TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006
Date Hymns Reading Comments
October 1 TLH 376 / LSB 761 Numbers 20 Miriam dies. The Lord provides water miraculously from a rock. Moses displeases the Lord by striking the rock twice. The king of Edom refuses to allow the children of Israel to pass through his territory. Aaron dies.
October 2 LSB 837 Numbers 21 The children of Israel defeat Arad. The children of Israel grumble, and the Lord afflicts them with fiery serpents. The Lord has Moses mount a bronze serpent on a pole, and those who are bitten but see the bronze serpent, live. The children of Israel defeat Sihon and Og.
October 3 TLH 395 / LSB 696 Numbers 22 Afraid of the Israelites, Balak summons Balaam to curse the Israelites. The angel of the Lord stands in the way of Balaam, and a donkey speaks. The angel of the Lord commands Balaam to speak only what He tells him.
October 4 TLH 552 / LSB 878 Numbers 23 Balaam pronounces the first and the second of four oracles, blessing the Israelites. He cannot curse the people whom the Lord has blessed.
October 6 TLH 294 / LSB 523 Proverbs 17 Children are to honor their parents, and parents are to cherish their children. The people of God are to judge justly and to protect the innocent. A fool causes much grief for others.
October 7 TLH 399 / LSB 694 Proverbs 18 Solomon continues warning against folly, wickedness, and injustice. Our relationships with other people can bring us great help or great harm.
October 8 LSB 842 Proverbs 19 Solomon comments on the wise use of wealth, the benefits of a good wife, the virtue of helping the poor, and the way of wisdom.
October 9 TLH 528 / LSB 724 Proverbs 20 Solomon warns against the abuse of alcohol, teaches that a man is known by his deeds, denounces dishonesty, and cautions against rash vows.
October 10 TLH 106 / LSB 412 Proverbs 21 Solomon teaches, among other things, that justice is better than sacrifice, that to live on a roof is better than to live with a quarrelsome wife, and that those who oppose the way of the Lord will fail.
October 11 TLH 623 Ruth 1 A Judean travels to Moab where his two sons take Moabite wives, Orpah and Ruth. The man and his two sons die. Orpah returns to her people, but Ruth relocates to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi.
October 13 TLH 345 Ruth 2 Ruth lives with Naomi and supports herself and her mother-in-law by gleaning grain in the field of Boaz. Boaz notices Ruth and helps her.
October 14 WS 709 / LSB 392 Ruth 3 Naomi sends Ruth to meet Boaz at the threshing floor, hoping that he will redeem her. Boaz agrees to redeem Ruth if a nearer redeemer will not redeem her.
October 15 TLH 625 / LSB 862 Ruth 4 Boaz redeems Ruth and takes her to be his wife. Boaz and Ruth become the parents of Obed, the grandfather of King David.
October 16 TLH 535 / LSB 737 Psalm 56 The Lord knows the sorrows of his people. He will deliver us from our enemies. Therefore, we trust in Him.
October 17 TLH 558 / LSB 883 Psalm 57 While hiding in a cave to escape from King Saul, David confidently asks the Lord for deliverance and praises the Lord in advance for rescuing him.
October 18 TLH 609 / LSB 516 Psalm 58 Worldly rulers may work injustice for a time, but the Lord will have the last word and justice will prevail in the end.
October 20 TLH 514 / LSB 765 Esther 1 King Ahasuerus of Persia is displeased with his queen and decides to find a new queen.
October 21 WS 764 / LSB 850 Esther 2 King Ahasuerus chooses Esther, an exiled Judean, to be his new queen. Mordecai, the cousin of Esther, uncovers a plot against the king and the plotters are hanged.
October 22 TLH 582 Esther 3 When Mordecai refuses to pay homage to Haman, Haman furiously convinces the king to decree the destruction of the Jews.
October 23 TLH 522 / LSB 615 Esther 4 Mordecai appeals to Esther to go to the king and to request that he spare the Jews. Esther agrees, though it means risking her own life.
October 24 TLH 530 Esther 5 The king receives Esther favorably. Esther asks the king and Haman to attend a feast. At the feast, she asks them to attend another feast the next day. Meanwhile, Haman prepares a gallows on which he intends to have Mordecai hanged.
October 25 TLH 521 / LSB 760 Esther 6 The king remembers the plot against him that Mordecai uncovered and honors Mordecai. Haman is humiliated.
October 27 TLH 529 / LSB 719 Esther 7 At the second feast, Esther reveals the plot of Haman against the Jews. The king has Haman hanged on his own gallows.
October 28 TLH 654 Esther 8 Esther and Mordecai persuaded King Ahasuerus to proclaim another decree, one which had the effect of offsetting the one recorded in Esther 3. Jews throughout Persia celebrate.
October 29 TLH 644 / LSB 805 Esther 9-10 The Jews defeat their enemies. The Jews begin celebrating Purim to commemorate this deliverance from their enemies. Mordecai becomes second in rank to King Ahasuerus.
October 30 TLH 121 Psalm 59 Like David, we turn to the Lord when facing enemies or difficult circumstances. The will of the Lord for us is best, even when we cannot understand it. Therefore, we trust in Him with confidence.
October 31 TLH 517 / LSB 758 Psalm 60 Sometimes the Lord leads us through times of difficulty for His own purposes. This, too, is for our benefit. He will grant us victory over our enemies in His own time.