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You Can Read the Bible Guided Podcast
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Day 144 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeChapter 19 picks up the story of Assyria’s siege of Jerusalem. Sennacherib has sent Rabshakeh to taunt Jerusalem into submission. King Hezekiah’s first response is to tear his clothes, cover himself with sackcloth, and go into the house of the LORD. He then sends for Isaiah the prophet with this plea: “This is a day of distress, of rebuke, of disgrace…It may be that the LORD your God has heard…and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore, lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” While sending for a prophet might appear to be a wise action, remember that no king has truly sought the word of the LORD for centuries. They’ve toyed with the prophets, executed the prophets, or added the LORD’s prophets to their collection of seers and the LORD to their quiver of gods. Though facing annihilation and with no model for such faithfulness, Hezekiah seeks none but the LORD. You’ll hear the name of Isaiah prominently today. Isaiah first spoke to Hezekiah’s father almost thirty years ago, failing to convince him that the Syria-Israel coalition would not last (this is recorded in Isaiah chapter 7). Instead of trusting Isaiah and the LORD’s promise, Ahaz requested aid from Assyria, which we read about yesterday. Today Isaiah is the LORD’s mouthpiece to one who will listen. This promising outlook follows Hezekiah almost to the end of his life. In chapter 20, Hezekiah receives emissaries from Babylon, which Hezekiah describes as a far country, and presumably a safe one, especially because they are also attempting to thwart Assyria. Whether for pride alone, or because the king fails to seek the LORD, or because of Judah’s attempt to forge yet another alliance with yet another foreign power, the LORD pronounces judgment: not simply on Hezekiah, but on his house. In this pivotal episode, a disconcerting possibility emerges: the line of David might be under threat. This threat becomes more tangible as Hezekiah is succeeded by a son who led Judah astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel… Our verse for this week is Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 2 Kings 19 through 21. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 31 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeAs we come to the end of the book of Exodus, I want to recount the journey thus far. The story begins with a Pharaoh who “knew not Joseph” enslaving the children of Israel. Their continued prosperity only angers the Egyptians further, and Pharaoh’s solution is to order the execution of every new male Israelite child. Moses is rescued from this, grows up in Pharaoh’s court, is forced to flee, and then is commissioned by the LORD to return and lead Israel out of slavery. The LORD reveals himself through signs and plagues, and though the power of the LORD overwhelms his land, Pharaoh is unable to concede. The final tragic sign is a response to Egypt’s attempt to eradicate Israel years before. The LORD then goes before the children of Israel, parting the sea, providing food and water, and leading them to the Mount of Horeb, or Sinai. Here His glory descends over the mountain, Moses ascends, and a covenant is offered, which the Israelites affirm. As you will see many, many times in the future, Israel’s faithfulness falters, they are called to repentance, and the LORD restores them. At the beginning of this story, the LORD introduced himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He them claimed all Israel as His own, rescuing them, commanding them to trust Him, then to worship Him alone. We now reenter the account of the construction of the tabernacle, where God will meet with His people. Chapter 39 records the creation of the priestly garments, according to the design we read in chapter 28. Still yourself here as the same details are recounted: the gold rings, the lace of blue, the bell and pomegranate, the signet engraved with “Holy to the LORD.” All is brought to Moses for review. And he “saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so they had done it. Then Moses blessed them.” We close with a look at the dedication of this tabernacle. Exactly one year has passed since that night in Egypt that for Israel had marked the beginning of days. As the cloud had once covered the mountain, it now descends over the tabernacle… “in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” Our verse for this week is Hebrews 11:29: By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. Exodus chapters 39 and 40. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 180 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarize“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine…” - Exodus 19:4-5 After Sennacherib took the Assyrian throne around 705 B.C., he spent his first year subduing a revolt in Babylon. Egypt took advantage of this distraction and sent emissaries to Judah, trying to forge an alliance with King Hezekiah. Up to this point, Judah had been under nominal Assyrian control –Hezekiah’s father had asked Sennacherib’s father for help against Israel and Aram – and Sennacherib quickly turned his army westward to deal with them. The LORD is displeased with Hezekiah on multiple fronts: “Ah, stubborn children,” He declares in chapter 30, “Who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, who set out to go to Egypt, without asking for My direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh!” The LORD has at least three charges against Judah. First, obviously, is that Judah did not consult Him regarding this plan. That may sound petty, unless you consider that Judah’s primary covenant was with the LORD; they were His treasured possession, not Assyria’s or Egypt’s. A concurrent charge is that asking Egypt for help was an acknowledgement that the LORD couldn’t protect them. Judah was both unfaithful and faithless. But third, Deuteronomy 17 strictly forbids Israel’s king from causing the people to acquire horses from Egypt, “since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’” Egypt, that land of both refuge and slavery, was a perpetual tease throughout the Exodus and now, 600 years later, sustains its siren call. In the background of these visions listen for the sounds of soldiers and horses, of chariots and siege works, of tumult and fear. It’s into this cacophony that Isaiah promises that “The LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard… The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the LORD, when He strikes with His rod… Battling with brandished arm, He will fight with them…” Our verse for this week is James 1:22: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Isaiah 28 through 30. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 222 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeToday we return to 593 B.C., almost midway between the first massive exile to Babylon and the ultimate fall of Jerusalem. From the opening verses, it appears that Ezekiel was among that first group of exiles, or at least journeyed among them, for we find him by the Chebar canal in Babylon. Beyond the fact that Ezekiel is described as a priest, little else is known about him. What matters is that the word of the LORD came to him there – well beyond the borders of Judah – and that Ezekiel was commanded to proclaim it. “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for Israel…go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.” That last line: “…whether they hear or refuse to hear” is an interesting diversion from what we’ve seen before. Ezekiel’s commissioning vision holds some elements you’ll recognize from Isaiah and Jeremiah, as though there is formulaic rhythm to be kept. But this acknowledgement of Israel’s stubbornness gets elaborate treatment here, and throughout this book you can try to discern whether this is saying something about the prophet, as well as the audience. Now comes fair warning: many of the visions given to Ezekiel are abstract, symbolic, and shall we say, creative. Often, Ezekiel is given an elaborate exercise to perform as prophetic theater. Today you’ll hear of winged creatures and spinning wheels; of bricks and dirt mounds and barley cakes cooked over human dung; of razor-sharp swords and burning hair. My encouragement to you is to simply read it through, accepting broad meanings that the author assigns without grinding out the details of every specific symbol. For example, in chapter 1 Ezekiel experiences a vision of winged creatures and spinning wheels, above which sat a throne surrounded by light and fire. At the end, without any reflection on the particular elements, Ezekiel simply relates: Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And When I saw it, I fell on my face…” Our verse for this week is Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Ezekiel 1 through 5. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 269 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarize“If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,' I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain?” - Job 9:27-29 Our reading today follows the above, where Job acknowledges his powerlessness before God. Even if Job were to put on a cheerful face, to wash himself clean, he could not escape should God choose to plunge him back into the pit. For “There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both…” he laments. Whatever God wants to do, God will do. Remember how Job responded to his wife in chapter 2: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" Keep this question in mind as you listen to Job’s speeches today. The only other speaker today is Zophar, the final counselor who’s been sitting with Job. His charge of iniquity is similar to that of his partners, but he also challenges Job’s understanding of God Himself. Listen carefully: "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?... If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. You may have spotted the tension between these two images of God: in Job’s world, who is in charge? How about in Zophar’s? It seems that Job’s lament is the feeling of powerlessness before an all-powerful God. How does Zophar want to resolve that? Job’s response in the next three chapters tells you what he thinks of this advice. At this point you may be looking for a right-or-wrong type of answer here. If so, this book will continue to disappoint. Remember the pain and grief through which Job is speaking and into which his friends are trying to console. Remember the high opinion that both the author and the LORD held of Job in the first chapters. Listen both to Job’s words and attitude. Where do you sympathize with him, agree with him, or do you yourself want to rebuke him? Our verse for this week is James 4:7: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Job 10 through 14. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 266 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizePossibly around 450 B.C. ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ – Exodus 19:4-6 Malachi has a distinctive style that you will easily pick up. In the first verses a rhythm is introduced: “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated…” This cycle of accusation-retort-response is used effectively at least seven times in Malachi. There is no timestamp on the oracle of the word of the LORD that came to Malachi, but it is almost certainly after the time of Zerubbabel, and likely as late as Ezra and Nehemiah, because there is a functional temple in place. Otherwise, nothing is known of this prophet, but we will deduce much about the setting into which he preached. Indeed, the prevailing concern that runs through the first chapter-and-a-half is propriety in Temple worship. In chapters 1 and 2 He condemns the priests for defiling the altar with imperfect sacrifices and in leading the people astray. The LORD ridicules their weariness of duty and asks if they would treat their governor with such contempt. In the middle of chapter 2 the LORD moves on to the population of Judah, leveling two accusations against them: their marriages to the daughters of foreign gods, and their faithlessness to the wife of your youth. Listen carefully to how the LORD drills deeply into this accusation. It is the voice of one who has been quite attentive to life in Judah. The book turns toward the future in chapter 3: Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the LORD whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. This is, however, more warning than encouragement, as the LORD declares: “Then I will draw near to you for judgment.” Listen to the list of those He will witness against, and remember the law that was given to them through Moses. Read all the way to the end, through the refiner’s fire and the windows of heaven and the book of remembrance, because there is one final promise in store as the prophetic canon is closed. Our verse for this week is James 4:7: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The prophet Malachi. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 275 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarize“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” - Job 38:1-3 Were you expecting this? “Dress for action like a man” is a call to combat: Job has challenged the LORD, and the LORD has arrived to call him on it. Remember what caused Job’s misery to begin with – look back in chapters 1 and 2 if you need a refresher. Job was a man in whom the LORD found no fault, yet now he’s called to account. So was Elihu right, that Job was speaking wickedly about the LORD? Read the rest of the LORD’s answer, and discover. As always, notice what gets repeated: the LORD always speaks out of the whirlwind… Twice the LORD commands Job to “Dress for action like a man…” and twice He rebukes Job’s friends: “…you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” Furthermore, the LORD’s entire answer to Job is devoted to His role in creation: just swim in the details from the world of living things, of weather, of geology and of the cosmos. In the middle of today’s reading, the LORD asks Job a question: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” Job does in fact answer: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth…” Job’s closing statement mirrors this attitude: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” At the end of today’s reading – which concludes the book of Job – you’re allowed to answer the question: Is there resolution? Or is it sufficient that Job is now content to see the One of whom he has heard? Is it also sufficient that the LORD has acquitted Job, who has spoken of Him what is right? This is wisdom literature. The LORD is the subject, the primary actor, and the Author of the story. It is our choice, like it is Job’s, to engage and be satisfied. Our verse for this week is Luke 16:13: No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Job 39 through 42. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 260 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeAround 630 B.C. The typical introduction returns in Zephaniah, as the opening verse tells us that this is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi… in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, the king of Judah. Given the presence of Baal worship, this is probably before the restoration of the Temple in Josiah’s 18th year, and may have contributed to Judah’s repentance. Any comfort ends there, however, for the LORD’s first declaration is that “I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth.” Moreover, “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom, those who have turned back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him." I’ve noted before that each of these twelve prophets typically has one theme that they follow or charge to make, and Zephaniah’s is obviously about the folly of trusting other gods, or wealth, or Judah’s neighbors – none of which can be counted on for protection. For, as has already been established, it is the LORD who ultimately punishes. Listen carefully as the LORD spirals around this theme. But in chapter 3 the LORD draws a distinction between Jerusalem’s fickle, treacherous prophets, her priests who profane what is holy, and do violence to the law, and Himself, who alone is righteous; He does no injustice. “Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, for …the great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast. Our verse for this week is Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. The prophet Zephaniah. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 239 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeToday we finally meet the title character of this book. Ezra is described as a descendant of Aaron, the chief priest, a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD the God of Israel had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. Accepting the dates of both this chapter and Persian records, Ezra is sent to Jerusalem around 458 B.C., almost sixty years after the temple was completed. With the king’s commission he was to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God… to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel… to buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings… and to appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. This commission has a multifaceted purpose. On the one hand, Ezra thanks the God of our fathers, who put such a thing in the heart of the king to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem. Ezra also has authority to appoint magistrates and judges, which releases control to the ancient laws, customs, and people of Judah. The king is not only supporting worship of the LORD. He is trusting Ezra to maintain order in Jerusalem, which we’ve already read is notorious as a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. Notice little details in this short narrative: how Ezra’s wisdom and knowledge of the law are revealed… how Ezra recognizes the hand of the LORD is on him… how he stops to pray for humility and safety… and how the administrative and worship details are carefully attended to and recorded. Our verses for this week are Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Ezra 7 and 8. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 66 Guided Podcast
2d agoTap to summarizeNear the end of this covenant that God has made with Israel, two important items need to be checked off: the public recording, and the final admonition. Chapter 27 leads off with what I’m calling the public record: the altar and memorial that is to be built on Mount Ebal. After crossing the Jordan, the Israelites’ first task is to erect a memorial of stones, covered with plaster, “and you shall write on them all the words of this law.” They are also to set up an “altar of uncut stones, and you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God.” This is not only a memorial but also an announcement to all who pass, that this land belongs to the LORD. These two chapters jump back and forth between promise and threat, with threat filling the bulk of the territory. The question that has faced Israel for forty years is whether the LORD is actually capable of giving them the land. Moses reminds them that what they should be asking is whether they have the faith and discipline to keep the land once they receive it. “If you are not careful,” he warns, “to do all the words of this law…that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions... And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin and destroying you.” Listen to how Moses personalizes the curses: “All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you…” They’re supposed to be seared into the minds of the Israelites, and, as commanded in chapter 6, passed down to every generation. This land belongs to the LORD, and He can take it back. He promised to give it to them, but He is not promising that they will keep it, should they fail to obey. Remember these chapters as we read the rest of Israel’s history together. And remember that the subject of this book is the LORD. What do we learn about Him, and about His promises, in these chapters? And one last time, our verse for this week is Matthew 22:39: And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Deuteronomy 27 and 28. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →