Daily Lectionary in Poetry Monday 1st December 2014

Psalm 79

Plea for Mercy for Jerusalem
A Psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
    they have defiled your holy temple;
    they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants
    to the birds of the air for food,
    the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbours,
    mocked and derided by those around us.
5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?
    Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations
    that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob
    and laid waste his habitation.
8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and forgive our sins,
    for your name’s sake.
10 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
    be known among the nations before our eyes.
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    according to your great power preserve those doomed to die.
12 Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors
    the taunts with which they taunted you, O Lord!
13 Then we your people, the flock of your pasture,
    will give thanks to you forever;
    from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

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O God, where are you?
You have abandoned us
You have allowed our enemies to destroy your city
Why do you not vanquish them?
Why do you allow them to lay your temple to waste?

O God, why do you abandon us?
Can you not see our strife and pain?
You are holding the sins of our ancestors against us
Forgive us now and deliver us
Then we will worship you forever through the generations

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Micah 4:1-5

Peace and Security through Obedience
4 In days to come
    the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
2     and many nations shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war any more;
4 but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
    and no one shall make them afraid;
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples walk,
    each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
    forever and ever.

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Lord God
We will establish your house 
As the greatest of all
We will lead everyone to you 
And teach them your ways
They will walk in your path 
And follow your instructions
No war will divide the nations
All will search for peace
All will follow your wisdom
You oh Lord will lead them

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Revelation 15:1-8

The Angels with the Seven Last Plagues
15 Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and amazing: seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended.

2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant[a] of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    King of the nations![b]
4 Lord, who will not fear
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship before you,
for your judgments have been revealed.”

5 After this I looked, and the temple of the tent[c] of witness in heaven was opened, 6 and out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, robed in pure bright linen,[d] with golden sashes across their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever; 8 and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended.
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At the end will be seven angels
Seven angels bringing seven plagues
This will see the end of God's anger on the world

At the end we will sing to you
We will sing to you of your glory
This will see the gates of heaven opened for entry