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You Can Read the Bible Guided Podcast
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Day 92 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeYesterday, the rich young man approached Jesus, “As He was setting out on His journey…” Today we learn the destination of that journey: Jerusalem. With thousands heading there for the Passover feast, it would have been possible for Jesus to attend unnoticed, and certainly would have fit with his pattern of secrecy. But all of that gets overturned, literally, in just a few hours. First, he proceeds into town on a colt – just as the prophet Zechariah had said the king would – and not only do his supporters pick up on this, but He does nothing to stop them making a parade out of it. Second, after a night in Bethany, He discovers that the Temple has been turned into a profit center for worship items. Enraged, He drives out the sellers and overturns their tables, and would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. The remainder of our reading is launched by Mark’s observation that, upon hearing of this, the chief priests and scribes…were seeking a way to destroy Him, for they feared Him, because all the crowd was astonished at His teaching. The events of the next day – which occupy the rest of chapter 11 and 12 – focus on the various approaches the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes use to try to discredit and entrap Jesus. Notice the cat-and-mouse game of this pivotal day. Jesus is asked a series of questions: “By what authority are you doing these things?”… “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”… “If a woman is widowed seven times, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be?”… and, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?” Mark lets you know that each one is a trap, and lets you see Jesus’ agility and boldness in implicating the questioners. Only once does He answer directly, and readers of the Pentateuch will recognize the references. As I’ve said many times, notice how Jesus plays the crowd against the Jewish leaders. At times, the crowd is leveraged to protect Jesus, as when Jesus appears to condemn the Jewish leadership as “ungrateful tenants” on God’s rightful property. At others, Jesus speaks indirectly to the Jewish leadership through them, as when in His teaching He said, “Beware of the scribes…”. Mark gives you a front row seat to the rising tension, preparing, it appears, for a final confrontation. Our verse for this week is Psalm 138:8: The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. Mark 11 and 12. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 103 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeWhen we left yesterday, Ruth had returned to Israel with her widowed mother-in-law Naomi, promising “where you go, I will go.” Ruth joined the gleaners in the field of Boaz, a relative of Naomi, and Boaz, knowing how she’s looked after her mother-in-law, treats Ruth kindly. Today, Naomi launches a plan: Ruth should go down to the threshing floor at night, find Boaz, and…well, you can read the rest. Boaz is called on to be a “redeemer” – to marry Ruth and give her children so that Naomi’s family line may continue. This follows the laws of the “kinsman redeemer” set out in the Books of Moses, to ensure that a family’s line should not die out and to protect against the consolidation of property and wealth. There is one hitch in the plan, and Boaz is left to sort that out in chapter 4. Listen for a recurrence of certain words and ideas from yesterday. Naomi repeats her desire that Ruth should “find rest.” Listen for how Ruth turns Boaz’s “wings of refuge” around on him. Find the varied uses of the word “redeemer” throughout the conversations today. And listen for references to how God’s law is being lived out in Israel: allowing the poor to glean after the field had been picked over; the role of the kinsman redeemer; and how foreigners – even a person from Moab, which did not treat Israel kindly during the Exodus – was treated. I mentioned a few weeks ago that the book of Judges serves as a bridge between Joshua and Samuel – between the eras of conquest and kingdom. Ruth fulfills a similar connecting role, but where Judges left us with desperate hunger, Ruth is driven by a determined hopefulness…right up to the end, where the author reaches back – all the way to Genesis 38 – to remind us that the story of God’s people – and especially of the sons of Judah – is just beginning. Finally, take note that for the first time in a while you’re not engaged in some big political drama. No external or internal threats emerge. No militias are called to arms. It’s a reminder that while great national dramas are unfolding people are still giving birth, dying, and figuring out how to eat today and prepare for tomorrow. The Ruth story is quaint and refreshing. It’s also life. Our verse for this week is Matthew 11:28: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Ruth chapters 3 and 4. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 16 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeWhen we first met Jacob, at his birth, he was grasping the heel of his brother, then cheating Esau out of the birthright. Jacob, the striver, the one who wrestles with God and man. Jacob, who could alternate between strong and weak, between faith-filled and bewilderingly obtuse. He is one of the most complicated characters in the Bible. Jacob is now living in Egypt, and close to death. In today’s reading he calls in Joseph and grants a blessing to both of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Whether this double inheritance is Jacob’s response to Joseph rescuing the family, or merely a persistent favoritism of Rachel’s child, the author is silent. In chapter 49, the twelve brothers are assembled so Jacob can “tell you what will happen to you in days to come.” He then offers an odd mix of blessing, prophecy, and rebuke, some of which looks backward, and some of which looks to the future. It is a most intriguing passage, and one that will echo through the story to come. In the closing scenes, listen for details that call us all the way back to Abraham, as Jacob’s heart longs for an eternal connection with his father and grandfather. Listen also for the wife that is buried there, in the cave of Machpelah. Again, the complications abound for this very human being. Not even in passing could Jacob avoid causing tension, as Joseph’s brothers fear that he was simply being kind to them while dad was alive. Joseph’s response is one we can carry with us. Marvel again at how he perceives the hand of God in all that has happened. And then, as Joseph himself is about to die and be buried with honor in Egypt, he makes a final request, with a voice of future promise: “When you go home, take me with you.” Our verse for this week is Hebrews 11:8: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Genesis 48 through 50. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 127 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeThe primary character in today’s stories, as much as David, is Joab, the commander of his army. Joab is furious as David’s grief forces the victors to return as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. Chapter 19 opens with Joab fiercely rebuking David for his grief: “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants… for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.” It’s interesting to look back on Joab’s story. Remember that Joab had taken revenge on Abner for his brother’s death, and that the king lamented for Abner – the commander of Saul’s army – but did not lament for Joab’s brother – one of David’s soldiers. Joab was faithful to David in the Uriah affair, but also knew he was ending an innocent man’s life on David’s behalf. And again, out of loyalty to David’s throne but not obedience to his command, Joab would not “waste time” debating whether to kill Absalom. Today Joab unleashes his fury at the king in a public and humiliating way – if others could hear David mourning, you can be sure they heard Joab’s rebuke. While it initially seems that he gets away with treating the king this way, David soon replaces him with Amasa – who later suffers the same fate as others who have stood in Joab’s way. David could not, or would not, see what Absalom was about. Then he exerts greater effort to mourn his son than to thank the thousands who defended him. But this is only symptomatic of something bigger going on with him. Remember that he chose to abandon the capital, rather than defend it. Today he is unable to discern when there might be another side to the Mephibosheth story. He still steadfastly refuses to take any action against Joab, who has thoroughly revealed his character and even killed the king’s son in known violation of a direct order. And today he will face a second civil conflict from one “who will do more harm than Absalom.” There is one other literary detail to note. At the end of chapter 19 the author notes discord between “the men of Judah” and “the men of Israel.” You’ll hear in this a condition that has been hinted at for some time – a division between the Judahite loyalty to David’s throne and the other tribes – consolidated as “Israel,” challenging David’s authority. This is the first glimpse of a cleft that will threaten the nation’s existence in years to come. 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. 2 Samuel 19 and 20. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 309 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeHis left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. – Song of Solomon 8:3-4 These two lines appeared together yesterday in chapter 2, and today make another appearance near the end of the Song. Perhaps they are an ancient hook, meant to ground the Song in the ear of the listener. Maybe the line “…that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases” – that appears thrice total – was a well-known refrain of deep, implicit meaning at the time it was written. Or it could just be a lyrical exhortation, meant to be just mysterious enough to encourage contemplation. Nonetheless, they indicate a consistent poetic hand that has a story to tell. As I cautioned yesterday, opinions that this Song is a metaphor for God’s relationship with His people must still contend with the language in which it is framed. There is a breadth of simile connecting the natural world with the marriage chamber. Perhaps you’ve noticed that physical attributes – outward beauty and strength – dominate the celebration. The musical conversation continues today and, even if your translation does not parse the speakers explicitly, it’s usually possible to tell whether it is the bride, groom, or their friends that is speaking. Chapter 4 is the groom’s answer to the bride’s song that we read yesterday, and the remaining dialogue shifts between adulation and longing. Listen closely for the moment of dawning wisdom of chapter 8, the only mention of the LORD anywhere in this Song, which exerts: Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. Our verse for this week is Ephesians 6:12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Song of Solomon 4 through 8. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 129 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeCharacters such as Jacob, Moses and Joshua have received the honor of having their “last words” recorded. Jacob addresses his sons with a mix of observation, promise, and warning. Moses and Joshua each recount the favor of the LORD on the children of Israel and remind Israel to honor their covenant with Him. In our first chapter today, David speaks the word of The Spirit of the LORD, reminding the next generation that, “when one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, He dawns on them like the morning light…” This oracle is followed by a register of David’s mighty men, recounting their importance in protecting David and securing the kingdom. The final chapter of Samuel once again visits an earlier episode in David’s reign. The basic synopsis is this: the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, so He incited David against them. David calls for a census; Joab protests, sensing something is amiss, but David overrides him. God then uses this to inflict punishment on Israel, the instrument of which David has to choose. The angel of death sweeps Israel, stopping just short of Jerusalem, and David worships. Everybody got that? Don’t read this story without absorbing the first line, that the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He incited David against them… Everything that happens next is secondary to this premise. There don’t appear to be hidden meanings or arrangements here, and no amount of linguistic gymnastics avoids the assertion that the LORD caused David to sin in order to have a reason to punish Israel. This is not unprecedented. The LORD demonstrated His supremacy over Pharaoh by grabbing Pharaoh’s heart and compelling him to recklessness. It is not impossible that the moments when Moses intervened between the LORD’s anger and Israel in the wilderness tests similar to this moment with David. This could plausibly fit the author’s story arc showing the ability and integrity David had lost after his sin with Bathsheba. Also of interest is the reason for which the plague was halted: When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” This could perhaps be a primary lesson for the author, showing the LORD’s continued favor for David’s capital and presenting hope for protection for future generations. But this is all speculation. As I’ve said many times, the primary character of this book is the LORD, and we have to add this event to our map of the LORD’s character. Read it slowly and carefully. 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. 2 Samuel 23 and 24. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 145 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarize“And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” - 1 Kings 13:2 Today’s reading will offer a respite from the turmoil of the past few weeks. Josiah’s father Amon had died at the hands of his servants, but this coup was quickly trampled by the citizens of Judah. And eight-year-old Josiah, a child born to Amon at the age of sixteen, is established on the throne. The author spends most of his time on the subject most important to him, to Judah, and the LORD: the rediscovery of the Book of the Law. Josiah’s righteousness is illustrated by his response to the Law’s reading: he tore his clothes. Beyond this initial conviction he calls the priests to inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah… For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book…” Josiah initiates a systematic reform of life and worship. He commands that all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven be brought out of the Temple and burned outside Jerusalem. He tears down the high places throughout Judah, and listen closely as he destroys, once and for all, the sin of Jeroboam. And for the first time since the days of the judges who judged Israel, the Passover was kept in Jerusalem. Almost 400 years have passed David’s line had been established, and Judah had existed independently for 300 years. Josiah’s reforms were possible because of an era of peace: Assyria was crumbling. However, Josiah’s peaceful reign will be the last for Judah. His fateful decision to engage in the great battle between Egypt and Assyria not only ends his own life but ultimately proves fruitless, for lurking silently in the background is a power greater than any before: Babylon. Josiah’s son Jehoiakim takes the throne as a puppet of Egypt in 609 B.C. Jerusalem will fall in 586 – only two decades away. Our verse for this week is Isaiah 40:31: “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” 2 Kings 22 and 23. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 296 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeAnd David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn. – 2 Samuel 6:14-15 The Songs of Ascents continue today with a celebration of the events recorded in 2 Samuel 6 and 7. If you’ll recall, David’s conquest of Jerusalem and establishment of his capital there was a moment of national celebration. The Philistines were subdued, the nation was united, and the Ark of the Covenant was brought, after hundreds of years of temporary residences, to a permanent home. Later, David wishes to build a temple for the LORD in Jerusalem, but instead the LORD promises to build him a house, which 2 Samuel 7 explains and Psalm 132 celebrates. It’s possible that Psalm 133, which celebrates how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!... connects to this moment as well. Psalm 135 introduces a unit that will carry through a series of chapters. The Psalm itself has six distinct sections. It is introduced with a call to Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good… For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself. This is followed by an affirmation of the LORD’s supremacy, for whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth… In the third section, beginning in verse 8, the writer gives his listeners a brief history lesson, the details of which support his previous assertions. Verses 13 and 14 are in the second person – directed toward the LORD Himself – but its pronouncements are for human ears. This is followed by a commentary on the idols of the nations, and, finally, a benediction that lands back where it started: O house of Israel, Bless the LORD… Our verse for this week is James 5:16: Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Psalms 132 through 135. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 351 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarize“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” - Galatians 3:27-29 Paul continues in chapter 4: “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under the guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” The concepts of adoption, of inheritance, of slavery and freedom, are central to Paul’s argument. This is a brief letter that could be read to the church in a half hour, and it has the feel of a singular sermon with a singular message. In the first third, Paul pronounces the problem and lays contextual groundwork; in the middle third, he builds the logical bridge between what is known and what is to be concluded from that knowledge; and in the final third, he reinforces those conclusions and encourages his hearers to live according to the opportunity before them. There are a few patterns of note. First, Paul grounds his arguments about the new covenant firmly in the patterns of the old. “Know then,” he reminds both Jew and Gentile, “that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” “Now you, like Isaac,” he reminds them today, “you…are children of promise.” A second is how Paul continually identifies with the Galatians: “…in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith… Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law… In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved… God sent forth his Son…so that we might receive adoption as sons… So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman…” This subtle use of language reinforces the lack of distinction that is the heart of Paul’s message to the Galatians: “neither Jew nor Greek…” Our verse for this week is Deuteronomy 6:5: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Galatians 4 through 6. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 355 Guided Podcast
1w agoTap to summarizeThe seventh in this series of letters from Paul contains many of the same elements as the others. There is an initial introduction and recitation of the Gospel message; warnings against falling away; general instructions about honoring Christ; and finally personal greetings, commendations, and a benediction. With the consistent rhythm across this volume of material, we’re looking inside a time capsule where first-century correspondence flavored by Paul’s rhetorical personality intersects with the most vital matters facing the first century church. There is no danger at Colossae to the scale of those in Corinth and Galatia, but in the middle of chapter 2 Paul’s instructions give us a hint of the threats that the Colossian church was facing: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world… let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food or drink… let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism or worship of angels.” Pay close attention to how Paul weaves his rebuttal to these forces throughout. Notice also how the themes of knowledge, wisdom, and mystery pop up, along with persistent references to death and rebirth. Also notice that the stream of vices and virtues that fill chapter 3 and 4 are filed under the heading of death and resurrection: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God… Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Finally, observe that the list of relationships that closes chapter 3 follows this exhortation: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” As with the church at Rome, Paul is writing to a Colossian church that was not of his own founding. Rather Epaphras, who is introduced in chapter 1, was the one from whom they learned “of the hope laid up” for them in heaven. Though he has not met them, Paul fills the final chapter with personal greetings from familiar names, and encourages them to welcome his messenger Tychicus. We’re also introduced to a man named Onesimus, “our faithful and beloved brother,” who will be a part of a distinct plot later on. Our verse for this week is Deuteronomy 10:12: And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. The Epistle to the Colossians. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →