NL-Day007 Genesis 13-14; Job 7; Mark 5:1-20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 01/07/2024
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...
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NL-Day117 Joshua 12-13; Psalm 72; Acts 23:1-22
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 12-13:As we heard yesterday, God fought for Israel, even causing the sun and moon to stand still. Basically the main central body of land was conquered in only two campaigns. It is important to remember that the total destruction of the people groups listed was commanded by God because of their disgusting pagan and idolatrous practices. Joshua 10:40 “… This was what the Lord God of Israel had commanded.” See also 11:20. PSALM 72:It is clear that this psalm, written by King Solomon— or more likely written about King Solomon, goes beyond Solomon, giving adoration to the King of...
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NL-Day116 Joshua 10-11; Psalm 71; Acts 22
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 10-11:The king of Ai trusted in appearances, and was defeated. And the leaders of Israel trusted in appearances and failed to ask God for guidance, leading to a problem that would later cause more pain. PSALM 71:This is a poem written by an senior citizen with examples for our prayers that are appropriate for ‘youth’ of all ages. ACTS 22:In the last part of Acts 21, people from the Roman province of Asia recognized Paul and started a riot in the temple. Paul was arrested and now gives his speech to the angry mob. NLT Translation notes:Josh. 10:39 He captured the town, its king, and...
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NL-Day115 Joshua 8-9; Psalm 70; Acts 21:20-40
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 8-9:Yesterday the walls of Jericho “came a-tumbling down” after some skillful trumpet playing while marching around the city for 7 days. The city was devoted to destruction, meaning that this was God's judgement upon them, and that everything was to be destroyed. Right after this amazing victory, Israel learned through a man named Achan that keeping treasures devoted to destruction makes oneself devoted to destruction. PSALM 70:David pleads in this psalm for help against his enemies. And this poem is a repetition of the last part of Psalm 40. ACTS 21b:Paul, Luke, and the other...
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NL-Day114 Joshua 6-7; Psalm 69:19-36; Acts 21:1-25
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 6-7:In yesterday’s reading, Joshua lead the people across the Jordan on dry ground, and they set up 12 stones in two places to be memorial reminders for the people of this miracle. All the men were circumcised, and the angel who is the commander of God's army revealed himself to Joshua. PSALM 69:In yesterday’s reading, I appreciated that the writer appealed to God based on the Lord’s ‘constant love’. Let’s continue the reading of Ps 69 with four verses appropriate to Jesus’ life. Note that verse 22 is quoted by Paul in Romans 11. ACTS 21a:Yesterday we heard Paul's speech...
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NL-Day113 Joshua 4-5; Psalm 69:1-18; Acts 20:17-38
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 4-5:In yesterday’s reading, Joshua sent out two spies. Rahab, who was a prostitute and later became an outstanding example of God's grace, protected them and eventually became a full member of Israel. The people of Israel crossed the Jordan miraculously on dry ground— even though the river was in flood stage, as Joshua leads following God's instructions. PSALM 69:This poem contains words that were quoted about Jesus (v. 4 and 9). Those verses give us an inside view of the nature of Jesus’ suffering while on earth in his public ministry. ACTS 20:In yesterday’s reading, Paul left...
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NL-Day112 Joshua 2-3; Psalm 68:19-35; Acts 20:1-25
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 2-3:Yesterday we started the book of Joshua, named after the man God chose as Moses’ successor. In this book we will see the victory of the Chosen People in conquering the Promised Land (chapters 1-12) and then the occupation of the Promised Land (chapters 13-24). Three times i n Deuteronomy 31, we heard the charge, “Be determined and confident,” and that command was repeated three more times to Joshua in chapter 1. PSALM 68b:This psalm starts with the words Moses spoke whenever the Ark of the Covenant was taken up to be moved to another place:“1 Rise up, O God, and scatter your...
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NL-Day111 Joshua 1; Psalm 68:1-19; Acts 19:23-41
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
JOSHUA 1:Yesterday we read the conclusion of Deuteronomy with Moses blessing eleven of the twelve tribes with a prophetic blessing. And then Moses died and the Lord buried him in an unknown location in Moab. Now we turn to Joshua, the book named after the man God chose as Moses’ successor. In this book we see the victory of the Chosen People in conquering the Promised Land (chapters 1-12) and then the occupation of the Promised Land (chapters 13-24). Three times in Deuteronomy 31, we find the charge, “Be determined and confident,” and that command is repeated to Joshua in the...
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NL-Day110 Deuteronomy 33-34; Psalm 67; Acts 19:1-22
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DEUTERONOMY 33-34: In yesterday's reading, Moses showed Israel that the leadership was given to Joshua, and he gave the command that this book of Deuteronomy be kept near the Arc of the Covenant. Then God gave Moses a long song to teach people, to help them remember. In this song, God described some future events as happening in the past tense. This is a feature many prophetic writings. Here is one detail you might want to notice today in chapter 33: In Moses’ blessings for the tribes of Israel, only 11 are listed. So I’m giving a digging deeper challenge: Which tribe is left out, and what...
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NL-Day109 Deuteronomy 31-32; Psalm 66; Acts 18
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DEUTERONOMY 31-32:Yesterday in Deuteronomy Moses reviewed the covenant and again stressed that the choice is between life and death, and between experiencing blessings or curses. Be aware that in the poem dictated to Moses by the Lord, the Lord speaks of things that were in Israel’s future as if they had already taken place. This is called propleptic past tense, and is a feature of prophetic writings. PSALM 66:Our glorious God deserves glorious praise. Note that this psalm shows the importance of confessing our sins to God. ACTS 18:In Acts 17, opposition hounded the steps of Paul, Silas and...
info_outlineGENESIS 13-14:
In yesterday's reading we heard about God scattering people by confusing their languages. It’s important to remember that the city they were building is called Babylon. Then we traced the ancestry of Abram, who descended from Seth's line. Then we read about the call of Abram and what happened when they were staying in Egypt because of a famine. Abram doesn’t sound like a model husband.
JOB 7:
Today we hear the second chapter of Job’s response to Eliphaz. In chapter 6 Job said,
10 GNT If I knew he [God] would [kill me], I would leap for joy,
no matter how great my pain.
I know that God is holy;
I have never opposed what he commands.
And he also complained:
14 In trouble like this I need loyal friends—
whether I've forsaken God or not.
15 But you, my friends, you deceive me like streams
that go dry when no rain comes.
And his three friends are only warming up to what they will say. In desperation Job says,
24 All right, teach me; tell me my faults.
I will be quiet and listen to you.
25 Honest words are convincing,
but you are talking nonsense.
MARK 5a:
We completed the one and only ‘parable chapter’ of Mark yesterday. Following the parable of the mustard seed, the disciples and Jesus took off to the other side of the lake. Jesus slept soundly in the boat while a storm was raging on the lake, and then he calmed the storm.
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NLT Translation notes:
Mrk 5:8 For Jesus had [already/0] said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”
And he replied, “My name is [Batalion/Legion], because there are many of us inside this man.”
[A Roman legion could be as many as 6,826 men.]
15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the [batalion/legion] of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.
20 So the man [went/started] off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
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.