NL-Day344 Obadiah 1; Isaiah 49:12-26; Revelation 2:12-29
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Release Date: 12/07/2025
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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NL-Day029 Genesis 47-48; Job 29; 1 Peter 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 47-48: In yesterday's reading, Jacob arrived in Egypt with his family. Excluding more extended family, the whole group numbered 70 people at that time. JOB 29: Yesterday we heard the chapter in praise of God’s wisdom, which GNT attributes to Zophar. Today Job speaks of his former blessings, in the first of three chapters which are the final statement of his case. 1PETER 3: Peter packed each sentence with meaning. I encourage you to take time to read the first two chapters slowly and think about Peter’s descriptive words. Yesterday, for instance, we read the wonderful “Living...
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NL-Day028 Genesis 46; Job 28; 1 Peter 1:22-2:25
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 46: In yesterday’s two chapters, Joseph's brothers went back to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother. Joseph contrived a creative way to reveal his identity. When Pharaoh heard about Joseph's brothers, he helped provide for Jacob's family to come to Egypt. JOB 28:Did you notice in yesterday’s reading of Job 27 that my voice suddenly turned sarcastic sounding? In some translations, one of them being GNT, the second part of chapter 27 (beginning at verse 13) is assigned to Zophar. Actually, that idea, proposed by several commentators, has gone out of fashion. NLT goes...
info_outlineOBADIAH:
At the end of Amos, the clouds of judgment broke and there were wonderful promises about the restoration of Israel. God would shake the nations like a sieve and not a single kernel (child of Israel) would drop through the cracks and be lost. And Israel’s crops would be so rich and fruitful. Then, did you notice?— Isaiah said the same thing in chapter 49.
Obadiah’s name means “servant of Yahweh” or “worshipper of Yahweh.” There are 13 men who have this name in the Old Testament, and it is very possible that the writer of this book is not one of those mentioned. Only two Old Testament prophetic books lack any information about the author: Obadiah and Malachi.
Obadiah refers to a time when the Edomites had gloated over a successful invasion of Jerusalem (vv. 10-14, 16), but this does not help much in dating the book, since invasions of the city happened at least seven times in Old Testament history. The Edomites lived in the inaccessible rock fortress of Petra— which is famously seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. From our vantage point, we may see the Edomites as being symbolic of all the proud enemies of God’s people.
ISAIAH 49b:
In our first reading in Isaiah 49, I hope you noticed many poetic prophecies that remind us of Jesus. It is fascinating that most of these can be understood to refer to Cyrus as well! After all, Cyrus did release the captives of Israel to return again to their land. Alternatively, some of the prophecies may refer to the nation of Israel or even Isaiah, as the Lord’s servant.
REVELATION 2b:
Yesterday we heard the letter to the church at Ephesus— the church that lost their ‘love’ (in a literal translation). So the question is, they lost their love of who? The GNT specifies the implicit object ‘Me’ (meaning Jesus). NLT chooses another good option: It makes good sense to say that the love was for Jesus and for one another, since the two go hand in hand!
Secondly we heard about the poor and persecuted church in Smyrna. Their church is exceptional because there was no word of rebuke for them. Jesus just urged them to keep on being faithful.
Jesus ends each letter just like he ended his parables— which I paraphrase: “Ya’ got ears, don’t ya?! Well then pay attention …”
Remember what Isaiah said about people who have grown deaf!
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.