Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

1 Samuel 23:14-18

Verse 14. And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand. Verse 15. While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. Verse 16. And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, Verse 17. saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.” Verse 18. So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

PSALM

Psalm 18:1-6, 43-50

For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.

You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.

When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.

Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.

The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted—

the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me,

who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.

Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.

Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Leviticus 21:1-15

Verse 1. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron’s sons, the priests, and tell them that a priest is not to defile himself for a dead person among his people, Verse 2. except for his immediate family — his mother, father, son, daughter, or brother, Verse 3. or his unmarried sister who is near to him, since she has no husband. Verse 4. He is not to defile himself for those related to him by marriage, and so profane himself. Verse 5. Priests must not make bald spots on their heads, shave off the edges of their beards, or make cuts in their bodies. Verse 6. They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the food offerings, the food of their God, they must be holy. Verse 7. A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. Verse 8. You are to regard him as holy, since he presents the food of your God. He shall be holy to you, because I the LORD am holy — I who set you apart. Verse 9. If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire. Verse 10. The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose or tear his garments. Verse 11. He must not go near any dead body; he must not defile himself, even for his father or mother. Verse 12. He must not leave or desecrate the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD. Verse 13. The woman he marries must be a virgin. Verse 14. He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people, Verse 15. so that he does not defile his offspring among his people, for I am the LORD who sanctifies him.”

PSALM

Psalm 88

A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.

May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.

For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.

I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.

You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.

Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me.

You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.

My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.

Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?

Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon ?

Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.

Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?

From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.

Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.

You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Verse 16. But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you. Verse 17. For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition. Verse 18. Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel. Verse 19. More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. Verse 20. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift. Verse 21. For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men. Verse 22. And we are sending along with them our brother who has proven his earnestness to us many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you. Verse 23. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. Verse 24. In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.