Today's Readings

Ah, the last day of Advent. Here are the readings for the day (Mon 24 Dec):

Luke 1: 67-79
Then his [John the Baptist] father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,
that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us.
He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant–
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham.
This oath grants that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
may serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High.
For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
Because of our God’s tender mercy
the dawn will break upon us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16
... The king settled into his palace, for the Lord gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides. The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.” Nathan replied to the king, “You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.” That night the Lord told Nathan, “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?”
...“So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel. I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed any more. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you. When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.
...I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings.
...Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.”