Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24
Psalms 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
Luke 1:57-66
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24
1 ‘Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek willcome to his Temple; yes, the angel of the covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says YahwehSabaoth. 2 Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For hewill be like a refiner’s fire, like fullers’ alkali. 3 He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they can make the offering to Yahweh with uprightness. 4 The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be acceptable to Yahweh as in former days, as in the years of old.
23 ‘Look, I shall send you the prophet Elijah before the great and awesome Day of Yahweh comes. 24 He will reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents, to forestall my putting the country under the curse of destruction.’
Psalms 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
4Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long. 8Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. 10All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. 14The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
Luke 1:57-66
57Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. 58And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari’ah after his father, 60but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” 61And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.” 62And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. 63And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled. 64And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; 66and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
