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...
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NL-Day027 Genesis 44-45; Job 27; 1 Peter 1
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 44-45: Yesterday we heard of Joseph's brothers on their first and second trips to Egypt. [GNT only: Regarding my comment in yesterday’s podcast about Joseph giving wine without limit, it is likely that He was showing the normal generosity of a wealthy host. I very much doubt that under these circumstances his brothers would have allowed themselves to become drunk.] We pick up the story, still in Joseph's palace on the second trip. JOB 27: In the NLT, this chapter is the 2nd chapter of Job’s six-chapter-long speech. But in the GNT Zophar interrupts and carries on through chapter 28....
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NL-Day026 Genesis 42-43; Job 26; Mark 16
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 42-43: Yesterday in chapter 41, we heard of Pharaoh's dream, and what happened to Joseph as a result of his correctly telling the interpretation. Note also that Joseph was careful to give the glory to God for that interpretation. JOB 26: Yesterday in chapter 25, Bildad only had a six verse response, because Job interrupted him with the speech we will read today. Bildad implied Job’s guilt in more than one way, including this most obvious rhetorical question: 4 Can anyone be righteous or pure in God's sight? MARK 16: Yesterday we heard of the death and burial of Jesus. That chapter...
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Day025: 2023 EveryWord --- Mark 16
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Today I will do my best to convince you that the last 12 verses of Mark 16 shouldn’t have brackets around them or footnotes that cast doubt on their authenticity. I believe that they are authentic Scripture inspired by God. Now, I try to stay away from saying anything controversial in the Daily Bible Reading Podcast series, and it kind of bothers me that here in this first extra podcast of the year, I will say things that quite a few people with seminary training will consider leaning too much to the conservative side of the scale. But I feel constrained to be controversial now so I will...
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NL-Day025 Genesis 41; Job 25; Mark 15:33-47
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 41: In yesterday's reading, Joseph interpreted two dreams. He said something significant: Interpreting dreams is God’s business. JOB 25: Yesterday Job said, Why doesn't God set a time for judging, a day of justice for those who serve him? (Job 24:1) And speaking of the helpless and downtrodden he said, “In the cities the wounded and dying cry out, but God ignores their prayers. (v12) Starting in v18 GNT follows a number of other translations in saying that Zophar chimed in, disagreeing that the wicked are indeed punished, contradicting what Job was saying. NLT doesn’t do that....
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NL-Day024 Genesis 40; Job 24; Mark 15:1-32
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 40: In Genesis yesterday, some listeners to these podcasts were probably shocked. We heard the less than auspicious beginnings of Judah's line— particularly involving Tamar, who was more righteous than Judah. Then we heard of Joseph working for Potiphar and then being thrown in jail. Even in jail, he rose to the top. JOB 24: Job continues his response to Eliphaz. MARK 15a: At the end of chapter 14, Jesus was arrested, was tried before the council, and Peter denied knowing Jesus. NLT Translation notes: 2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “[Yes,...
info_outline1KINGS 19-20:
The story we read yesterday in this book is one of the most dramatic in all of Scripture: The time the prophet Elijah confronted King Ahab. Remember that in the New Testament James used this story to encourage us that we are no different than Elijah and that we should pray fervently like him.
PSALM 121:
This is another psalm that is frequently sung, even today. Often this whole psalm is set to music. As Olsen says, this psalm lifts the fog from our eyes.
Re-reading JOHN 9:
Remember that in John 8 there was a tense standoff between Jesus and the religious leaders. The people took up stones to kill Jesus. John places this story here to illustrate again the opposition to Jesus.
One of the hardest verses to translate is the very last one in this chapter. That is Jesus’ answer when the Pharisees give this incredulous or rebuking response, “Surely you don't mean that we are blind, too?” The Greek can be translated as in literal versions, “If you were blind, you would have no [sin//guilt]... To say someone has no sin, in English, would mean that they are totally sinless, and that is NOT what Jesus was meaning.
41 [based on NLT: Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty [of still sinning], but you remain guilty because you claim you can see.//GNT Jesus answered, “If you were blind, then you would not [be sinning now//be guilty]; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are [still guilty of sinning//still guilty].”]
NLT Translation note:
1Kings 19:10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served [You,/the] LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
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John 9:28 They [hurled insults at//cursed] him and said, “You are that fellow's disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “[And now you think you are smart enough to teach us!//Are you trying to teach us?]” And they threw him out of the synagogue.
37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you [now]!”
39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment— [to cause the blind to see, and to cause those who think that they can see to become blind.”//to give sight to the blind and to _show_ those who think they see that they are blind.”]
[The word ‘show’ is not in the Greek, and I do not agree with adding it. Unfortunately, on earth at least, only a percentage are shown that they are spiritually blind. The blind often take their blindness to the grave. That is the danger that Jesus is warning the Pharisees about.]
40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and [replied/asked], “Are you saying we’re blind?”
41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty [of still sinning],” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
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.