my burg

Bible reading for weekend Nov 3 -- 4  Nov 3 -- Hosea 9 and Psalms 126-128 Nov 4 -- Hosea 10 and Psalms 129-131 ================ "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you." (Hosea 10:12)  GOOD-BYE, GOOD TIMES (ch 9). "The days of recompense have come" (v 7). All the good things in life that Israel pursued apart from God will be taken from them. There is a glory for humanity, but it is the glory of knowing God as Maker, Redeemer, and Provider of every good thing. What glory Israel had at that time would "fly away like a bird" (v 11). The city of Gilgal (v 15) was party-central for the nation's idolatrous activity (cf 4:13-15). The principle here is that if you pursue happiness apart from God you will ultimately lose both happiness and God, too. Consider these two quotes from C. S. Lewis: “God cannot give us a happiness and pea...

  Bible reading for Aug 25 -- 26 Aug 25 -- Lamentations 2 and Psalm 33 Aug 26 -- Lamentations 3 and Psalm 34 ================    "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) THE ABANDONED CITY (ch 2). Lamentations is composed of five poems, or songs, and each section is written as an acrostic in the Hebrew language.  The five poems together form a chiasm. (See Tom Constable's helpful notes on Lamentations .) This chapter is full of sorrow for the ruined city. The city of God has been reduced to a ghost town. For the next seven decades there would be no sound of worship nor the public proclamation of God's word -- no more feasts, music, the reading of the law, joyful shouts, and sacrifices at the temple. Not for a long time would people hear the Aaronic blessing echo in the courts, "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upo...

  Bible reading for weekend Aug 20 -- 22 Aug 20 -- Jeremiah 49 and Psalms 26-27 Aug 21 -- Jeremiah 50 and Psalms 28-29 Aug 22 -- Jeremiah 51 and Psalm 30 ================    "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The broad wall of Babylon shall be leveled to the ground, and her high gates shall be burned with fire. The peoples labor for nothing, and the nations weary themselves only for fire." (Jeremiah 51:58) SURROUNDING NATIONS (ch 49). We are continuing in Jeremiah's pronouncements against the nations near to Judah. As we read such biblical prophecies, often written poetically, we may need a scorecard or program to know who's who and what's being said. For example, "Why then has Milcom dispossessed Gad, and his people settled in its cities?" (v 1) Milcom (aka Molech) was the national god of the Ammonites, and Gad was one of the tribes of Israel. At some time in the past the Ammonites had forcefully taken and settled in some of the cities of Israel. Now it...

Bible reading for Aug 2 -- 3 Aug 2 -- Jeremiah 29 and Mark 15 Aug 3 -- Jeremiah 30-31 and Mark 16 ================    "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33) A FUTURE AND A HOPE (ch 29). The first half of this chapter regards a letter sent from Jeremiah to exiles already in Babylon (before Jerusalem is destroyed in 586 BC). There had already been two waves of deportations -- 605 BC (Daniel leaves with that group) and 597 BC (when Ezekiel leaves). He encourages them to settle in for seventy years there in a new land. His advice is applicable for Christians today... "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (v 7). We are, as followers of Christ, exiles and al...

  Bible reading for July 12 -- 13 July 12 -- Jeremiah 8 and Matthew 22 July 13 -- Jeremiah 9 and Matthew 23 ================    "...let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:24) A BAND-AID ON CANCER (ch 8). The Babylonian invasion would be terrifying -- many would die, families would be divided, people carried off into captivity, and even ancestral tombs would be ransacked and exposed. The Babylonians would seek to eradicate Jewish history and culture. It was a severe judgment. One of the things that the people were saying was, "We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us" (v 8). But they did not really love God nor practice his commandments . They lived in "perpetual backsliding" (v 5) and treated sin lightly. The prophets and priests were putting band-aids on their society...

Bible reading for March 3 -- 4 Mar 3 -- Job 32 and 2 Corinthians 2 Mar 4 -- Job 33 and 2 Corinthians 3 "'He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.' Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life."  (Job 33:28-30) A YOUNGSTER SPEAKS UP (ch 32). Sometimes during a big debate or argument -- whether on a personal level, say, between marriage partners, or on a national scale between political parties -- we begin to realize that both sides in the debate are wrong. In today's chapter we are introduced to a new character in the drama, a young man named Elihu. He brings a different perspective, and speaks with passion. Age, experience, position, and reputation do not in themselves produce wisdom -- sometimes students know more than their teachers (Ps 119:99). We don't know much about Elihu, but he is not included in ...

Bible reading for weekend February 19 -- 21 Feb 19 -- Job 19 and 1 Corinthians 6 Feb 20 -- Job 20 and 1 Corinthians 7 Feb 21 -- Job 21 and 1 Corinthians 8 "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25)  EARTHLY HOPE DASHED (ch 19) . Job continues his lament (19:1-12), and expresses how painful is the isolation that he experiences because of his suffering (19:13-19). Family and friends stand at a distance. Not only do they avoid him, but they too most likely doubt his integrity before God. Pain isolates us, and even today, chronic pain can cause others to view us as "problem people" to be avoided. Job feels that his earthly hope has been pulled up like an uprooted tree (v 10).  Amazingly, however, he proclaims a hope beyond this world (vv 25-26). His hope is in the Lord, who is righteous, and it is the Lord himself who will redeem Job. He feels cursed, and others view him as cursed, but he is actually blessed by the Lor...

Bible reading for September 10.  2 Samuel 4-5. "And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel." (2 Samuel 5:12)  DAVID ANOINTED KING. Ish-Bosheth is killed by those who thought to gain reward from David, but they are condemned for their treachery. We are introduced to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, whom we will read more about later. Representatives from all the tribes come to David at Hebron and anoint him king over Israel. David captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites and will make it the capital. The Lord blesses David with children. And he wins two major victories over the Philistine armies. We are reading about key persons and places that figure into biblical history: the house and lineage of King David, and the importance of the city of Jerusalem in the history of redemption. At this point David is seeking the Lord, his righteousness, and his guidance for his reign. His...

Bible reading for Aug 25.  I Samuel 17. "If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." (1 Samuel 17:9) BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS. Some scholars wonder about the time stamp on this story -- chronologically, did it happen before or after David was called as a court musician to King Saul (vv 55-58)? See Constable's notes on this chapter . Perhaps at this stage in Saul's life his memory and behavior were already erratic. David, unlike Saul, has concern for God's reputation rather than his own. And in faith he goes forth in the name of the Lord. It's important to note that the outcome of this great battle would be determined at the hand of two individuals. Two national destinies rested in this one contest. David, the young shepherd, seemingly insignificant and unskilled, fells the great Goliath. This is an example of the corporate solidarity (t...

Bible reading for July 2.  Joshua 4. "...that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?'" (Joshua 4:6) MEMORIAL. Chapter 3 records the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, and this chapter tells us that the nation -- now standing in the land of Canaan (enemy territory) -- nevertheless pauses to build a memorial with stones taken from the river. Miracle, then memorial. What's important here: history matters and we need to remember it. Our culture idolizes the present and discards or revises the past. Events in the past, and their consequences, do not go away just because we forget them. Often we are too quick to move forward without taking time to remember what God has done. All through biblical history we see that people are prone to forget, and then fail in the present because they forgot the past. God's people need to take measures to remember and transfer memories to succeeding ge...

Bible reading for April 30.  Numbers 7. "And the LORD said to Moses, 'They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar.'" (Numbers 7:11) A HOLY HOUSEWARMING. This passage reminds me of a kind of wedding shower, where gifts are provided in matching sets for the new couple.  Here, God's house is being dedicated and each tribe brings offerings -- sacrifices to be offered on the altar and matched utensils for ongoing service.  Twelve tribes on twelve days bring valuable gifts.  Judah is first (Gen 49:8) and then each following day the pattern is repeated -- of dedication, sacrifice, and feasting.  It was both solemn and celebratory. If you remember, the peace offerings were shared with all gathered at the tabernacle. So, it was twelve days of consecration to God and a community celebration at the same time.  MY TAKEAWAY.   This may seem random, but in considering the public solemnity and joy of dedicating G...