Watering the Earth - Part 2
Isaiah 55:10-11
02/06/2024
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to
the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty, but it shall
accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed
in the thing for which I sent it. (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah wrote:
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and
do not return there but water the earth, making it
bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and
bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out
from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it
shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall
succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Who better knows the importance of rain and snow than we who
live in the rural parts of the country. Our livelihood is
affected by the weather much more than those who live and work in
the cities. When we don't have enough rain, or when we have too
much, the crops don't grow and people go hungry. Only when we
are blessed with the proper amount of moisture can we produce
that which feeds this nation with the bounty of God's rich
blessings.
The law of God is like that drought or flood which shows us
that we are helpless in the face of God's power. God's law does
not only curb bad behavior as we fear punishment, but it acts as
a mirror to show us that we are condemned because we have broken
the law. The law causes us to cry to God for relief, that God
relent in His condemnation, that He provides the help we need to
overcome sin and eternal death.
Preaching the law returns the benefit of preparing people to
hear the Gospel, that Jesus Christ bore the guilt of our sin.
Through His death and resurrection, we are offered the
forgiveness of our sin and receive everlasting life.
May our Lord grant that we hear the preaching of the law so
that we may hear the good news of the Gospel. Amen.Author: admin
Watering the Earth — Part 1: 02/05/2023
Watering the Earth - Part 1
Isaiah 55:10-11
02/05/2024
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to
the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty, but it shall
accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed
in the thing for which I sent it. (ESV)
This weeks readings in the Divine Service at Trinity
Lutheran Church focused on the Word of God. Our Gospel lesson
was the familiar Parable of the Sower, where the seed of the Word
is scattered on both good ground and bad.
Our Old Testament lesson comes from the book of Isaiah.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and
do not return there but water the earth, making it
bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and
bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out
from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it
shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall
succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
We proclaim the Word of God, the good news of salvation by
God's love alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone, in the
hope that all people might know of the love of God. This is the
Gospel message, the good news that we have the hope of
everlasting life for the sake of Jesus' death and resurrection.
To prepare us to hear the Gospel, we need to know that we
are sinners who are otherwise lost and eternally condemned. That
is why we proclaim God's law, so that we know we need a redeemer
from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
This week we will look at the Word of God and see how it
contains all we need for our salvation.
May our Lord grant you His richest blessings this week.
Amen.The Presentation of Our Lord — 02/02/2024
The Presentation of Our Lord
Luke 2:22-24
02/02/2024
22 And when the time came for their purification
according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up
to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ``Every
male who first opens the womb shall be called holy
to the Lord'')
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said
in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or
two young pigeons. (ESV)
Today is the Feast of the Presentation, forty days after
Christmas, when we commemorate Jesus being presented to the Lord
in the Temple.
And when the time came for their purification according
to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law
of the Lord, ``Every male who first opens the womb
shall be called holy to the Lord'') and to offer a
sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the
Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
This Feast is another reminder of the awesome responsibility
God gives parents to raise their children in keeping with God's
holy Law. This includes having children baptized, taking them to
church, teaching them the Christian faith, and encouraging them
to grow in love towards God.
Today also is a reminder of the theme of the Epiphany
Season, Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, the Light no
darkness can overcome. He is revealed in the Temple as the
promised Messiah, the Son of God who will take upon Himself the
sins of the world.
There are many traditions associated with this day. Please
join us on Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church
to find out how the presentation of Jesus is related to Ground
Hog's Day.
May our Lord grant that we see Jesus as the Light of the
World and as our Redeemer from sin and death. Amen.Getting What We Don’t Deserve — Part 4: 02/01/2024
Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 4
Exodus 17:7
02/01/2024
7 And he called the name of the place Massah and
Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people
of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by
saying, ``Is the LORD among us or not? '' (ESV)
The children of Israel, having left Egypt, were in the
desert of the Sinai peninsula. There, seeing no water, they
grumbled against Moses and against God. Although they were in
the presence of the Almighty, and had seen His mighty hand
deliver them from the Egyptians, they had no faith.
Moses prayed for God's help, and was instructed by God to
strike a rock with his staff. Water gushed out of the rock, and
the children of Israel were satisfied.
Moses recorded in Exodus:
And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah,
because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and
because they tested the LORD by saying, ``Is the LORD
among us or not? ''
Every time this story is related, we see that God does not
give what we deserve, but blesses us out of His love, grace, and
mercy. Rather than punishing the children of Israel for their
lack of faith, He acted on their behalf.
Moses named the camp ``Massah,'' which means ``temptation,''
and Meribah, which means ``strife.'' These names remind us of
our sin and God's mercy.
May our Lord grant us faith to trust in Him for all good,
and to hold firmly to Him even when we are in difficulty, knowing
He will provide all we need. Amen.Getting What We Don’t Deserve — Part 3: 01/31/2024
Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 3
Exodus 17:4-6
01/31/2024
4 So Moses cried to the LORD, ``What shall I do with
this people? They are almost ready to stone me.''
5 And the LORD said to Moses, ``Pass on before the
people, taking with you some of the elders of
Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which
you struck the Nile, and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock
at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water
shall come out of it, and the people will drink.''
And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of
Israel. (ESV)
The children of Israel were camped at Rephidim near the
eastern shore of the Red Sea. There was no water in that place,
so they rebelled against Moses. In grumbling about Moses, they
were showing a lack of faith in God.
Moses was in a quandary. He needed to do something, but he
also knew any solution was beyond his abilities. In faith he
prayed to the LORD:
So Moses cried to the LORD, ``What shall I do with this
people? They are almost ready to stone me.'' And the
LORD said to Moses, ``Pass on before the people, taking
with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your
hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at
Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall
come out of it, and the people will drink.'' And Moses
did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
It is perfectly fine to ask God for His divine guidance when
we are in trouble. Indeed, the Psalmist wrote, ``Call upon Me in
the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify
Me.''1 In faith, we trust in God to supply us with all we need.
May our Lord grant us such faith, especially in times of
trouble and despair. Amen.Getting What We Don’t Deserve — Part 2: 01/30/2024
Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 2
Exodus 17:2-3
01/30/2024
2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and
said, ``Give us water to drink.'' And Moses said
to them, ``Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you
test the LORD?''
3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the
people grumbled against Moses and said, ``Why did
you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our
children and our livestock with thirst?'' (ESV)
The children of Israel had left Egypt several weeks earlier.
Throughout their exodus from slavery they witnessed miracles and
the presence of God. He traveled with them in a pillar of cloud
by day and a pillar of fire by night. Yet, when confronted with
the problem of having no water, they turned away from God and
complained.
Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said,
``Give us water to drink.'' And Moses said to them,
``Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the
LORD?'' But the people thirsted there for water, and
the people grumbled against Moses and said, ``Why did
you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our
children and our livestock with thirst?''
Although they targeted Moses as their leader, their
complaint was with God. They failed this test of faith, desiring
to return to being slaves rather than trusting the LORD.
Often, when we face difficulties, we grumble against God.
We don't trust Him, we think we deserve better treatment, we
demand our own way. The sin of the children of Israel is also
our sin.
Anytime we focus on ourselves rather than on God's goodness,
we become dissatisfied. We demand what we think we deserve, not
admitting that we deserve His eternal wrath and punishment. What
we receive is His love, grace, and mercy.
We will see this truth as we continue the story.
May our Lord grant us faith and patience during our trials
and tribulations, that we trust in Him alone. Amen.Getting What We Don’t Deserve — Part 1: 01/29/2024
Getting What We Don't Deserve - Part 1
Exodus 17:1
01/29/2024
1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved
on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according
to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at
Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to
drink. (ESV)
The theme of this week's readings in the Divine Service at
Trinity was, ``grace is undeserved.'' Each of the readings
focused on God's gracious gifts of physical or spiritual
blessings, which He gives even when we grumble against Him. As
sinners, as ones who by nature turn from God, we deserve His
wrath and punishment. However, God does not delight in the death
of a sinner, so He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price of our
sin. We are given the forgiveness which we cannot earn. With
the forgiveness of sins comes everlasting life.
Our Old Testament lesson, from the seventeenth chapter of
Exodus, speaks of the earliest weeks after the children of Israel
left Egypt. `` All the congregation of the people of Israel
moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the
commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no
water for the people to drink.''
Consider what had happened to the children of Israel in the
preceding weeks. They watched while the firstborn of Egypt died.
They crossed the Red Sea on dry land, only to see Pharaoh's army
drown as they tried to follow them. They saw God as a pillar of
cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.
This week we will see how, in the face of God's glory, His
chosen people were not satisfied with His blessings.
May our Lord grant that we recognize God's rich grace, and
that He gives us thankful hearts to acknowledge Him. Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 5: 01/26/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 5
Exodus 34:34-35
01/26/2024
34 Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak
with him, he would remove the veil, until he came
out. And when he came out and told the people of
Israel what he was commanded,
35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses,
that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again,
until he went in to speak with him. (ESV)
We read in Exodus:
Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with
him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And
when he came out and told the people of Israel what he
was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face
of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he
went in to speak with him.
On Transfiguration Sunday we saw Jesus shining because He is
true God. We learned that Moses veiled himself because the
Israelites were afraid to see the reflection of God's glory
because they were sinners. Do we ask Jesus to veil Himself for
the same reason?
Our Lord does hide Himself in the spoken and visible Word.
Each time we hear the Gospel, ``For God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might
be saved through him,''1 we see God's glory hidden in the words.
We believe, teach, and confess that Jesus will, on some unknown
day, fully reveal God's glory when He returns to judge the living
and the dead.
Please join us at Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday morning
at 9:00 a.m. to learn more of our loving, gracious God, who
desires that you behold Him in the fullness of His glory forever.
Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 4: 01/25/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 4
Exodus 34:34-35
01/25/2024
34 Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak
with him, he would remove the veil, until he came
out. And when he came out and told the people of
Israel what he was commanded,
35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses,
that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again,
until he went in to speak with him. (ESV)
The shine on Moses' face, the reflected glory of God, did
not fade away. Moses continued to speak with God, not on the
mountain, but in the tabernacle, the tent which represented the
presence of God.
Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with
him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And
when he came out and told the people of Israel what he
was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face
of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And
Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he
went in to speak with him.
In order to be accessible to the people, Moses had to cover
his face. Otherwise, his shining face would constantly remind
everyone that they had sinned, that they could not stand in God's
presence. God's glory was hidden.
Today, chaplains are often asked to put a veil on the truth
of God's righteousness. They are encouraged to offer generic
prayers, addressed in a way that leaves doubt as to whom they are
speaking. But such prayers do not offend the sinner, for God's
glory is hidden.
Does hiding God's glory, His grace and mercy, serve the
sinner for eternity? Or should we gaze upon the glory of Jesus
Christ, and boldly proclaim His redemption? Confronted with our
sin, we confess that sin and hold in faith to Jesus as the One
who gives us eternal life.
May our Lord give us the courage to look upon His grace and
mercy, to see His glory reflected in the love given by Jesus
Christ. Amen.Reflected Glory — Part 3: 01/24/2024
Reflected Glory - Part 3
Exodus 34:32-33
01/24/2024
32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and
he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken
with him in Mount Sinai.
33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he
put a veil over his face. (ESV)
Moses, having received the tablet of the Law from God,
descended from Mount Sinai. His face shown with the reflected
glory of God. The leaders of the people, and the children of
Israel, were afraid of Moses because He had changed having been
in the presence of the Holy One.
Aaron and the leaders of the people eventually approached
Moses to hear what God had said.
Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he
commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in
Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with
them, he put a veil over his face.
Sinners, confronted with God's holiness, cannot see His face
and live. Sinners, even confronted with the reflection of God's
glory, are terrified. Even today, when people see a pastor in a
clerical collar away from the church, they are uncomfortable,
change their speech, and avoid talking to God's representative.
We see our sin, and we know we are unworthy.
This is why God works through humble earthly elements to
bring you the good news of His love, grace, and mercy. We can't
tolerate the fullness of His glory, so He comes to us in His
Word, in the water of baptism, in the bread and wine of the
Lord's Supper, and the pronouncement of forgiveness given at
Jesus' command. Even Jesus hid the fullness of His glory,
humbling Himself as a servant, taking upon Himself our sins.
May our Lord give us the vision to see Him hidden in His
Word and Sacraments for our salvation. Amen.