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Daily Bible Reading Podcast
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NL-Day172 2 Samuel 22; John 3
Jun 1400:18:03Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 22:We near the end of David's story. God gave him victory over Sheba and the house of Saul. The killing of seven of the descendants of Saul seems harsh and past the 'statute of limitations' to us. But God arranged that revenge in response to untold injustices that were wreaked by Saul against the Gibeonites. Note: God takes notice of covenants made and wants us to do what we promise in His name. David's song of praise in chapter 22 closely follows Psalm 18. Because of this long poetic section today, we skip a day reading from the Psalms. JOHN 3:John's Gospel is unique in having the story of the wedding at Cana, which we heard yesterday in chapter 2. The coming to Galilee and working a miracle there seems to have been significant for John, as he later highlights when this happens a second time. John moved the story of the cleansing of the temple to the beginning of his Gospel. I think that a likely reason for this is because he wanted to highlight the conflicts between Jesus and 'the Jews', as John calls the religious leaders. Note that in verse 19, Jesus doesn't say, "I will destroy this temple …" but "Destroy" (imperative), as a challenge to the Jewish leaders. At the time the challenge was given, no one in the audience understood the figurative meaning, that the temple He intended was his own body. NLT Translation notes:2Sam.22:35 He trains my hands for battle;he strengthens my arm [enabling me] to draw a bronze bow.42They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.They even cried to [You,/the] LORD, but [You/he] refused to answer.====John 3:11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you [refuse to//continue to//won't] believe our testimony.13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But [I,] the Son of Man[, have// has] come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so [I,] the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in [Me/him] will have eternal life.16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [Exegetes and commentators disagree on where to stop Jesus' quote. I believe that verse 16 and following is John's narration. John suddenly breaking in with narration is a frequent feature of his Gospel. There is another example in this chapter. I think that John the Baptist's quote ends at verse 30 not at the end of the chapter. So I differ with NLT's quote marks for the last paragraph.]18 "There is no judgment against anyone who believes in [the Son//him]. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son.29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I [(like the best man)] am filled with joy at [Jesus'//his] success.30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. [end quote][Ancient Greek has no quote marks. I feel John the Baptist's quote ends at verse 30, and 31-36 are the writer's narration.]34 For [Jesus, the One//he is] sent by God[, //. He] speaks God's words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 36 [0/And] anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment." 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.
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NL-Day171 2 Samuel 21; Psalm 118:14-29; John 2
Jun 1400:16:21Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 21:The story of David being welcomed back ended poorly with arguments. Sheba attempted to mount a revolt. He died even though surrounded by his clan members because there was a wise woman in the town where he had taken refuge. Before that, David had decided to promote national reconciliation by appointing Amasa as military commander. But Joab, who had grown too powerful, shamefully put an end to Amasa's career. Re-reading PSALM 118:This is an antiphonal psalm. Imagine a leader and a chorus of voices saying a series of refrains. Today we will hear verse 22, which is the Old Testament verse most frequently quoted about the Messiah in the New Testament. And I have quoted verse 23 at the beginning of a number of podcasts. Re-reading John 2:In chapters 1-2, John has already started to tell us what Jesus was like. He was able to enter in fully in a wedding feast, he was stern about not turning the temple into a marketplace, and he miraculously knew about people. In chapter 1 verse 24 in the NLT says that he knew "all about people." The GNT is closer to the Greek with "He knew them all." Jesus had a miraculous knowledge about people, like we have seen in chapter 1 with Nathanael. NLT Translation note:Ps. 118:7 Yes, the LORD is [on my side//for me]; he will help me.I will look in triumph at those who hate me.====John 2:24 But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew [all people//human nature].[I believe that John is telling us something miraculous about Jesus here. He wasn't just a good student of 'human nature'! He actually knew everyone, just like he knew the Samaritan woman whom we will hear about. ]25 No one needed to tell him what [anyone was//mankind is] really like. 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.
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NL-Day170 2 Samuel 20; Psalm 118:1-16; John 2
Jun 1400:17:50Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 20:Yesterday we heard the story of how David sent out his army under three commanders, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He gave them orders to deal gently with Absalom. Joab— who was always pragmatic, didn't do this. Along with Absalom, 20,000 men died in the civil war. Joab stopped David's mourning for his son and ordered him to go out to encourage his troops. And finally the people decided to bring David back as their king. PSALM 118a:This is one of the antiphonal psalms. Imagine a leader and all the congregation saying the refrain. One of the most often quoted verses about the Messiah is found in verse 22. And I have quoted verse 24 at the beginning of a number of podcasts. JOHN 2:John uses simple words, such as light, word, lamb, and door. But the concepts he deals with are anything but simple. The meaning goes deep— so deep that you could spend a lifetime studying the prologue in chapter one alone and never get to the bottom of it. Note also that John very artistically makes use of double meaning— using a word with two meanings simultaneously. Note how Jesus (and the writer, John) artfully hint at the story of Jacob. Jesus calls Nathanael a true son of Israel. Israel is one of Jacob's name, and Jacob's name means 'cheater'. And then Jesus paradoxically calls Nathanael a man of complete integrity. Finally Jesus didn't need to make it obvious to his hearers and John didn't need to explain to his readers that Jesus was quoting from the Jacob's Ladder story. Just a few words and the previous hint were plenty to imply this: Jesus is claiming to be the Way/Ladder to the Father. The way, the truth, and the life. NLT Translation note:Ps. 118:7 Yes, the LORD is [on my side//for me]; he will help me.I will look in triumph at those who hate me.====John 2:24 But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew [all people//human nature].[I believe that John is telling us something miraculous about Jesus here. He wasn't just a good student of 'human nature'! He actually knew everyone, just like he knew the Samaritan woman whom we will hear about. ]25 No one needed to tell him what [anyone was//mankind is] really like. 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.
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NL-Day169 2 Samuel 18-19; Psalm 117; John 1:24-51
Jun 1400:25:04Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 18-19:Civil war might have been avoided, but Absalom didn't choose wisely. And I observe that my being bald has advantages in some situations! But seriously, all of the terrible things that happened here are the consequences of David's sin. PSALM 117:This is a doxology that one day the whole world will sing. JOHN 1b:John consciously made an original account, and very consciously left out things that are included in the three Synoptic Gospels. Where he does include things the others wrote about, he includes details that the others didn't mention. Those stories are made to fit his themes. His gospel is thematically arranged, not chronologically arranged. In John's poetic opening to this Gospel, he calls Jesus 'the Word'. 'Word' in Greek (logos) usually means more than just one word. Among its several meanings, in this place its meaning is 'communication'. Jesus is God's personal communication or message to the world. And 'full of grace and truth' in more traditional translations means that Jesus is all about bringing undeserved kindness (grace) to us and true teachings that are totally worthy of being believed. And this theme is shown again in what Jesus said to Nathanael. NLT Translation notes:2Sam 18:22 "Whatever happens," Ahimaaz said again, "I want to go." … 23 Joab finally said, "All right, go ahead." So Ahimaaz took the [flatter//less demanding] route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian.====John 1:31 [Before now] I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."33 I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest [upon, He] is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is [God's Chosen One.//the Chosen One of God.]l"45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very [one/person] Moseso and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."50 Jesus [responded//asked him], "Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."[I don't think we use 'asked' to introduce rhetorical questions in English. And Greek doesn't use this verb either.]51 Then he said, "I tell you the truth, you will all see ["]heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on[" Me,] the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.[It is often necessary in other languages to include 'I/Me', because in most languages one just doesn't talk of oneself using the third person, he. This is not grammatical in most languages.] 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.
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NL-Day168 2 Samuel 17; Psalm 116; John 1:1-34
Jun 1400:19:35Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 17:Yesterday we heard how Saul's servant, Ziba, showed his loyalty and helped David on his way. And how Shimei from Saul's family cursed and persecuted David all along the way. No wonder David was exhausted after that hike. David refused to put him to death or to punish him. (But we find out later that he didn't forget about Shimei.) David's friend, Hushai, joined himself to Absalom, as David asked him to do. And Nathan's prophecy to David was unknowingly fulfilled through Ahithophel's advice to Absolom. PSALM 116:This is a poem sharing personal experience. Though this poem is not attributed to David, what we read here could be his prayer during and following what we are reading about in 2nd Samuel 17-18. John 1a:I always look forward each year to reading the Gospel of John. John's Gospel is different from all the other gospels. John was probably very young when he became Jesus' follower, perhaps 25 years old. But he seems to have waited until very late in life to begin writing, perhaps when he was 85 years old. This was long after the other Gospels and even the epistles were written. The title he gives himself in this book is 'the disciple whom Jesus loved'. This doesn't mean that Jesus didn't love the other 11! NLT Translation notes:[I changed the whole of Ps. 116 to become a prayer to God, like has been done in the CEV. This prayer is a prayer directly to God. Note that the first verse starts, "I love Yahweh hear sound supplication." One can see that using the proper name (and with no pronoun 'he' actually there in the second phrase), that this is easy to understand as a prayer to God. But the standard translation of Yahweh is 'the Lord', so that 'he' is added in the second phase. That is why most translation sound like this is a poem talking about the Lord, not a prayer directed to Him. It is actually proper and better to understand this as a prayer, so nearly every verse changed. I note here only a few verses where I made special comments.]Ps. 116:4 Then I called on [You, Lord://the name of the LORD:]"[Lord, please//Please, LORD,] save me!"[This use of 'the name' is a metonymy based on the Jewish avoidance of actually saying the Lord's name. 'The name' stands for the whole person of the Lord. In English, calling on a name is quite unnatural. I would never call on Chad's name. I would just call Chad or call on Chad. See v.13.]13 I will [pour out an offering of wine to You giving thanks for Your saving me//lift up the cup of salvation][Before looking into this while I was recording, I wrongly guessed at the meaning of 'lift up the cup of salvation', as "I will drink a toast to God because of my salvation." As it happens, that is kind of what The Message has. This just shows what happens when modern readers confront a literal translation of such a figure. And note that NLT is inconsistent in reverting to a literal translation here, while most of the time translating in a meaning-based way.]and [I will] praise [You//the LORD's name for saving me].[Like we saw in verse 4, if we were really going to literally 'praise the Lord's name'— meaning just his name, and not praise His person, it appears like idolatry to me. (I do hear people saying things like that, but when they do I take it that they are parodying Bible language.) How often do we hear people using a phrase like, "They praised Obama's name for his speech at…" I think almost always, when people say things like that about our president, they just praise Obama and leave his name out of it.]17 [[[I will offer a sacrifice of thankful prayers to You.////I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving[and I will give thankful prayers to You.//and call on You, Lord,because of your wonderful reputation// and call on the name of the LORD].]]][Note here that "sacrifice of thanksgiving" is ambiguous in English. It could mean that his offering will consist of thanksgiving, or that he will offer an animal sacrifice as an act of thanksgiving. It is likely that the former is the meaning here. And if the two halves of the parallelism in this verse are mutually completing, then the meaning could be boiled down to this: Thankful prayers will be the sacrifice that I will offer continually to you.]====John 1:2 He [(that is the One I am calling 'the Word')] existed in the beginning with God.5 [That//The] light shines in the darkness,and the darkness can never extinguish it.13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth [which is the result of//resulting from] human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and [He is worthy of being fully believed//faithfulness].e And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.16 From [the abundance of Him who we call 'the Word'//his abundance] we have all received one gracious blessing after another.17 For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and [true teachings that are worthy of full belief//faithfulness] came through [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ].[Verse 14 and 17 represent quite a challenge for the translator. The word 'truth' in Greek should be taken to mean the same thing in both verses. I think the translators desired to find one word that would work here, but I feel that 'faithfulness' shifts the meaning from what John intended.]19 This was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, "[Whose place are you claiming to fulfill?//Who are you?]"20 He came right out and said, "I am not the Messiah."21"Well then, [whose place are you taking?//who are you?]" they asked. "Are you [taking Elijah's place//Elijah]?""No," he replied."Are you the Prophet we are expecting?""No."22 "Then [who gave you any authority to work like this?//who are you?] We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?"23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:"I am [the/a] voice shouting in the wilderness,'Clear the way for the LORD's coming!'"31[Before now] I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."33 I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest [upon, He] is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is [God's Chosen One.//the Chosen One of God.]"45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very [one/person] Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."50 Jesus [responded//asked him], "Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."[I don't think we use 'asked' to introduce rhetorical questions in English. And Greek doesn't use this verb either.]51 Then he said, "I tell you the truth, you will all see ["]heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on[" Me,] the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.[It is often necessary in other languages to include 'I/Me', because in most languages one just doesn't talk of oneself using the third person, he. This is not grammatical in most languages.] 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.
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NL-Day167 2 Samuel 16; Psalm 115; Romans 16
Jun 1400:16:47Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 16: Absolom first stole the hearts of all Israel by being a shrewd politician. Then he mounted a rebellion against his own father. David fled Jerusalem to avoid bloodshed, and as he left, he planted several carefully chosen people to work for him. PSALM 115: I know I have said it a lot, but can't help saying it again: This is one of my favorite psalms. Our God is so different than idols. He is in heaven and does whatever He pleases. ROMANS 16: Having told of his plans to visit Rome on his way to Spain, and how he must first go to Jerusalem, Paul now turns to greeting his friends in Rome. I really enjoy this section! There is real closeness in the family of God. When we call each other 'brother' or 'sister', we really mean it. And our love and bonds of fellowship often span long distances. I enjoy seeing this in every phrase in this chapter. GNT Translation notes: Rom. 16:17 I urge you, my friends: watch out for those who cause divisions and upset people's [belief in Christ//faith] and go against the teaching which you have received. Keep away from them! 22 I, Tertius, the [secretary who wrote this letter for Paul//writer of this letter], send you Christian greetings. 25 Let us give glory to God! He is able to make you stand firm in your [believing//faith], according to the Good News I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past. NLT Translation note: Ps. 115:8 And those who make idols [will be//are] just like them, as [so will be//are] all who trust in them. 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.
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NL-Day166 2 Samuel 15; Psalm 114; Romans 15
Jun 1400:17:17Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 15:In our last reading, we heard how Joab creatively arranged to persuade David to bring Absalom back from exile. And how eventually David agreed to let Absolom meet him directly. PSALM 114:This poem praises God for the miraculous deliverance from Egypt. Re-reading ROMANS 15:Chapter 15 of Romans comes to this summary sentence in verse 13: "May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your [believing//faith] in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit." NLT Translation notes:Rom. 15:6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ]. (similarly in 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 27)13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you [fully believe//trust] in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in [those//these] places.23 But now I have finished my work in [those//these] regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 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.
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NL-Day165 2 Samuel 14; Psalm 113; Romans 15
Jun 700:16:52Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 14:There is more than one way in which David did not obey God's instructions for kings. The big one of course is the Bathsheba affair, but God had already said that kings should not have lots of wives. David's daughter Tamar was raped by her half brother Amnon. And after two years, Absolom (Tamar's brother) murdered Amnon. PSALM 113:This is a song praising our incomparable God. ROMANS 15:Paul continues what he was 'on about' in yesterday's reading. We must accept other believers even though we don't agree on prohibitions, practices, or rituals. Disputes over these things often come from our differing backgrounds. NLT Translation notes:Rom. 15:6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ].9 He also came so that the [non-Jews//Gentiles] might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:"For this, I will praise you among the [non-Jews//Gentiles];I will sing praises to [you/your name]."[The psalmist uses 'your name' as a metonymy for God himself. To us in English, it sounds like idolatry to praise a name rather than the Person Himself.]10 And in another place it is written,"Rejoice with his people,you [non-Jews//Gentiles]."11 And yet again,"Praise the LORD, all you [non-Jews//Gentiles].Praise him, all you people of the earth."12 And in another place Isaiah said,"The heir to David's throne will come,and he will rule over the [non-Jews//Gentiles].They will place their hope on him."13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you [fully believe//trust] in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you [non-Jews//Gentiles]. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the [non-Jews//Gentiles] to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 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.
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NL-Day164 2 Samuel 13; Psalm 112; Romans 14
Jun 700:18:14Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 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.
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NL-Day163 2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 111; Romans 14
Jun 700:19:51Tap to summarize2SAMUEL 11-12:David showed kindness to Jonathan's only living son. Then we heard the story of how suspicion caused offense, which led to all-out war with the Ammonites. And David was victorious again against the Arameans and Ammonites. Today I want to highlight some important realities: God is watching. Our sins may be forgiven, but there will still be consequences. PSALM 111:This beautiful psalm of praise is an acrostic poem in Hebrew. ROMANS 14:In yesterday's reading, Paul taught us to submit to rulers and government officials, then he urged us to love one another and lead holy lives. Now chapter 14 covers the divisive area of rituals and traditions. NLT Translation notes:2Sam. 12:14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the [0//word of the] Lord by doing this, your child will die. (The Hebrew text doesn't seem to contain 'word of'.)Rom. 14:1 Accept other believers who are weak in [the way they believe//faith], and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.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].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.11 For the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will [confess and give praise//declare allegiance] to God. '"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. 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.
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