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Bible reading for December 27 -- 28 Dec 27 -- Zechariah 14 and John 17 Dec 28 -- Malachi 1 and John 18 ================ "For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 1:11)  WITH BELLS ON (Zech 14). Like most of the prophets of the Bible, Zechariah does not leave us with the bad news, but gives us the good news, the promise of a glorious future. After judgment -- if we learn from it -- comes blessing. And it's a beautiful world (see my previous post, "With Bells On").  TIRED OF GOD (Mal 1). The first two books of the Bible open with the glory of God, seen first in creation (Genesis), and then in redeeming his people from Egypt (Exodus). In the last book of the OT we find a people who are tired of God. They have lost the sense of his greatness. Regarding the worship of ...

  Bible reading for December 8 -- 9  Dec 8 -- Habakkuk 3 and Luke 22 Dec 9 -- Zephaniah 1 and Luke 23 ================ "The sovereign LORD is my source of strength. He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain." (Habakkuk 3:19 NET).  JOY IN DIFFICULT TIMES (Hab 3). The prophet considers the coming invasion of their land. Poetically, he describes the Lord as a warrior going forth to defend his name and his people. Teman and Paran (v 3) are locations along the way in which the Lord led Israel out of Egypt from the south and on to the promised land. The chapter ends with Habakkuk's statement of joy and confidence in the Lord. Isn't this a good affirmation for us too? No matter our circumstances (v 17) we can rejoice in the Lord (v 18), who will enable us to make it through difficult times (v 18). Much later, while imprisoned in Rome, the Apostle Paul would write, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ...I can d...

  Bible reading for weekend Oct 29 -- 31 Oct 29 -- Hosea 2 and Psalm 119:97-120 Oct 30 -- Hosea 3-4 and Psalm 119:121-144 Oct 31 -- Hosea 5-6 and Psalm 119:145-176 ================   "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6) ISRAEL'S ADULTERY (ch 2). Marital infidelity, along with sexual promiscuity, is no laughing matter. Hosea experienced this pain first hand. Human sexuality is a gift from God meant to be a dimension of a life-long covenant relationship between and man and a woman. Israel's idolatry -- which often included sexual activity in pagan worship -- was a breach of trust between God's people and himself. They took the blessings God gave them (crops, wealth, and prosperity) and offered it to foreign gods. Israel "...did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal" (v 8). This is true of a...

Bible reading in 2021 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105) "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)  "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Colossians 3:16) ============  I hope you will join me again in 2021 for daily Bible reading!  THE PLAN I followed this past year was the M'Cheyne Bible reading schedule, designed by Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813--1843), a remarkable young Scottish pastor two centuries ago. Reading about four chapters each day, two in the morning and two in the evening, a person can read through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice in the year. Learn more about that plan here . THE SECOND YEAR. That reading plan can also be adapted to a two-year schedule that covers the morning passages one year and the evening passages the next. For example, this year (2020), reading...

Bible reading for Dec 31.  2 Chronicles 36. "He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years." (36:20-21)  A SAD ENDING, AND A NEW BEGINNING. The destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem occurred during the Babylonian siege in 586 BC. Many Jews were deported to Babylon. It was a tragic end, but God proved faithful to his word and would bring them back to the land. Along with their sins of idolatry and injustice, the people had not observed the Sabbatical years. By God's law, every seventh year the land was to lie fallow (Lev 25:1-7). The Babylonian exile not only humbled the Jews but also gave the land a much needed rest. God cares for his creation, and so should we. ...

Bible reading for Dec 29.  2 Chronicles 34. "...because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD." (34:27)  THE REDISCOVERED BIBLE.   Josiah, the last good king of Judah (see also 2 Kgs 22), had a heart to turn the nation back to serve the one true God, their Lord (Deut 5:6-10; 6:4-5). In the process of restoring the temple a scroll of the Scriptures, likely Deuteronomy, was found and read. God's word brings comfort and assurance, but also reproof and correction (2 Tim 3:16). Like the people of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost Josiah was "cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37), and he humbled himself before the Lord. In this Josiah exemplified what the Lord spoke through Isaiah, "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit...

Bible reading for September 17.  2 Samuel 13. "But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day." (2 Samuel 13:37)  FAMILY SINS. This event likely took place some years later but is recorded here, following the events of chapter 12, to show the fulfillment of God's words to David through the prophet Nathan: "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife" (12:10). We read of Amnon's sexual assault upon his half-sister. Then nothing is done about this. Two years later Absalom conspires to murder Amnon, does so, and flees the territory. Again, it appears that David is passive. Surely, this is something of a replay of Genesis 3-4, with temptation presented (with shrewdness), an appeal to sight and pleasure, the passivity of male leadership, and resulting family violence (see also James 4:1-3; ...

Bible reading for September 14.  2 Samuel 10. "And David said to him, 'Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.'" (2 Samuel 9:7) VICTORIES AND MERCIES. Chapters 8 and 10 highlight the victorious battles of Israel led by King David. The nation is united, expanding to fill its borders, and now at peace with many of the surrounding nations. Israel was not expanding beyond what God had allotted to them, but the nation's borders were often challenged by powerful encroaching neighbors, and fighting was inevitable. Chapter 9 records a beautiful act by David that was not common among near-eastern kings. If one dynasty took over from another, usually all the descendants of the former dynasty were killed. This is done to insure that the former house does not seek to regain the throne. Mephibosheth was Jonathan's invalid son, Saul'...

Bible reading for September 11.  2 Samuel 6. "It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD -- and I will make merry before the LORD." (2 Samuel 6:21)  BRINGING UP THE ARK. In this chapter we read of two events regarding the ark of the covenant as David was bringing it up to Jerusalem. The first event ends in the death of Uzzah (vv 1-11), the second event results with the infertility of Michal (12-23). In both cases David was celebrating and rejoicing in the Lord. The resulting judgments, humanly (relatively) speaking, may seem extreme. But David was culpable for the first death. As king he was to have written his own copy of the Law and should have known that the ark was only to be hand carried by priests with the specially-made poles. The oxcart was a time-and-labor-saving device. Even though Uzzah was only trying to help, no one was supposed to touch the ark, ever. Uzz...

Bible reading for September 9.  2 Samuel 3. "There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker." (2 Samuel 3:1) MORE TREACHERY. Abner, the commander of the northern tribes and loyal to the house of Saul, decides to move his allegiance from the house of Saul to David as king. David's first wife, Michal, daughter of Saul, is returned to him, and this would also signal peace with the house of Saul. Because of a previous, pointless contest, however, in which Abner killed the brother of the current commander of David's troops, Joab (the commander) now takes advantage of the detente and kills Abner. David is grieved by all of this, and he seems really to be trying to establish peace under a united reign. But there is still much discord.  REFLECT. A Russian philosopher once said, "History is a crime". What he meant (best I can surmise) is that t...

Bible reading for September 8.  2 Samuel 2. "Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months." (2 Samuel 2:10-11)  KING OF JUDAH.   With Saul and his sons buried, David sends a word of blessing and encouragement to the leaders of the northern tribes. But he is again rejected, and one of Saul's sons is chosen to be king. Without a united monarchy (God's choice of a single king) Israelite soldiers end up fighting each other. What began as a contest for entertainment turns into a heated battle, and many men die. (Some of these animosities will continue.) How much time elapsed between Samuel's anointing David as king over Israel (1 Sam 9) and the nation (in united agreement) anointing David as king (2 Sam 5)? It was between ten and fifteen years that David wait...

Bible reading for September 7.  2 Samuel 1. "Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!" (2 Samuel 1:19)  FALLEN.   The appearance of an Amalekite at Saul's death was a twist of irony,  given the events of 1 Samuel 15.  Perhaps Saul had revived somewhat from his own sword wound, then to be killed by this man, or perhaps this man just came upon the scene and took trophies and hoped for some reward from David. Either way, the Amalekite dies for his treachery. Despite Saul's hostility toward him, David grieves the loss of Israel's first king and his sons in battle. His psalm honors Saul and Jonathan, and gives credit for their contributions to the national security and prosperity that Israel experienced over his forty-year reign. David is not bitter, angry, or vengeful, but gives honor where honor is due.  REFLECT. Sometimes we may come to have a view of a prominent leader that is tarnished by his or her faults...

Bible reading for weekend September 5.  I Samuel 29-31. "And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." (1 Samuel 30:6)  OVERVIEW. Chapter 29 : The Lord has mercy on David and he is spared from having to fight on the side of the Philistines against Israel. Chapter 30 : upon returning with his troops to Ziklag he finds his city burned with fire and their families taken captive by the Amalekites. This was a very low point in David's exile, with seemingly no one on his side. He seeks the Lord and finds strength in him. A number of David's psalms are written during the period of his exile. The Lord grants David a speedy and complete victory, and a return of the captives.  Chapter 31 : Saul and his sons are killed in the battle with the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. His body was taken, beheaded, and mounted upon...