Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.
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The LORD keeps His people's focus on the tabernacle by reminding them of the lampstand in the holy place, which shone constantly in His presence. He next gives instructions for cleansing of the Levites in order that they may be set apart for service before Him in His dwelling place. Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel carried out these instructi…
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The second-longest chapter of the Bible takes us back chronologically to focus our attention on the LORD's tabernacle, where He dwelled among His people. When the tabernacle was set up, the chiefs of the tribes of Israel brought an offering to assist the Levites in their service of carrying the tabernacle from place to place. When Moses recounts th…
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Numbers 6:1-27: The LORD Places His Name on His People
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God gave His people the Nazirite vow as an opportunity for an individual Israelite to set himself apart for a particular task for the LORD for a limited period of time. Open to both men and women, the Nazirite was to remain separate from three particular things. First, Nazirites were not to partake of alcoholic drinks or anything made from grapes. …
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Numbers 5:1-31: Living with God’s Holiness in the Camp
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The LORD desires that His people approach His holiness according to His will and Word. Those who are unclean through a skin disease or contact with the dead must be put outside the camp until they are made clean again. Someone who comes to realize a sin after the fact must not ignore it. Instead, he must make restitution to the one he wronged or to…
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Numbers 4:1-49: The Duties of the Levites
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As the LORD assigns duties to the Levites, He now has Moses number only those who are physically able to complete their service in the tabernacle, that is, those between thirty and fifty years of age. The sons of Kohath will care for the holy items within the tabernacle. The priests must make special preparations for the Kohathites so that they do …
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The LORD purposely told Moses not to count the Levites as a part of the Israelite army, because the Levites have a different role among the people of Israel. Aaron and his sons are to serve as priests in the LORD’s house, and the Levites are to assist the sons of Aaron. The Levites also serve the people by guarding the tabernacle, lest the people g…
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Numbers 2:1-34: The LORD Orders His Army
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The LORD orders His people both in the way they camp and in the way they march. As the tribe through which the line of the promised Christ will come, the tribe of Judah occupies the first place. At the same time, the tabernacle occupies the central place, for the LORD’s presence among His people is primary. Although the people surround the tabernac…
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Wilderness Wanderings - Numbers 1:1-54: The LORD Calls His Army by Name
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The fourth book of Moses begins at the base of Mount Sinai in the second year after the LORD delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. There, the LORD continues to speak to Moses so that His people will listen to His Word. He names and numbers His army one tribe at a time in preparation for their conquest of the Promised Land. As the book of Numb…
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"Wilderness Wanderings” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Numbers. After the LORD delivers His people from slavery in Egypt, He leads them toward the Promised Land. Although the first generation of Israelites proves faithless, the LORD remains faithful to His people and brings a new generation of Israelites to the plains of …
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Psalm 119:169-176: The Shepherd Seeks His Sheep
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In the final stanza of Psalm 119, we place before God’s face our desperate need so that He will give us understanding and deliverance according to His promise. In response, our mouths open to sing and chant back to God what He has first said to us. We long for His salvation, knowing that apart from Jesus, we are sheep doomed to destruction. We pray…
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Psalm 119:161-168: How Can I Keep from Singing?
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In the twenty-first stanza of Psalm 119, God’s Word is our joy greater than any other treasure. The riches of God’s Word are so great that we sing His praises always and regularly. Although the enemies of God may attack us, His Word makes us stand firm and shapes our ways according to His. Rev. Mark Squire, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in St.…
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Psalm 119:153-160: God’s Word Is Truth
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In the twentieth stanza of Psalm 119, we pray that God would see us in our affliction to deliver us. He must be the one to stand up for our case and justify us by His promise. Although our adversaries are many, we need not waver from God’s Word, because His mercies far outnumber those who would harm us. This is our confidence, because God’s Word is…
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Psalm 119:145-152: Vigilant Waiting for God’s Salvation
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In the nineteenth stanza of Psalm 119, we call out to God with our entire being, asking for His salvation. Because we know that the morning will bring His salvation, we vigilantly wait for Him to keep His promise. Although our enemies draw near, God is nearer still in His promise, now and forever. Rev. Dr. Tim Saleska, Professor of Exegetical Theol…
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Psalm 119:137-144: The Righteousness of God
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In the eighteenth stanza of Psalm 119, we praise God as the Righteous One who gives us His righteousness through His Word. He is faithful to His Word; He has never failed to keep His promises. Even though we are small, despised, troubled, and anguished, He gives us delight through His eternal righteousness. Rev. Andrew Belt, pastor at Christ Luther…
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In the seventeenth stanza of Psalm 119, we marvel at the wonder of God’s Word that gives light and understanding. As we long for His commandments, God turns His face toward us with grace and keeps our steps steady by His promise. Even as we mourn at those who do not keep God’s Law, we rejoice in His redemption from man’s oppression. Rev. Dr. Martin…
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Psalm 119:121-128: Time for the LORD to Act
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In the sixteenth stanza of Psalm 119, we look to God to give us Himself as the pledge that He will act to fulfill His righteous promise. He deals with us according to His steadfast love, and so we long for His appointed time to bring about His salvation. In this confidence, we love His Words as the most valuable thing of all. Rev. Sean Daenzer, Dir…
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Psalm 119:113-120: A Safe Hiding Place
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In the fifteenth stanza of Psalm 119, our attitudes toward evil are shaped by God’s. As God spurns all who go astray from His Word, so we too renounce all wickedness and double-mindedness. Standing in fear and awe before the holy God, we cling to Him and to His Word alone, knowing that He is our only Savior. Rev. Matt Wietfeldt, Assistant Vice Pres…
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In the fourteenth stanza of Psalm 119, we rejoice to walk in the light of God’s Word. Although our lives may be under constant attack by the enemies of God and His Church, still we know that the Word of God will give us life. As God has given us an inheritance of grace in His Word, we incline our hearts toward all that He says. Rev. Joel Heckmann, …
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Psalm 119:97-104: God’s Word Is Better
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In the thirteenth stanza of Psalm 119, we give thanks for the way God’s Word makes us wiser and gives us more understanding than anything or anyone else. For this reason, we love His Word but hate every false way. Rather than going astray to the right or the left, we seek to stay on the path God's Word gives us. Rev. Ian Kinney, pastor at First Lut…
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In the twelfth stanza of Psalm 119, we confess the eternal nature of God’s Word. Even as His Word stands fast in the heavens, He brings it to us so that it gives us joy and life. Apart from God’s Word, we would perish in the traps of the wicked; therefore, God keeps us as His by His grace. Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things,…
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Psalm 119:81-88: Longing for God’s Salvation
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In the eleventh stanza of Psalm 119, our whole being longs for God to fulfill His promise. As we lament before God, we acknowledge that His promise is true by crying out for Him to be faithful as we see all that is not righteous in the world. His Word provides a sure refuge when we lament, so that our faith in Him is not put to shame. Rev. Jeremiah…
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Psalm 119:73-80: The Mutual Consolation of the Brethren
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In the tenth stanza of Psalm 119, we look to the One who created us for understanding from His Word. His steadfast love and mercy come to us to comfort us, to fill us with delight, and to give us life. When the insolent speak lies to their shame, the people of God speak His Word to each other so that they are not put to shame. Rev. Sean Kilgo, past…
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Psalm 119:65-72: God Is Good; His Love Attends Me
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In the ninth stanza of Psalm 119, we praise God for His goodness, which He reveals in His Word and His actions toward us. He even uses afflictions for our good by keeping us from going astray and drawing us closer to His instruction. Although the insolent attack us with false teaching, the LORD guards us by His truth that He is our good and graciou…
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Psalm 119:57-64: Thou Art the Portion I Have Sought
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In the eighth stanza of Psalm 119, we cry out to God, for He Himself is our inheritance. As He shows us His gracious favor through His Word, He turns our feet toward His testimonies. Although the wicked surround us with their cords, the LORD surrounds us even more with His Church. He strengthens us by His Word in the midst of those who fear His nam…
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Psalm 119:49-56: Remembrance and Comfort
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In the seventh stanza of Psalm 119, we ask God to remember the Word that gave us hope. This Word is the promise of the Gospel that gives life and comfort in affliction. Even as the insolent deride us, the Word of God teaches us the good that we love and the evil that we hate. Knowing that God remembers His Word, we remember His name and treasure Hi…
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Psalm 119:41-48: Testimony that Stands Before Kings
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In the sixth stanza of Psalm 119, we pray that God’s steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness would come down to us and bring the salvation He has promised. As He does so through His Word, that truth remains in our mouth to confess before the world. As we speak and walk in the security of all that God says, we are not put to shame. Rev. Carl Roth, p…
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Psalm 119:33-40: The Well-Worn Path of God’s Word
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In the fifth stanza of Psalm 119, we ask that God would teach us His Word so that we would hold onto Him until He brings us to the goal of eternal life with Him. His Word is a well-worn path that brings delight to us as we walk in His will. As God turns our heart and eyes toward His Word, He turns away the reproach of sin and gives to us His righte…
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In the fourth stanza of Psalm 119, we confess our own sinful condition that leads to the dust of death, yet we confidently pray that God would grant us life through His Word. When our lives melt away in the sorrows of sin, God gives us His Word to strengthen us. By His grace for our salvation, He leads us to choose faithfulness to Him, to cling to …
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Psalm 119:17-24: Strength for Sojourners
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In the third stanza of Psalm 119, we ask that God would bestow His bounty upon us through His Word, even as we sojourn in this life. His commandments are our constant desire, for to wander from them would earn His rebuke. Even as those who hold power and authority in this life may plot against us, God’s Word remains our focus and gives us counsel. …
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Psalm 119:9-16: God's Word for Our Heart, Lips, and Eyes
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In the second stanza of Psalm 119, God teaches us that purity for our way comes through His Word. We treasure this Word in our heart so that it would remain on our lips and capture the constant gaze of our eyes. As we meditate on God’s Word, He brings us delight to have this true treasure. Rev. David Vandercook, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in…
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Psalm 119:1-8: Blessed by the Word of God
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Through its acrostic structure, Psalm 119 shows us the comprehensiveness of the Word of God. In the first stanza, Psalm 1 is echoed as we learn that those who walk in the way of God’s Word are blessed. God has given His precepts for us to treasure in our hearts. With eyes fixed on His commandments, we are not put to shame but instead praise Him acc…
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NEW SERIES: God's Word is Our Great Heritage
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"God's Word Is Our Great Heritage” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through Psalm 119. As this longest Psalm takes us through an acrostic journey through the Hebrew alphabet, our God teaches us to find joy, refuge, strength, and life in His Word, which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, l…
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Ephesians 6:18-24: Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You
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St. Paul ties the gift of prayer very closely to the armor of God. As we cry out to God in prayer, we rely on His strength and ask for those things He promises in His Word. St. Paul particularly asks that the Ephesians would include him in their prayers of the Church, that he would be given to proclaim the gospel even while he is in prison. He comm…
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Ephesians 6:10-17: The Whole Armor of God
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As St. Paul begins to conclude his letter to the Ephesians, he reminds Christians of the gift of new clothing in Holy Baptism. In the Lord’s strength, this new clothing is armor that equips Christians to stand against the attacks of the devil. As St. Paul writes concerning each piece of armor, he encourages Christians to know the mighty protection …
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Ephesians 6:1-9: Holy and Humble Works
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St. Paul continues his table of duties by speaking to children and fathers. Children who have been baptized into Christ are full members of the Church right now. In the humble act of honor for their parents, children do a holy work that is blessed by God. Similarly, fathers do a holy work when they remain committed to the humble task of raising the…
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Ephesians 5:22-33: The Bride and the Bridegroom
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As St. Paul encourages Christians to live in the order that God has given, he gives a table of duties. Beginning with the way wives and husbands act toward each other, the Apostle not only gives instruction for Christian living, but he proclaims the Gospel in the way Christ has acted as Bridegroom for His Bride, the Church. Wives are to submit to t…
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Ephesians 5:15-21: Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
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Because of the truth of Christ giving light, St. Paul instructs Christians to see carefully how they walk in this life. Making use of the wisdom of God’s Word, we redeem the time to be used for the glory of God. Rather than filling ourselves with wine that leads to drunkenness and debauchery, Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit as we sing Go…
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Ephesians 5:1-14: Christ Will Shine on You
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Because Christians have put on the new self, created in the likeness of God in Holy Baptism, St. Paul calls us to imitate God in forgiveness and love. In His love, Jesus has given Himself as a sacrifice in our place. Therefore, we flee from idolatry and everything related to it, for this would be to renounce the inheritance that God has given. Beca…
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Ephesians 4:25-32: As God Has Done for You
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Because Christians have been clothed anew in Holy Baptism, St. Paul calls us toward that new life that God has given. Our speech is filled with truth instead of lies, because we belong to the one church. Anger is met with repentance so that the devil is given no foothold. Dishonesty and laziness are replaced with generosity and diligence for the sa…
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Ephesians 4:17-24: Put Off the Old, Put On the New
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St. Paul reminds the Gentile Christians of the terrible way of life that they walked when they lived under idolatry. Such a life was nothing but futility, darkness, ignorance, impurity, and hardness of heart. Instead, now they have received Christ and His truth. Baptized into Him, they have put off the old self, that is, the sinful nature. Through …
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St. Paul begins to expound upon the way the baptized walk according to the calling Jesus has given. He has made us members of one body and one Spirit. The one Lord has called us to one hope and one faith in one baptism, so that we are under the one God and Father. This one God has given His gifts to His whole Church through the ascension of Christ,…
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Ephesians 3:14-21: More Than We Ask or Think
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Marveling at the mystery of the Gospel, St. Paul bows his knee in prayer before the Father. We truly know Him as our Father, instead of any idols, because of our Brother, Jesus Christ. Through His Spirit, we are strengthened as Christ dwells in us by faith. This love that God has for us surpasses our knowledge, and yet, we are filled with His fulln…
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Ephesians 3:1-13: The Mystery of the Gospel
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St. Paul says that he is a prisoner for Christ for the sake of the Gentiles. He has been faithful in the stewardship that God gave him to proclaim the reality of salvation by God's grace through faith to all people. In this way, God has revealed His mystery in Christ; all who have faith in Him are fellow heirs with all the saints of God. Even thoug…
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Ephesians 2:11-22: Peace for Gentiles and Jews in Christ
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The salvation by grace through faith in Christ is not only for Jews; it is for Gentiles as well. St. Paul especially reminds the Gentile Christians in Ephesus that although they had once been far away from God, they have now been brought near in Christ. Where once there had been division between Jew and Gentile, now there is peace, for Christ has d…
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Ephesians 2:1-10: Saved By Grace Through Faith
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St. Paul lays out directly the way God has saved us. Before we were Christians, we were not merely injured by our trespasses. No, we were actually dead, even as we actively walked after the ways of the devil and the course of this world. Only by the mercy and love of God have we been made alive. This has happened through Christ; in Him we have been…
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Ephesians 1:15-23: Jesus Is Head Over All Things for the Church
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St. Paul gives thanks to God for the faith of the Ephesians and remembers them in his prayers. He asks that God would give them wisdom and knowledge in Christ. In Him, the Ephesians will truly see the certainty of their hope and the riches of their inheritance. God has shown His power over all things through the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.…
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St. Paul spent a long time in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. Even while he was later imprisoned, he wrote to them to instruct them in the Christian faith and life. The letter opens with praise and blessing to the Triune God. The Father has blessed us and chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In the beloved Son of God…
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NEW SERIES: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism
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"One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistle to the Ephesians. St. Paul highlights the salvation that God has given to His whole Church by His grace through faith. Because God has given His people this new life in Holy Baptism, we live in thanksgiving to Him as members of one body. Sharper Iron, hoste…
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Malachi 3:16-4:6: The Sun of Righteousness Will Rise
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The people who hear Malachi's preaching in the fear of the LORD speak to each other to encourage one another to repentance and faith. The LORD comforts them by writing their names in His book and promising that the distinction between His people and His enemies will one day be seen. On that Day, unbelievers will receive the fiery judgment of God, w…
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