Open Word

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 11:14-25

Verse 14. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Verse 15. “Son of man, your brothers — your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel — are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, ‘They are far away from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ Verse 16. Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’ Verse 17. Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’ Verse 18. When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations. Verse 19. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, Verse 20. so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. Verse 21. But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.” Verse 22. Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. Verse 23. And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city. Verse 24. And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me, Verse 25. I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.

PSALM

Psalm 48

A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.

Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.

God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.

For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.

They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.

Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.

With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.

As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of Hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish her forever.

Within Your temple, O God, we contemplate Your loving devotion.

Your name, O God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

Mount Zion is glad, the daughters of Judah rejoice, on account of Your judgments.

March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,

consider her ramparts, tour her citadels, that you may tell the next generation.

For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even till death.

SECOND READING

1 Corinthians 2:12-16

Verse 12. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. Verse 13. And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. Verse 14. The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. Verse 15. The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. Verse 16. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.