This Week: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-14, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Family Lectionary Study;

Sundays from 9:15 to 10:15 in the Prayer Room

Set the Church-year Calendar. This is the Day of Epiphany, also called the Feast of Kings – the day that celebrates the arrival of the Magi to honour the birth of Christ. “Epiphany” means “facing outward”: whereas Christmas celebrates the birth of the promised Messiah to the Jewish people in fulfillment of the prophesies given to that nation, Epiphany celebrates that Christ came not only to that one nation but to all the peoples of the whole world. The Magi were only the first of the billions of non-Jewish people who now bow before the Saviour of the whole world.

Review responses to last week's homework:

  1. Have you ever moved because of a safety issue?
    ______________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________

  2. What can be done to make neighborhoods safe for children?
    ______________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________

  3. How do you turn to God in your decision-making?
    ______________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________

  4. What questions would you desire an angel of the Lord to answer?When you pray for God’s help in making a decision or choosing between options, how do you determine the path toward which God is directing you?
    ______________________________________________________________
    ______________________________________________________________

  5. Memory Scripture:

18   Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19   Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20   But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21   And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22   Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23   Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Isaiah 60:1-6

The context of this reading is the return of the Exiles from the Diaspora. We talked last week about some of the sorrow that was mixed with the joy of that return – of leaving friends and family behind in exile, of feeling like strangers in your ancestral land. The prophet promises future reunion with friends and family who were scattered by the Diaspora, and future prosperity for the restored nation of Israel. Metaphorically, we see this as a promise of reunion of all nations under the Fatherhood of God, and our spiritual prosperity as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven

Psalm 72:1-14,

Verse 8 will have a familiar sound to Canadians -- “Dominion from Sea unto Sea”. What does “Dominion” mean – hint: what does it mean to “dominate” something? Who is it that has “dominion from Sea unto Sea”? In the psalm, it is the King (or in our case, it would be our Queen), but the psalm also makes a clear connection between the sovereign, and the God who placed that sovereign on the throne and the whose calling that sovereign is supposed to follow.

Ephesians 3:1-12

In keeping with the theme of Epiphany – reaching or facing outward, Saint Paul is known as the “apostle to the gentiles”.

Matthew 2:1-12

The quote in verse 2.6 will not actually be found in the Old Testament: it is a blending from two different prophesies: Micah 5.2 and 2 Samuel 5.2.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
       though you are small among the clans of Judah,
       out of you will come for me
       one who will be ruler over Israel,
       whose origins are from of old,
       from ancient times.


And the LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.' "


Is such creative license with verses from such broadly separate sources, an appropriate use of Scripture? Note that in context, the verses are in fact related by the one's being addressed to David, and the latter being addressed clearly to Bethlehem – the “City of David”.

Next week:Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17