The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

August 17, 2028

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.

2 Samuel 7:1-17

The Lord's Messianic Covenant with David
71It happened that when the king was living in his palace, and when the Lord had given him rest from his enemies all around, 2the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the Ark of God sits under tent curtains.”
3Nathan said to the king, “Go and do everything that is in your heart, because the Lord is with you.”
4But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan. He said, 5“Go and tell my servant David all these things.”
The Covenant
This is what the Lord says. Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? 6I have not lived in a house from the day I brought the people of Israel up from Egypt until today. I have been moving around in the Tent and the Dwelling. 7I have traveled everywhere with all the people of Israel. Did I ever speak a word to any of the judges[] of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, or ask them, “Why have you not built a house of cedar for me?”
8You are also to say the following to my servant David.
This is what the Lord of Armies says. I took you from the pasture, from following sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you went. I have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your reputation great, like that of the great ones on the earth. 10I will set up a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them there. They will dwell there, and they will not be disturbed again. Violent men will not afflict them again as they did at the beginning 11and ever since the day I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The Lord also declares to you that the Lord himself will make a house for you. 12When your days are complete and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your seed,[] who will come from your own body. I will establish his kingdom. 13He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will discipline him with a rod used by men and with blows of the sons of men. 15My faithful mercy will not depart from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed to make room for you. 16Your house will stand firm, and your kingdom will endure forever before you.[] Your throne will be established forever.
17Nathan told David all the words that had been revealed in this vision.

1 Corinthians 9:24-10:22

Christian Effort and Self-Discipline
24Do you not know that when runners compete in the stadium, they all run, but only one receives the prize? Run like that—to win. 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable victor's wreath, but we do it for an imperishable one. 26That is why there is nothing aimless about the way I run. There is no pummeling of the air in the way I box. 27Instead I hit my body hard and make it my slave so that, after preaching to others, I myself will not be rejected.
A Lesson From Sacred History: Be Careful Not to Fall
101For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them—and that rock was Christ! 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them. He had them die in the wilderness.
6Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did. 7Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.”[] 8And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents. 10And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11All[] these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come.
12So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. 13No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it.
The Table of the Lord and the Table of Demons
14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I speak to you as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion[] of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion[] of the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
18Consider the people of Israel.[] Those who eat the sacrifices are partners of the altar, aren't they? 19So what am I saying? That food from idol sacrifices is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but I do say this: What the Gentiles sacrifice, “they sacrifice to demons, and not to God,”[] and I do not want you to become partners of demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is?