The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

April 19, 2025

April 18, 2025 April 20, 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 13:17-14:9

The Pillar of Cloud and Fire
17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way that goes to the land of the Philistines, although it was more direct, for God said, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18So God led the people by the way that goes through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.[] The Israelites went up from the land of Egypt in battle formation.
19Moses also took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. Joseph had said, “God will surely come to your aid. Then you must bring up my bones with you from Egypt.” 20They set out from Sukkoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on their way and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. In this way they could travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.
Crossing the Red Sea
141Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2“Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to camp by the sea, facing Baal Zephon. 3Then Pharaoh will say about the Israelites, ‘They are wandering around in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.’ 4I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue them, and I will gain glory through Pharaoh and his entire army. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So that is what the Israelites did.
5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials had a change of heart concerning the people. They said, “What have we done? We have let Israel go! They will not serve us anymore!” 6So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his troops with him. 7He also took six hundred of the best chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites. The Israelites were going out defiantly.[] 9The Egyptians pursued them. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his charioteers,[] and his army caught up with them where they were camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, which faces Baal Zephon.

Hebrews 7:1-22

A Priest Forever
71This Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, is the one who met Abraham as he was returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,[] 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything.[] First, Melchizedek means “king of righteousness,” and then “king of Salem,” which is “king of peace.” 3He is without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, and resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4Consider how great this man was. Even Abraham, the patriarch, gave him a tenth from the best of the spoils. 5According to the law, those sons of Levi who received the priesthood have a command to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brother Israelites, even though they also came from Abraham's body. 6But here the one who was not descended from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7And without any question, it is the lesser who is blessed by the greater.
8In the one case, those who are mortal collect the tenth; in the other case, the one who collects has testimony in Scripture[] that he lives. 9And, through Abraham, even Levi, who collects the tenth, has paid a tenth, so to speak, 10because he was still in the body of his forefather when Melchizedek met Abraham.
11So if everything could have been brought to its goal through the Levitical priesthood (for the people received the law on the basis of that priesthood), what further need was there for another priest to arise who was like Melchizedek, yet not said to be like Aaron? 12For when the priesthood is changed, by necessity a change in the law also happens. 13Yet these things are said about the one who belonged to another tribe, from which no one had served at the altar. 14It is certainly clear that our Lord is descended from Judah. Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.
15And this becomes even clearer if another priest arises like Melchizedek, 16who became a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement about physical descent, but on the basis of the power of an endless[] life. 17For it has been testified in Scripture about him:
You are a priest forever, like Melchizedek.[]
18To be sure, the former requirement is annulled, because it was weak and useless— 19for the law did not bring anything to its goal—but now a better hope is introduced, by which we approach God.
20And something like this did not happen without an oath. Indeed, others who became priests did so without an oath, 21but this one became a priest with an oath, through the one who said to him:
The Lord has sworn an oath
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever.”[][]
22In this way, Jesus has become the guarantor[] of a better covenant.[]