7 November 2015
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Saturday 7 November
2015
Morning
Prayer
Psalm 19
The sky in silence, every
day and every night shows us that God is magnificent. God’s commandments are
magnificent. They are right, they delight the heart, they are simple, they are
more precious than gold. And the commandments warn us – but can we ever truly
detect all our own faults? David asks for help so that he does not commit
presumptuous sins*. He finishes with:
“Let the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord my rock and
my redeemer.”
2 Kings 15: 8 – 22
King Zechariah of Israel
reigns for 6 months and is conspired against and killed in public. This fulfils
the prophecy that this dynastic line would last only 4 generations. Shallum
reigns then Menahem kills him and takes over. Menahem sacks a town and is a
horror in his take-over. Menahem reigns
10 years. He too does what is evil. He however negotiates to pay off the King
of Assyria hence stopping an invasion. His son Pekahiah succeeds him.
Matthew
22: 15 – 33
Pharisees
and Herodians try to trick Jesus by asking is it lawful to pay tax to the Roman
Emperor. Jesus calls them hypocrites and asks for a coin. Jesus asks whose head
is on the coin and whose title – Jewish coins were minted with no images on
them. It is the Emperor’s head. Jesus says give to the Emperor what is his and
to God what is God’s. They are amazed.
Sadducees
come to Jesus saying there is no resurrection. Using a law about brothers being
required to marry the widow of another brother, they construct a scenario where
this happens seven times. They want to know who is the true husband in the
resurrection. Jesus tells them they are wrong in their understanding of the
resurrection – no one marries or is married, instead all are like angels.
Further, he quotes scripture where God says, “I am the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac and the God of Jacob” they are and God is. God is the God of the
living not the dead. The hearers are astounded.
Collect for
Morning Prayer
Tiny bird Eurobin Vic L Osburn |
Saturday 7
November 2015
Evening
Prayer
Psalm 119: 1 – 16
This portion of the psalm
celebrates those who know and follow the laws of God. The psalmist asks to be
taught and to be assisted to follow these laws.
“I will
delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (v 16).
Esther 8: 3 - 17
Esther begs the king to
revoke Haman’s letters to the provinces that the Jews be killed. The King
responds saying an edict may be written signed and sealed with the King’s ring
and that cannot be revoked.
The King’s secretaries are
summoned and Mordechai dictates the edict. It is sent to all the provinces from
India to Ethiopia in the language and script of each province. The letters are
written in the name of the King and sealed with the King’s signet ring. The
letters are sent on horse couriers from the King’s herd. The edict allows for
the Jews to assemble, defend and annihilate any group or armed force that might
attack them, their children or their women on one day – the 13th day
of the month Adar. Copies of this writ are to be made and published to all
people and the Jews are to make ready to take revenge on their enemies.
Mordechai puts on the robes
he was given: blue and white. He puts on the crown and a mantle of fine purple
linen. He goes to Susa. There is gladness and joy and in every province the Jews
celebrate. In some places people even convert.
Revelation 2: 18 – 29
John is to write to the church in
Thyatira (home of Lydia the dealer in purple cloth). The people are praised for
their faith, service and patient endurance. However there is a woman who is a
false prophet and has swayed some to idolatry. She and her followers will not
survive. But those who are faithful are to have no more burdens placed on them.
Instead at the end they will have authority, will be with Christ the morning
star.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
Dogwood blossoms Harrietville Vic L Osburn |
Oh God you have protected, delighted and uplifted your
faithful people through great persecutions and times of false teachings. May we
be inspired to love your commandments and walk with you so that we too may
experience the gladness and joy that comes from knowing we are truly and
forever saved by your grace through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the
power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.
*Presumptious sins are:
1.
When we do
know better
2.
When we
deliberately plan to do it or keep nurturing the thought about doing it, or
have built up a habit of a particular sin
3.
Sinning to
show total disregard for God
4.
Thinking
that we are immune from a particular type of sin because we are strong or “able
to manage it”. This is risky.
And, “I’ll
repent tomorrow…” presumes a tomorrow.
From
REV. C. H. Spurgeon 1857
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