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Text: Zechariah 8
Hymn: TLH 609, Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying
Kretzmann Commentary: Zechariah 8
Bonus Bumper: WELS Honor Choir, Jerusalem the Golden

We wrap up our second pass through the Old Testament with Zechariah 8, a wonderful prophecy of peace and of God’s return to his remnant.

Words and lyrics for the “King of Chorales” can be found in the supplement for Episode 41. The vocals have been re-recorded, something I like to do for hymns that we recorded before Episode 83. With perhaps an exception where my voice dried up, I think the rework turned out well.

Text: Joel 3
Hymn: 585, Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide
Kretzmann Commentary: Joel 3
Bonus Bumper: Johnny Cash, American IV, “The Man Comes Around”

Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near! Everyone will hear the Gospel, and those that believe shall be saved.

585 is a hymn of humility, praying for those things that we can’t possibly do ourselves. Let us keep the Word and never dim it. Let it unify the church.

 
Text: © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Podcast under OneLicense.Net A-718131.
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Text: Ezekiel 34
Hymn: 754, Entrust Your Days and Burdens
Kretzmann Commentary: Ezekiel 34
Bonus Bumper: Louis Armstrong, Ezekiel Saw De Wheel

With leaders like these, who needs enemies? As in last week’s episode, Israel was lead astray by its religious leaders, and the shepherds weren’t even guarding the sheep. Nobody is going to save Israel and the church but God alone.

This message ties in well with Hymn 754, “Entrust Your Days and Burdens.” Professor Stephen R. Johnson took a Paul Gerhardt text and wrote his own tune for it. It’s not particularly Trinitarian, but it is always good to trust in God rather than princes, televangelists, and vision casters.

 
Text (sts. 1-5): © 1982 Concordia Publishing House; (st. 6): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Music: © 2002 Stephen R. Johnson. Used with permission.
All rights reserved.
Podcast under OneLicense.Net A-718131.

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Text: Jeremiah 23
Hymn: 544, O Love, How Deep
Kretzmann Commentary: Jeremiah 23
Bonus Bumper: Mendelssohn, Elijah, “Is Not His Word Like a Fire”

Two good things going on in Jeremiah 23: The Lord will raise up a Righteous Branch in whose days Judah will be saved, and a blistering warning from the Lord about prophets speaking visions of their own minds and ascribing them to the Lord.

544 came to us as the Hymn of the Day for October 2. It’s a hymn soaked in Gospel and set to a great true, emphasizing everything Christ went through in order to purchase our redemption. Thanks be to God, that we can be counted as sons and daughters of the Most High!

 
Setting from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission.
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