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Bible reading for weekend December 17 -- 19  Dec 17 -- Zechariah 4 and John 7 Dec 18 -- Zechariah 5 and John 8 Dec 19 -- Zechariah 6 and John 9 ================ "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)  THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS (ch 4). We are reading the visions which the prophet Zechariah received. God is giving encouragement to the post-exilic Jews to continue their work in rebuilding the temple and the nation. Many of the images in these chapters recall those symbols portrayed in Christ's Revelation to the Apostle John in the last book of the Bible. The near events of rebuilding the temple (and the purging of evil) point ahead to more distant future events. An abiding principle both in the OT and NT is that the Lord himself will do the work through his Spirit and through his anointed servants. The two servants in view here are Joshua (the high priest) and Zerubbabel (the governo...

  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 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 for Nov 15 -- 16 Nov 15 -- Amos 4 and Psalms 148-150 Nov 16 -- Amos 5 and Luke 1:1-38 ================ "Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." (Amos 5:23-24)   PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD (ch 4).  Amos calls out the women for self-indulgence and all the people for their idolatry (vv 1-5). The Lord brought various judgments upon the nation in the forms of drought, famine, blight, mildew, and pestilence. "Yet you did not return to me," says the Lord repeatedly. "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" (v 12) LET JUSTICE ROLL DOWN (ch 5). Amos calls the people to do a 180: "Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph." The people ...

Bible reading for weekend Nov 12 -- 14 Nov 11 -- Amos 1 and Psalm 144 Nov 12 -- Amos 2 and Psalm 145 Nov 13 -- Amos 3 and Psalms 146-147  ================ "'I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end,' declares the LORD." (Amos 3:15).   FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS, AND FOUR (ch 1-2) . Amos (along with his contemporary, Isaiah) was one of the earliest writing prophets in Israel. It was an affluent time in both Judah and Israel (ca 790-750 BC), but there was also violence and oppression. Border conflicts among the nearby nations resulted in land seizure, enslavement, and unjust treatment of prisoners. Each of these nations, along with Judah and Israel, are called out. "For three transgressions, and four..." was a poetic way of saying, "I've got three things against you... no, wait, make that four." In other words, God had a list of their sins and it was ...

Bible reading for Nov 10 -- 11 Nov 10 -- Joel 2 and Psalm 142 Nov 11 -- Joel 3 and Psalm 143  ================   "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. " (Joel 2:28-29)   REPENTANCE, AND OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT (ch 2). The pestilence is like the invasion of a mighty locust army (vv 1-11; cf Rev 9). Hosea calls for repentance from the people -- all people and all ages (vv 12-17). The Lord promises restoration (vv 18-27), and the coming age (the church age and beyond) would be marked by the Holy Spirit indwelling all believers, not just kings and prophets (vv 28-32; cf Acts 2). Following this outpouring would be another Day of the Lord, the final one, "great and awesome" (v 31; cf Matt 24; 1 Thess 5:2-3). And in preparation for that...

  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 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 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 weekend September 3 -- 5 Sep 3 -- Ezekiel 6 and Psalm 44 Sep 4 -- Ezekiel 7 and Psalm 45 Sep 5 -- Ezekiel 8 and Psalm 46-47 ================   "According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 7:27) JUDGMENT UPON IDOLATRY (ch 6-8). The big thing to note in these chapters is that God's judgment is coming upon Israel (specifically, Jerusalem and Judah) for her idolatry. She, called to be a people who worship God alone, has become just like the pagan nations. There are even idols in the courts of the temple of the Lord. What's so bad about idolatry? Mainly it dishonors God. But also it's a lie. When I was a boy some of my friends would carry a lucky rabbit's foot. I was never sure how the foot of a dead rabbit might bring good fortune, but it was a popular belief. Idolatry runs the gamut from silly superstitions to Satanic orgies. At the heart of it...

Bible reading for Aug 23 -- 24 Aug 23 -- Jeremiah 52 and Psalm 31 Aug 24 -- Lamentations 1 and Psalm 32 ================    "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave." (Lamentations 1:1) THE FALL OF JERUSALEM (Jer 52). The final chapter is a summary of the siege and capture of Jerusalem in 586 BC. What occurs at that time is the third deportation of Jewish prisoners to Babylon. Daniel was taken in the first deportation (605 BC), and Ezekiel in the second (597 BC). They are the next two "major" prophets we will read, though Ezekiel (the longer work) will come next after Lamentations. Though the facts of the fall of Jerusalem -- and it will happen again in AD 70 -- are reported as history (which they are) the actual event was certainly horrific beyond imagination. This was a traumatic event in Israel's history. As I read thi...

  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...