Since the early 1970s, the German Language Society has... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.
Isaiah 53:7

Since the early 1970s, the German Language Society has regularly chosen a “Word of the Year” that has often played a special role in public debate. The first time, the expression “aufmüpfig” was chosen, which means something like unruly or defiant. It contains the idea of revolt and rebellion, and we can well imagine that it was widely used in those times of social upheaval.

But rebelliousness did not arise only in the years around and after 1968; it has characterised man’s behaviour toward God since time immemorial. The first human beings, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God right from the beginning.

What began with the serpent’s deceitful question, “Has God indeed said …?”, ended in an act directed against God’s only commandment: man ate of the forbidden fruit. How ungratefully they behaved towards their Creator, to whom they owed not only their life, but everything that surrounded them. But in the end it was simply disobedience and rebellion.

That is how sin entered the world. And what is God’s answer? Death! But God is not only holy and just – He is also love! And He demonstrates His love in that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God cannot let transgression go unpunished, but He punished His Son to save rebellious people like us.

Today’s reading: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 · Ephesians 3:8-13