they were staying in, because they could not afford the Motel 6.
 
            And in the same area there were truckers out at the local truck stop, sipping coffee with their semis all around them.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were afraid.  And the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid because I am bringing you some really joyful news that is for everyone.  For your sake a Savior has been born tonight over in the trailer park, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you:  you will find a baby wrapped in an old ratty blanket and lying in a dresser drawer.  And suddenly there was with the angel a whole lot of other angels who together started praising God and saying:  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
 
            The good news of Jesus coming to this earth is that he came not only for the educated, the wealthy, and the influential; he came for all kinds of people, especially those on the margins of society because the gospel is for everyone.
 
            This night not everyone will be within a church building celebrating with a candlelight service.  Some will be working and just trying to make a living.  Some will finally be with family after being on the road most of the year.  Some will just be happy to have a break.  They need Jesus just as much or more than we do.  Maybe by the grace of God an angel will show up and tell them where to find Jesus.  But if that doesn’t happen, let us be the ones who tell them the good news that Christ the Lord is born just for them.
            Gracious God, you have mercifully sent us your beloved Son to save us all so that we might live new and holy lives.  Help us so to be sensitive to your coming that the news comes joyfully out of us.  Amen.

Zephaniah 3:14-20

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            I grew up in the church.  Yet I must admit that I neither gained a true nor biblical view of God.  As a kid my concept of God was that he was an old white bearded guy who pretty much just twiddled his thumbs on a big ivory throne and occasionally looked down on the earth to see what was happening.  If he got involved at all, it was to take out some sort of divine BB gun and shoot random people in the backside just for kicks (yes, I know this says a whole lot about what kind of kid I was!).
 
            You may not have such a view of God, but just maybe God is a bit different than you have always conceived him to be.  The Old Testament prophets are conduits to showing us something of the pathos of God, that is, the emotions and heart of God.  Yes, I said emotions.  It could be that we do not think of God as feeling anything (except maybe anger) and portray him in our minds as some sort of big brain on a stick that never really gets excited about anything except disobedience.
 
            But in this wonderful little book of Zephaniah we get a portrayal of a God who is graciously giddy.  All the prophetic books of the Bible display a God who moves in waves of judgment and grace in response to a people who continually break covenant stipulations.  Yet God does not remain angry forever.  He is merciful and is in the business of not only forgiving people but restoring them and making them righteous. 
 
            There is a verse tucked away in Zephaniah that we might pass over because we do not tend to look at God this way:  “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”  It is God himself that rejoices and sings.  Yes, God.  Perhaps we need to gain the perspective that God throws parties and celebrates.  Maybe we must begin to think the thought that God is not some divine curmudgeon that is constantly a sourpuss. 
 
            If God is this way (and he himself says he is) then maybe we ought to entertain the notion that hospitality, food, celebration, and loud rejoicing reflects God’s image as much or more than somber attitudes.  Maybe Christians are the people who should throw the best parties in the neighborhood.  Soon Christmas will be here, and the Church Calendar allows for and encourages a twelve day celebration of the incarnation, of God becoming human.  It is time to prepare for a party.  Let us do it with all the gusto that befits people created in God’s likeness.
            Joyous God, how thankful I am that you do not remain angry forever.  May your grace and mercy seep down into my soul to the point of bringing out loud singing and rejoicing.  May a watching world see that there is joy both in heaven and on earth.  Amen.

Psalm 96

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            It was the Dutch theologian and statesman, Abraham Kuyper, who famously said over one hundred years ago, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”  That sentiment perfectly expresses the vision of the psalmist concerning God’s rightful place over all creation.  “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” is both the believer’s duty and delight.
 
            All of God’s good promises are ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The New Testament focuses the praise to King Jesus, the great Sovereign over all.  It is in Christ that all creation finds both redemption and restoration. 
 
            As we move near to Christmas and the birth of the Christ child, the biblical witness testifies along with the psalmist that not just Israel will have a king – all kinds of people will come to believe and submit with joyful abandon to the Lord of the universe.  Since God reigns over every square inch of creation and our lives, he will continue to bring more and more people under the gracious and benevolent rule of Jesus.  This is to God’s glory, and our praise.
            Mighty God, your gracious rule extends to all the world.  May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven so that all creation shall rightly praise your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

2 Samuel 6:1-11

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            God really cares about the manner in which we worship him.  In today’s Old Testament lesson, David and the Israelites are celebrating before the LORD and having a whopper of a worship service.  The reason for the big jubilation was the moving of the ark of God to Jerusalem.  However, there was one problem:  God was angry about it to the point of striking down Uzzah the Levite and killing him.
 
            The issue that prompted such a reaction was that the LORD had given specific instructions in the Law about how to carry the ark – with poles specially designed for the task.  But David and the Levites were transporting the ark not with poles, but on a cart.  And God was not okay with it.  The thing that is important for every believer and church to grasp is that when our pragmatism and human ingenuity trump the plain instructions of Holy Scripture, God’s anger is quite likely to be kindled.  The fact of the matter is that David and the Levites should have known better – it was their job to know how to go about moving the ark.  Their negligence cost a person his life.
 
            We, too, have a responsibility to know how to worship the Lord our God.  Worshiping God in whatever way seems best to us might make a lot of sense in our heads, but it just may offend the Lord.  It would be a very good thing to re-examine the Bible on the subject of worship.  In the current evangelical church climate of worshiping in whatever manner gets results, giving this biblical story a fresh examination in light of our own context is a place to start.
            Holy God, who cares about how people approach you, lead your people into the proper way of worship to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so that you might be pleased and glorified and your church blessed.  Amen.