The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

April 18, 2025

April 17, 2025 April 19, 2025

These daily readings from the EHV follow the one-year daily lectionary provided in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, and the Treasury of Daily Prayer. In this lectionary, two readings of 15-25 verses each are provided for each day. Under this plan, nearly all of the New Testament and approximately one-third of the Old Testament are read each year. These readings fit well within the daily offices of Matins, Vespers, or Compline as daily family devotions.

Exodus 12:29-32, 13:1-16

The Death of the Firstborn and the Exodus
29At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, even all the firstborn of the livestock. 30During the night Pharaoh got up—he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians—and there was a loud outcry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not someone dead. 31Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron that night and said, “Get up, get away from my people! Both you and the Israelites, go, serve the Lord, as you have said! 32Take also your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go! But also bless me!”
Instructions for Remembering the Passover
131The Lord spoke to Moses: 2“Set apart all the firstborn for me, the firstborn of every mother[] among the Israelites, both people and animals. The firstborn belongs to me.”
3Then Moses said this to the people:
Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, where you were slaves.[] For by the strength of his hand the Lord brought you out from there. Nothing with leaven[] may be eaten. 4Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. 5So when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—the land he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to perform this ceremony during this month: 6Seven days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to the Lord. 7Unleavened bread must be eaten throughout the seven days. No leavened bread is to be seen among you. No yeast is to be seen among you, anywhere in your entire territory. 8On that day you are to explain this to your son, “It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.” 9This will serve as a sign for you on your wrist and a reminder on your forehead[] so that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10You must keep this regulation at its appointed time from year to year.
11When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites—just as he swore to you and to your fathers— and gives it to you, 12then you must dedicate the firstborn of every mother to the Lord. Every firstborn of your livestock, the ones that are males, will belong to the Lord. 13Every firstborn donkey you are to redeem with a lamb. But if you do not want to redeem it, then you are to break its neck. However, you must redeem all the firstborn among your sons.
14In the future, when your son asks you, “What is this about?” you will say to him, “By the strength of his hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, where we were slaves. 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord the firstborn of every mother, the males, but I redeem every firstborn of my sons.” 16It will serve as a sign on your wrist and a symbol on your forehead. For by the strength of his hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.

Hebrews 6:1-20

Moving On Toward Maturity
61Therefore, leaving the beginning discussion of Christ, let us press on toward matters that require greater maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith in God, 2of the teaching about baptisms,[] of the laying on of hands, of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3And we will do this, if God permits.
4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6and who then fell away, to be restored to repentance because[] they are crucifying the Son of God again, to their own harm, and exposing him to public ridicule.
7For the land that drinks the rain that often falls on it and produces plants useful to those farming it, this land receives a blessing from God. 8But the land that grows thorns and thistles is worthless and will soon be cursed—its end is to be burned.
9But even if we speak this way, we are confident of better things for you, dear friends, things belonging to salvation. 10For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love that you showed for his name's sake, when you served the saints, and while you continue to serve them. 11And we want each of you to continue to show the same eagerness, so that you may have the full assurance of your hope until the end. 12Our goal is that you would not become lazy but imitators of those who inherited the promise through faith and patient endurance.
God's Promise Is Sure
13For God made a promise to Abraham, and since God had no one greater to swear by, “He swore by himself.”[] 14He said, “I will most certainly bless you and make you increase in number.”[] 15And so in this way, after Abraham had waited patiently, he received the promise.
16To be sure, people swear by someone who is greater, and the oath serves as a confirmation for them that ends all disputes. 17Because God wanted to show the heirs of the promise with even greater certainty that his plan was unchangeable, he guaranteed his promise with an oath. 18He did this so that, through two unchangeable things (in which it is impossible that God would lie), we, who have fled for refuge by taking hold of this hope that is held out to us, might have strong encouragement.
19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul. It is sure and firm, and it goes behind the inner curtain, 20where Jesus entered ahead of us on our behalf, because he became a high priest forever like Melchizedek.