The Great ``O'' Antiphons -- Part 2
Exodus 3:1-2
12/18/2024
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-
law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his
flock to the west side of the wilderness and came
to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a
flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He
looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it
was not consumed. (ESV)
O Adonai and ruler of the house of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and
gave him the Law on | Sinai:*
Come with an outstretched arm and re- |
deem us.
Since at least the eleventh century, those who gather for
the evening Vespers service have sung the Song of Mary, the
Magnificat. During the last week of Advent, this canticle is
preceded and followed by a short verse which names Jesus and asks
Him to come quickly to deliver the church from sin, death and the
power of the devil.
God appeared to Moses several times, the first being his
call to be the prophet to Israel as God spoke from the burning
bush, and the second as God gave him the Law on Mount Sinai.
Each time God speaks in the Old Testament, it is through the pre-
incarnate Christ. It was the Son of God who spoke from the
burning bush, and the Son of God who thundered on the mountain
while engraving the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone.
Only the Son of God can redeem us from sin, death, and the
power of the devil. If He could be in the burning bush without
consuming it, if He delivered the Law, He has the power to save.
May our Lord grant that we hear Him and trust in His almighty
deliverance. Amen.Author: admin
O Antiphons – Part 1
December 17, 2024
The Great ``O'' Antiphons -- Part 1
Proverbs 8:33
12/17/2024
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect
it. (ESV)
O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the
Most High, pervading and permeating all
creation, mightily ordering | all things:*
Come and teach us the way of | prudence.
We sing The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) as the canticle for
the daily office service of Vespers. During the last week of
Advent, when it is sung, it is preceded and followed by an
antiphon, a single verse that connects the canticle to the holy
day being observed. During this week the antiphons begin with
the word ``O'' followed by a form of address to Christ. Each
antiphon is a prayer to the Son of God imploring Him to come as
our judge and redeemer on the last day.
The Antiphon for December 17 is drawn from the book of
Proverbs.
In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is more than an attribute of
God. It is the title used to identify the Son as distinct from
the Father. Wisdom is identified as one who existed before the
world was created, and the One through whom all things were
ordered.
The Antiphon reflects the language of Proverbs, where Wisdom
says: ``Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.''[1]
May our Lord grant us the wisdom to recognize the coming of
Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
____________________
1. Proverbs 8:33Sing Unto the Lord a New Song
December 16, 2024
Sing Unto the Lord a New Song
Psalm 98:1
12/16/2024
1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done
marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him. (ESV)
The Psalmist wrote:
Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done
marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have
worked salvation for him.
Psalms are the hymnbook of the Bible, and there are also
other hymns throughout the Old and New Testaments. Those songs
which are not from the Psalms are called Canticles. Among the
Canticles are the Nunc Dimittis, ``Lord, now let your servant go
in peace according to Your Word''; the Magnificat, ``My soul
magnifies the Lord'', and the Benedictus, ``Blessed be the Lord
God of Israel.'' These three Canticles are found in the first
two chapters of Luke.
God's people have always raised their voices in praise of
the Almighty God. Hymns not only speak in prayer to our heavenly
Father, they also teach us of His grace, love, and mercy.
An ancient practice, one that goes back before the time of
Jesus' birth, is to sing a verse before and after a Psalm or
Canticle. This verse, called the antiphon, summarizes the
teaching of the song, or draws our attention to the importance of
the day.
During the last week of Advent, as we are preparing for the
coming of our Redeemer, the Church recalls the longing for the
Messiah with a series of antiphons which are used in the daily
worship services. Each day the antiphon begins with the word
``O'' and a title of the coming Christ. This week, beginning
tomorrow, we will hear and ponder these antiphons. You can find
the text and meditation on the antiphon on the Trinity website,
http://trinityslayton.info under the menu item ``Turn Your Radio
On.''
May our Lord grant you His grace and peace as we await His
coming. Amen.The Messenger – Part 5
December 13, 2024
The Messenger - Part 5
Malachi 4:5-6
12/13/2024
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before
the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their
children and the hearts of children to their
fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a
decree of utter destruction. (ESV)
The book of Malachi, the book of the messenger of God,
brings a three-fold message. First, it spoke to those serving in
the Temple following the restoration of Jerusalem after the
Babylonian captivity. It gave a warning of false doctrine and
practices which did not give glory to God. Second, it
foreshadowed the first coming of Jesus, speaking of His
forerunner, John, speaking of our Lord appearing suddenly in the
Temple. Finally, it speaks of the final coming of our Lord Jesus
to judge the living and the dead.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will
turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the
hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and
strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.
Elijah called Israel to repent, to turn from worthless idols
and trust in God alone. John the Baptizer called Israel to
repent, to turn from worthless reliance on traditions and pious
actions so to trust in God alone. The Church calls spiritual
Israel, and the world, to repent, to trust in the Triune God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so to have eternal life.
Advent is a time of preparation. We look back on God's
promises and see how the death and resurrection of Jesus
fulfilled the ancient prophecies. We see how Christ Jesus is
with His Church today in Word and Sacrament. We believe He will
come again in glory.
Please join us at Trinity Lutheran Church each Sunday
morning to learn more of our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier,
the one True God. May our Lord grant us grace to hear the call
of His messenger. Amen.The Messenger – Part 4
December 12, 2024
The Messenger - Part 4
Malachi 4:4-5
12/12/2024
4 Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes
and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all
Israel.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before
the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
(ESV)
The last chapter of Malachi certainly brings to mind the
final judgment, which is part of the Advent theme, but it also
speaks of the first coming of Jesus. Malachi, the messenger of
God, wrote:
Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and
rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
In the Lutheran tradition, the last Sunday of the Epiphany
Season commemorates the Transfiguration of Jesus. There on an
unnamed mountain, Peter, James, and John looked upon the glory of
Christ. Standing with Jesus were Moses and Elijah, the one
through whom God gave the Law, and the one considered the
foremost prophet. Malachi calls upon us to listen to both Moses
and Elijah for both speak the Word of God for our salvation.
Jesus identified John the Baptist as coming in the power of
Elijah as he proclaimed, ``Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is
at hand.'' The prophetic word of Elijah, the prophetic word of
John, the prophetic word of the Church bring the same message.
Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful.
The great and awesome day of the LORD comes with Christ
Jesus. There, on the cross outside the city gates of Jerusalem,
there in the unnatural darkness where even the sun refused to
bring light on the death of Jesus, our Lord died to bring you
life everlasting. Yet death could not hold the sinless Christ,
showing that we also, being declared sinless for His sake, will
also rise again. May our Lord grant that we hear Moses and
Elijah that we may have life in Jesus Christ. Amen.The Messenger – Part 3
December 11, 2024
The Messenger - Part 3
Malachi 4:4
12/11/2024
4 Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes
and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all
Israel. (ESV)
Malachi, God's messenger, has called our attention to the
coming day of the LORD. On that day the evil and arrogant will
be set ablaze, while the ones who trust in God will find the joy
of salvation. Malachi said nothing new, nothing which hadn't
been proclaimed by countless others.
Everything we need to know about the Triune God, about His
grace, love, and mercy, is readily available. There is nothing
hidden, nothing that only special wise people can find, nothing
which is not clearly proclaimed.
Malachi wrote: ``Remember the law of my servant Moses, the
statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all
Israel.'' The words Moses gave the children of Israel at Mount
Horeb before they crossed the Jordan River to enter the land once
promised to Abraham are a retelling of the words God spoke at
Mount Sinai. They were certainly words of the Law, but also
words of promise, of grace, of love.
What was the word of God given through Moses at Mount Horeb?
``And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you,
but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love
him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all
your soul.''[1] That fear of the LORD is to trust in His
promises, to hold firmly to His grace, and to serve Him above
that which He created.
May our Lord grant us the faith to fully trust in Him for
our eternal blessing. Amen.
____________________
1. Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV)The Messenger – Part 2
December 10, 2024
The Messenger - Part 2
Malachi 4:2-3
12/10/2024
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of
righteousness shall rise with healing in its
wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from
the stall.
3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will
be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day
when I act, says the LORD of hosts. (ESV)
The message of the Old Testament prophets and the New
Testament apostles is consistent. Turn from your sin, turn from
your selfish desires, and look to your Creator. Stop trusting in
those things which perish, and hold firmly to the God who made
heaven and earth, who longs to redeem you from the condemnation
which is the just punishment of our transgressions.
Malachi, the messenger of God, spoke of the fate of the
arrogant and evildoers who will be destroyed. He also speaks of
the blessings for those who trust in God, who recognize that
Jesus Christ is their only hope for eternal life.
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness
shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out
leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall
tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the
soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the
LORD of hosts.
The ``sun of righteousness'' which Malachi promises is none
other than Jesus. Our Christmas hymn, ``Hark! The Herald Angel
Sings,'' uses this title for the infant. Even the Epiphany
season has the theme that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World,
the Light no darkness can overcome. Those who trust in God are
truly healed from the guilt of their sin, from the fear of
eternal death. They are freed from the condemnation of the Law,
redeemed by the blood of Christ. Even in the midst of trials
they find the joy of knowing God's presence, especially as we
hear His Word and partake of the Sacraments. We look forward to
the day when our Lord comes to restore His creation, to show
Himself as the Sun of Righteousness. Until that day, we call
upon Him in prayer, we praise His holy name, and give thanks for
His great mercy.
May you find comfort and hope in the words of God's
messenger. Amen.The Messenger – Part 1
December 9, 2024
The Messenger - Part 1
Malachi 4:1
12/09/2024
1 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an
oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will
be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them
ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will
leave them neither root nor branch. (ESV)
Although everywhere you look you see Santa Claus and the
wishes for a Merry Christmas, the Church is still in the season
of Advent. We are preparing for the coming of Jesus, both as we
remember His first coming two thousand years ago, and look
forward to His return to judge the living and the dead.
Traditionally the second Sunday in Advent looks forward to His
second coming.
Malachi, the prophet, wrote not only for those who lived
four hundred years before Jesus' birth, but for the modern
Church. The words of this book are clear, but there is some
question about the author. Is Malachi the name of the prophet,
or is this a title. In the Hebrew the word Malachi means ``my
messenger'' or ``my angel,'' which certainly can be applied as
the title for someone appointed by God to call His people back to
repentance.
For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven,
when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be
stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze,
says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them
neither root nor branch.
Malachi writes of the entire New Testament era, not merely
the final judgment. This era extends from the day that the angel
Gabriel told Zechariah of the coming of John the Baptizer to the
day when the final trumpet sounds. We are in the last days, as
the author of Hebrews contends: ``Long ago, at many times and in
many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these
last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the
heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.''[1]
May our Lord grant us wisdom to hear His messenger. Amen.
____________________
1. Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV)The Righteous Branch — Part 5
December 6, 2024
The Righteous Branch - Part 5
Jeremiah 23:5-8
12/06/2024
5 ``Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD,
when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and
shall execute justice and righteousness in the
land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will
dwell securely. And this is the name by which he
will be called: The LORD is our righteousness.''
7 ``Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares
the LORD, when they shall no longer say, `As the
LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out
of the land of Egypt,'
8 but `As the LORD lives who brought up and led the
offspring of the house of Israel out of the north
country and out of all the countries where he had
driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own
land.'' (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah wrote:
``Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when
I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he
shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute
justice and righteousness in the land. In his days
Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.
And this is the name by which he will be called: The
LORD is our righteousness.''
``Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the
LORD, when they shall no longer say, `As the LORD lives
who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of
Egypt,' but `As the LORD lives who brought up and led
the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north
country and out of all the countries where he had
driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own
land.''
Here we have Jeremiah's warning to the people who had
rejected the LORD God that the city of Jerusalem would be
destroyed and the people taken captive. Yet God, who is gracious
and merciful, who desires that all people be saved and come to
the knowledge of the truth, sent His Son to pay the price of our
sin and to declare us righteous.
The word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah came true. God
disciplined those who had rejected Him, yet showed His mercy and
desire to forgive. Today the same offer is extended to all
people, for Jesus Christ is our righteousness, and our salvation
from sin and death are a gift for His sake.
Please join us at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church each
Sunday to hear the truth of God's rich love, grace, and mercy.
May our Lord bless you with wisdom and faith. Amen.The Righteous Branch — Part 4
December 5, 2024
The Righteous Branch - Part 4
Jeremiah 23:7-8
12/05/2024
7 ``Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares
the LORD, when they shall no longer say, `As the
LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out
of the land of Egypt,'
8 but `As the LORD lives who brought up and led the
offspring of the house of Israel out of the north
country and out of all the countries where he had
driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own
land.'' (ESV)
The prophet Jeremiah was preparing the people of Judah and
Jerusalem for the seventy-year Babylonian captivity. God was
about to inflict the punishment which those who had rejected Him
had earned. In His righteousness, grace, and mercy, God had
given His people ample time to repent of their sins, to turn back
to Him, and to live. Even as the punishment due to them was
coming, God sent Jeremiah to call them from worshiping idols,
from turning their back on the One True God.
Although Jerusalem was going to be destroyed, God promised
that a remnant of the faithful would return. Through Jeremiah
God said:
``Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the
LORD, when they shall no longer say, `As the LORD lives
who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of
Egypt,' but `As the LORD lives who brought up and led
the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north
country and out of all the countries where he had
driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own
land.''
God keeps His promises. Our Lord promised David that from
his line would come a King who would reign forever, which is the
promise of the Messiah. Therefore, a remnant of the children of
Israel would return from captivity, which happened seventy years
after the defeat of Jerusalem.
Those who heeded Jeremiah's warning, those who did not
reject the prophet's message, survived. Those who rejected God
were destroyed.
May our Lord open our hearts and minds to hear His holy
Word, to repent of our sin, and trust in Him alone. Amen.