+ DAILY PRAYER +
Deborah and Barak And again the ?Israelites? did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Ehud died. 2 So Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, and he was living in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 And the ?Israelites? cried to Yahweh, as he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the ?Israelites? ?cruelly? for twenty years….
This Daily Devotion covers the first five books of the Bible, Genesis through Deuteronomy also called the Books of Moses or the Pentateuch, in a period of one year in a Monday through Friday format, the Psalms and order of devotion follow those presented in The Treasury of Daily Prayer from Concordia Publishing House.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:12-19
12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in the throng.
15 Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
16 But I call to God, and the LORD will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.
18 He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.
19 God will give ear and humble them,
he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change and do not fear God.
Reading for Thursday September 21st Judges 4
Deborah and Barak
4 And again the ?Israelites? did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Ehud died. 2 So Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, and he was living in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 And the ?Israelites? cried to Yahweh, as he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the ?Israelites? ?cruelly? for twenty years.
4 Now at that time Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. 5 And she used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the ?Israelites? went up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and called for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh Naphtali and said to him, “Has not Yahweh the God of Israel commanded you? ‘Go, ?march to? Mount Tabor, and take ten thousand men from the descendants of Naphtali and Zebulun. 7 ?I will draw out? Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and troops, to the wadi of Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’ ” 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you do not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She said, “Surely I will go with you; however, there will be no glory for you in ?the path you are taking?, for Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” And Deborah stood up and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and ?they went up behind him?, ten thousand men, and Deborah went up with him.
11 And Heber the Kenite was separated from the other Kenites, that is, from the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses. And ?he was encamped? at Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
12 When they reported to Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned all his chariots—all nine hundred chariots of iron—and the entire army that was with him from Harosheth Haggoyim to the wadi of Kishon. 14 And Deborah said to Barak, “Get up! This is the day that Yahweh has given Sisera into your hand. Has Yahweh not gone out before you?” So Barak went out from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And Yahweh threw Sisera and all his chariots and army into confusion before ?the edge of Barak’s sword?; and Sisera dismounted from his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all of Sisera’s army fell to ?the edge of the sword?; no one was left.
17 Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael came out to meet Sisera, and she said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me and do not be afraid.” So he turned aside into her tent, and she covered him ?with a blanket?. 19 And he said to her, “Please, give me a drink of water, because I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin vessel of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20 And he said to her, “Stand at the doorway of the tent, and if anyone comes and asks you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ You must answer, ‘No.’ ” 21 But Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, took in her hand a tent peg and a hammer, and she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; he was fast asleep since he was exhausted, and he died. 22 And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him, and she said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he came with her and saw that Sisera was lying dead with the peg in his temple. 23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the ?Israelites?. 24 And the hand of the ?Israelites? ?pressed harder? and harder on Jabin king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
Lord’s Prayer
Daily Prayer
O Son of God, our blessed Savior Jesus Christ, You called Matthew the tax collector to be an apostle and evangelist. Through his faithful and inspired witness, grant that we also may follow You, leaving behind all covetous desires and love of riches, for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Concluding Prayer
Heavenly Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct and rule us according to Your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
