NL-Day320 Ezra 1-2; Isaiah 29; 2 Corinthians 10
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 11/16/2022
NL-Day141 1 Samuel 7-8; Psalm 94; Romans 2:25-3:20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 7-8:Having won the war with Israel, the Philistines thought their idol Dagon had given them victory. The ark of God was put in Dagon's temple. Then God not only proved that He is greater than Dagon by what happened in the temple, but He also struck the Philistines in all five of their territories with plagues of death, tumors, and rats ravaging the land. The Philistine fortune tellers and priests devised a creative plan to test if these disasters had happened on their own, or because of God's hand was against them. In the story it is clear that the Philistine people knew about the...
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NL-Day140 1 Samuel 5-6; Psalm 93; Romans 2:13-29
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 5-6:Yesterday we saw the touching way that God revealed to Samuel how to listen for God's voice, and at the same time how He again warned Eli of impending disaster. Eli was incredibly able to recognize the way the Lord works, but at the same time was unconcerned about how God's words applied to him. Let us not be like him! Observe this link to Romans: God's judgment will come to us just as surely as it did to Eli's sons. PSALM 93:Like the Gettysburg Address, sometimes the noblest thoughts are best expressed with brevity. ROMANS 2b:In yesterday's reading, Paul continued to prove that...
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NL-Day139 1 Samuel 3-4; Psalm 92; Romans 1:28-2:16
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 3-4:Yesterday we heard Hannah's poetic and prophetic prayer of praise. R Then we heard of the contrast between the boy Samuel serving the Lord, while Eli's sons were scoundrels. Finally a “man of God” (a prophet or perhaps even an angel) gave a long prophetic warning to Eli. Today we will see that prophecy come true. PSALM 92:This is another favorite psalm of praise! ROMANS 2:Yesterday we heard the first part of some bad news which makes the Good News ‘good’. This reminds me of the movie Second Hand Lions. In the movie a main character has a lecture on ‘how to be a man’...
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NL-Day138 1 Samuel 2; Psalm 91; Romans 1:16-32
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 2:Yesterday we heard of the wonderful answer to Hannah’s prayer and of her determination to fulfill a very difficult vow to the Lord. Samuel might have only been 3 years old when Hannah gave him up to stay permanently as a Nazarite serving at the Lord’s tabernacle. Hannah is such an example of a Godly woman. No wonder so many girls are named after her! I noticed an interesting detail in yesterday’s reading. Elkanah also had a vow. When Samuel was newly born and Hannah did not go with the family to Shiloh for the yearly sacrifices, the GNT drew my attention saying that Elkanah...
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NL-Day137 1 Samuel 1; Psalm 90; Romans 1:1-17
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1SAMUEL 1:Yesterday we heard the charming conclusion of the story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. The words of the town women have prophetic significance: “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family.” (NLT) The words have a double meaning for us today, as we see them looking forward to Jesus our Redeemer. Now if you have been listening closely, you didn’t hear the word ‘redeemer’ in the GNT. That word happens 8 times in Ruth, beginning at 2:20. GNT translated the correct meaning as “a close relative of ours, one of those responsible for taking care of us.” The term...
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NL-Day136 Ruth 3-4; Psalm 89:19-52; 1 Timothy 6
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
RUTH 3-4:In yesterday’s start to the book of Ruth, we saw how Naomi was left all alone, and how one of her two daughters-in-law, Ruth, left her family and idols to accompany Naomi and to follow Naomi’s God. Then it just so happened that Ruth was noticed by a man named Boaz while gathering left-behind grain in his field. PSALM 89b:Ethan, the psalm-writer was very wise in his prayer. He started his prayer with praise and adoration. Then starting in verse 19 he reminded God of his promises to Israel about the everlasting dynasty of David. But this is all building up to the big problem that...
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NL-Day135 Ruth 1-2; Psalm 89:1-29; 1 Timothy 5
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
RUTH 1-2:The incident of the Levite and his concubine at Gibeah resulted in the civil war that we heard about yesterday. About 24,000 men died and many women and children as well. In certain things the army inquired of the Lord, and the Lord gave answers at his sanctuary. In the way they found wives for the decimated tribe of Benjamin, the men of Israel were repeatedly so concerned that they not break their vows. Paradoxically, they did many other things without any concern whatsoever about acting according to God’s revealed will. Let’s consider that story as a warning. Beware of the human...
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NL-Day134 Judges 20-21; Psalm 88; 1 Timothy 4
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JUDGES 20-21:In yesterday's reading, the people of Dan took all the items in Micah's household shrine and Micah's Levite priest. The priest’s name was given at the end of the chapter. He was the grandson of Moses! And then the Danites slaughtered the unsuspecting residents of Laish, forgetting about the law about giving terms of surrender before attacking. Then we heard of the unnamed Levite and his concubine (meaning, additional inferior-status wife). Nothing happened according to God's will in this story. While the author says nothing negative about any of the characters, all had their...
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NL-Day133 Judges 18-19; Psalm 87; 1 Timothy 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JUDGES 18-19:In Judges yesterday, we heard the famous and tragic story of Samson and Delilah. Victory, in that case, was not ‘sweet’. Then we heard the start of the story about Micah and the not so nice background of his personal idols and shrine. This is the first time so far in Judges where we have heard the repeated theme sentence of this book, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” (17:6) PSALM 87:This is a prophetic psalm. The writer gives a picture of what is foretold in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation about the glory of...
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NL-Day132 Judges 16-17; Psalm 86; 1 Timothy 2
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JUDGES 16-17:Yesterday we heard of Samson's disastrous marriage, and his first major victory over the Philistines. Ways in which Samson disobeyed God's Laws are that he touched and even ate from a carcass, he murdered people when not at war, and he associated with pagans and even married one of them. In spite of this, God used him as a tool. PSALM 86:In this psalm David models effective prayer. Let’s follow his example! 1TIMOTHY 2:Yesterday we started Paul’s first letter to Timothy. As I said yesterday, this is a personal letter to Timothy, and it is one of the group of letters called the...
info_outlineEZRA 1:
Before going to Ezra, I want to say that one can do a whole lot of digging deeper in the last two chapters of Daniel. History tells about those kings, and we know from what Jesus said and what is written in Revelation, that God plans for history to repeat itself. The main ‘take-away’ points are clear, just as they are in Revelation: Blessed are those who endure and live wise and holy lives.
It is a great time now to return to those three small remaining books of history remaining for us to read this year: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. These books allow us to see the fulfilment of prophecies we have read about. King Cyrus was one of the kings served by Daniel and alluded to in his prophetic visions. Now, in Ezra, we will read Cyrus’ proclamation, which is in accordance with Jeremiah’s prophecy about the 70 year duration of the exile in Babylonia. And we haven’t read it yet, but Isaiah specifically names Cyrus twice— writing about him some 150 to 200 years before Cyrus was born.
Ezra, a scribe and priest, doesn’t start speaking about himself until chapter 7. Originally the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were one book, and Jewish tradition holds that Ezra wrote both of them. The dates of writing are somewhere between 458 and 420 BC.
ISAIAH 29:
The advantage of reading a meaning based translation like the GNT/NLT is that you readers and listeners had the pleasure of understanding the mocking of Isaiah (or God, in the NLT) by the people of Israel, and Isaiah and God’s mocking response (28:7-13). Then in that context, it is shocking to find the famous verses quoted in the New Testament:
Is. 28:16 NLT Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.
The New Testament quotes this verse three times. In all three, the last line has the object “believes in him” (Jesus) because Paul and Peter quoted from the Septuagint, the ancient translation of the OT into Greek.
2CORINTHIANS 10:
The heart of what Paul was teaching about in chapter 9 about the practice of Christian charity is this:
2Cor. 9:6 NLT 6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
15 Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!
Just like Philippians 4, it should never be forgotten that the promise of God providing (such as v.8) is found in the context of people who are already unselfishly supporting God’s work.
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.