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Day 182 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeChapters 36 through 39 present the final narrative in this book. It covers the same events as 2 Kings 18 through 20, when Sennacherib’s army invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. Remember Isaiah’s warnings against seeking help from Egypt; remember also the LORD’s promise to Ariel – Jerusalem - that He would lead Assyria to “encamp against you all around, and will besiege you with towers.” Today that promise is fulfilled. In chapter 36 The Rabshakeh – Sennacherib’s general – approaches the walls of Jerusalem with a sinister question: “On what do you rest this trust of yours?” Is it Egypt? Is it Hezekiah? Is it the LORD? Imagine the scene as his arrogance pours forth: his words are not for Hezekiah; they are for Hezekiah’s soldiers, for their families, for the people of Jerusalem. Against this siege, for how long will their food and water last? Unless Egypt comes to their aid, for how long will the walls hold? Picture the men on the wall, listening as The Rabshakeh turns their God against them: “Is it without the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it’” This is not only a fight between nations or gods, this is a battle over who is really telling the truth about the LORD. Is it Isaiah and Hezekiah… or this general who has the Assyrian army standing behind him? Assyria has Hezekiah right where it wants him, with nowhere to turn. Ironically, this is exactly where the LORD wants him as well. The political and spiritual turning point of the story comes early in chapter 37, as Hezekiah casts his lot and the LORD responds. Our verse for this week is 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Isaiah 36 and 37. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 203 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeA theme that hung in the background yesterday will be brought to the fore today, as the LORD assures multiple people that He is dealing with them justly according to their own deeds… everyone shall die for his own sin. In the opening chapter the LORD sends Jeremiah to King Zedekiah, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities… The LORD promises Zedekiah that He shall not escape, but shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye… and will go to Babylon. Everyone shall die for his own sin. Later in the chapter the king and his subjects bring disaster upon themselves by first releasing their slaves and then re-enslaving them. It’s unclear why they made such a move, but it’s identical to that which the Egyptians attempted during the Exodus. The LORD calls them to account twice: for how they profaned His name in taking back their slaves, and for holding them for so long – in violation of His law in Leviticus – in the first place. Everyone shall die for his own sin. Chapter 35 has a flashback to a visit from the Rechabites, a nomadic tribe whose ancestors had vowed “to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, and our daughters…” Even when offered wine by Jeremiah, in the LORD’s house, they refused. The LORD promises to honor their vow, but holds them up before the people of Judah as a contrast to their own unfaithfulness, and rejection of the prophets. Everyone shall die for his own sin. Another flashback in chapter 36 shows Jeremiah sending Baruch, his scribe, to read in the LORD’s house a scroll prophesying “that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land…” The king burns the scroll, and fails to lament its contents. Therefore the king, Jehoiakim, “shall have none to sit on the throne of David…” Everyone shall die for his own sin. Throughout today’s reading, listen for the repeated refrain, “…but they would not hear.” Though the chronology skips around, the theme is resoundingly clear: Judah, Jerusalem, and her kings, have been fairly warned, yet they would not hear… Everyone shall die for his own sin. Our verse for this week is Hebrews 8:10: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 34 through 36. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 159 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeWhen Jesus had finished these sayings… after warning His disciples of what was to come in an eternal and universal sense, Jesus returns to the immediate: “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." The chief priests and elders of the people are prepared to orchestrate this, “But not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” Remember the influence of the crowd throughout this Gospel. Because the crowd cried out “Hosanna, Son of David,” the Jerusalem elders were indignant. Because they held that John was a prophet, the Pharisees could not answer Jesus’ question about John’s baptism. Because they held that Jesus was a prophet Jesus could not be seized in the Temple. And now, lest there be an uproar, Jesus would have to be disposed of quickly. And there will be still other roles for the crowd to play. This is not a mere literary curiosity. Two of the great themes of Matthew’s Gospel – Jesus’ authority and position on David’s eternal throne – converge over the assembly of Israel. Who has the right to interpret the law and the prophets? Who has the capacity to lead, to judge, to teach: is it the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, or Jesus? Jesus has compassion on the crowds; the elders fear them. Jesus tries to escape the crowds, but they keep flocking to Him. The elders fight to retain the crowds, to redirect them, but Jesus is winning. Consider how historical and cultural upheavals unfold: because of the crowds… something must be done. The narrative is brisk and teaching comes through action rather than lecture. Jesus retreats again to Bethany, where He receives a gift that will be spoken of wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world. Meanwhile, Judas makes a deal with the chief priests, presumably for a handsome sum. And Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples. Listen to how Matthew calls Judas “One of the twelve” each time he’s mentioned. Listen to how Jesus’ “You have said so…” response serves to rebuke His questioners. Sit at the table with Jesus at Passover and wait for Him as He prays at Gethsemane. Listen for Jesus’ threefold prayer and Peter’s threefold denial. And pay attention to the one accusation that Jesus doesn’t avoid. Our verse for this week is Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Matthew chapter 26. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 131 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarize“…You shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there… And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.” - Deuteronomy 12:5 & 7 Though Solomon and David each reigned for forty years, Solomon receives less than a quarter of the airtime given to his father. The highlight of those four decades, though, was of such importance that the author erects a milepost: In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD. This connection with the Exodus generation reinforces that Solomon can take no credit for the Temple, or for the conditions that allowed its completion. For Solomon to even begin construction on so grand a structure this must have been an era of extraordinary peace and prosperity for Israel – security that those first Israelites could have only dreamed of. No, the Temple is the fulfillment of a promise that the LORD made to Israel 440 years ago on the plains of Moab. Back before the land had been taken, the kingdom established, and David’s family installed on the throne. “In the four hundred eightieth year…” is not just a chronological marker; it’s a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His covenant and to His people. These chapters are a reminder of all that Solomon inherited. His father had left him a united kingdom that touched the Gulf of Aqaba in the south and the Euphrates in the north. Tribute flowed from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Aram and Hamath. He bartered as an equal with the wealth of Tyre and Sidon. And to top it all, God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure. Listen as peace, wisdom, and blessing converge in ways we’ve not yet seen. Our verse for this week is Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 1 Kings 4 through 6. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 190 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeOne of the greatest difficulties of reading prophecy is to stay within the text, by which I mean listening to the words as they were written, not as they came to be interpreted in the future. For prophecy, this means dwelling in the time and place that they were first proclaimed, and considering, along with the original hearer, what they might mean. This is no small discipline, but will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the riches of God’s word. Isaiah 61 is a prime illustration of this dilemma. In chapter 61, the prophet proclaims that “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me… to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor…” Put yourself into the imagination of the Jewish listener. You are the poor one; you are the brokenhearted, the captive, the prisoner. What does it mean for the prophet to declare the Year of the LORD’s favor? What does it mean to be healed, released, unbound? This approaching moment – a Day or Year of the LORD – will be definitive and singular, yet its impact will vary according to ones’ relationship and obedience to the LORD. Tables will be turned and overturned. It will be a moment of both vengeance and freedom. Foreigners will tend the flocks, and dress the vines, and plow the fields for Israel, but “you shall be called the priest of the LORD; they shall speak of you as ministers of your God… For I, the LORD, love justice…” The final oracle reads again like a Psalm of memory: “I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us.” It remembers when the LORD “became their savior,” how Israel “rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit; therefore He turned to be their enemy, and Himself fought against them.” However, when Israel “remembered the days of old, of Moses and his people…” he also remembered to pray, “Look down from heaven and see… For you are our Father…our Redeemer of old is your name…” Our verse for this week is Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Isaiah 61 through 63. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 184 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeIn today’s reading the prophet’s vision transcends the immediate concerns about Assyria and Babylon and exalts the LORD before His people. The prophet’s voice in chapter 40 begins in the quiet mists, then launches to herald the coming king: “…Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” He is commanded to “Go on up to a high mountain…lift up your voice with strength…say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” Chapter 41 shifts to the voice of the LORD, who makes a bold assertion: “I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He.” This builds a claim that the LORD makes over the next few chapters: the God who chose Israel, who helps them, who winnows them, is the only God. He challenges idols to: “Set forth your case…tell us the former things…tell us what is to come…that we may know that you are gods.” Chapter 42 begins a reset – almost as though a covenant is being re-established. It begins with a reminder of the LORD’s sovereignty: “…who created the heavens and stretched them out…” then commends Israel to remember how it was chosen to be “a light for the nations.” However, the LORD has given them up to the plunderer, because they would not walk in His ways. Some believe that Isaiah is not responsible for all the oracles in the book that is his namesake. This would not be unusual: the books of Samuel are named so because of their first big character, not because Samuel penned their entirety. I mention this because I want you to notice some subtle changes in the literature from here forward. First, we’ve lost the formula “And the word of the LORD came to me…” that reflected a first-person intimacy, which is absent in the second half of the book. Second, Assyria completely drops out of the story as an immediate character, as though they no longer exist or no longer matter. And while Babylon takes Assyria’s place in the prophet’s mind, you’ll notice also that the prophet’s concerns range mostly beyond even them: to a time of restoration and peace, when Jacob’s people will outlast even these mighty kingdoms. None of this necessarily forces Isaiah himself out of the picture; but it’s important to notice that the tenor and concerns have changed. Our verse for this week is 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Isaiah 40 through 42. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 167 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeFor the fifth and sixth times in this book, Jesus’ conduct on the Sabbath raises concerns with the Pharisees and synagogue rulers. Stories in each chapter today, in fact, focus specifically on their outrage at Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath. Once again, pay attention to events and episodes that are repeated, for indications about the characters’ and author’s perspectives. The interaction at the beginning of chapter 14 is especially telling, and might form an inflection point for this book. Jesus is dining in the house of a Pharisee – obviously they are not mortal enemies. Luke says they were watching Him carefully. A man was there with dropsy; Jesus takes the initiative – He’s had this argument before – and asks, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. So He heals the man, and He confronts them again about their sense of justice; but “…they could not reply to these things.” He then told them three parables: one about guests presumptively choosing the place of honor at other people’s parties, and another about hosts inviting those who can’t return the favor. Finally, He told them a parable of the Kingdom – a subject that is never far from His mind – and the high cost of treating the Lord’s invitation frivolously. Notice the setting of all this: a dinner to which Jesus was invited. Surely He knew they were watching Him closely, though Luke, as usual, doesn’t indicate their precise motivations. Be careful not to read prejudices in from other sources – we don’t know for sure what these particular Pharisees are after. Luke leaves that shrouded, perhaps using their silence to indicate that they really didn’t know what to make of Jesus. Their response to Jesus’ very bold assertions likewise remains hidden. Luke is weaving a story of interactions and relationships that are complex, multi-layered… and entirely familiar. Our verse for this week is Psalm 27:1: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Luke 13 and 14. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 60 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeAt the end of yesterday’s reading, Moses pushes against any pride Israel might feel in the future. “Beware, lest you forget the LORD…lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’” Likewise he warns them in chapter 9, “Do not say in your heart, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess the land.’” But while Moses has presented God’s promises in the context of His historical faithfulness, he presents these warnings by reminding Israel of how often they’ve strayed. Don’t forget the Golden Calf you made… Don’t forget how you rebelled at Kadesh… Yesterday Moses reminded this present generation that they are heirs to the covenant of their fathers. Today, he reminds them that they are also heirs to their parents’ stubbornness. Therefore, Moses begs in chapter 10, translate the circumcision of your foreskin onto your hearts, “and be no longer stubborn. For the LORD your God is Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the awesome God… He is your praise.” You’ll notice that nested in this concert of praise is a call to justice: this is how you can show that your heart is circumcised. Chapter 11 closes the first half of Moses’ second speech. In the grand scheme of the Deuteronomy covenant, this is where the general command to obey the LORD is tied to future blessing. “And if you will indeed obey my commandments, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and soul, He will give you rain for your land… grass in your fields, and you shall eat and be full.” Likewise, failure to obey is bound to future curse: “The LORD… will shut up the heavens… and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land the LORD is giving you.” Our verses for this week are Matthew 22:37-38: “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Deuteronomy chapters 9 through 11. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 164 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeAt the beginning of today’s reading Jesus heads to Capernaum, a city on the Sea of Galilee, where He is confronted by a group of elders of the Jews. These elders have been sent by a Roman centurion, who hopes that Jesus will heal his servant. Their request is interesting on at least two fronts: first, that they deem the centurion “…worthy to have you do this for him for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue…” and second that they – elders of the Jews – recognized that the power of the Lord was with Him to heal. This similarly occurs at the end of today’s reading, when Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue – begs Jesus to heal his daughter. Weren’t the Jewish leaders opposed to Jesus? Well, some were. Others weren’t. Luke doesn’t draw clear lines on this, but instead recounts events and conversations as they happened. Pay attention to the variety of responses to Jesus. Just today, synagogue rulers ask Jesus for help and the people of Nain report, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” Pharisees and lawyers oppose Jesus and the crowd’s assessment of Him, but one of them invites Jesus to dinner – only to judge Him for allowing a “sinner” to get too close. A group of women follows and even supports Jesus, while the Gerasenes, after witnessing that Jesus had driven demons out of a man, were seized with great fear. And finally, after raising Jairus’ (the synagogue ruler’s) daughter back to life, her parents were amazed. And I want to highlight one more detail that is just as curious as people’s reactions. When the demon-possessed man wants to follow Jesus, Jesus permits him to “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” However, just one scene later, when Jesus raises Jairus’s daughter, “He charged [her parents] to tell no one what had happened.” So what gives? Why would Jesus tell one healed person to “Tell anyone you want,” and tell another healed person, “Don’t tell a soul”? This contradiction is never ironed out. Does it matter that the demon-possessed man was in the region of the country of the Gerasenes – a foreign land – while Jairus’ daughter was in Galilee? Does it matter that Jairus was a synagogue official, while the demon-possessed man was an ordinary citizen? It’s hard to believe that Luke would not have noticed this. It’s even harder to believe that Jesus would be haphazard with His words. There is something more going on here, and it likely tells us something about Jesus, His purposes, and His mission. Our verse for this week is Psalm 27:1: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Luke chapters 7 and 8. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 242 Bible Only Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeThrough Zerubbabel and Nehemiah we see the tenuous nature of life in the province Beyond the River. Both of them had received royal decrees allowing them to undertake their work – Zerubbabel rebuilding the temple and Nehemiah the city walls. But the royal army was far away, the inhabitants of the region that Assyria had settled there had a two-century head start on establishing order, and they did have a point about Jerusalem’s history of rebellion against foreign kings. Remember in Ezra 4, that from Artaxerxes’ letter we learn that his concern wasn’t peace in the region or prosperity for its residents; his concern was tribute for the royal treasury. This was typical: neither Assyria, nor Babylon, nor Persia cared about local affairs, so long as problems didn’t foment rebellion or invite foreign invasion. This is why Jerusalem’s walls were needed in the first place. Cities were a place of refuge against raiding parties that the Persian army wasn’t going to do anything about. They were also a mark of pride, of identity, for their inhabitants. Ezra served an important role for the Jews, but he also served the king’s purposes: if Ezra keeps the peace, the king won’t have to. The favor granted to Nehemiah was much more substantial: he simply wanted to provide safety and security for his kinsman. But as we saw yesterday, “the good hand of [his] God” was upon him. Today’s reading follows this good hand of God through substantial trials. In chapter 4, Sanballat and Tobiah discourage and threaten the work, and in chapter 6 they attempt to remove the head. In between, Nehemiah takes up the cause of those who are being enslaved and exploited by their Jewish brothers. And through all this movement, a wall is being built, and a detailed record is being kept. Listen for Nehemiah’s observations, as well as a revelation of his greater concern. Our verse for this week is Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Nehemiah 4 through 6. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →