Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 9:Yesterday we heard God’s famous response to Solomon, which is so often applied as a promise to America. It is stretching it past the breaking point to apply that promise to America. First of all, our country does not have a personal relationship with God like that of Israel in Solomon’s time. We also skate over all the conditions of humbling ourselves, turning from wicked ways, and praying. And we are not in the position of having made corporate sacrifices to the Lord. PROVERBS 28b:Here is today’s highlighted verse: Pro. 28:26 NLT Those who trust their own insight are...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 7-8:Yesterday we heard Solomon’s famous prayer at the dedication of the temple. He understood that the people would need forgiveness from the Lord, and requested the Lord’s mercy. PROVERBS 28a:Another favorite: Pro. 28:8 NLT Income from charging high interest rateswill end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor. MATTHEW 10b:Yesterday we heard the list of the twelve apostles, and the beginning of the instructions to them as He sent them out. It is clear that Jesus gave this message for more than just the twelve. The word ‘apostle’ (which is a word transliterated...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 6:Yesterday we heard of the various things that Huram-abi made under Solomon’s direction for the temple, and of the dedication of the temple. In today’s (not reverent) language, we might say that the Lord ‘showed up’ for that dedication, just like He did for the dedication of the tabernacle. PROVERBS 27b:Our hightlighted verse for today: Pro. 27:21 NLT Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,but a person is tested by being praised.] MATTHEW 10a:Many stories were brought together by Matthew in chapter 9, including the calling of Matthew— who is most likely the writer of...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 4-5:Yesterday we heard of the preparations for building the temple, and then the dimensions and the beginning of the construction starting in the 4th year of Solomon’s reign. PROVERBS 27a:Today’s first verse is very like the advice of James in the New Testament: Pro. 27:1 NLT Don’t brag about tomorrow,since you don’t know what the day will bring. MATTHEW 9:Yesterday we heard of several powerful healings and the miracle of calming the storm. One of the one-becomes-two instances is in the Gadarene demon possessed man, called Legion in the other Gospels. If Matthew was...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 2-3:In yesterday’s reading we returned to the books of Chronicles, and picked up the story following King David, with the beginning of Solomon’s reign. Solomon gave 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord, then the Lord appeared to him. Solomon requested wisdom to rule Israel, and the Lord was pleased with his request. PROVERBS 26b:Today’s highlighted verse: Pro. 26:23 NLT Smooth words may hide a wicked heart,just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. MATTHEW 8:We completed reading the Sermon on the Mount yesterday with the parable of building a house on sand or on a rock. Building...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 1:Yesterday we heard Hosea’s final and heart-felt warning. At the end of his book, Hosea penned a rather short apology on behalf of the people, requesting forgiveness. God responded lovingly, pleading for the people of Israel to stay away from idols. And now we return to the story we interrupted in the books of Chronicles. PROVERBS 26a:A highlighted verse for today is verse 12, which I like in both the NLT and the GNT. Pro. 26:12 NLT There is more hope for foolsthan for people who think they are wise. MATTHEW 7b:Yesterday’s reading included one of the most often quoted...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
THEME: Buckle up the belt of truth by FOCUSING YOUR GAZE ON CHRIST. OK, in my last episode I told you about my nightmare. There was a visitor on my porch that night. That visitor was a picture of the demon who had gained a foothold in my life. He had been tempting me for years and knew just how to do it. He got on the exercise bicycle on my front porch— which, as I told you, did not exist— rather it was a symbol. I believe that the Lord helped me figure out the meaning of that symbol. The night-time visitor got on the bike and kind of lazily gave a few turns of the wheel. But he was...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
HOSEA 13-14:Yesterday’s reading had this significant prophecy, prefaced by the words that God would not come to totally destroy: Hos. 11:10 NLT For someday the people will follow me.I, the LORD, will roar like a lion.And when I roar,my people will return trembling from the west.11 Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt.Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria.And I will bring them home again,”says the LORD. Hosea begins chapter 13 speaking against the tribe of Ephraim, but in the prophetic writings, that one tribe often stands for the whole northern kingdom. So the...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
HOSEA 11-12:In yesterday’s reading, as the Lord was pleading with Israel and using agricultural metaphors, He said, Hos. 10:12-13 NLT … ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ 13 “But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies— trusting in your military might, believing that great armies could make your nation safe. PROVERBS 25a:Today’s highlighted...
info_outlineDaily Bible Reading Phil Fields
HOSEA 9-10:I like how the GNT translates the first paragraph of chapter 6 as being the words of the people of Israel. Hosea 6:1-4 GNT:1 The people say, “Let's return to the LORD! He has hurt us, but he will be sure to heal us; he has wounded us, but he will bandage our wounds, won't he?2 In two or three days he will revive us, and we will live in his presence.3 Let us try to know the LORD. He will come to us as surely as the day dawns, as surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth.” 4 But the LORD says, “Israel and Judah, what am I going to do with you? Your love for me disappears as...
info_outlineEXODUS 1:
Yesterday we wrapped up Genesis with Jacob's very prophetic blessings for each of his sons. Then we heard of the conclusion after Jacob was buried and finally Joseph died.
Exodus is clearly a continuation of the story of Genesis, since the first word in the Hebrew text is ‘And’. Tradition holds that Moses is the author. The name Exodus derives from the name that was given by the Septuagint translators— which is the translation of the OT into classical Greek made three hundred years before Christ.
Here are two perceptive summary statements about Exodus— quotes by Durham (from Constable’s Notes):
“No other biblical book surfaces elsewhere in the OT as frequently as the Book of Exodus does; in the NT only the Books of Psalms and Isaiah are cited more, and that for the fairly obvious reasons of liturgy and messianism.”
“The story of the first half of Exodus, in broad summary, is Rescue. The story of the second half, in equally broad summary, is Response, both immediate response and continuing response. And binding together and undergirding both Rescue and Response is Presence, the Presence of Yahweh from whom both Rescue and Response ultimately derive.”
Here is a quote by J. Daniel Hays:
“The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt by Yahweh in the Old Testament is parallel in importance to the resurrection of Christ in the New Testament. The historicity of these events is a critical foundation for a proper understanding of the rest of the Bible.”
And finally, Henrietta Mears in her handbooks says this:
“Exodus is connected to Genesis in much the same way that the New Testament is connected to the Old Testament. Genesis tells of humanity’s failure under every test and in every condition. Exodus is the thrilling epic of God rushing to the rescue. It tells of the redeeming work of a sovereign God.”
JOB 31:
In the NLT, this is Job's sixth chapter of his long speech, and in the GNT it is his third. No matter how you divide the discourse, it is the final chapter of this long speech, in which he makes his final protest that he is innocent. After this, Elihu struts his stuff.
1PETER 5:
Peter finished chapter 4 talking about proudly bearing the name of ‘Christ’— which is part of the word ‘Christian’, and being patient under suffering, if that is included in God's will for you.
GNT Translation notes:
Gen. 2:11 When Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Hebrews, and he saw how they were forced to do hard labour. He even saw an Egyptian [strike//beating//attaching//kill] a Hebrew, one of Moses' own people.
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Job 31:12 [Such a sin//It] would be like a destructive, hellish fire,
consuming everything I have.
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1Ptr. 5:9 Be firm in [fully believing in Christ//your faith] and resist him, because you know that your fellow-believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.
NLT Translation notes:
1Ptr. 5:5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for [the Scriptures say,] “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your [fully believing in Christ//faith]. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
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.