NL-Day164 2 Samuel 13; Psalm 112; Romans 14
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 06/12/2024
NL-Day320 Ezra 1-2; Isaiah 29; 2 Corinthians 10
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EZRA 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...
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NL-Day319 Daniel 10:20-12:13; Isaiah 28; 2 Corinthians 9
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DANIEL 10:20—12:In yesterday’s reading, we heard Daniel’s sincere prayer. Note that he had been seeking the Lord with limited fasting for 3 weeks. Then the angel Gabriel is again sent with a message for Daniel. Note that the phrase ‘anoint the Most Holy Place’ is probably referring to what we read about in Hebrews recently— that which our High Priest Jesus did in heaven. Gabriel’s message about seventy sets of seven, or seventy weeks and 62 weeks, are both a difficult translational problem and a prophetic mystery. If we could solve the prophetic mystery, then we would know how to...
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NL-Day318 Daniel 9-10; Isaiah 26:20-27:13; 2 Corinthians 8
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DANIEL 9-10:Yesterday in Daniel, we heard of the vision of four beasts representing four kingdoms. After the fourth would be the start of the rule of One whose kingdom would last forever. This vision was explained, then Daniel had a second and more detailed vision. It is a major amazing sign of God’s sovereignty over human governments that Alexander the Great is so clearly portrayed, and after that the iron kingdom of Rome. Just as certain as these things happened, our Savior’s reign will one day come to earth. I have been referring to Daniel 7 all year, to the section where he saw...
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NL-Day317 Daniel 7-8; Isaiah 26; 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:16
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DANIEL 7-8:In Daniel yesterday, we heard the famous ‘writing on the wall’ chapter. That is where that idiom in English comes from! While that was happening with King Belshazzar, the Medes and Persians were outside the wall and the prophecies of Ezekiel, Isaiah and Jeremiah all happened. Daniel was to be proclaimed the third ruler because Belshazzar was in fact the second ruler under his absentee father, Nabonidus. Then under King Darius, Daniel was thrown to the lions. I am estimating that Daniel would have been around 70 years old at that time. ISAIAH 26:Yesterday’s reading in Isaiah...
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NL-Day316 Daniel 5-6; Isaiah 25; 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:13
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DANIEL 5-6:Yesterday we heard two stories: That of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of gold and the exciting way God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And the second story was Nebuchadnezzar himself sharing about his dream and how he was later humbled. ISAIAH 25:Yesterday’s reading in Isaiah talked of the destruction of the whole earth, but here again as typical in Isaiah, the sun was allowed to break through the clouds. We look forward to a city where God himself will outshine the sun. 2CORINTHIANS 5:14—6:13:Here is part of Paul’s discussion about the earthly tents/bodies we all have,...
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NL-Day315 Daniel 3-4; Isaiah 24; 2 Corinthians 4:10-5:15
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DANIEL 3-4:Matthew Henry describes the parts of the statue in Daniel 2: 1. The head of gold signified the Chaldean empire, then in being. 2. The breast and arms of silver signified the empire of the Medes and Persians. 3. The belly and thighs of brass signified the Grecian empire, founded by Alexander. 4. The legs and feet of iron signified the Roman empire. The Roman empire branched into ten kingdoms, as the toes of [the//these] feet [of the statue]. Some were weak as clay, others strong as iron. Endeavors [were made] to unite them, for strengthening the empire, but in vain. 5. The stone cut...
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NL-Day314 Daniel 2; Isaiah 23; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:18
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DANIEL 2:In the first chapter of Daniel, we heard how Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were faithful to God in not wanting to be defiled by the king’s food, and later they were found better than their companions and chosen for service to King Nebuchadnezzar. ISAIAH 23:Yesterday we heard two dramatic messages. One was about the failure of Jerusalem to appropriately respond to God’s impending judgment (which was remarkably like Nero fiddling while Rome burned). Then there was the message to Shebna, the palace administrator. Eliakim would take his place and be like a nail firmly driven...
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NL-Day313 Daniel 1; Isaiah 22; 2 Corinthians 2:14-3:18
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
DANIEL 1:Yesterday in Ezekiel, the land was divided in horizontal bands across the entire width of Israel. We will see the 12 gates of the New Jerusalem again in Revelation. We start the little but immensely important book of Daniel today. Daniel wrote this sometime between 540 and 530 BC. As Daniel will relate, he was an exile to Babylon starting from 605 BC. For comparison, Ezekiel tells us that he was deported to Babylonia in 597 (and his location beside the Chebar river might have been 75 miles southeast of Babylon). So Daniel would have come to Babylon only 8 years earlier. Daniel is a...
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NL-Day312 Ezekiel 48; Isaiah 21; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EZEKIEL 48:In the chapters from Ezekiel yesterday, we heard more rules for the prince’s worship and about temple kitchens and a beginning part about the division of the land. Very fascinating in that is the part about the river that comes out from the east side of the temple, including trees that are for healing, bearing fruit every month. We will soon hear about this river and the trees of life in Revelation. ISAIAH 21:Yesterday’s chapter in Isaiah was only six verses long. It always seems very unfair to me that Isaiah had to go about naked as a sign about two countries that were not even...
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NL-Day311 Ezekiel 46-47; Isaiah 20; 2 Corinthians 1
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EZEKIEL 46-47:Yesterday we heard regulations for the priests and Levites, about foreigners, and about the prince of Israel. Also there was the fascinating detail about the eastern gate, which must remain shut. ISAIAH 20:Yesterday we heard the prophecy against Egypt, but again it ends with a note of hope for Egypt. 2 CORINTHIANS 1:Yesterday we finished the book of Hebrews. I would encourage anyone to camp out for a longer time in the 12th and 13th chapters. There is deep insight hidden there. Here at the end of the year, we will be touring through some of the deepest writing of the New...
info_outline2SAMUEL 13:
Yesterday we heard of David's moral failure with Bathsheba. That sin led to the death of the noble husband of Bathsheba, Uriah. Nathan gave one of his most stunning prophecies. David immediately and utterly repented. Even so, the baby son of Bathsheba and David son died. I mentioned yesterday that sin always has consequences, even when there has been forgiveness. Another lesson from this story is that one sin leads to more sin.
PSALM 112:
Like Psalm 111, Psalm 112 carries similar themes with the book of Proverbs. Verse 9 is quoted in the New Testament.
Re-reading ROMANS 14:
I am very happy that Paul didn't just give the churches a list of the celebrations and days that Christians were to consider as sacred. He did not give us a list of foods to not eat. That would have been the easy thing to do. To me it is a proof of God's inspiration that Paul does the counterintuitive thing: He tells us each to decide as our conscience dictates before God. Paul was not interested in establishing a man-made religion. The things that matter are “living a life of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” And when choosing our actions, let our conscience be our guide.
NLT Translation notes:
Rom. 14:1 Accept other believers who are weak in [way that they believe//faith], and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
Rom. 14:5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced [in your decision about this matter//that whichever day you choose is acceptable].
Rom. 14:8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, [(or do anything else,)] we belong to the Lord.
Rom. 14:13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Rom. 14:15 And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it [right in front of him]. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.
Rom. 14:23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and [eat/do] it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
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.