NL-Day278 2 Chronicles 31; Ecclesiastes 7; Matthew 20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 10/05/2022
NL-Day162 2 Samuel 9-10; Psalm 110; Romans 13
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 9-10:David realized the incongruity that he was living in a beautiful cedar palace while God's dwelling place was in a tent. Then God gave Nathan the prophet a long message for David. He told him that his dynasty would last forever and that his son would build God’s temple. David’s beautiful prayer of response is recorded for us. Then God gave a string of stunning military victories to David. PSALM 110:The first verse of this short psalm is one of the most repeated verses of the New Testament. It certainly was very important for the early Christians. And the 4th verse becomes an...
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NL-Day161 2 Samuel 7-8; Psalm 109:15-31; Romans 13
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 7-8:At last, David became the king of all Israel, then the Lord gave him two great military victories over the Philistines. Then, after a botched attempt, David moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. He danced with all his might before the Lord. Psalm 109b:When you feel that you are surrounded by people who gang up against you and slander you, then this is the psalm for you. Note that Jesus would have had every right to pray like this from the cross, but He didn’t! In the NLT, verses 6 through 19 are translated as a long quote of slander against the Psalm-writer, David. ROMANS...
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NL-Day160 2 Samuel 5-6; Psalm 109:1-19; Romans 12
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 5-6:General Abner defected to David, but it cost him his life on the same day at the hands of Joab, the commander of David's forces and the brother of the slain Asahel. One result was also that Ishbosheth was murdered by two army captains who thought that they would be rewarded for doing David a favor. PSALM 109a:If you feel that you are surrounded by people who gang up against you and slander you, then this is the psalm for you. One of the verses in this psalm was quoted by Peter about Judas in Acts 1. You are certainly given permission by this Psalm to pray for vindication and...
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NL-Day159 2 Samuel 3-4; Psalm 108; Romans 12
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 3-4:In yesterday's story, David was anointed as king over his own tribe of Judah, while all the rest of Israel followed Saul's son, Ishbosheth. Ishbosheth was not a strong leader, but was put in place by Abner, the general. Joab was David's military commander. In the first battle, it is significant that Abner killed Joab's brother Asahel. David's troops decisively won their first battle in the civil war. PSALM 108:This is a psalm of exalted praise, and a song asking God for military victory. ROMANS 12a:Yesterday at the end of Romans 11, we came to the end of the long parenthesis. God...
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NL-Day158 2 Samuel 2; Psalm 107:23-43; Romans 11:17-36
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 2:David heard of Israel’s terrible defeat and of Saul and Jonathan's deaths, and he exacted the death sentence from the lying messenger. David and his men mourned for the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, and David composed a funeral song for them. PSALM 107b:Yesterday I commented on how quickly our culture forgets about God. After a natural disaster, it becomes popular in the media to talk about praying for the victims. But God is not even mentioned, and soon any pretense of awe or fear of God is dropped. But Psalm 107 speaks of people who see God’s hand at work and make lasting...
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NL-Day157 2 Samuel 1; Psalm 107:1-22; Romans 11:1-24
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 1:David returned from being sent home from the battle with Israel only to find that his town had been ransacked by the Amalekites. He found strength in God, asked for God to direct him, and succeeded in retrieving everything, and even much more. However in Israel, Saul and his three sons died, and the Israelite army was completely defeated. PSALM 107a:We come to another of my favorite psalms. In E.C. Olsen’s book on the psalms (which is a transcription of his radio programs) he said that this psalm has a message for America. That message is in the repeated refrain found in this...
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NL-Day156 1 Samuel 30-31; Psalm 106:24-48; Romans 10:1-11:2a
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 30-31:The Philistines mustered their armies for full-scale war with Saul and the Israelites. Saul had already done a right thing in expelling all the mediums from Israel. But, since God had turned from him and would not answer him, he resorted to a medium during his darkest hour. It does not bother me too much to say that God spoke through that medium. It seems so by the evidence. But if so, it was an exception. God's word says to never consult a medium. In fact, mediums are to be stoned to death. David was preparing to go to war in support of Achish, or was he really?! PSALM...
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NL-Day155 1 Samuel 28-29; Psalm 106:1-27; Romans 10
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 28-29:Saul came after David again with 3,000 men, and David showed his integrity again and his daring. But even though Saul repented again, David made the decision to get out of the country so that he would not continually be in danger. He went to Achish the Philistine king in Gath. The part about the raids upon three enemy people groups is not one of the noble chapters of David's life. PSALM 106a:Psalm 106 is a companion to 105, as it again is a historical psalm. I see a very significant correspondence with the section of Romans we are now reading. Can you see it? ROMANS 10a:In our...
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NL-Day154 1 Samuel 26-27; Psalm 105:23-45; Romans 9:6-33
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 26-27:Yesterday we heard the story of the cur Nabal and his intelligent and beautiful wife, Abigail. After Nabal was struck down by the Lord, Abigail became one of David's wives. PSALM 105b:Today’s psalm is for teaching and reminding each generation of the children of Israel about the great things God has done for the Jewish people. ROMANS 9b:Note that we have entered a difficult section of Romans. Romans 12 starts with, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercies, …” But if you look back at what goes right before that in chapter 11, that doesn’t...
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NL-Day153 1 Samuel 25; Psalm 105:1-23; Romans 8:28-9:24
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 25:God gave protection and victory to David. In a scene that must have caused Saul's men to roll their eyes several times, Saul was humbled before them as David directly confronted him. But after making peace, they didn't go back to the capital together. PSALM 105a:Today’s psalm is for teaching and reminding each generation of the children of Israel about the great things God has done for the Jewish people. ROMANS 9a:What wonderful promises God has given to us in chapter 8 of Romans! That chapter always reminds me of a time when a Christian leader did wrong to me, and then said that...
info_outline2CHRONICLES 31:
A sign of how far Judah and Israel had wandered from the Lord was that even the Passover was not celebrated. When Hezekiah reinstituted the Passover celebration, it was the start of a real revival.
ECCLESIASTES 7:
I find it interesting that Solomon would say that everything has been decided beforehand. GNT certainly implied Who it was who decided beforehand, but NLT makes that explicit:
Ecc. 6:10 NLT Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.
Not about the issue of destiny, but about another key point presented in chapter 6, I think that Solomon would have taken back some of his words if he could have listened to what Jesus taught in yesterday’s reading in Matthew.
MATTHEW 20:
In yesterday’s reading, Jesus taught how evil divorce is, He blessed children (because they are so close to the kingdom of God), and He taught about the difficulty for rich people in this world to enter the Kingdom of God. And at the end of chapter 19, he gave that promise that all missionaries love, the one about the eternal rewards that will be given to those who leave their families and possessions for the Kingdom of God.
NLT Translation notes:
Mat. 20:16“[Even so, at the end,//So] those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where [I,] the Son of Man[,] will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence [me/him] to die. 19Then they will hand [me/him] over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”
28 For even [I,] the Son of Man came not to be served[,] but to serve others and to give [my/his] life as a ransom for many.”
32When Jesus heard them, he stopped and [said/called], “What do you want me to do for you?”
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.