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Bible reading for weekend Oct 15 -- 17 Oct 15 -- Ezekiel 48 and Psalm 104 Oct 16 -- Daniel 1 and Psalm 105 Oct 17 -- Daniel 2 and Psalm 106 ================   "And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD is there." (Ezekiel 48:35) THE INHERITANCE (ch 48). From time to time I have seen a bumper sticker on a car (usually a nice car) which reads, "I am spending my children's inheritance." Inheritance is not a word which carries much weight in our culture these days. After paying off student loans, mortgages, consumer debt, and then nursing home care there's usually not much to go around afterwards. In the ancient world -- and even our world until just a century ago -- one's inheritance was a very important thing. It meant receiving and carrying on a family legacy, including the traditions, influence, and power that came with it. It meant having land or a house where one could make one's home and raise a family. It was a place to work ...

  Bible reading for Oct 13 -- 14 Oct 13 -- Ezekiel 46 and Psalm 102 Oct 14 -- Ezekiel 47 and Psalm 103 ================   "And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes." (Ezekiel 47:9) THE PRINCE, THE PRIESTS, AND THE RIVER (ch 46-47). We are continuing to read about Ezekiel's vision of the temple, the city, the leaders, the ministers, and the geography. It is visionary language, and it is in the future from Ezekiel's perspective. There are connections here with Revelation, and also with the Mosaic laws in Leviticus. In these chapters we see that the prince is to lead worship by his example; there are instructions about gates, gifts, offerings, holy spaces, and preparation of food. There springs from the temple a remarkable, ever-expanding stream of fresh water. Also, there is to be fair di...

  Bible reading for Oct 11 -- 12 Oct 11 -- Ezekiel 44 and Psalms 97-98 Oct 12 -- Ezekiel 45 and Psalms 99-101 ================   "They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean." (Ezekiel 44:23) PRINCES, LEVITES, PRIESTS (ch 44). We are reading Ezekiel's vision of a future temple and the worship which takes place there. Commentators differ on how these things are to be understood. Here are four possibilities: 1) This was to be the standard and plan for Jewish worship after the return from Babylonian exile, until Messiah should come (covering about 500 years). 2) This is applied symbolically to the church age. 3) This is fulfilled during the thousand-year period spoken of in Revelation 20. 4) This is a foreshadowing of the future eternal state (Rev 21-22). It may be that some (or all) of these apply at some point (in some way) in interpreting Ezekiel. One thing that helps us is...

Bible reading for weekend Oct 8 -- 10 Oct 8 -- Ezekiel 41 and Psalms 92-93 Oct 9 -- Ezekiel 42 and Psalm 94 Oct 10 -- Ezekiel 43 and Psalms 95-96 ================   "And he measured the length of the room, twenty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, across the nave. And he said to me, 'This is the Most Holy Place.'" (Ezekiel 41:4) THE NEW TEMPLE, INTERIOR AND COURTS (ch 41-42). We are continuing to read of Ezekiel's vision of God's temple. Notice that the most holy place (Holy of Holies) is laid out as a square, just as in the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple previously, and in the future city, the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:16). There's great attention to measurements and architectural detail, and there are a few differences between this design and the earlier ones. THE GLORY RETURNS (ch 43) . In his vision Ezekiel sees the glory of God, which departed in chapter 11, now returning to the temple. God will not abandon his work -- or his people --but will...

  Bible reading for Oct 6 -- 7 Oct 6 -- Ezekiel 39 and Psalm 90 Oct 7 -- Ezekiel 40 and Psalm 91 ================   "Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 39:28-29) ISRAEL REGATHERED, GOG DESTROYED (ch 39). The Gog / Magogite alliance fails in their attack upon Israel. One of our readers asked if the re-establishment of Israel as a nation following World War 2 (in 1948) was the fulfillment of Israel's regathering seen in Ezekiel 37? Here's what I wrote back... "I take it that the return from Babylon was one stage in the return to the land, but not long afterwards the Jews rejected the Messiah who came to inaugurate the new covenant. There was a hardening upon Israel...

  Bible reading for Oct 4 -- 5 Oct 4 -- Ezekiel 37 and Psalms 87-88 Oct 5 -- Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 89 ================   "I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Ezekiel 37:26-27) DRY BONES RESURRECTED (ch 37). Ezekiel is prophesying the future restoration of the nation -- uniting both Israel and Judah together -- in conjunction with God's new covenantal work (ch 36). On one sense (spiritually) this is being fulfilled in the church age as the gospel goes forth bringing life to Jew and Gentile (Rom 3:29-30; 9:24; 11:1-5). But the church does not replace Israel in God's plan. This chapter looks forward to the future work of God in restoring Israel (Rom 11:25-32; Zech 12:9-14). "David" ruling as king (vv 24-25) is ...

Bible reading for weekend Oct 1 -- 3 Oct 1 -- Ezekiel 34 and Psalms 83-84 Oct 2 -- Ezekiel 35 and Psalm 85 Oct 3 -- Ezekiel 36 and Psalm 86 ================   "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezekiel 36:26-27) BAD SHEPHERDS, GOOD SHEPHERD (ch 34). Ever since King David, the first shepherd-turned-king, the leaders of Judah were designated as shepherds, who were called to exercise oversight and care for God's people. They were to feed, guide, care for, and protect the flock of God. Generally, they did this poorly (vv 1-10). Where they failed, God himself would step in (vv 11-31). Over 18 times in this chapter God says, "I will..." or "I myself will...", that is, he will be the shepherd who seeks, gathers, feeds, and protect...

  Bible reading for September 29 -- 30 Sept 29 -- Ezekiel 32 and Psalm 80 Sept 30 -- Ezekiel 33 and Psalms 81-82 ================   "Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit: 'Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised.'" (Ezekiel 32:18-19) ONCE MAJESTIC NATIONS (ch 32). As I am writing this, workers in our backyard are taking down a large tree, a beautiful ash, which has been dying from the emerald ash borer infestation. In the Bible empires and kingdoms are compared to large trees which provide beauty, shade, food, and shelter for God's creatures (cf 17:23). But these same trees can become proud, diseased, weak, and rotten, and so must be taken down. The previous chapter contains a lament for the mighty empire of Egypt. With irony (and personification) it is written that the trees of Eden "e...

  Bible reading for September 27 -- 28 Sept 27 -- Ezekiel 30 and Psalm 78:40-72 Sept 28 -- Ezekiel 31 and Psalm 79 ================   "Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Wail, "Alas for the day!" For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.'" (Ezekiel 30:2-3) THE FAILURE OF EGYPT (CH 30-31). The greatness of Egypt (with her military power) was very attractive to the Judeans as a hedge against Babylonian power. But it would all be in vain (see also Jeremiah's words in Jer 46). Read more about these chapters here .       ================    "He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand." (Psalm 78:70-72) THE SHEPHERD KING (Ps 78). This psalm of Asaph reflects on ...

Bible reading for weekend September 24 -- 26 Sep 24 -- Ezekiel 27 and Psalms 75-76 Sep 25 -- Ezekiel 28 and Psalm 77 Sep 26 -- Ezekiel 29 and Psalm 78:1-39 ================   "Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared." (Ezekiel 28:12-13) I am out of town for a few days, but I'll continue to send you the reading schedule and point you to the NET Bible notes on Ezekiel by Dr. Thomas Constable.         ================    "For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment,...

  Bible reading for September 22 -- 23 Sep 22 -- Ezekiel 25 and Psalm 73 Sep 23 -- Ezekiel 26 and Psalm 74 ================   "She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. And she shall become plunder for the nations, and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 26:5-6)   ISRAEL'S NEIGHBORS NOT SPARED (ch 25-26). The Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and the city-state of Tyre, are all called out for judgment. They too will experience the military wrath of Babylon. Read more here from the NET Bible notes on Ezekiel by Tom Constable. ================    "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  (Psalm 74:18-19) IS HE WORTH IT? (Ps 73) The Psalmist Asaph (see 1 Chron 15:16-17) is askin...

Bible reading for September 20 -- 21 Sep 20 -- Ezekiel 23 and Psalms 70-71 Sep 21 -- Ezekiel 24 and Psalm 72 ================   "I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 24:14)   This week, due to time constraints, I am referring you to the NET Bible notes on Ezekiel by Tom Constable, one of my former professors. My posts on the Psalms readings will be taken from last year's posts. ================    "So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." (Psalm 71:18) AGES AND STAGES (Ps 70-71). Many of the psalms in books I and II are tied to stages and events in David's life, as noted often in the superscription. Psalm 70 is a short lament, and Psalm 71 recognizes God's work in David'...

  Bible reading for weekend September 17 -- 19 Sep 17 -- Ezekiel 20 and Psalms 66-67 Sep 18 -- Ezekiel 21 and Psalm 68 Sep 19 -- Ezekiel 22 and Psalm 69 ================   "But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt." (Ezekiel 20:9) FOR THE SAKE OF HIS NAME (ch 20). The elders come to Ezekiel to inquire from the Lord. But surely one cannot legitimately pray to God -- the only God -- while also looking to other gods for help (Ex 19:4-6; 20:3-6). God alone is the Source of all life and blessing. This chapter gives an historical recap of Israel's continued rejection of the Lord. He judged them in righteousness, but also in mercy spared them (vv 13, 17). God's redemption, then as now, has the purpose of revealing God's glory, making his name known -- "for the sake of my name." Whether in judgment ...

Bible reading for September 15 -- 16 Sep 15 -- Ezekiel 18 and Psalms 62-63 Sep 16 -- Ezekiel 19 and Psalms 64-65 ================   "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live." (Ezekiel 18:32) THE SOUL WHO SINS (ch 18). It seems there was a popular belief that since the Lord spoke of generational sins and judgment (Ex 20:5; 34:7), then the punishment the Jews were then experiencing at the hands of Babylon was due -- unfairly, in their minds -- to past generations of Jews. Jeremiah also refers to this belief (Jer 31:29-30). But the Lord asserts, "The soul who sins shall die" (vv 4, 20). That current generation of Jews, by persisting in idolatry and injustice, had reaffirmed (rather than repudiated) the actions of their forebears. If a descendant sees the sins of his or her forebears and repents, then that generational guilt is broken (v 14; cf Ezek 33:14-16). The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day thought they would...