NL-Day039 Exodus 17-18; Job 39; 2 Peter 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 17-18:Yesterday we heard the wonderful victory song of Moses. Then we heard how the people of Israel grumbled against Moses, Aaron, and most importantly, the Lord. Even about something as simple as gathering manna, the people of Israel disobey repeatedly. They are not called stubborn for nothing.JOB 39:God continues for a second chapter in challenging Job. 2PETER 3:Yesterday it struck me that even in Peter's day, there were greedy false teachers. Peter's descriptions of the false teachers are some of the most colorful in the Bible. NLT Translation notes:Job 39:17 For [I/God] haves...
info_outline
NL-Day038 Exodus 15-16; Job 38; 2 Peter 1:19-2:22
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 15-16:Yesterday we heard that because of the Passover plague which killed Egypt's firstborn, God claims the firstborn of Israel for all time to come. Then we heard of Pharaoh's final hardening of his heart, and the parting of the red sea. JOB 38:In the 6 chapters before this, Elihu has said that God uses multiple means of communication with humans. He maintained that God is just, and said that Job— in his despair, had gone too far in saying it doesn't make any difference if one tries to serve God. He said that God is amazing in His power, and God does notice and punish the wicked....
info_outline
NL-Day037 Exodus 13-14; Job 37; 2 Peter 1
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 13-14:Yesterday we heard of the final plague— including the death of the firstborn and the first Passover. And we heard the rules for the Passover celebrations. Note how Christ is foreshadowed in the Passover lamb, including the detail that not a bone was to be broken. JOB 37:This is the conclusion of Elihu's speech. 2nd PETER 1:Yesterday in James 5, James railed against the rich to encourage the poor. He also told us how to be patient in our suffering. The last section teaches about prayer for the sick and finally about repentance. I add a little footnote here. So often I hear the...
info_outline
NL-Day036 Exodus 11-12; Job 36; James 5
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 11-12:Yesterday we heard of the plague against the livestock, the plague of boils, and the plague of hail. We are not told how much time there was in between each plague. It seems there was enough time for many Egyptians to buy more livestock before they were again decimated by the hail. Then we heard about the plague of locusts followed by the plague of darkness. I hope you noticed Who is doing the hardening of hearts and causing the stubbornness. Paul talks about that in Romans 9. JOB 36:This is Elihu's 5th chapter. JAMES 5:In chapter 4, James preached against the way the world had...
info_outline
NL-Day035 Exodus 9-10; Job 35; James 4
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 9-10:The two chapters we read yesterday included the story of Aaron's staff becoming a serpent, and the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, and flies. Note verse that in our reading today: 9:19 Now give orders for your livestock and everything else you have in the open to be put under shelter. Hail will fall on the people and animals left outside unprotected, and they will all die.’ ” Evidently enough time had passed between the plague against the livestock so that the Egyptians were able to buy livestock, and I am sure the people of Israel profited in that! JOB 35:This is Elihu's 4th...
info_outline
NL-Day034 Exodus 7-8; Job 34; James 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 7-8:Yesterday we heard of Moses and Aaron's first disastrous meeting with Pharaoh, and Pharaoh's retaliation against the Israelite people. God spoke with Moses again reaffirming his promises and his covenant with the people of Israel. JOB 34:This is the third chapter of Elihu's six-chapter monologue. JAMES 3:Yesterday James warned that showing favoritism breaks the Law of Love that our King Jesus taught. And he talked about dead religion, which consists of easy believism with no acting out of what we believe. Here is a famous statement that sums up Biblical teaching nicely on this...
info_outline
NL-Day033 Exodus 5-6; Job 33; James 2
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 5-6:Moses has responded to God's call, returned to Egypt with Aaron, and has had a successful meeting with the leaders of the Israelite people. JOB 33:This is Elihu's second chapter of six in his speech. JAMES 2:Yesterday James told us to consider it a great joy when troubles come our way. Don't miss James’ reasoning for this seeming contradiction. Then he spoke very strongly about not just being people who merely listen to God's Word. We must do it. NLT Translation notes:Jam. 2:1 My dear brothers and sisters, a how can you claim to [fully believe//have faith] in our glorious...
info_outline
NL-Day032 Exodus 3-4; Job 32; James 1
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 3-4:In yesterday's beginning to Exodus, we heard of Moses' birth and his young adulthood in Egypt. He murdered a man and had to flee for his life, going to Midian. We also read of his helping the seven daughters of Reuel, a scene that I can't read without thinking of the Cecil B. DeMill movie. JOB 32:Job having finished his defense, Elihu takes the stage. HC Mears says, Eliphaz basically said, “God never makes a mistake. What have you done to bring this on yourself?” Bildad essentially said, “God is just. Confess your sin.” Zophar suggested, “God is all-wise. He knows...
info_outline
NL-Day031 Exodus 1-2; Job 31; 1 Peter 5
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 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...
info_outline
NL-Day030 Genesis 49-50; Job 30; 1 Peter 3:17-4:19
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 49-50: In yesterday's reading, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Joseph lead powerfully during the worst of the famine, and Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh— putting the younger Ephraim above his older brother. (And if you remember Jacob's story, you'll know where he got that idea.) JOB 30: In the GNT, this is the 2nd of Job’s three chapters stating his complaints. In the NLT, this is the 5th chapter of his monologue. Yesterday Job spoke of his previous blessed life and high position. In this chapter he tells of his anguish. 1PETER 4: Yesterday in chapter 3 he gave instructions to wives,...
info_outlineEXODUS 5-6:
Moses has responded to God's call, returned to Egypt with Aaron, and has had a successful meeting with the leaders of the Israelite people.
JOB 33:
This is Elihu's second chapter of six in his speech.
JAMES 2:
Yesterday James told us to consider it a great joy when troubles come our way. Don't miss James’ reasoning for this seeming contradiction. Then he spoke very strongly about not just being people who merely listen to God's Word. We must do it.
NLT Translation notes:
Jam. 2:1 My dear brothers and sisters, a how can you claim to [fully believe//have faith] in our glorious Lord [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] if you favor some people over others?
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in [the area of fully believing in Christ//faith]? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?
6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], whose noble nameyou bear?
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty [of being a law breaker as the//as a] person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery.”
HEADING: [Believing without Good Deeds Is Dead Religion//Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead]
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you [believe/have faith] but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of [believing/faith] save anyone?
17 So you see, [believing/faith] by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead [religion/0] and useless.
18 Now [I can just hear someone arguing//someone may argue], “Some people [are good at believing//have faith]; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me [that you believe//your faith] if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you [that I fully believe through//my faith] by my good deeds.”
19 You say you [believe//have faith], [because/for] you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe [that/this], and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that [believing/faith] without good deeds is useless?
22 You see, [believing/faith] and his actions worked together. His actions made his [believing/faith] complete [in God's sight]. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his [fully believing//faith].” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by [believing/faith] alone.
[I hope you remember why I use ‘believe’ instead of ‘faith’. ‘Faith’ and ‘believe’ translate the same root word (pistin/pisteuw) in Greek. 1. Faith is fuzzy because the word has taken on all sorts of meanings. 2. If you tell someone to have faith, they will likely ask, “But how?” Faith is not a volitional action. But believing is. 3. And finally I make the changes above for maintaining cohesion. In a verse like 23, it is important that the two phrases use the same word: ‘Abraham believed God’, and … ‘because of his believing’— that believing just mentioned, not some fuzzy thing Hollywood and our culture calls ‘faith’.]
26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also [merely believing is just dead religion//faith is dead] without good works.
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.