NL-Day125 Judges 2-3; Psalm 79; Galatians 1
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 05/04/2024
NL-Day181 1 Kings 11-12; Psalm 119:129-144; John 7:25-53
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1KINGS 11-12:Yesterday we heard interesting glimpses of Solomon's international relations and commerce. Notably, the queen of Sheba came to listen to Solomon's wisdom and to ask questions of him. PSALM 119:129-144:How precious the Word of God is to us! A favorite verse from yesterday’s portion is verse 127: “I love your commands more than gold, more than the finest gold. JOHN 7b:We left the story in John 7 yesterday with Jesus already having some hot exchanges with the people at the Festival of Shelters. Today we will hear Jesus shouting to the crowds at the festival, “Anyone who is...
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NL-Day180 1 Kings 9-10; Psalm 119:113-128; John 7:1-24
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1KINGS 9-10:The temple was completed! And yesterday we heard Solomon’s very wise prayer asking God to fulfill his promises and help the people of Israel. In his prayer, he recognized that the people of Israel would not be able to remain faithful to the Lord, but that they would sin and then need to repent. Solomon asked God to forgive and to hear the people in situations of sin and desperation because of the Lord's punishment upon them. PSALM 119:113-128:Yesterday we read one of the frequently memorized verses from this psalm: Ps. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feetand a light for...
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NL-Day179 1 Kings 8; Psalm 119:97-112; John 6:25-71
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1KINGS 8:Yesterday we heard lots and lots of details about the building of the temple. A man from Tyre, Huram, must have been an efficient and artistic technician in working with bronze casting. He corresponds to the two craftsmen who designed and constructed the first tabernacle. PSALM 119:97-112:Again we are focussing on what God’s Word means to us. A favorite verse from yesterday’s portion is verse 89: Ps. 119:89 “Your word, O Lord, will last forever; it is eternal in heaven.” JOHN 6b:There is an important play on words between Jesus and the crowd in Capernaum which does not come...
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NL-Day178 1 Kings 6-7; Psalm 119:81-96; John 6:1-40
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1KINGS 6-7:Yesterday we heard of the incredible size and wealth of Solomon's dominion. His wisdom in organization is evident. During his reign, Israel was prosperous as never before or afterward. Solomon contracted with King Hiram of Sidon to get the materials needed for the construction of the temple. PSALM 119.81-96:God is telling us how important His Word is! Here are two favorite verses from yesterday’s reading: Ps. 119:72 The law that you gave means more to me than all the money in the world.78 May the proud be ashamed for falsely accusing me; as for me, I will meditate on your...
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NL-Day177 1 Kings 4-5; Psalm 119:65-80; John 5:24-47
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1KINGS 4-5:Yesterday we heard David's final instructions to Solomon. They contained a few messy details, and Solomon managed to finish all of those issues. David noted Solomon's wisdom as he gave him those instructions, and later Solomon (at his finest hour) asked God for wisdom to rule the nation of Israel well, and God gave it to him. PSALM 119:65-80:God is telling us how important His Word is! I highlight this verse (62) from yesterday’s portion, “In the middle of the night I wake up to praise you for your righteous judgments.” JOHN 5b:Yesterday we heard of Jesus healing a man who had...
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NL-Day176 1 Kings 2-3; Psalm 119:49-64; John 5:1-30
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1KINGS 2-3:Yesterday we heard of Adonijah’s almost successful bid to become the next king. The prophet Nathan’s intervention saved the day. PSALM 119:49-64:God is telling us how important His Word is! In yesterday’s reading I find NLT’s rendering of this verse interesting: Ps. 119:45 I will walk in freedom,for I have devoted myself to your commandments. Note that following God’s commandments does not violate freedom. JOHN 5a:In John 4:36, about the spiritual harvest, Jesus said, “The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What...
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NL-Day175 1 Kings 1; Psalm 119:33-48; John 4:25-54
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
1KINGS 1:Like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles were originally each one book instead of two. The books of Kings and Chronicles have many similarities. One difference is that the books of Kings seem a bit more secular in their outlook, whereas Chronicles seems to have been written by a priest. Henrietta Mears says that both sets have these things in common: 1. They begin with King David and end with the king of Babylon. 2. They open with the building of the Temple and end with the burning of the Temple. 3. They open with David’s first successor to the throne,...
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NL-Day174 2 Samuel 24; Psalm 119:17-32; John 4:1-26
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 24:Yesterday we heard David’s final words and the listing of the 38 mighty warriors who loyally helped David in his victories. Note that Uriah the Hittite was so poignantly included at the end of the list. And this 24th chapter seems like a postscript. PSALM 119:17-32:Yesterday’s reading included two of the most famous verses from this psalm: 9 NLT How can a young person stay pure?By obeying your word.11 I have hidden your word in my heart,that I might not sin against you. JOHN 4:Yesterday in John 3 we heard the words of John the Baptist at what I consider his finest hour. That was...
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NL-Day173 2 Samuel 23; Psalm 119:1-16; John 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 23:Yesterday we read David’s long poem of praise for God giving him victory and deliverance from his enemies. PSALM 119a:This psalm is famous for being the longest chapter in the Bible, and it is an acrostic psalm with a difference. In this psalm, every line of each stanza starts with the same letter of the alphabet, instead of every line with a different letter. The psalm has 22 stanzas, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And this psalm has a clear theme: God’s Word— or a synonym for it, is mentioned in almost every verse. Re-reading JOHN 3:One of the features of John's...
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NL-Day172 2 Samuel 22; John 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2SAMUEL 22:We near the end of David’s story. God gave him victory over Sheba and the house of Saul. The killing of seven of the descendants of Saul seems harsh and past the ‘statute of limitations’ to us. But God arranged that revenge in response to untold injustices that were wreaked by Saul against the Gibeonites. Note: God takes notice of covenants made and wants us to do what we promise in His name. David’s song of praise in chapter 22 closely follows Psalm 18. Because of this long poetic section today, we skip a day reading from the Psalms. JOHN 3:John’s Gospel is unique in...
info_outlineJUDGES 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 this theme in this book— which in some ways foreshadows some arguments in the book of Romans. Important sections for memorizing include the ‘crucified with Christ’ passages in chapter 2 and 6, and the works of the flesh and fruits of the Holy Spirit in chapter 5. This book makes it perfectly clear that we are not saved by religion.
We are saved by ‘faith’— which means ‘fully believing in Christ’. Do not fall into the trap of choosing between what James says about being saved by works and what Paul says. The two teachings are compatible. The saying taught to me by one of my spiritual fathers (Glen Zumwalt) is this: We are saved by ‘faith alone’; but saving faith will never be ‘alone’.
Paul’s introduction in the first chapter is unique among his letters. He normally starts with praise for the congregation he is writing to. Not in this case! After he expresses his shock at the Galatian church, he goes on to remind them that the Good News they had so quickly abandoned was revealed directly to him by the Lord.
NLT Translation notes:
|Jdg. 3:12 Once again the Israelites did evil in the Lord ’s sight, and the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil.
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Gal. 1:1This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
6 [But] I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous [kindness/grace]. Then it pleased him
16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very [beliefs//faith] he tried to destroy!”
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.