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Bible reading for December 1 -- 2  Dec 1 -- Micah 6 and Luke 15 Dec 2 -- Micah 7 and Luke 16 ================ "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)  IT'S REALLY QUITE SIMPLE (ch 6). Don't you find it helpful when the Lord himself summarizes things for us? For example, Jesus summed up the law of God with, "love God with all your heart..." and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:36-40). Here we have, "Do justice... love kindness... walk humbly with God" (v 8). How straightforward! This chapter begins with the Lord asking "what have I done to you"? That is, what fault have you found in me, what grievance do you have against me? (Cf Jer 2:5; Isa 43:22; Mal 1:13) Though Christians rarely vocalize their disappointment with God, it often becomes the reason for their backsliding. ( I find that it is best...

  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 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 July 23 -- 25 July 23 -- Jeremiah 19 and Mark 5 July 24 -- Jeremiah 20 and Mark 6 July 25 -- Jeremiah 21 and Mark 7 ================    "If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." (Jeremiah 20:9) THE BROKEN FLASK (ch 19). In yesterday's readings we saw that the Lord was likened to a fountain, a potter, and a sower of seeds. Here, a clay vessel, broken, becomes an illustration to the city's leaders of what's coming to Jerusalem. This takes place at Topheth, the Hinnom valley (from which we get the word, Gehenna), where child sacrifice had been taking place. The consequences of destroying their children would be the siege of the city, famine, plague, and finally, cannibalism, that is, in desperation eating the flesh of those who had died during the siege.  DIVINE SHADOWS AND IMAGES. As you...

Bible reading for weekend July 9 -- 11 July 9 -- Jeremiah 5 and Matthew 19 July 10 -- Jeremiah 6 and Matthew 20 July 11 -- Jeremiah 7 and Matthew 21 ================    "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, "We will not walk in it."'" (Jeremiah 6:16) FAILURE OF THE ELITES (ch 5). The leaders of Jerusalem and Judah also have fallen away from the Lord. The prophets (so-called), priests, scribes, judges, and royal officials alike are all on the moral skids. Education in and of itself will never save a society (v 5). These elites are more interested in sex and extra-marital affairs than in leading with righteousness. Popular opinion holds sway, and there is no remorse or shame, for "they love to have it so" (v 31). SOCIETY-WIDE FAILURE (ch 6). Note how widespread is this apostasy: "For from the least to the greatest of...

Bible reading for Aug 20.  I Samuel 12. "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way." (1 Samuel 12:23) SAMUEL'S FAREWELL. Now that Saul is King, Samuel passes the executive authority of the nation over to him. He finishes with a good testimony and clear conscience. He will be, as it were, a Judge Emeritus. He will not disappear, however, for his priestly role will still continue, and his prophetic words -- including the writing of the first book of Samuel -- were still needed. He will be involved in praying for the nation and giving guidance from the Lord.  REFLECT. How important is it to you to finish well? For those of us in later years the role of prayer and godly counsel becomes ever more important. Samuel, like Anna many years later (Luke 2:36-38), becomes a guardian of the faith, a mentor, and a gatekeeper in God's household. Who are yo...

Bible reading for Aug 19.  I Samuel 11. "But Saul said, 'Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.'"  (1 Samuel 11:13) FIRST VICTORY. God rescues Israel from a degrading subjugation to the Ammonites. Empowered by the Spirit, Saul unites the tribes and brings about a decisive victory over the enemy. This was Saul at his best. Here he shows mercy to his people (v 13), but later he will become harsh (cf 1 Sam 14:24, 39). This is the beginning of Israel's united monarchy (c 1050 BC), which will include three kings ruling successively over all the tribes: Saul, David, and Solomon.  ==============   Romans 9. "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." (Romans 9:16 NASV) WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL? Chapter 8 is the pinnacle of Romans, maybe even of all the New Testament epistles. The Holy Spirit is the agent who applies salvation, leads us into ho...

Bible reading for June 30.  Joshua 2. "Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign..." (Joshua 2:12)  SPY MISSION. The Israeli Mossad agents slipped across the border into enemy territory... No, wait, that was a movie... But this is a little like that: two Israelites on a mission to reconnoiter the land before Israel crosses the Jordan into the promised land. Jericho was on the eastern border, not a large city, but heavily fortified. The spies find shelter at Rahab's house, probably an inn. She is described as a prostitute (inns also served as brothels in that day). Her confession to them is remarkable: the Canaanites are very frightened of the Israelites. She hides the two men from the authorities and asks from them kindness (Heb., hesed ) in return for their lives. It is clear she now believed that the Lord (Heb., Yahweh ) is God and seeks shelter ...

Bible reading for June 5.  Deuteronomy 9. "Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,' whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you." (Deuteronomy 9:4)  NOT BASED UPON OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. One of the messages that the Israelites needed to keep hearing -- and so do we -- is that God's choice of his people is not due to any righteousness in themselves (Titus 3:4-7). God's calling rests upon his work and promises to the fathers in the past, and in light of his present judgment upon the wicked. Israel was saved by mercy, as are we. Christ is the only righteous One, who obtained salvation for us. We are a people given to Christ by his Father, that we might be spared and separated from the judgment that is coming upon the world (John 17:6; Rom 9:14-16). The Israelites are des...

Bible reading for April 6 -- Leviticus 9; Psalm 10.  "And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces."  (Leviticus 9:24)  Good news, bad news (Lev 9 & 10).   As is the case throughout biblical history a high point is followed by a low point , or vice versa.  Aaron and his sons are anointed priests and begin service in the tabernacle (Lev 9).  God's glory comes and fills the tabernacle and consumes the sacrifices. It's a  high point and great beginning!  But soon (not necessarily immediately after that day) two of Aaron's sons attempt to bring incense and worship in a different manner (Lev 10).  They are consumed by God's fire of judgment where they stood. It was a tragic day .  A very big lesson was, "You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean......

Usually, what I post on the blog site is automatically emailed out later that day around midnight. But not always, you may have noted.  I don't know what's with that, but since I'm using Google's free services (email widget), I can't complain!  If you miss getting an email from myburg , please just check the website to see if the post is there.  Thanks for your patience in following these posts! Bible reading for Feb 3:  Genesis 35-36; Mark 6.  "Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." (Gen 35:2-3) Back to Bethel (Gen 35). Jacob's faithfulness to God is being seen more and more. He recognizes that God's covenant presence and blessing upon his family deserves a strong faithfulness in return .  The days of the "pocket go...