NL-Day256 Hosea 9-10; Proverbs 24:17-34; Matthew 6:1-18
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 09/12/2024
NL-Day277 2 Chronicles 30; Ecclesiastes 6; Matthew 19
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 30:Hezekiah led a wonderful spiritual revival which included the reopening and cleansing of the temple and the resumption of sacrifices. And he wasted no time in doing those things. ECCLESIASTES 6:Solomon gave wonderful conclusions about happiness in yesterday’s reading. And he also observed that we leave the world as naked and empty-handed as when we came into the world. MATTHEW 19:Yesterday’s portion of Matthew 18 included the important parable about the king and the forgiven servant who did not forgive the debt of his fellow servant. NLT Translation note:Mat. 19:15 And...
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NL-Day276 2 Chronicles 29; Ecclesiastes 5; Matthew 18:15-35
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 29:Ahaz’s rule was one of the darkest chapters in Judah’s history. The people didn’t even bury him in the royal cemetery. He closed the temple and put up places to worship Baal all over the country. Even when under severe punishment from the Lord, he never turned to the Lord for help. ECCLESIASTES 5:In yesterday’s chapter, I really like the passages that talk of having the companionship of 2 (or perhaps 3) people. And when it is 2, I always think that the relationship of a man and wife is in view. MATTHEW 18b:Yesterday we heard the passage that deals with following Jesus...
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NL-Day275 2 Chronicles 28; Ecclesiastes 4; Matthew 18:1-20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 28:Yesterday we heard of the reign of Uzziah (who suffered a terrible punishment for his pride) and the reign of his son, Jotham. Both were basically good kings. ECCLESIASTES 4:Yesterday we heard the famous chapter of Ecclesiastes which starts with Ecc. 3:1 (like NLT) For everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season, (turn, turn, turn) a time for every activity under heaven. (Except of course, the NLT does not contain 'turn, turn, turn'.) GNT is very perceptive in bringing out some implicit information that would have been understood by Solomon’s audience, but which modern...
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NL-Day274 2 Chronicles 26-27; Ecclesiastes 3; Matthew 16:24-17:27
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 26-27:King Joash didn’t end so well, did he?! He ordered the murder of Jehoiadah’s son Zechariah. Time and time again Judah’s kings needed to learn not to be proud, and that certainly happened to Joash’s son Amaziah, who was assassinated like his father. Jesus mentioned a Zechariah in Matthew 23 who was “murdered between the temple and the altar.” I previously was mistaken in saying in the intro to 2Chronicles 26 that Joash murdered the son of Jehoida. The Zechariah that Joash murdered was the son of Jehoida, but the one Jesus mentioned is Zechariah “the son of...
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NL-Day273 2 Chronicles 24-25; Ecclesiastes 2:12-26; Matthew 16
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 24-25:Yesterday we heard of Ahaziah’s one year reign, and then his mother Athaliah’s reign. The baby Joash was the only royal descendant of David saved from slaughter. He was raised in the temple by Jehoiada and Jehosheba. When he reached only seven years old, Jehoiada mounted a dangerous coup, which succeeded. ECCLESIASTES 2B:In yesterday’s reading, Solomon sought to find meaning in life through pleasure, folly, wine, and hard work. But both the wise man and the fool share the same fate (as far as Solomon could see). MATTHEW 16:In yesterday’s reading, Matthew gave more...
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NL-Day272 2 Chronicles 22-23; Ecclesiastes 2:1-17; Matthew 15:21-39
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 22-23:Yesterday we heard of Jehoshaphat’s famous victory, accomplished only by prayer, worship, and the power of the Lord. Then we also heard about Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram, who might possibly be Judah’s worst king, except for several at the very end of that kingdom. ECCLESIASTES 2a:Yesterday the theme of Ecclesiastes was given in these words: Ecc. 2:2 NLT “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”15 What is wrong cannot be made right.What is missing cannot be recovered.18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.To increase...
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NL-Day271 2 Chronicles 20-21; Ecclesiastes 1; Matthew 15:1-20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 20-21:Yesterday we heard of Jehoshaphat wisely appointing judges, and he also travelled all over Israel personally encouraging people to follow the Lord. ECCLESIASTES 1:The book of Ecclesiastes is the record of Solomon seeking to find God in a worldly way. This is a book of worldly wisdom. Solomon repeatedly uses the key theme word ‘useless’ to describe our lives on earth. God had not given clear promises about how all mankind will live after death, and Solomon considers the afterlife an open question. Had he known what we know, his opinions on many things would have changed....
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NL-Day270 2 Chronicles 19; Proverbs 31:10-31; Matthew 14
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 19:Yesterday we heard the story of how Jehoshaphat helped Ahab in battle. God had already spoken through a prophet that Ahab would meet his downfall and how the dogs would lick up his blood. This happened, as we already read in 1Kings 22, when they took his chariot back to Samaria. PROVERBS 31b:Speaking of a capable and virtuous wife, this chapter says: Pro. 31:28-29 NLT Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” MATTHEW...
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NL-Day269 2 Chronicles 18; Proverbs 31:1-21; Matthew 13:31-58
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 18:Woops. Asa didn’t end nearly as well as he started. And his son Jehoshaphat starts out well, but makes unfortunate alliances. PROVERBS 31a:Today and tomorrow are our last two days in Proverbs. Verses 10-31 of chapter 31 comprise a Hebrew acrostic poem; each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Our highlighted verse today is verse 10. I like NLT’s translation for this verse because the Hebrew word describing a good wife means more than just capable. It also includes valor and virtue. Pro. 31:10 NLT Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?She is more...
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NL-Day268 2 Chronicles 16-17; Proverbs 30:15-33; Matthew 12:17-33
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
2CHRONICLES 16-17:Judah’s kingdom was truly blessed by Asa’s wise reign. The Lord rewarded the country for returning to Him. PROVERBS 30b:Today’s highlighted verse is Pro. 30:20 NLT An adulterous woman consumes a man,then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?” MATTHEW 13a:Jesus gave a stinging reply to his critics in yesterday’s reading. The part about a demon leaving a person and then returning with seven demons is often used to teach that there cannot be a spiritual vacuum in a person. But really, the main thing Jesus is ‘on about’ is illustrating what will...
info_outlineHOSEA 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 quickly as morning mist; it is like dew, that vanishes early in the day.
PROVERBS 24b:
Just one of many neat nuggets of truth in today’s reading:
Pro. 24:26 NLT An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.
MATTHEW 6a:
Yesterday’s reading had five ‘You have heard it said … But I tell you …’ And they included some of the hardest ones for us to obey.
NLT Translation notes:
Prov. 24:30 I walked by the field of a lazy [man/person],
the vineyard of one with no common sense.
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[In this memorized and often repeated verse, I suggest that ‘name’ should be taken as a metonymy that stands for God. See the note in the GNT section.]
Mat. 6:9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may [You always and everywhere be regarded as holy//your name be kept holy.]
[In most of the world’s languages a ‘kingdom’ cannot come or move. Instead it is more natural to say that a King will come to rule.]
10 May [You come as king to rule on this earth//your Kingdom come soon.]
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
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.