Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of
Ezekiel chapter 12 and Psalm 89. The book of
Ezekiel chapter 12. Now the word of the Lord
came to me saying, Son of man, you dwell in the
midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to
see but does not see, and ears to hear but does
not hear. for they are a rebellious house. Therefore,
son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity,
and go into captivity by day in their sight.
You shall go from your place into captivity to
another place in their sight. It may be that
they will consider, though they are a rebellious
house. By day you shall bring out your belongings
in their sight, as though going into captivity,
and at evening you shall go in their sight like
those who go into captivity. Dig through the
wall in their sight and carry your belongings
out through it. In their sight you shall bear
them on your shoulders and carry them out at
twilight. You shall cover your face so that you
cannot see the ground, for I have made you a
sign to the house of Israel. So I did as I was
commanded. I brought out my belongings by day,
as though going into captivity, and at evening
I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought
them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder
in their sight. And in the morning the word of
the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, Has
not the house of Israel, the rebellious house,
said to you, What are you doing? Say to them,
Thus says the Lord God, This burden concerns
the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of
Israel who are among them. Say, I am assigned
to you. As I have done, so it shall be done to
them. They shall be carried away into captivity.
And the prince who is among them shall bear his
belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go
out. They shall dig through the wall to carry
them out through it. He shall cover his face
so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes.
I will spread my net over him, and he shall be
caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon,
to the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not
see it, though he shall die there. I will scatter
to every wind all who are around him to help
him, and all his troops, and I will draw out
the sword after them. Then they shall know that
I am the Lord when I scatter them among the nations
and disperse them throughout the countries. But
I will spare a few of their men from the sword,
from famine, and from pestilence, that they may
declare all their abominations among the Gentiles
wherever they go. Then they shall know that I
am the Lord. Moreover, the word of the Lord came
to me, saying, Son of man, eat your bread with
quaking, and drink your water with trembling
and anxiety. And say to the people of the land,
Thus says the Lord God to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem and to the land of Israel, They shall
eat their bread with anxiety and drink their
water with dread. so that her land may be emptied
of all who are in it, because of the violence
of all those who dwell in it. Then the cities
that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the
land shall become desolate, and you shall know
that I am the Lord. And the word of the Lord
came to me, saying, Son of man, what is this
proverb that you people have about the land of
Israel, which says, The days are prolonged, and
every vision fails? Tell them therefore, thus
says the Lord God, I will lay this proverb to
rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb
in Israel. But say to them, the days are at hand,
and the fulfillment of every vision, for no more
shall there be. any false vision or flattering
divination within the house of Israel, for I
am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak
will come to pass. It will no more be postponed.
For in your days, O rebellious house, I will
say the word and perform it, says the Lord God.
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying,
the vision that he sees is for many days from
now, and he prophesies of times far off. Therefore
say to them, Thus says the Lord God, None of
my words will be postponed any more, but the
word which I speak will be done, says the Lord
God. Psalm 89 A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezraite
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.
With my mouth will I make known your faithfulness
to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall
be built up forever. Your faithfulness you shall
establish in the very heavens. I have made a
covenant with my chosen. I have sworn to my servant
David. Your seed I will establish forever and
build up your throne to all generations. Salah.
And the heavens will praise your wonders, O Lord.
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the
saints. For who in the heavens can be compared
to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty
can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to
be feared in the assembly of the saints and to
be held in reverence by all those around him.
O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty like you,
O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds you.
You rule the raging of the sea. When its waves
rise, you still them. You have broken Rahab in
pieces as one who is slain. You have scattered
your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens
are yours. The earth also is yours. The world
and all its fullness, you have founded them.
The north and the south, you have created them.
Tabor and Hermon, rejoice in your name. You have
a mighty arm. Strong is your hand, and high is
your right hand. Righteousness and justice are
the foundation of your throne. Mercy and truth
go before your face. Blessed are the people who
know the joyful sound. They walk, O Lord, in
the light of your countenance. In your name they
rejoice all day long, and in your righteousness
they are exalted. For you are the glory of their
strength, and in your favor our horn is exalted.
For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our King
to the Holy One of Israel. Then you spoke in
a vision to your Holy One, and said, I have given
help to one who is mighty, I have exalted one
chosen from the people. I have found my servant
David, with my holy oil I have anointed him,
with whom my hand shall be established. Also
my arm shall strengthen him, the enemy shall
not outwit him. nor the son of wickedness afflict
him. I will beat down his foes before his face
and plague those who hate him. But my faithfulness
and my mercy shall be with him, and in my name
his horn shall be exalted. Also I will set his
hand over the sea and his right hand over the
rivers. He shall cry to me, You are my Father,
my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I
will make him my firstborn. the highest of the
kings of the earth. My mercy I will keep for
him forever, and my covenant shall stand firm
with him. His seed also I will make to endure
forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
If his sons forsake my law and do not walk in
my judgments, if they break my statutes and do
not keep my commandments, then I will punish
their transgression with the rod and their iniquity
with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving kindness
I will not utterly take from him, nor allow my
faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not
break, nor alter the word that has gone out of
my lips. Once I have sworn by my holiness, I
will not lie to David. His seed shall endure
forever, and his throne as the sun before me.
It shall be established forever like the moon,
even like the faithful witness in the sky, Sila.
But you have cast off and abhorred. You have
been furious with your anointed. You have renounced
the covenant of your servant. You have profaned
his crown by casting it to the ground. You have
broken down all his hedges. You have brought
his strongholds to ruin. All who pass by the
way plunder him. He is a reproach to his neighbors.
You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries.
You have made all his enemies rejoice. You have
also turned back the edge of his sword and have
not sustained him in the battle. You have made
his glory cease and cast his throne down to the
ground. The days of his youth you have shortened.
You have covered him with shame. Salah. How long,
Lord, will you hide yourself forever? Will your
wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time
is. For what futility have you created all the
children of men? What man can live and not see
death? Can he deliver his life from the power
of the grave? Salah. Lord, where are your former
lovingkindness, which you swore to David in your
truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants,
how I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the
many peoples with which your enemies have reproached,
O Lord, with which they have reproached the footsteps
of your anointed. Blessed be the Lord forevermore.
Ameen and Ameen. I hope you enjoyed today's reading
as much as I did. and I look forward to seeing
you again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.