OLD TESTAMENT LESSONS
FOR THE EASTER VIGIL SERVICE
At least three of these lessons should be included in this service including Exodus 14
Gen
1:1-2:4 (NRSV)
1
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a
formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God
swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be
light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God
separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the
darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first
day.
6
And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it
separate the waters from the waters." 7 So God made the dome and separated
the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome.
And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was
morning, the second day.
9
And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one
place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry
land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God
saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the earth put forth
vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that
bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth
vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing
fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was
evening and there was morning, the third day.
14
And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the
day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and
years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the
earth." And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights--the greater light
to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night--and the stars. 17 God
set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over
the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God
saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth
day.
20
And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and
let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." 21 So God
created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every
kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God
saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and
multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the
earth." 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24
And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind:
cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind."
And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the
cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind.
And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in
our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the
earth." 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he
created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said
to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and
have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over
every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29 God said, "See, I
have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth,
and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to
every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that
creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every
green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had
made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning,
the sixth day.
2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on
the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the
seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day
and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in
creation. 4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they
were created.
Exodus
14:10-31; 15:20-21 (NRSV)
10
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians
advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the LORD. 11 They
said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have
taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us
out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, 'Let us alone
and let us serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve
the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." 13 But Moses said to the
people, "Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the
LORD will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you
shall never see again.
14
The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still." 15 Then the
LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go
forward. 16 But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea
and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17 Then I
will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and
so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and
his chariot drivers. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I
have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot
drivers." 19 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved
and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and
took its place behind them. 20 It came between the army of Egypt and the army of
Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night;
one did not come near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand
over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and
turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. 22 The Israelites
went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their
right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after
them, all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. 24 At the morning
watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian
army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. 25 He clogged their chariot wheels
so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Let us flee from
the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." 26 Then
the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the
water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot
drivers." 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the
sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the LORD
tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the
chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed
them into the sea; not one of them remained. 29 But the Israelites walked on dry
ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on
their left. 30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and
Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great work that
the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed
in the LORD and in his servant Moses.
15:20
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all
the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. 21 And Miriam
sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and
rider he has thrown into the sea."
Isaiah
55:1-11 (NRSV)
1
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come,
buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do
you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which
does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight
yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you
may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love
for David. 4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander
for the peoples. 5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations
that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy
One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6 Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7
let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them
return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my
ways, says the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my
ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the
rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have
watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower
and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it
shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and
succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Ezek
36:24-28 (NRSV)
24
I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and
bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you
shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will
cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within
you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of
flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and
be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in the land that I
gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Ezek
37:1-14 (NRSV)
1
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the
LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led
me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very
dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered,
"O Lord GOD, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these
bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the
Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6
I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you
with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I
am the LORD."
7
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was
a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked,
and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had
covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me,
"Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says
the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath
came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11
Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off
completely.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I
am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people;
and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am
the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my
people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place
you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will
act," says the LORD.