Monday: Reflection on the Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
Hebrew Scripture Lesson from The Former Prophets: Judges 5:1-11
Then Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:
âWhen locks are long in Israel, âwhen the people offer themselves willinglyâ âbless the Lord! âHear, O kings; give ear, O princes; âto the Lord I will sing, âI will make melody to the Lord, âthe God of Israel. âLord, when you went out from Seir, âwhen you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, âand the heavens poured, âthe clouds indeed poured water. The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, âbefore the Lord, the God of Israel. âIn the days of Shamgar son of Anath, âin the days of Jael, caravans ceased âand travelers kept to the byways. The peasantry prospered in Israel, âthey grew fat on plunder, because you arose, Deborah, âarose as a mother in Israel. When new gods were chosen, âthen war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen âamong forty thousand in Israel? My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel âwho offered themselves willingly âamong the people. âBless the Lord. âTell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, âyou who sit on rich carpets âand you who walk by the way. To the sound of musicians at the watering places, âthere they repeat the triumphs of the Lord, âthe triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. âThen down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.
Psalm 115
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, âfor the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. Why should the nations say, ââWhere is their God?â
Our God is in the heavens; âhe does whatever he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, âthe work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; âeyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; ânoses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; âfeet, but do not walk; âthey make no sound in their throats.Âč Those who make them are like them; âso are all who trust in them.
O Israel, trust in the Lord! âHe is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! âHe is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! âHe is their help and their shield.
The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us; âhe will bless the house of Israel; âhe will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, âboth small and great.
May the Lord give you increase, âboth you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, âwho made heaven and earth.
The heavens are the Lord's heavens, âbut the earth he has given to human beings. The dead do not praise the Lord, ânor do any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord âfrom this time on and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
ÂčThis passage is used in Revelation 9:20-21, describing humankind's failure to turn to God.
New Testament Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 14:26-40
What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to someone else sitting nearby, let the first person be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. And the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets, for God is a God not of disorder but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints, women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached?
Anyone who claims to be a prophet, or to have spiritual powers, must acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. Anyone who does not recognize this is not to be recognized. So, my friends, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues; but all things should be done decently and in order.
Year C Epiphany 5 Monday
Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from Holy Bible New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Footnotes in the Hebrew Scriptures that show where the passage is used in the Christian Scriptures are based on information from the Complete Jewish Bible (Updated) (CJB) by David H. Stern, Copyright © 1998 and 2006 by David H. Stern, used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved worldwide. When text is taken from the CJB, the passage ends with (CJB) and the foregoing copyright notice applies. Image credit:Â
Image credits: Deborah from Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum published by Guillaume Rouille (1518?-1589), via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.








