The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Genesis 29:15-28

Reading

15 Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. 23 But in the evening, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) 25 When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

Commentary

The word “Genesis” means “origin” and the Book of Genesis starts with the Creation Stories and concludes with the death of Joseph (Jacob’s son) in Egypt. If the stories about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are historical, these events took place in the 1700’s BCE.

The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.

Today’s story is the concluding part of Jacob’s journey to find a wife in the land from which Abraham came, Haran. Like many other Biblical men, Jacob met his wife Rachel at a well. Rachel was Jacob’s first cousin in that her father, Laban, was Rebekah’s brother. When Jacob saw Rachel, he kissed her (v.11), and agreed to work for Laban for seven years so Rachel would be his wife (v.18).

Previously, Jacob (with Rebekah’s assistance) had tricked his father Isaac into giving him the blessing that belonged to Esau, his older twin brother. When the time came for Jacob to marry Rachel, in a clearly ironic twist, Laban tricked the trickster Jacob by substituting his older daughter (Leah) for Rachel in Jacob’s tent on his wedding night (v.23).

Jacob was understandably unhappy about this but agreed with Laban to “complete Leah’s week” of marriage festivities, and Laban gave Rachel to Jacob as another wife (v.28). Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years (v.30). Leah bore Jacob’s first four sons, including Judah.

Continuing the theme of the “barren matriarch” that began with Sarah and Rebekah, Rachel was unable to conceive until Jacob had already sired a total of 10 sons by Leah, Rachel’s maid (Bilhah) and Leah’s maid (Zilpah). After many years, Rachel gave birth to Joseph (who had the famous coat) and later died in childbirth when Jacob’s last son, Benjamin, was born.

1 Kings 3:5-12

Reading

5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed, I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.”

Commentary

The authors of the Book of Kings also wrote the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Samuel, usually called the “Deuteronomic History,” a didactic history of Ancient Israel from the time in the Wilderness (c. 1250 BCE) to the Babylonian Captivity in 587 BCE.

These books were given their final form around 500 BCE – long after the events they described. The authors used the stories to demonstrate that it was the failures of the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judea to worship YHWH properly and obey God’s commands that led to the conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE by the Assyrians and the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 597 BCE. (The conquests were not seen as the result of the Assyrians’ and Babylonians’ greater wealth and more powerful armies.)

Prior to today’s story, Solomon (who was David’s son by Bathsheba, and not the oldest of David’s sons) acceded to the throne upon David’s death in about 965 BCE through the machinations of Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan. Solomon was anointed king even before David’s death, and then ruthlessly eliminated those who might have challenged him as king.

Today’s story is a dream sequence in which Solomon asked YHWH for wisdom, and YHWH granted him a wise and discerning mind (v.12). As events will unfold in the Book of Kings, Solomon ruled Israel harshly and married many foreign wives who turned his heart away from YHWH (1 Kings 11). According to the Deuteronomists, Solomon’s harsh rule contributed greatly to the breakup of the Kingdom in 930 BCE when Solomon died. Eventually, both the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judea) were conquered.

Romans 8:26-39

Reading

26 The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

38 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) – about ten years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written.

Today’s reading concludes Paul’s theologically dense discussion in Chapter 8. His theology included the idea that even if matters are not going well (v.36), God’s purpose nevertheless prevails (v.28). He asserted “foreknowledge” on God’s part (v.29) and predestination (v.30).

The reading concluded with an oft-quoted affirmation that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (vv. 38-39).

Genesis 29:15-28

Today’s story is the concluding part of Jacob’s journey to find a wife. As many Biblical men do, he went to a well. There he encountered Rachel, who was his first cousin. (Laban was Rebekah’s brother and Jacob’s uncle.) When Jacob saw Rachel, he kissed her (v.11), and agreed to work for her father Laban so Rachel would be his wife (v.18).

After seven years, and in an ironic twist (because Jacob himself tricked his father Isaac into giving him the blessing that belonged to Esau, his older twin brother), Laban tricked Jacob by substituting his older daughter (Leah) for Rachel in Jacob’s tent on the wedding night (v.23). Jacob agreed with Laban to “complete Leah’s week” of marriage festivities, and Laban gave Rachel to Jacob as another wife (v.28). Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years (v.30). Leah bore Jacob’s first four sons, including Judah.

1 Kings 3:5-12

The Book of Kings is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These books are a didactic history of Ancient Israel from the time in the Wilderness (c. 1250 BCE) to the Babylonian Captivity in 587 BCE. They emphasize that God controls history, and when the people (and their kings) worship Yahweh properly, good things happen to them. When they worship false gods, however, tragic events overtake them.

Prior to today’s story, Solomon (who was David’s son by Bathsheba, and not the oldest of David’s sons) acceded to the throne upon David’s death in about 965 BCE through the machinations of Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan. Solomon was anointed king even before David’s death, and then ruthlessly eliminated those who might have challenged him as king.

Today’s story presents a dream sequence in which Solomon asked YHWH for wisdom, and YHWH granted him a wise and discerning mind (v.12). As events will unfold, Solomon ruled Israel harshly and married many foreign wives who turned his heart away from YHWH. According to the Deuteronomist, this contributed greatly to the breakup of the Kingdom in 930 BCE when Solomon died.

Romans 8:26-39

Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest, last, and theologically most complex letter, written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) – about ten years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written.

Today’s reading concludes Paul’s theologically dense discussion in Chapter 8. His theology includes the idea that even if matters are not going well (v.36), God’s purpose nevertheless prevails (v.28). He asserts “foreknowledge” on God’s part (v.29) and predestination (v.30).

The reading concludes with an oft-quoted affirmation that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (vv. 38-39).