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Bible Readings for Thursday January 13th, 2011 – The 2nd Week of Epiphany *Click on each bible passage to expand the text. Psalm 40:1-11 1. [To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.] I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

3. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

4. Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.

5. You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.

6. Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

7. Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8. I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

9. I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.

10. I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

11. Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever. Isaiah 22:15-25 15. Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is master of the household, and say to him:

16. What right do you have here? Who are your relatives here, that you have cut out a tomb here for yourself, cutting a tomb on the height, and carving a habitation for yourself in the rock?

17. The LORD is about to hurl you away violently, my fellow. He will seize firm hold on you,

18. whirl you round and round, and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there your splendid chariots shall lie, O you disgrace to your master’s house!

19. I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post.

20. On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah,

21. and will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

22. I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.

23. I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house.

24. And they will hang on him the whole weight of his ancestral house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons.

25. On that day, says the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will perish, for the LORD has spoken. Galatians 1:6-12 6. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–

7. not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!

9. As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!

10. Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

11. For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin;

12. for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 40:11. ” Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever.” It is good to utter such words of protection before wading into the dark recesses of Isaiah 22!

At first glance, Isaiah 22 seems to be a prophecy about the Messiah. A “peg (nail) set in a secure place” upon which everything hangs. In fact, this is the most common consensus among commentaries on Isaiah 22. But this is foolish when read in context, especially the context of this Revised Common Lectionary, which ends today’s reading with Paul’s admonition in Galatians 1 regarding how readily and easily we are swayed to put our trust in anything else than Christ.

The “peg (seemingly) set in a secure: place” in Isaiah 22 is referring to Eliakim, the trustworthy, honorable and faithful replacement of Shebna, the greedy, selfish, and untrustworthy steward of Kim Hezekiah’s palace. What did Shebna do that the Lord found so offensive? He used his position of trust and stewardship to glorify and enrich himself, going so far as to build himself a glorious sepulcher (tomb) so that he could be elevated and honored even honored in death. It is a clear and profound warning to all of us not to misuse the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

So why is Eliakim “cut down” in the conclusion of Isaiah 22:25, as well? He did nothing wrong!? He performed his role as steward faithfully, and served the King and the people of Israel dutifully. However, just like all of us, his life also must come to an end, and Isaiah is making a simple commentary on the foolishness that the people “will hang on him the whole weight of his ancestral house”. When Eliakim is no more, what then? To whom shall they (we) go?

That is why Jesus is the only other figure in the bible who also has the reference of being the possessor of “the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.” (Rev. 3:7) It is upon Jesus, and only upon him, which we should confidently let everything hang. Only he is the peg “set in a secure place” that is not cut down like all other men. After he was “cut down” like all men, God raised him up again, and granted us peace in Christ’s everlasting salvation.

We have to take a hard look at the idols we foolishly place our trust in today. We swoon passionately over religious leaders and politicians, we tirelessly pursue more means to glorify ourselves like Shebna. But just like the people of Israel, events will come to show us the foolish nature of our actions, and we will lose all of our earthly treasures and idols. Whether to calamity or to death, only the Lord really knows…

… but we rest easy in faith that God will keep us safe forever.