Lenten Services,
Friday, April 11, 2008
Part 1: 6th Hour and Vespers
Friday
SIXTH HOUR
Isaih 45:11-17
Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me
of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands
command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my
hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their
host have I commanded. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct
all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith
the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and
they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in
chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall
make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none
else, there is no God. Verily thou art a God that hidest
thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. They shall be
ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together
that are makers of idols. But
VESPERS
Genesis 22:1-18
And it came to
pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham,
and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take
now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah;
and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will
tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass,
and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood
for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had
told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place
afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and
I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham
took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he
took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a
burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will
provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them
together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham
built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and
laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and
took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out
of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here
am I. And he said, Lay not thine
hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou
fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and
Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the
stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh:
as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it
shall be seen. And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the
second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee,
and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as
the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of
his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Proverbs 17:17-18:5
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A
man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend. He loveth transgression that loveth
strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. He that hath a froward
heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse
tongue falleth into mischief. He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of
a fool hath no joy. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken
spirit drieth the bones. A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of
judgment. Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool
are in the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a grief to his father, and
bitterness to her that bare him. Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike
princes for equity. He that hath knowledge spareth
his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool,
when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he
that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of
understanding. Through desire a man, having separated himself,
seeketh and intermeddleth
with all wisdom. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart
may discover itself. When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and
with ignominy reproach. The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the
wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook. It is not good to accept the person of
the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.