Day 1 (Monday)
Judges 6:1-32 (The Lord Calls Gideon)
Last time we saw Jacob return to Bethel, and then proceed further south to Hebron, where he buried his father Isaac. This concludes the story of Jacob as well as that of Isaac; when we return to this story next year, we will see Jacob’s sons take the stage, as Joseph becomes the object of jealousy for his brothers until they sell him into slavery into Egypt. That isn’t the end of the story, of course; God blesses Joseph in Egypt, until he becomes the right hand of Pharaoh, and through God’s revelation saves Egypt (and the surrounding areas) by storing up food in preparation for a time of famine. Ultimately Jacob and all his family join Joseph in Egypt, where they multiply greatly, are enslaved by the Egyptians, and are finally delivered from slavery by God through Moses. Moses leads them out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai, where God makes His covenant with them, and calls them to be His Royal Priesthood to reconcile all nations to Himself. Once they arrive in the Promised Land, however, they fall into great evils. We will see one example of this, and of the Lord’s deliverance of them when they called upon Him, over the next month.
The Midianite Oppression
6 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 The hand of Midian prevailed over Israel; and because of Midian the Israelites provided for themselves hiding places in the mountains, caves and strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites put in seed, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east would come up against them.
4 They would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land, as far as the neighborhood of Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they and their livestock would come up, and they would even bring their tents, as thick as locusts; neither they nor their camels could be counted; so they wasted the land as they came in. 6 Thus Israel was greatly impoverished because of Midian; and the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
7 When the Israelites cried to the Lord on account of the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites; and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of slavery; 9 and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you, and gave you their land; 10 and I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not pay reverence to the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not given heed to my voice.”
The Call of Gideon
11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.” 13 Gideon answered him, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.” 15 He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.” 17 Then he said to him, “If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay until you return.”
19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
22 Then Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, “Help me, Lord God! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it, The Lord is peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred pole that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, in proper order; then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the sacred pole that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants, and did as the Lord had told him; but because he was too afraid of his family and the townspeople to do it by day, he did it by night.
Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal
28 When the townspeople rose early in the morning, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the sacred pole beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. 29 So they said to one another, “Who has done this?” After searching and inquiring, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30 Then the townspeople said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the sacred pole beside it.”
31 But Joash said to all who were arrayed against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down.” 32 Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he pulled down his altar.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out a few things: first, that the people of God have rebelled against Him, and that God’s response to this is not to punish them, but simply to remove His protection of them. When they experience defeat and oppression, then they call out for help, and He sends them a prophet explaining why they are suffering, reminding them of what they have been called to do. But then, the Angel of the Lord Himself comes to Gideon, and calls him to deliver the people. This Angel of the Lord is our Lord Jesus Christ, active and present with His people, granting them deliverance and calling them to repentance. Gideon’s doubt, his success, and his failures that we will see, must all be understood in the context of this, that he has received a call and authority from our Lord Himself. Whether he remains faithful to the end is a matter to which we should pay attention as the story goes on.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Hymns from the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple (November 21)
Every year on November 21st, we celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. This feast is coming up on Tuesday of next week, so we will talk about it this week. The story of this feast is that when the Virgin Mary was three years old, her parents dedicated her to serve in the Temple. When she was brought to the Temple, the Priest Zacharias (the father of St. John the Baptist) greeted her, but she walked straight into the Temple by herself, and went straight into the Holy Place, and beyond the curtain into the Holy of Holies, which is where the Ark of the Covenant had used to be, until it was lost. The Holy of Holies had therefore been empty for hundreds of years, since the Temple was rebuilt, and along with its absence, the people of God understood that God’s Presence had never returned to the Temple. With the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, the Fathers of the Church understand a transition, from the Temple of the Old Covenant, in which God had been pleased to dwell with His people, to the Temple of the New Covenant, as the Lord dwells in the Faithful, and first of all, of course, in His All-holy Mother. The following hymns reflect on this.
6th Hymn of the Kekragaria
With great joy did the venerable * aged Anna cry out and say, * "Zacharias, welcome today the Virgin, whom * inspired Prophets of God announced; * and bring her into the Lord's * holy Temple, there to dwell * and be sacredly fed and reared, so that she become * the divine throne and palace and the royal bed and brightly shining dwelling * of the Master of the universe."
Doxastikon of the Aposticha
As the congregations of believers assemble today, let us spiritually celebrate the feast; and let us reverently extol the Mother of God, the Virgin Theotokos, as she is brought to the temple of the Lord. She had been selected in advance, from all generations, to be the dwelling of Christ the supreme King and God of all. O virgins, lead the way with ceremonial lamps, and honor the solemn procession of the ever-virgin. O mothers, forget your labor pains, and joyfully come as well, and extol her who became the Mother of God and the agent of joy for the world. And let us all, with joy and delight, salute her as did the Angel and sing, "Rejoice!" to her who is full of grace, and who ever intercedes for our souls.
2nd Kathisma Hymn for the Feast
Consecrated unto God * were you before you were conceived; * being born on earth, to Him * you now are offered as a gift, * O pure one, filling the promise made by your parents. * In purity returned unto the Temple divine * from infancy with lamps brightly shining, in truth * you were a temple divine and a vessel * of the divine unapproachable Light. * How truly great is your sacred entrance, * O only ever-virgin Bride of God.
Idiomelon after the 50th Psalm
Today the Theotokos, the temple that contains God, is led into the Temple of God; and Zacharias welcomes her. Today the Holy of Holies is exultant, and the chorus of Angels mystically celebrates. Together with them let us also keep the feast today, and with Gabriel let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O Maiden full of grace, the Lord is with you; and He has the great mercy.
Hymn from Ode 8, Canon 1 of the Feast
Leading the undefiled Temple into the House of God, ⁄ Anna cried aloud, saying with faith to the priest: ⁄ take the child given me by God, ⁄ lead her into the Temple of your Creator, and sing to Him with joy: ⁄ All works of the Lord, bless the Lord!
Hymn from Ode 8, Canon 1 of the Feast
When he saw Anna, Zachariah said to her in spirit: ⁄ You are bringing the true Mother of Life ⁄ whom the prophets of God heralded from afar as the Theotokos. ⁄ And how shall the Temple contain her? ⁄ Therefore in wonder I cry: ⁄ All works of the Lord, bless the Lord!
Hymn from Ode 8, Canon 1 of the Feast
Anna replied to him: ⁄ I stand here as the suppliant of God, ⁄ calling upon Him with faith and prayer ⁄ to receive the fruit of my travail. ⁄ For I promised that after childbirth ⁄ I would present my child to Him Who gave her to me. ⁄ Therefore I leap for joy and cry: ⁄ All works of the Lord, bless the Lord!
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that all the promises that God has been making to Jacob in the Day 1 readings these past several weeks, about how all the nations of the world would be blessed by his descendants, and especially the image of the ladder reaching from heaven to earth, on which the angels of God ascend and descend, are fulfilled precisely in the Virgin Mary, for she is the one through whom our Jesus Christ has come into the world, and in Him heaven and earth are united. It is a marvelous and amazing thing, that all the stories of the Old Testament, all the promises and mistakes, all the hopes and the doubts, arrive at their end point here, with this little girl walking into the Temple, to become herself the Temple of the Most High God, the vessel of His Presence in the world, the Mother of God-with-us, Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel. We should also note that this feastday is a perfect and fitting beginning to our Advent season, as we begin fasting this week, in preparation for the Feast of the Lord’s Nativity, which is to say, in preparation for Christmas.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 3 (Friday)
John 5:19-30 (The Authority of the Son)
Last time we saw Jesus heal the Paralytic at the pool of Bethesda; being in Jerusalem, He is under scrutiny from the religious leaders there, especially since He just healed on the Sabbath Day. When they came and criticized Him, telling Him that the Sabbath Day was supposed to be a day of rest, His response was that “My Father is still working, and I am still working,” making an explicit claim to be the Son of God, and making Himself equal with God the Father. From this point they sought to kill Him; this is His response.
The Authority of the Son
19 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. 21 Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
24 Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; 27 and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Witnesses to Jesus
30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that this reading, from verse 24 on, is the standard Gospel reading at an Orthodox Funeral service. It is helpful to see the context here; Jesus has just revealed Himself to the religious leaders, and responds to their desire to kill Him with this statement that He is in perfect one accord with the Father, and that the Father has given Him authority over death itself, and over all the dead. Thus, His response to their plan to kill Him is to prophesy to them that they will succeed, but that this will only accomplish His purpose, which is to speak words of life to those who are dead.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?