Saturday 7 July 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 7 July 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Samuel 14:16-30

Saul's lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin were watching as the multitude was
surging back and forth. Then Saul said to the troops that were with him,
'Call the roll and see who has gone from us.' When they had called the
roll, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there. Saul said to
Ahijah, 'Bring the ark of God here.' For at that time the ark of God
went with the Israelites. While Saul was talking to the priest, the
tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more; and Saul
said to the priest, 'Withdraw your hand.' Then Saul and all the people
who were with him rallied and went into the battle; and every sword was
against the other, so that there was very great confusion. Now the
Hebrews who previously had been with the Philistines and had gone up
with them into the camp turned and joined the Israelites who were with
Saul and Jonathan. Likewise, when all the Israelites who had gone into
hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were
fleeing, they too followed closely after them in the battle. So the Lord
gave Israel the victory that day.
The battle passed beyond Beth-aven, and the troops with Saul numbered
altogether about ten thousand men. The battle spread out over the hill
country of Ephraim. 
Now Saul committed a very rash act on that day. He had laid an oath on
the troops, saying, 'Cursed be anyone who eats food before it is evening
and I have been avenged on my enemies.' So none of the troops tasted
food. All the troops came upon a honeycomb; and there was honey on the
ground. When the troops came upon the honeycomb, the honey was dripping
out; but they did not put their hands to their mouths, for they feared
the oath. But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the troops with
the oath; so he extended the staff that was in his hand, and dipped the
tip of it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes
brightened. Then one of the soldiers said, 'Your father strictly charged
the troops with an oath, saying, "Cursed be anyone who eats food this
day." And so the troops are faint.' Then Jonathan said, 'My father has
troubled the land; see how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a
little of this honey. How much better if today the troops had eaten
freely of the spoil taken from their enemies; for now the slaughter
among the Philistines has not been great.'
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Acts 9:10-19a

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him
in a vision, 'Ananias.' He answered, 'Here I am, Lord.' The Lord said to
him, 'Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of
Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,
and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his
hands on him so that he might regain his sight.' But Ananias answered,
'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done
to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief
priests to bind all who invoke your name.' But the Lord said to him,
'Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before
Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show
him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.' So Ananias went
and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother
Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me
so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight
was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some
food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,
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Luke 23:32-43

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death
with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they
crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on
his left. [[ Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not
know what they are doing.']] And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him,
saying, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of
God, his chosen one!' The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and
offering him sour wine, and saying, 'If you are the King of the Jews,
save yourself!' There was also an inscription over him, 'This is the
King of the Jews.' 
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,
'Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!' But the other rebuked
him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence
of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are
getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing
wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom.' He replied, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
Paradise.'
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 137:1-9, 144

Psalm 137:1-9

By the rivers of Babylon-
   there we sat down and there we wept
   when we remembered Zion. 
On the willows there
   we hung up our harps. 
For there our captors
   asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
   'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!' 


How could we sing the Lord's song
   in a foreign land? 
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
   let my right hand wither! 
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
   if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
   above my highest joy. 


Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
   the day of Jerusalem's fall,
how they said, 'Tear it down! Tear it down!
   Down to its foundations!' 
O daughter Babylon, you devastator!
   Happy shall they be who pay you back
   what you have done to us! 
Happy shall they be who take your little ones
   and dash them against the rock!



Psalm 144

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
   who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; 
my rock and my fortress,
   my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
   who subdues the peoples under me. 


O Lord, what are human beings that you regard them,
   or mortals that you think of them? 
They are like a breath;
   their days are like a passing shadow. 


Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
   touch the mountains so that they smoke. 
Make the lightning flash and scatter them;
   send out your arrows and rout them. 
Stretch out your hand from on high;
   set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters,
   from the hand of aliens, 
whose mouths speak lies,
   and whose right hands are false. 


I will sing a new song to you, O God;
   upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, 
the one who gives victory to kings,
   who rescues his servant David. 
Rescue me from the cruel sword,
   and deliver me from the hand of aliens,
whose mouths speak lies,
   and whose right hands are false. 


May our sons in their youth
   be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars,
   cut for the building of a palace. 
May our barns be filled
   with produce of every kind;
may our sheep increase by thousands,
   by tens of thousands in our fields, 
   and may our cattle be heavy with young.
May there be no breach in the walls, no exile,
   and no cry of distress in our streets. 


Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;
   happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 104

Psalm 104

Bless the Lord, O my soul.
   O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honour and majesty, 
   wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent, 
   you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
   you ride on the wings of the wind, 
you make the winds your messengers,
   fire and flame your ministers. 


You set the earth on its foundations,
   so that it shall never be shaken. 
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
   the waters stood above the mountains. 
At your rebuke they flee;
   at the sound of your thunder they take to flight. 
They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys
   to the place that you appointed for them. 
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
   so that they might not again cover the earth. 


You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
   they flow between the hills, 
giving drink to every wild animal;
   the wild asses quench their thirst. 
By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
   they sing among the branches. 
>From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
   the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 


You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
   and plants for people to use,
to bring forth food from the earth, 
   and wine to gladden the human heart,
oil to make the face shine,
   and bread to strengthen the human heart. 
The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
   the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 
In them the birds build their nests;
   the stork has its home in the fir trees. 
The high mountains are for the wild goats;
   the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. 
You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
   the sun knows its time for setting. 
You make darkness, and it is night,
   when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. 
The young lions roar for their prey,
   seeking their food from God. 
When the sun rises, they withdraw
   and lie down in their dens. 
People go out to their work
   and to their labour until the evening. 


O Lord, how manifold are your works!
   In wisdom you have made them all;
   the earth is full of your creatures. 
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
   creeping things innumerable are there,
   living things both small and great. 
There go the ships,
   and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 


These all look to you
   to give them their food in due season; 
when you give to them, they gather it up;
   when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
   when you take away their breath, they die
   and return to their dust. 
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
   and you renew the face of the ground. 


May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
   may the Lord rejoice in his works- 
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
   who touches the mountains and they smoke. 
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
   for I rejoice in the Lord. 
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
   and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord!
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