NL-Day286 Ezekiel 4-5; Song of Solomon 3; Matthew 24:23-51
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 10/13/2022
NL-Day127 Judges 6-7; Psalm 81; Galatians 2:17–3:29
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JUDGES 6-7:Yesterday we heard the story of Deborah and Barak. (Say, that name sounds familiar!) Barak doesn't get the glory for his notable defeat of Israel's enemy, Sisera. Instead the crowning glory goes to a woman named Jael, who happened to see a new use for a tent peg. The poem in chapter 5 includes taunts to Israel's tribes who ‘sat on their hands’ and didn't get involved in the war. PSALM 81:This poem has a mysterious part in verse 5, where an unknown voice (or perhaps ‘language’) speaks to us. But immediately afterward the unknown voice clearly belongs God, who speaks in the...
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NL-Day126 Judges 4-5; Psalm 80; Galatians 2
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JUDGES 4-5:We heard yesterday that around the time of Joshua's death, an angel appeared to the people of Israel and rebuked them for disobedience. In chapter 2, the author of Judges summarized the fickleness of the people. And in chapter 3 we quickly heard about Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar— the first three judges. PSALM 80:In this poem, Asaph pictures the Lord as a shepherd and Israel like a vine. It is no accident that both of these are also pictures of Jesus in the New Testament. This psalm is marked by the repetition of these words, “Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s...
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NL-Day125 Judges 2-3; Psalm 79; Galatians 1
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JUDGES 2-3:Yesterday we heard how the tribe of Judah was more successful in driving out the Canaanites than the other tribes. Several of the tribes just moved in with their enemies. PSALM 79:This lament by Asaph is like Ps 74, talking about Jerusalem and the Temple conquered by enemies. There is a strong comparison with what we see starting to happen in Judges. GALATIANS 1:We heard the controversy over circumcision in Acts 15. This letter to the Galatian believers is on a similar theme, and it shows how Paul would have argued with the Jews of the circumcision party. Paul stays very much on...
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NL-Day124 Judges 1; Psalm 78:32-72; Acts 28
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JUDGES 1:It happens that Psalm 78 is a perfect introduction to the book of Judges! This book covers the dark ages for the nation of Israel, from the time following Joshua’s death to the birth of the last judge, Samuel. HC Mears gives a good easy-to-remember summary: Seven apostasies (times of turning away from God), seven servitudes to seven idolatrous and cruel nations, and seven deliverances. The last verse is the author’s own summary, which is often repeated near the end of the book: “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”...
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NL-Day123 Joshua 24; Psalm 78:1-39; Acts 27:18-44
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 24:In yesterday’s reading, Joshua dismissed the three tribes of warriors to return to their homes to the east of the Jordan. But when they went home, they decided to build an altar as a memorial. But their idea was misunderstood, nearly resulting in war. PSALM 78a:This poetic recitation of Israel’s history comes at a fitting place in relation to our other Old Testament reading. ACTS 27b:In yesterday’s reading, Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus started the voyage to Rome, under the command of a Roman officer named Julius. The captain, ship owner, and sailors didn't listen to Paul's...
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NL-Day122 Joshua 22-23; Psalm 77; Acts 27:1-26
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 22-23:Yesterday we heard the detailed list of the cities of refuge— the cities set apart for anyone who happened to kill someone accidentally. Following that was the list of the towns that were given to the priests and Levites. PSALM 77:This psalm by Asaph was dedicated to Jeduthun, whose name means ‘praise giver’. Asaph worries about this: Has God changed? Why doesn’t He help us like He helped the Israelites in the past? I have chosen again to read this from the CEV rather than from the GNT. The CEV makes it clear that this whole poem is a prayer to God. ACTS 27:Yesterday we...
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NL-Day121 Joshua 20-21; Psalm 76; Acts 26
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 20-21:Yesterday we read the details of land allotment and cities for the remaining seven tribes with their families. Last of all, Joshua himself received a city. PSALM 76:It only makes sense to know God and to be firmly on His side. As verse 10 says, “Human defiance only enhances His glory.” The second line of that verse is very unclear in Hebrew. NLT’s translation makes good sense, saying that God uses human defiance as a weapon against the same defiant ones. ACTS 26:In yesterday's story in Acts, Festus took his position as governor and tried Paul. Afterward King Agrippa and his...
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NL-Day120 Joshua 18-19; Psalm 75; Acts 25
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 18-19:Yesterday we heard the details about Mannaseh and Ephraim's allotment of land. I suggest that it will be very helpful for your understanding of these chapters in Joshua to do an Internet search for “map tribes Israel.” PSALM 75:Do you remember what Paul talked to Felix about from yesterday’s reading? Asaph’s psalm takes a similar theme today. ACTS 25:Paul's accusers came, and Paul defended himself before the governor. The governor put off making a decision, and never got around to making one. One day at the beginning of that time, he and his Jewish wife came to listen to...
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NL-Day119 Joshua 16-17; Psalm 74; Acts 24
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 16-17:Yesterday Caleb received his special portion within Judah's allotment of land, and then we heard the detailed list of Judah's boundaries and towns. Chapter 15 may be the most challenging passage in all the Old Testament to read out loud! PSALM 74:Could this psalm really have been written by Asaph?! If so, Asaph was a prophet as he seems to describe events that happened hundreds of years later in the Babylonian conquest. It is possible he could have been a 100 year old man when writing this, speaking of the destruction caused by Pharaoh Shishak. It must also be observed that...
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NL-Day118 Joshua 14-15; Psalm 73; Acts 23:19-35
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 14-15:Yesterday in Joshua we heard an inventory of the kings conquered so far and details about the allotments of land for the 2 1/2 tribes east of the Jordan. PSALM 73:This is one of my favorite psalms because it speaks to an intellectual problem that so often bothers me. The turning point is verse 17 in this poem by Asaph. ACTS 23b:Paul before the council cried out words that divided the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!” Note that no one said, “But who says that Jesus has risen from...
info_outlineEZEKIEL 4-5:
In Ezekiel 2-3 God commissioned Ezekiel to speak for God to the rebellious people of Israel. God fed Ezekiel a scroll. This tasted sweet, but afterwards I think he would tell us that it produced “bitterness”— as we will see with John who eats a similar scroll in Revelation. God gave these important words to Ezekiel in yesterday’s reading:
Ez. 3:10 NLT …“Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.
SONG OF SOLOMON 3:
As we have seen, this Song of Songs is high poetry. The woman’s stories— such as what we hear today, are better taken as poetic expressions of her deep love than as true narratives.
MATTHEW 24b:
Jesus said, “Immediately after those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will give no light.” Here is a story from 20 14, the first year I was recording these podcasts. I wrote: Just three days ago, in the evening, I was with the Orya people at an open-air youth retreat. The pastor pointed out that the Bible says the moon will turn into blood (or be the color of blood). He had come from town and is not an Orya speaker. He told the people that he had seen that morning on the Internet that on that very night there would be a “blood moon”— or a lunar eclipse where the moon would turn red like blood. And while he was speaking about that and other end-times signs, sure enough, it happened! Nothing like God managing a visual presentation for you! I have never seen a more moving sight.
NLT Translation notes:
Mat. 24:15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” ([May the one who reads out loud note this and explain it to those who listen!//Reader, pay attention!])
39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when [I, the Son of Man come.//the Son of Man comes].
44 You also must be ready all the time, for [I,] the Son of Man[,] will come when least expected.
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.