Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

1 Samuel 7:3-15

Verse 3. Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” Verse 4. So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD. Verse 5. Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.” Verse 6. When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah. Verse 7. When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines Verse 8. and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” Verse 9. Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him. Verse 10. As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel. Verse 11. Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car. Verse 12. Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” Verse 13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. Verse 14. The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites. Verse 15. So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

PSALM

Psalm 108

A song. A Psalm of David. My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my being.

Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing Your praises among the peoples.

For Your loving devotion extends beyond the heavens, and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; may Your glory cover all the earth.

Respond and save us with Your right hand, that Your beloved may be delivered.

God has spoken from His sanctuary: “I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem and apportion the Valley of Succoth.

Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.

Moab is My washbasin; upon Edom I toss My sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

Have You not rejected us, O God? Will You no longer march out, O God, with our armies?

Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

With God we will perform with valor, and He will trample our enemies.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Verse 14. Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him. Verse 15. Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you. Verse 16. Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.” Verse 17. And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.” Verse 18. One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.” Verse 19. So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” Verse 20. And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David. Verse 21. When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer. Verse 22. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” Verse 23. And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

PSALM

Psalm 74

A Maskil of Asaph. Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture?

Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe of Your inheritance — Mount Zion, where You dwell.

Turn Your steps to the everlasting ruins, to everything in the sanctuary the enemy has destroyed.

Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,

like men wielding axes in a thicket of trees

and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.

They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name.

They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely.” They burned down every place where God met us in the land.

There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.

How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?

Why do You withdraw Your strong right hand? Stretch it out to destroy them!

Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.

You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea;

You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.

You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.

You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter.

Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.

Do not deliver the soul of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your afflicted forever.

Consider Your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

Do not let the oppressed retreat in shame; may the poor and needy praise Your name.

Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.

Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.

SECOND READING

Revelation 20:1-6

Verse 1. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. Verse 2. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Verse 3. And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time. Verse 4. Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Verse 5. The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. Verse 6. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.