◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 93 (Praise to God who reigns); 2 Kings 2:1-12 (Elijah ascends in a chariot of fire); Ephesians 2:1-7 (Seated in the heavenly places with Christ) (New Catholic Bible)

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May 19, 2023

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 93

Psalm 93^[a]

Glory of the Lord’s Kingdom

¹The Lord is King,^[b] adorned in splendor;
    the Lord has clothed and girded himself with strength.
^[c]He has made the world firm,
    never to be moved.
²Your throne has stood firm from the beginning;
    you have existed throughout eternity, O Lord.
³The waters^[d] have lifted up, O Lord;
    the waters have lifted up their voice;
    the waters have lifted up their roar.
⁴More powerful than the roar of mighty waters,
    more powerful than the crashing waves of the sea,
    mighty on high is the Lord.^[e]
⁵Your decrees^[f] are firmly established;
    holiness adorns your house,
    O Lord, throughout the ages.

Footnotes

Psalm 93:1 This is one of the nine psalms of the kingdom (Pss 47; 93–100), most of which feature the liturgical acclamation “The Lord is King,” in which is centered the whole faith of Israel. All these hymns exalt the kingdom of God that extends over the entire universe and dominates the course of time. God reveals his kingship when he brings forth the world; he does so even more when he chooses Israel. Nonetheless, creation and history are still only the beginning and promise; the kingdom of God will be manifested in all its glory at the end of time (see Rev 4:11; 11:15-17): a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem—such are the images that allow us to glimpse the joy of a new humanity gathered together in the glory of God (see Rev 21:1—22:5). The acclamation of the psalms of the kingdom already vibrates with this ineffable hope.
Psalm 93 exalts the Lord who reigns, robed in majesty. He affirms his greatness by the forces of creation that he rules, by the law—or “decrees”—that he gives to his people, and by the temple of Jerusalem that he consecrates to his mysterious presence. From his earthly experience, the believer acclaims the splendor of a kingdom that can have no end.
In all truth, we can regard this psalm as applicable to Christ’s kingship and sing: “Christ is King.” For he vanquishes in himself and in his followers all hostile powers (Satan, death, and sin), delivering believers from the reign of death and transferring them into his kingdom (see Eph 1:2). This is the extraordinary wonder that he continues across the centuries until the full deliverance of his Church and the definitive destruction of his enemies will occur (see Rev 20–22).
Psalm 93:1 The Lord is King: a liturgical acclamation that sums up the entire faith of Israel (see Pss 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; see also Zec 14:9).
Psalm 93:1 The Lord established his kingdom on earth when he created the world and everything in it (see Ps 24:1). Hence, the world will not be moved no matter what pressure is brought to bear on it by hostile forces (see Pss 10:6; 104:5), because the Lord has established his rule over it. Indeed, the Lord is eternal (see Ps 90:2), but his rule was established when his throne was set up at the beginning of history with the creation (“from the beginning”; see Isa 44:8; 45:21; 48:3-8).
Psalm 93:3 Waters: the waters of the primeval chaos that the Lord mastered through his creative word (see Pss 33:7; 104:7-9; Gen 1:6-10; Job 38:8-11; see also note on Ps 65:8). They can also stand for the enemies of God and his people (see Job 7:12; Isa 8:7; 17:12; Jer 46:8; Dan 7:2; Rev 17:15) as well as the ocean currents, whose powers were feared by the pagan nations as indicated in the mythical account of Baal’s victory over the sea god Yamm.
Psalm 93:4 The Lord is the Master of the thundering storms and surging waves by his simple word (see Christ’s calming of the storm by a single word in Mk 4:39).
Psalm 93:5 Decrees: these divine judgments constitute revelation in the wide sense insofar as they are the norm of human life (see Ps 119). As stable (see Ps 19:8) as the physical universe and as inviolable (see Ps 95:8-11) as the sanctuary of Jerusalem, this revelation will be the foundation of the Lord’s definitive kingdom, inaugurated from the creation and already effective in Israel (see Isa 51:9f, 13; 52:7). Holiness adorns your house . . . throughout the ages: the temple, home of the King of Israel, is consecrated forever (1 Ki 8:13; 9:3; Jud 9:1-8; Ezek 42:13f; Rev 21:27). Those who approach the most holy God (see Ps 99) are also consecrated (see Ex 19:6; Lev 10:3; 19:2).

2 Kings 2:1-12

Stories of Elisha and Joram

Chapter 2

Elijah Is Taken to Heaven.^[a] ¹Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal when the Lord was about to take Elijah into heaven in a whirlwind. ²Elijah said to Elisha, “Wait here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha answered, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

³The sons of the prophets came forth from Bethel to Elisha and they said to him, “Do you know that today is the day that the Lord is going to take away your master who is over you?” Elisha answered, “Yes, I know it. Be quiet!”

⁴Elijah then said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he answered, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵The sons of the prophets in Jericho came to Elisha and said, “Do you know that today is the day that the Lord is going to take away your master who is over you?” He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet!”

⁶Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” He answered, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

⁷Now fifty of the sons of the prophets went out and watched from a distance as the two of them stood at the Jordan. ⁸Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up. He struck the waters with it, and they split apart, so the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah. ⁹After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me for whatever you want before I am taken away.” Elisha said, “Let me please have a double portion^[b] of your spirit.” ¹⁰He answered, “You have asked for something that is difficult. If you see me taken away from you, then it will be yours. If not, then it will not be so.”

¹¹As they were walking along talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up into the heavens in a whirlwind. ¹²Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” And then he could not see him anymore. He took hold of his clothes and tore them apart.^[c]

Ephesians 2:1-7

Chapter 2

Christ Brought Us from Death to Life.^[a] ¹You formerly were dead as a result of your transgressions and sins, ²which were your way of life in this worldly era,^[b] obeying the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit that is now at work among the children of rebellion. ³We too were all numbered among them at one time. We were ruled by our sinful nature, succumbing to the temptations of the flesh and desires. And like all others, we were by nature children of wrath.

⁴But God is rich in his mercy, and because he had such great love for us, ⁵he brought us to life with Christ when we were already dead through sin—it is by grace that you have been saved. ⁶He raised us up in union with Christ Jesus and enthroned us with him in the heavens, ⁷so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace evidenced by his mercy to us in Christ Jesus.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 93[a]

Glory of the Lord’s Kingdom

Footnotes

Stories of Elisha and Joram

Chapter 2

Footnotes

Chapter 2

Footnotes

Psalm 93^[a]