bible reading weekend dec 19

Bible reading for weekend Dec 19-20.

2 Chronicles 22-24.

"And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, 'Behold, the king's son! Let him reign, as the LORD spoke concerning the sons of David.'" (23:3)

KINGS AND QUEENS, PRIESTS AND PROPHETS. These chapters give account of the fascinating history also recorded in 2 Kings 11 and following: the brief reign of Ahaziah; the murderous rampage of wicked Queen Athaliah; the faithful priest Jehoiada tutoring young King Joash; and the latter years of Joash, departing from the faith and killing a prophet, the son of his faithful master Jehoiada. After I wrote this I thought, hey, this sounds like a plot from Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, and then I remember that this story came first. The biblical dramas with their stories of power and betrayal, murder and secrecy, loyalty and courage, echo down through history. These themes are timeless. As you read these epic accounts, ask God to help you see them with fresh eyes. (Btw, the prophet Zechariah who was killed in this account is not the same as the post-exilic prophet Zechariah who wrote the book by the same name.)

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Revelation 10-11.

"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." (11:15)

THE COMING KINGDOM. Amidst the global judgments the gospel is still being proclaimed (chapter 10). The scroll, containing the words to be announced, recalls Ezekiel 2:7 -- 3:7. God's word -- and the unchanging, everlasting gospel -- contains both sweet comfort (for those who believe and repent) and bitter judgment (for those who turn away from God and persist in sin). In chapter 11 the two witnesses exercise their faithful ministry for three-and-a-half years and are martyred. Some have suggested that these two witnesses, written about in Zechariah 4:1-4, are Elijah and Enoch, since these two were both removed from the earth before experiencing death. The goal toward which these Revelation judgments are moving is the restoration of the kingdom of this world (all of earth) to be under the visible and glorious reign of Christ (v 15; cf Dan 2:35; Hab 2:14). The book of Revelation brings to fulfillment many themes and images from the Old Testament, especially from Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. This book demonstrates the continuity and consistency of all the Scriptures. The sixty-six books that became our Bible were written by dozens of human authors over 1500 years. And yet, it is one Book, a divinely inspired book, and its author is God (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21).

Image credit. Photo of the Virgin and Child mosaic in the apse of the Hagia Sophia (Istanbul), built in the sixth century. We are following the Robert Murray M'Cheyne (RMM) two-year reading schedule, as arranged by D. A. Carson. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. One recommended resource is NETBible.org, a ministry of bible.org.

bible reading dec 3-5

Bible reading for weekend December 3 -- 5 Dec 3 -- Nahum 1 and Luke 17 Dec 4 -- Nahum 2 and Luke 18 Dec 5 -- Nahum 3 and Luke 19 ================ "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness." (Nahum 1:7-8) TIME'S UP FOR NINEVEH (Nah 1-3). The prophecy of Nahum is God's word to the people of Nineveh, part two. Jonah was part one, chronicling a city-wide repentance of Assyrians in the capital about a hundred years earlier. The closing bookend is Nahum, and the Assyrian empire is big, powerful, and aggressive. Notice the references to chariots (2:3-4, 13; 3:2). The Assyrians were a militarily advanced culture, and cruel in their warfare. Whatever spiritual receptivity they had at the time of Jonah was gone by the time of Nahum. Nahum may not have actually visited Nineveh, for it seems the book was w

bible reading nov 1-2

Bible reading for weekend Nov 1 -- 2 Nov 1 -- Hosea 7 and Psalms 120-122 Nov 2 -- Hosea 8 and Psalms 123-125 ================ "Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing." (Hosea 8:12) THE RESULTS OF SIN (ch 7-8). Notice the words and metaphors to describe Israel's sinful condition: they are surrounded with, and proud of, their evil (7:1-3); like adulterers in the heat of passion (7:4-5); their anger is like a hot oven (7:6-7); they are like a half-cooked (one side only) cake (7:8); their strength is gone (7:9); they are like silly doves easily trapped (7:11-12); they are undependable like a warped bow (7:16). In spite of all of this they are so proud of themselves! (We might say they have a strong self-esteem.) They have spurned what is good (8:3); they sow to the wind and have no real fruit (8:7); they are a useless vessel (8:8) and a wild donkey wandering alone (8:9); they regard God's law as a strange thing

Howard Hendricks on OT books chronology

When I was in seminary, Howard Hendricks (aka "Prof") gave us a little card with the books of the OT chronologically arranged. The scanned copy I have was a bit blurry and I wanted to make something like this available for our church class in OT theology ("Story of Redemption"). A few minor edits and here it is...

my burg

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