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Bible reading for weekend June 4 -- 6 Jun 4 -- Isaiah 36 and Revelation 6 Jun 5 -- Isaiah 37 and Revelation 7 Jun 6 -- Isaiah 38 and Revelation 8 ================    "So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD." (Isaiah 37:20) HISTORICAL INTERLUDE (ch 36). Chapters 36 and 37 demonstrate that what Isaiah prophesied actually came to pass. The pre-siege negotiations begin. The Rabshakeh, referring to the chief representative of the Assyrian army, dissuades the people of Jerusalem from trusting in Egypt for deliverance (good advice), and also not to trust the Lord, the God of Israel, to rescue them (bad advice). The Assyrians are mocking the God of Israel as just another regional god who would fall at the hands of their mighty men. "Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?" (v 20). Hezekiah's trus...

Bible reading for weekend April 30 -- May 2 If you are receiving these posts by email through Feedburner -- the Google app on this website, soon to be deactivated -- this will be your last emailed post. If you wish to continue receiving these posts by email you will need to subscribe to my Buttondown newsletter listed here .   Apr 30 -- Song of Solomon 5 and Hebrews 5 May 1 -- Song of Solomon 6 and Hebrews 6 May 2 -- Song of Solomon 7 and Hebrews 7 ================    "I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me." (Song of Solomon 7:10)  DIFFICULTIES (ch 5). The couple has moved from courtship (1:2-3:5) to the wedding night (3:6-5:1) and on to maturity (5:2-8:14). There's a time in every marriage when one or the other partner lacks energy or passion to overcome the obstacles to continued love. Marriage partners must rise above their selfishness to keep pursuing their beloved. The Shulammite finally rouses herself to pursue her lover. She searches and is beaten ...

Bible reading for April 26 -- 27 Apr 26 -- Song of Solomon 1 and Hebrews 1 Apr 27 -- Song of Solomon 2 and Hebrews 2 ================    "He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." (Song of Solomon 2:4)  THE GREAT ROMANCE. Biblical wisdom contemplates the great mysteries of life. Job dealt with pain, and now Solomon deals with pleasure. Proverbs warns against sexual sin, and Ecclesiastes tells us to enjoy our family life, and here is a book dedicated to extolling the beauty of courtship, romance, marriage, and sexuality. It's a book filled with sensual (in a good sense) imagery and metaphors drawn from nature. Marriage in all of its dimensions, including sexual relations, is good. Josh McDowell used to say, "Sex is God's idea. He even created the plumbing!" The Song of Solomon (also called the Song of Songs) is about our marriages and also about our relationship with the Lord. Everything beautiful in love and marriage -- its co...

Bible reading for Dec 23.  2 Chronicles 27-28. "So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God." (27:6)  GOOD KING, BAD KING. The next two kings of Judah are polar opposites. Jotham (ch 27) and Ahaz (ch 28) each reigned sixteen years, but by different standards and with different consequences.  Jotham "ordered his ways before the Lord" (27:6), which reveals his priorities. Ahaz, on the other hand, did "not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord" (28:1). Under Jotham the nation experienced strength and blessing, though many of the people continued in pagan practices. Under Ahaz the nation suffered loss and defeat.  The moral of the story is not simply that God rewards good and punishes evil, but that he is being faithful to the terms of the Mosaic covenant stated in Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28 (e.g., Deut 28:7, 25). Even in judgment God shows compassion to the nation of Judah. After war with the northern tribes the Judean...

Bible reading for Dec 22.  2 Chronicles 26. "He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper." (26:5)  UZZIAH THE LEPER.   This is the same king that is named Azariah in 2 Kings 15. Uzziah is a variant spelling, perhaps to distinguish him from the high priest with the same name (vv 17, 20).  As you read Israel's history you will run into a number of names held in common by more than one individual. Already we have encountered three separate men named Joash. Also, two named Zechariah. Uzziah's mother was a Jerusalem native, and presumably an observant Jew. Uzziah has a very long reign of 52 years, and he ruled well, as long as he kept seeking the Lord (v 5). We also learn from the Chronicles' account that Uzziah was a farmer at heart: "he loved the soil" (v 10), and that he introduced catapults to Jerusalem's defense (v 15). The ministry of Isaiah the p...

Bible reading for Dec 11.  2 Chronicles 11-12. "And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers." (11:16)  DRIVEN OUT (ch 11) . Something we are told here that is not recorded in 1 Kings 12 is that Israelites who were faithful to the Lord and living in the north would pay a price for their loyalty (11:13-16; 13:9). Ousted from their role as priests and Levites, many gave up homes and property in the north to move to Jerusalem. This is a principle throughout Scripture -- when idolatry reigns God's people are often driven from public life and cultural influence. Both secularism and religious pluralism, supposedly tolerant and neutral, end up driving Judeo-Christian influence away from the public sector. This intolerance was seen in the northern kingdom then, and later in the Roman empire toward the early church, and today in opposition both from se...

Bible reading for Dec 9.  2 Chronicles 9. "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness." (9:8) ROYAL VISIT. The Ethiopian queen of Sheba was greatly impressed by Solomon's wisdom and wealth. She stated correctly that God's love was shown to Israel by establishing the nation under a righteous and wise king, Solomon (v 8). Down through history people have been fascinated with the amount of gold that Solomon had, more so than in understanding the wisdom he possessed. In God's design wealth is a consequence, a side-effect, a secondary blessing to that which is the primary blessing, righteousness. People value gold; God values righteousness.  WHERE DID ALL THAT GOLD GO? Within a few short years all of that gold would be taken to Egypt by Pharaoh Shishak (aka S...

Bible reading for Nov 11.  2 Kings 24. "Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon." (2 Kings 24:3-4)  WINDING DOWN. In the last chapter we read that Joash dies in battle to Pharaoh Neco. (From time to time Egypt was another player on the international scene.) Three more kings follow in rather rapid succession-- we'll call them J-haz, J-kim, and J-chin. Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem and J-chin surrenders, and the first deportation of Jewish exiles to Babylon takes place in 605 BC. Zedekiah (J-chin's uncle) is appointed king by the Babylonians but he too will rebel against Babylon.  All this time the prophet Jeremiah has been telling the nation to submit to the Lord's discipline and to not fight against the Babylonians. Sadly, the fal...

Bible reading for Nov 10.  2 Kings 23. "And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD." (2 Kings 23:2)  REVIVAL IN THE LAND. King Josiah now involves the elders of Judah, and then assembles all the people. The revival began in Josiah's heart through the hearing of God's law. Now God's word is read publicly to all the people (vv 1-2; cf 1 Tim 4:13; Col 3:16). They make a covenant to follow the Lord (v 3) and then proceed to remove the idols and every form of false worship in the land. [See the NETBible notes on this chapter for more detail.] "Asherah" was a fertility goddess (known by various names), and the Ashtoreth (plural of Asherah) likely referred to the the carved poles (or sacred trees) used...

Bible reading for September 29.  1 Kings 1. "And Solomon said, 'If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.'" (1 Kings 1:52) A NEW KING. Yet another of David's sons, Adonijah, seeks to take the throne. David is aged, always cold, and seems unaware of the political intrigue. Solomon is designated the true heir of the throne and anointed at Gihon, the only natural spring on Mount Zion. Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, a close associate of David and commander of the palace guard, were in attendance. Solomon's first judicial ruling, that of probation for Adonijah, was fair and merciful by the standards of his day. Had Adonijah succeeded in his bid, the rest of David's sons, including Solomon, may have been killed. Through the wisdom and timely action of Bathsheba, Nathan, and others the rightful heir ascends to the throne.  REFLECT. There was a threat t...

Bible reading weekend Feb 22-23:  Exodus 5-6; Luke 8-9. "For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all."  (Exodus 5:23) When things get worse rather than better (Ex 5).   We may come to trust the Lord, but then find that things get worse rather than better.  We experience serious setbacks, difficulties, and opposition to our faith.  We face trials that we never expected.  It seems like it's three steps forward and two steps back!   So, Moses speaks to Pharaoh, and things get worse for the people of Israel.  The work orders increase, and needed resources are cut off.  The Israelites become disheartened : "...they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery" (Ex 6:9).  Pharaoh is hardened.   The Lord had said that he would strengthen Pharaoh's sinful intentions: "But I will harden his heart, so that he will not l...

“Our God is a Consuming Fire” (Hebrews 12:25-29) Sermon outline :  There are to be 3 basic responses to the truths of the book of Hebrews... • Watchfulness --  being careful not to turn away. (v 25-27) • Gratitude – being thankful for his great salvation. (v 28a) • Reverence – being pleasing to him in worship and service. (v 28b-29).  “The God who ‘spoke to the fathers by the prophets’ (1:1) is the same God who ‘has spoken to us by his Son’ (1:2) and the same as ‘him who is speaking’ today by his Word (3:7-11; 4:12; 12:25).”   Can Christians lose their salvation?   Of all those the Father gives to the Son, none are lost (Jn 6:39).  They will never perish and no one can snatch them from Jesus and the Father’s hands (Jn 10:28-29). The very same ones God “calls” and “justifies” are the same ones he “glorifies” (Rom 8:29).   And “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6).  We...

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. (Hebrews 12:25 ESV) And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30) In considering the warning passages in the book of Hebrews it is important that they be placed within the context of what the Bible teaches about the security and preservation of God's people.  Before we speak of our perseverance, we must think about it from God's point of view.  The key issue is, does God preserve in faith those whom he has saved ?  J. I. Packer answers... "Let it be first said that in declaring the eternal security of God's people it is clearer to speak of their preservation than, as is commonly done, of their perseverance.  Perseverance means persistence under discouragement and contra...