NL-Day232 Lamentations 3; Proverbs 12:14-28; Ephesians 2
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 08/17/2025
046: JoySightings: The private car, and Rising above the clouds
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
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NL-Day046 Exodus 30-31; Psalm 4; Luke 4:14-44
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 30-31:Yesterday we heard the instructions for consecrating the priests for their special work. PSALM 4:This is an evening hymn expressing our trust in God. LUKE 4:Yesterday we read of Jesus being tested by the devil, and we reread the story of how Jesus was rejected in his home town. When Jesus had finished reading from that special place in Isaiah 61, he sat down. In our culture we are likely to assume that sitting down was without the expectation of teaching. But in Jewish practice of this time, teachers sat down to teach. Frequently in the Gospels we find Jesus taking a sitting...
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NL-Day045 Exodus 29; Psalm 3; Luke 4:1-30
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 29:Yesterday we read about the design of the altar for burnt offerings and the plans for the courtyard. The dimensions we heard the day before were for the sacred tent that was enclosed by the courtyard that we heard about yesterday. And we read about the fabulous garments for the priests, Aaron and his sons. PSALM 3:As the title says, this is “A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.” Found at various strategic points in the Psalms is the word ‘Selah’. This has been variously translated. The truth is, we don’t know what it means! But people...
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NL-Day044 Exodus 27-28; Psalm 2; Luke 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 27-28:Yesterday in Exodus, we heard the beginning plans given by God for the Tabernacle (or sacred tent) and the Arc of the Covenant that were to become the focal point for worship of God under the Covenant. The whole Tabernacle— and particularly the atonement cover on top of the Arc of the Covenant (called the Mercy Seat), symbolized that God was living among them. (Ex. 25:8) The whole Tabernacle was to be made exquisitely as appropriate for God's own dwelling. PSALM 2:In Psalm 1, the author (probably David) mentioned obeying and studying ‘the Law’. In much of the Old Testament...
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NL-Day043 Exodus 25-26; Psalm 1; Luke 2:25-52
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 25-26:Yesterday we read the commands for the Israelites to be good neighbors and to practice justice. And we heard the requirement for all Israelites to celebrate three festivals, and God gave promises of how He would bring them into the land. Then we read the story of how Moses led the people in accepting the covenant. Note how important the sacrificial blood was in this ceremony. The Israelites promised to obey the covenant. Moses told them to wait for him, then followed God's call to go up to the summit of the mountain, where he stayed for 40 days and nights. PSALMS 1:Job— as I...
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NL-Day042 Exodus 23-24; Job 42; Luke 2:1-35
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 23-24:Yesterday we heard laws regarding treatment of slaves, cases of personal injury, protection of private property, and social responsibility. Job 42:After three chapters of God confronting Job, Job gives his final response, and we hear of God’s blessings to him. Luke 2a:Yesterday in Luke, Mary visited Elizabeth, and we read Mary's song of praise, and later John's father Zechariah prayed his prophetic prayer. NLT Translation notes:Exo. 23:17 At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before [Me,/0] the Sovereign[, the/0] LORD .25 “You must serve only...
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NL-Day041 Exodus 21-22; Job 41; Luke 1:39-80
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 21-22:Yesterday we read about the awesome and fearful way the Lord revealed himself at Mount Sinai to the Israelites. (Remember that for when we come to Hebrews 13.) And God gave the 10 Commandments. JOB 41:God continues to confront and challenge Job, asking questions revealing God's power compared to human weakness. A note about Leviathan in this chapter. Leviathan can be compared to a sea crocodile. The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature. LUKE 1b:Yesterday, in a very formal prologue, Luke stated his...
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NL-Day040 Exodus 19-20; Job 40; Luke 1:1-45
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
EXODUS 19-20:Yesterday we heard of God satisfying the thirst of the Israelites by commanding Moses to hit a rock. Israel defeated the Amalekites. And Jethro brought Moses’ wife and sons to him and gave him good advice. Note that in most English translations, God often talks of Himself in what we might term the royal fashion— as ‘The LORD’, and then as ‘He’ (instead of ‘I’, and ‘Me’). (The capital letters L O R D indicate that the Hebrew actually has his name, Yahweh.) In many of the world’s languages, it is ungrammatical to speak of oneself in the third person, so...
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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...
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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_outlineLAMENTATIONS 3:
A warning for the modern times is here in chapter 2:
Lam. 2:14 NLT Your prophets have said
so many foolish things, false to the core.
They did not save you from exile
by pointing out your sins.
Instead, they painted false pictures,
filling you with false hope.
The last so poignant line from yesterday’s reading was,
22 … “The enemy has killed all the children
whom I carried and raised.”
Today Jeremiah again speaks in the first person.
PROVERBS 12b:
A favorite verse to introduce today’s proverbs:
Pro. 12:23 NLT The wise don't make a show of their knowledge,
but fools broadcast their foolishness.
EPHESIANS 2:
The first chapter has 4 instances of ‘joined with Christ’, and this chapter has seven.
In his first chapter, Paul wrote in a formal style and showed his enthusiasm for his topic by his use of long sentences in Greek. Verse 3-14 are one long sentence, with a cascade of phrases modifying other phrases. And verses 15-23 are another long sentence. Long sentences like that seem clearer to me in Greek than they do in English. Another notable place Paul does this is in Colossians.
NLT Translation notes:
Eph. 2:6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are [joined as one/united] with Christ Jesus.
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are [joined/united] with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for [that/this]; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. [We who are joined with Christ Jesus have been like recreated,//He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,] so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who [are so/were] proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.
13 But now you have been [jointed/united] with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. [PET: That means that everyone, from every people group— each of them being [joined/one] with Christ, are as if created to become a new people group, and a peaceful nation.//He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.]
21 [PET: When each of us becomes [joined as] one with Christ, the whole building is growing larger until it becomes a holy Temple for God.//We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.]
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.