Day 1 (Monday)
Exodus 14:5-31
We return to our normal Old Testament readings this week, after looking at different passages for Christmas over the last two weeks. We left Moses on his way back to Egypt after God spoke to him at Mt. Sinai. In Egypt he spoke to Pharaoh several times, and when Pharaoh refused to let the people go, God brought several plagues upon the Egyptians, until finally Pharaoh let the people go. As we will see, Pharaoh decided to chase after them and try to bring them back, but the Lord delivered His people and utterly defeated Pharaoh. This reading is especially fitting for this week, since we celebrate the Lord’s Baptism on January 6th, and this occasion, when the Children of Israel are delivered from bondage in Egypt by a miracle, with the parting of the Red Sea and their passage through it, is one of the significant moments in the history of the people of Israel that anticipates the Lord’s baptism. On both occasions, the Lord saves His people by means of water.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” 6 So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him; 7 he took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his chariot drivers and his army; they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16 But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17 Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.”
19 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. 20 It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. 22 The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. 24 At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. 25 He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. 29 But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Discussion questions:
1) How many chariots did Pharaoh send after the Israelites when he decided that he shouldn’t have let Israel go? (It says he sent 600 picked chariots and ALL the other chariots of Egypt…so this was a large army, led by the elite forces of the king).
2) What did the Israelites say to Moses (and to the Lord) when they saw the Egyptians coming? (They asked if Moses had brought them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness because there weren’t graves for them in Egypt…this is a sarcastic way of saying that leaving Egypt was stupid, and they shouldn’t have listened to Moses at all, and slavery was at least better than dying).
3) What did Moses tell them? (He told them to not be afraid, and to stand firm, and that the Lord would fight for them, and they wouldn’t have to fight at all, only watch and see God would do to save them.)
4) What did God do? (He told Moses to stretch his staff over the sea, and He drove the sea back with a strong wind, and divided the waters, so the Israelites could cross over on dry land).
5) Why didn’t the Egyptians attack the Israelites while they were waiting for the waters to divide and waiting to cross over? (The Angel of the Lord, Who had been leading them, moved and went behind them, and blocked the way between them and the Egyptians with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night – so the Son of God Himself protected them during the night, in the form of a pillar of cloud and fire).
6) What happened to the Egyptians after the Israelites crossed over? (They tried to cross over as well, but the Lord told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea, and the division in the waters went away, and the waters came back and drowned the army of Pharaoh. The hymns of the Church talk about how Moses divided the waters moving his staff vertically, and brought them back together moving his staff horizontally, making the sign of the Cross above the waters and in that way anticipating the Lord’s deliverance of His people by both His baptism in the Jordan and by His crucifixion).
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Prayer from the Great Blessing of the Waters on Theophany (January 6th)
Every year we bless the waters on January 6th, on the Feast of Theophany, when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan. There is a special prayer that we only use on this feast-day, that talks about what happens when the Lord is baptized, and reflects on how all of Creation is changed and transformed in this moment. It was written by St. Sophronios of Jerusalem.
We glorify you, the Creator and Fashioner of the universe. We glorify you, only-begotten Son of God, without father from your Mother, without mother from your Father. For in the preceding feast we saw you as a babe, but in the present one we see you full and perfect man, our God, made manifest as perfect God from perfect God.
For today the moment of the feast is here for us and the choir of saints assembles here with us, and Angels keep festival with mortals. Today the grace of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove dwelt upon the waters. Today the Sun that never sets has dawned and the world is made radiant with the light of the Lord. Today the Moon with its radiant beams sheds light on the world. Today the stars formed of light make the inhabited world lovely with the brightness of their splendour. Today the clouds rain down from heaven the shower of justice for mankind.
Today the Uncreated by his own will accepts the laying on of hands by his own creature. Today the Prophet and Forerunner draws near, but stands by with fear seeing God’s condescension towards us. Today the streams of Jordan are changed into healing by the presence of the Lord. Today all creation is watered by mystical streams. Today the failings of mankind are being washed away by the waters of Jordan. Today Paradise is opened for mortals and the Sun of justice shines down on us. Today the bitter water is changed to sweetness by the presence of the Lord, as it once was for Moses’ people of old.
Today we have been delivered from the ancient grief, and saved as the new Israel. Today we have been redeemed from darkness and are filled with radiance by the light of the knowledge of God. Today the gloomy fog of the world is cleansed by the manifestation of our God. Today all creation shines with light from on high. Today error has been destroyed and the coming of the Master makes for us a way of salvation. Today things on high keep festival with those below, and things below commune with things on high. Today the sacred and triumphant festal assembly of the Orthodox exults.
Today the Master hastens towards baptism, that He may lead humanity to the heights. Today the One who does not bow bows down to His own servant, that He may free us from servitude. Today we have purchased the Kingdom of heaven, for the Kingdom of the Lord will have no end. Today earth and sea share the joy of the world, and the world has been filled with gladness. The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and were afraid.
The Jordan turned back when it saw the fire of the godhead descending in bodily form and entering it. The Jordan turned back as it contemplated the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, descending and flying about you. The Jordan turned back as it saw the Invisible made visible, the Creator made flesh, the Master in the form of a servant. The Jordan turned back and the mountains leapt as they saw God in the flesh, and the clouds uttered their voice, marveling at what had come to pass, seeing Light from Light, true God from true God, the Master’s festival today in Jordan; seeing him drowning the death from disobedience, the goad of error and the bond of Hell in Jordan and granting the Baptism of salvation to the world.
Therefore I too, a sinner and your unworthy servant, recount the greatness of your wonders and, seized with fear, in compunction cry out to you:
“Great are You, O Lord, and wondrous are Your works, and no word will suffice to hymn Your wonders!”
Discussion questions:
1) There are two things that are repeated in this prayer; what were they? (The prayer says “Today” several times, and it says “The Jordan turned back!” several times as well.
2) Why do you think it says “today!” when it talks about all of these things that happened a long time ago? (This is a question to encourage discussion, but there are two points that should be emphasized once the discussion has died down. First, we talk about these things as happening “today” because we share in the consequences, the blessings, that have come from the Lord’s active presence in this world. Second, we talk about them happening “today” because in celebrating the Lord’s baptism, we participate in the event ourselves through the mechanism of memory and liturgical celebration. The barriers of time fall away when we enter the Church; we step out of the normal stream of time and enter into God’s time, His “Kairos,” the time of salvation, of opportunity, of transformation. So when we celebrate the Lord’s Baptism, and every other event of His life, we celebrate as those who are present, participating with all the Saints of all ages in the joy of the Lord’s Incarnation, of His presence in our midst.)
3) Why do you think we repeat that “the Jordan turned back”? (Again, this is to encourage discussion, but the idea is that Creation itself, and all the parts of it, even the rivers, and the mountains, and the clouds, were amazed at the presence of their Creator present in the flesh, saving and healing and restoring and transforming all that was and is broken in what He has made).
4) What do you think Jesus’ baptism means? Why did He begin His ministry by being baptized? (This too is a question to encourage reflection and discussion, bu at its core, it should be pointed out that the Lord’s baptism is a sign and token and first fruit of His Incarnation. He immerses Himself in our created nature completely; and by being present in it, He heals it, and transforms it, and reconciles it with Himself, and all of us are called to participate in that reconciliation. Which is why we too are baptized).
Day 3 (Friday)
Luke 3:1-23
This week we will go back to Luke chapter 3, to read the account of John the Baptist’s preaching in the wilderness, and what he said to the people, and the baptism of Jesus, since we are celebrating the Lord’s baptism this week, on the feast of Theophany, January 6th, and are also celebrating the feast of St. John the Baptist on the next day, January 7th. A blessed feast day to all who celebrate on either day – this includes those named Photios and Photini, Theophania (and Tiffany), and of course everyone named John or Joanna, or any of the many variations on those names.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;[g] with you I am well pleased."
23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work.
Discussion Questions
1) Why do you think St. Luke talks about all the rulers at the beginning of this reading? (The obvious answer is that he’s telling exactly when it happened; the less obvious answer is that he’s making a point that it DID really happen, that it’s history, not just a nice story. He’s not saying “Once upon a time,” but instead, “In this exact year, when these other things were happening in the real world, not in story land.”)
2) What does the prophecy of Isaiah say that John came to do? (To prepare the way of the Lord, to get ready for the day when all flesh would see the salvation of God).
3) What did John preach to the people who came to see him? (He told them to repent, and not to think that they didn’t need to repent because they were God’s chosen people. He also gave some specific instructions to different people who wanted to know what practical things they should do differently.)
4) What were the people thinking about John? (They thought he might be the Messiah.)
5) What did he tell them about that? (He told them that he was only preparing the way for someone else Who was coming after him, who would baptize not only with water, but with the Holy Spirit and with fire.)
6) What happened when Jesus was baptized? (The Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, and a voice came from heaven, calling Jesus His Son, the Beloved.”