March 26, 2026

This is Daily Orthodox Scriptures with Father Alexis Corrie from St. Philip Orthodox Church in Davey Florida. Join us daily on the journey.

Welcome to the Daily Orthodox Scriptures. I'm Father Alexis, and we are reading through the Scriptures each day of the year, using the Orthodox study Bible.

Our readings today will be from Judges, chapter 5, verse 1, through chapter 6, verse 10.

Psalm 73, verses 1 through 11, proverbs, chapter 15, verses 11 through 15, and Luke, chapter 3, verses 1 through 20.

Yesterday we heard how the judge Debra and military commander Barak gave a crushing blow to the Canaanite King, Jabin, by the victory in which Jabin's military commander was killed by Jial with a tent peg.

Today we hear the song of Debra and Barak following the battle. Let's begin.

Judges, chapter 5, verse 1, through chapter 6, verse 10.

Then Debra and Barak, the son of Abinoam, saying on that day, saying,

A revelation was made known in Israel to the people who were willing, blessed the Lord. O kings, receive the news, O princes, listen closely.

I, even I, will sing to the Lord. I will sing a psalm to the Lord, God of Israel. Lord, when you went out in Sayir, when you left from the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens poured dew, the clouds poured water.

The mountains were shaken before the Lord, Eloy, this Sinai before the Lord, God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath and the days of Jial, they deserted the main road and traveled the byways, corrupting the way as they went.

The mighty of Israel failed, they came to an end, until Debra, whom he raised, until a mother whom he raised in Israel, they chose new gods.

Then the cities of the rulers waged war, not a shield or a spear was seen among the forty thousand in Israel.

My heart is with the leaders of Israel, to those among the people who freely sacrifice, blessed the Lord.

You who mount upon a female donkey at midday, sitting on the seat of judgment, who conduct your life on the road, mediating along the way.

Turn back and shout out every detail while drawing up water, there in that place, what is rightful to the Lord is given, spreading righteousness in Israel.

Then the people of the Lord came down to the cities, awake, awake Debra, awake, awake, sing a song, a rise Barack, O son of Abinoam, and lead your host of captives captive.

Then the remnant came down to the mighty, the people of the Lord came down to him, to the mighty.

My Ephraim rooted them out in Amalek, O Benjamin, your people were behind you.

Macker came to know more about me, and from Zebulin, those able to record with the pen of a scribe, and the princes in Issaqar were with Debra and Barack.

So she sent Barack into the valley by foot, among the regions of Rubin.

There were great resolves of heart. Why go up to sit in the midst of the sheepfold, to hear the trumpet of the angels?

In the divisions of Rubin, there were great searchings of heart.

Giliad is beyond the Jordan, where he made his dwelling. Why did Dan remain on the ships?

Asher sat down on the seashore, and he will dwell at his seaports.

The people of Zebulin reproached its soul unto death, and Naftali denounced the high places of the fields.

King set themselves in battle array.

Then the kings of Canaan waged war in Tanak, by the waters of Megiddo.

They took no gift of silver. The stars of the heavens were arrayed for battle.

On their path, they arrayed themselves to war against Sisera.

The brook of Qishan swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook of Qishan.

My mighty soul will trample him down, when the hooves of the horses were fettered.

In earnest, his mighty ones hastened.

Kers Miraz said the angel of the Lord, cursed them.

Kersd is everyone who dwells there, because they did not come to the help of the Lord,

to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

Jail is blessed among women, the wife of Heber the Kennite.

Blessed is she from among the women in tents.

He requested water. She gave him milk.

In a dish.

Surpassing this, she offered butter.

She stretched her left hand to the tent peg.

Her right hand to the workman's hammer.

She drove the nail through his head with a hammer.

She put the nail into his temple.

He rolled down between her feet.

He fell and lay between her feet.

He bent over and fell.

When he sat down there, he fell, departing life.

The mother of Sisera peered out to the archer's window.

For his chariot is not where it should be.

For the feet of his chariot's horse is tarry.

The wise of her leading ladies answered her, and she answered to herself.

Will they not find him dividing the spoil?

The merciful have compassion for the head of a man.

Spoils of the dyed garments for Sisera.

The spoils of dyed embroidery.

Embroiderers dies as spoils for his neck.

O Lord, let all your enemies perish in the way.

And those desiring him be as the coming out of his son in power.

Let the land be at peace for forty years.

Then the sons of Israel did evil before the Lord,

and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,

and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel.

The sons of Israel made dens for themselves in the mountains and caves,

and strongholds away from the presence of the Midianites.

So it was, whenever the sons of Israel had sown,

the Midianites would come up, and the Amelikites and the sons of the East

would come up with them.

Then they encamped against them, and destroyed the fruits of the earth until they came to Gaza,

and left no substance of life in the land of Israel,

not even an ox or a donkey among the herds.

For they came up with their livestock and their tents,

and appeared just as numerous as locusts.

They and their camels were without number,

and came into the land of Israel and destroyed it.

And Israel was exceedingly destitute before the face of the Midianites,

and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the presence of the Midianites,

and the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel who said to them,

Thus says, the Lord God of Israel,

I am He who brought you up from Egypt,

and brought you out of the house of your bondage,

and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians,

and out of the hand of all who oppressed you,

and drove them out before you, and gave you their land.

And I said to you, I am the Lord your God,

do not fear the gods of the amurites in whose land you dwell,

but you did not obey my voice.

Psalm 73 verses 1 through 11.

O God, why have you rejected us to the end?

Why has your anger raged against the sheep of your pasture?

Remember your congregation you acquired from the beginning,

that you redeemed the rod of your inheritance,

this Mount Zion, where you encamped,

lift up your hands against their arrogance to the end,

against everything the enemy prostituted in your holy places,

those who hate you boasted in the midst of your feast,

they set up their signs, yes, signs,

and they did not know, as into an entrance hall,

as in a thicket of trees, they cut down its doors with axes,

with battle axes and hammers, they broke it down,

they burned down your sanctuary,

they defiled the tabernacle of your name to the ground.

Their kindred said in their heart together,

let us abolish all the feasts of God from the earth.

We do not see our signs.

There is no longer any prophet,

and he will no longer know us.

How long, O God, will the enemy reproach?

Will the adversary provoke your name to the end?

Why do you turn away your hand,

your right hand from the midst of your breast to the end?

Proverbs 15 verses 11 through 15

The instruction of the simple is known by those who pass by,

but those who hate reproofs will die shamefully.

Hades and destruction are manifest before the Lord.

How can the hearts of men not be also?

An uninstructed man will not love those who reproof him,

and he will not keep company with the wise.

When one's heart is glad, his face is cheerful,

but when it is in grief, his face is sad,

the upright heart seeks perception,

but the mouth of the uninstructed will know evil things.

Luke 3 verses 1 through 20

Now in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,

Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea,

Herod being Tetrach of Galilee,

his brother Philip, Tetrach of Ituria,

and the region of Trachonitis,

and Lysenius, Tetrach of Abilene,

while Anus and Caiaphas were high priests.

The word of God came to John the son of Zecharius in the wilderness,

and he went into all the region around the Jordan,

preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

saying,

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

prepare the way of the Lord,

make his path straight,

every valley shall be filled,

and every mountain in hill brought low.

The crooked places shall be made straight,

and the rough ways smooth,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Then he said to the multitudes

that came out to be baptized by him,

brood of vipers who warned you to flee

from the wrath to come.

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

and do not begin to say to yourselves,

we have Abraham as our Father,

for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham

from these stones,

and even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees,

therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit

is cut down and thrown into the fire.

So the people asked him,

saying,

What shall we do then?

He answered and said to them,

He who has two tunics,

let him give to him who has none,

and he who has food,

let him do likewise.

Then tax collectors also came to be baptized,

and said to him,

Teacher, what shall we do?

And he said to them,

Collect no more than what is appointed for you.

Likewise, the soldiers asked him,

saying, And what shall we do?

So he said to them,

Do not intimidate anyone,

or accuse falsely,

and be content with your wages.

Now as the people were in expectation,

and all reasoned in their hearts about John,

whether he was the Christ or not,

John answered,

saying to all,

I indeed baptize you with water,

but one might hear than I is coming,

whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose,

he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit,

and fire,

his winnowing fan does in his hand,

and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor,

and gather the wheat into his barn,

but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire,

and with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

But hered the tetrarke,

being rebuked by him concerning Herodius,

his brother Philip's wife,

and for all the evils which Herod had done,

also added this above all,

that he shut John up in prison.

The church recognizes John the Baptist as a prophet.

We hear this in the dismissal after divine liturgy,

when we ask for the prayers of the honorable glorious prophet

for runner and Baptist John.

Sometimes people think of prophets

as people who are telling about future events,

but perhaps the main job of the prophet

was to call the people to repentance,

letting them know where they've gone wrong,

and also letting them know what God desires from them.

John follows a great prophetic tradition

with the children of Israel,

including the judges such as Gideon,

that also call their people to repentance.

The prophetic nature of the church

continues to call us to repentance.

Repentance is an ongoing part of our lives,

and that's because there is an ongoing tug

to pull us away from the faith and God's call for us.

The period of great length is the most prophetic season of the year.

The goal of the prophet is the same today as then,

calling the people to turn away from distractions to our faith

and toward the God who fills us with himself.

Let's continue to respond to this prophetic call

this season and always.

And let's come back tomorrow

as we continue this year-long journey through the Bible.

I am Father Alexis, and remember Christ is in our midst.

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with Father Alexis Corey.

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