AntiphonO come, Desire of nations, bindAll peoples in one heart and mind;Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.Timeline586 BC First temple destroyed, and Babylonian exile begins538 BC First wave of returning exiles520 BC Haggai preaches to continue rebuilding the temple515 BC Second Temple CompletedHaggai 2:1-5 (NLT)Then on October 17 of that same year, the L...

Isaiah 7:10-1410 Later, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz: 11 “Ask the LORD your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the LORD like that.”13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must ...

Antiphon:O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer,Our Spirits by Thine Advent here;Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,And death's dark shadows put to flight.Isaiah 8:20-9:1-2 20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. 21 They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their ...

AntiphonO come, Thou Key of David, come,And open wide our heavenly home;Make safe the way that leads on high,And close the path to misery.Isaiah 22:15-1815 This is what the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, said to me: “Confront Shebna, the palace administrator, and give him this message:16 “Who do you think you are,   and what are you doing here,building a beautiful tomb for yourself—   a monume...

The seven ancient O Antiphons, were sung on the final seven days before Christmas. These urgent biblical prayers address the coming Messiah by seven majestic Old Testament titles: Wisdom, LORD, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Sun, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. Together they form the corporate call of the Christmas hymn, voicing Israel’s (and the church’s) longing for the promised Deliverer to...

Leader: Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy! (Psalm 100:1-2)All: Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3)Leader: Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, and praise his name! (Psalm 100:4)All: For the ...

Psalm 85:6Won’t you revive us again,   so your people can rejoice in you?Habakkuk 1:1-41 This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision.2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help?   But you do not listen!“Violence is everywhere!” I cry,   but you do not come to save.3 Must I forever see these evil deeds?   Why must I watch all this misery?Wherever I look,   I see destruction and ...

2 Chronicles 7:11-2011 So Solomon finished the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. 12 Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls,...

Psalm 85:1-71 LORD, you poured out blessings on your land!   You restored the fortunes of Israel.2 You forgave the guilt of your people—   yes, you covered all their sins.3 You held back your fury.   You kept back your blazing anger.4 Now restore us again, O God of our salvation.   Put aside your anger against us once more.5 Will you be angry with us always?   Will you prolong your wrath to all ge...

"kavod" means wealth, riches, honor, reputation, heaviness, weight, splendor, or distinction.Isaiah 42:8 (NLT)I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.Resting in His salvationIsaiah 30:15 (NLT)This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness...

2 Timothy 3:14-1714 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to ...

Acts 4:1-12 1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4 But many of ...

Romans 3:23-2823 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice ...

Grace is the unmerited favor of God.Ephesians 2:1-3“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinati...

Jonah 3:10When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.Identify and confess your own areas of self-____________________ (1:1-3)Jonah 4:1-31 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that yo...

Have you heard the call to love God and love people?Jonah 3:1-31 Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” 3 This time Jonah obeyed the LORD's command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.Jonah 3:4-54 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty d...

Review of Jonah 1When we run from God’s word, we run from God.When we run from God, He runs after us.When we run from God, we run over people.Jonah's lament is not a white flag of surrender, but a red-flag cry of desperation, longing for the God he’s pushed away.Context and Structure• Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and...

For the choir director: A song of the descendants of Korah, to be sung by soprano voices.Psalm 46:10“Be still, and know that I am God!I will be honored by every nation.I will be honored throughout the world.”Be still and consider your security in Christ (46:1-3)Psalm 46:1-31 God is our refuge and strength,   always ready to help in times of trouble.2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come   and...

Celebrate God's loving provision with words of thanksgiving.Psalm 107:1-31 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!   His faithful love endures forever.2 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out!   Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.3 For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,   from east and west, from north and south.The reason for our gratitude is the expressed and enduring...

Deal with discouragement as a cry for help, then take your soul in hand.Psalm 42:1-5For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.1 As the deer longs for streams of water,   so I long for you, O God.2 I thirst for God, the living God.   When can I go and stand before him?3 Day and night I have only tears for food,   while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,   “Where is this God ...