Daily Lesson for October 30, 2015

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Revelation chapter 6 verses 12 through 16:

12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16  calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Last month the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Lubbock Choral, and Texas Tech Department of Music combined to put on a powerful production of Verdi's Requiem.  The most famous score from Requiem is Dies irae -- or "Day of wrath".  With its sudden, shrieking beginning, frenetic pace, and startling shouts of lighting played by timpani, the piece captures the terror of the Day of Judgment recorded in Revelation chapter 6. With the sudden realization that the day is now nigh, and all must stand with our deeds exposed before God.  Who indeed could stand?  We would all fall over in shame and terror.

We can be thankful Verdi doesn't leave us there and that God doesn't either. As awful as chapter 6 of Revelation is, you turn the page to chapter 7 and read these words: “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”  This is the assurance that the people of God will endure the day of dread.

Verdi's Requiem -- jarring and frenetic -- in its beginning, turns soft and quiet at its end.   The Dies irae turns finally to something like a prayer of deep, deep trust and surrender.  It takes us to the place of complete peace and serenity.

This is how the people of God are to think of the Day of Judgment, and all other days of terror also.

For a taste of Verdi's Dies irae see https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDFFHaz9GsY.