Open Word

FIRST READING

Exodus 13:17-22

Verse 17. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, though it was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” Verse 18. So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle. Verse 19. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.” Verse 20. They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. Verse 21. And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. Verse 22. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

PSALM

Psalm 102:1-17

A prayer of one who is afflicted, when he grows faint and pours out his lament before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come before You.

Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.

For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.

My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.

Through my loud groaning my skin hangs on my bones.

I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.

I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.

All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.

For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears

because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.

My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.

But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.

You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor — the appointed time has come.

For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.

So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.

For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.

SECOND READING

Acts 7:17-40

Verse 17. As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. Verse 18. Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. Verse 19. He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. Verse 20. At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house. Verse 21. When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Verse 22. So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. Verse 23. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. Verse 24. And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him. Verse 25. He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not. Verse 26. The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’ Verse 27. But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Verse 28. Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ Verse 29. At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons. Verse 30. After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. Verse 31. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: Verse 32. ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. Verse 33. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. Verse 34. I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ Verse 35. This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. Verse 36. He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness. Verse 37. This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ Verse 38. He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us. Verse 39. But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. Verse 40. They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’