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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 153 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeThe reading today is broken into two distinct segments. The first, which occupies most of chapter 13, is entirely teaching and explanation, sometimes with the crowds, and sometimes privately with Jesus’ disciples. The next unit is introduced when Jesus had finished these sayings… and it focuses on action: in Nazareth, in the wilderness, and on the sea. In chapter 13, Jesus tells at least seven distinct parables having to do with the Kingdom of Heaven: the sower, the weeds, the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the net. In the first, Jesus illustrates the responses people have to hearing the word of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the next six, Jesus paints a picture of this Kingdom that He’s been talking about from the very beginning. Listen carefully and you will find that these six parables fall into three categories. There are two which speak of the Kingdom’s inevitable bounty. Another two highlight its immense value. And bookending these are two in which people themselves are divided – between those who receive the Kingdom and those who do not: either wheat or weeds, either good fish or bad fish. While little is said about those who receive the Kingdom, Jesus presents a harrowing vision for those who are rejected. At the end of chapter 13 Jesus returns to His hometown, only to find that there is little willingness to accept Him and therefore, in Matthew’s words, He did not do many mighty works there. After learning of Herod’s interest in Him (brought on by the death of John the Baptist), Jesus attempts twice to withdraw. The first time the crowds find Him, and His compassion moves Him not only heal, but also to feed. The second time He actually does escape, then tracks down the disciples during a storm, at night, out on the sea. The first time Jesus astounded them on the water, the men asked, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" Today they answer their own question: “Truly You are the Son of God.” Our verse for this week is Psalm 19:4: Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Matthew 13 and 14. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 73 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeAt the beginning of chapter 10 we see the firstfruits of the treaty with Gibeon. Once other regional kings discover that Gibeon has allied with Israel, rather than them, these kings try to take Gibeon before Israel can come to their defense. The leaders of Gibeon hail Joshua and beg for assistance, which Joshua is now obliged to provide. The question of whether the LORD will help Israel in honoring their ill-conceived alliance is soon settled, and Joshua leads an all-night march to Gibeon. Listen to how much action is attributed to the LORD: throwing the enemy into a panic, throwing down hailstones out of heaven, and heeding the call of Joshua – which I’ll address later. Whereas the first ten chapters of Joshua recount the events of a few weeks or perhaps months, time speeds up considerably after Gibeon. The conquest of the rest of the land is summed up in the lists of defeated kings and the line: “Joshua made war a long time with those kings.” Since chapter 13 marks Joshua as “very old and advanced in years,” the record of conquest of first Southern and then Northern Canaan covers many years of battle – until finally the author affirms, “the land had rest from war.” I want to address two concerns before we read. First, the issue of the LORD destroying entire nations is revisited in 11:20: “For it was the LORD’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the LORD commanded Moses.” We’ve seen this heart hardening before – most notably with Pharaoh. If the subject of this Bible is indeed the LORD, then we have to acknowledge this aspect of His character: there was something so sinful about the Canaanites, or His insistence on Israel’s purity was so exclusive, that He saw fit to destroy them. The other concern is over the conduct of the sun and moon during the battle of Gibeon. Joshua calls out: “’Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.’ And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.” This is great fodder for debate, and I’ve written a much more extensive discussion on our website. Here, let’s focus on the text itself. Since Gibeon is to the east of the Valley of Aijalon, Joshua called this out early in the morning – near sunrise, in fact. Furthermore, it’s nature is verse – poetry – rather than prose. And finally, the author marvels not at astronomical phenomena but that “The LORD would listen to – obey – the voice of a man.” While God can do whatever He wants with the sun, moon, and stars, the thrust of the passage is that the LORD intervened for Israel in response to Joshua’s call. Our verse for this week is Hebrews 11:30: By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. Joshua chapters 10 through 12. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 232 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeThe final nine chapters of Ezekiel are occupied by one continuous vision of the future with three intertwining subjects: the Temple, the Prince, and resettling the Land. In yesterday’s reading the man whose appearance was like bronze showed Ezekiel the plans for the new Temple, and today this expands to draw up the holy district that is dedicated to the LORD. This district covers over 40 square miles, exponentially larger than the Jerusalem that had been destroyed. Given the dimensions of the Holy city, and the layout of the tribes, Ezekiel and his hearers know that this is not simply a rebuilt version of the old. Next we learn more about the righteous Prince who will rule Israel. It’s tempting to read through this looking for the identity of the future Prince. The author, however, is more concerned with the duties, the covenant obedience, and the nature of the Prince. One can assume, because of what's been written before in Ezekiel, that he will be of the line of David. Jeremiah concurs. But the when and how and where seems to be of secondary concern to this vision. Listen for echoes of Leviticus, and pay attention to the details that are here. Finally, the land is redistributed to the twelve tribes. The geographic markers are larger than those of Joshua – the size is more comparable to David’s kingdom – and the tribes are stacked in slices of land from north to south, with seven to the north of the holy district and five to the south of it. This design, and the gates of the holy city that are laid out in the last paragraph, don’t follow a recognizable historical pattern, except for the one we saw in Leviticus: that the LORD is attentive to details. This final act is much less personal and immediate than the first three-quarters of the book. Whether this is climax or epilogue, I’ll leave to you to decide. But there is one last reminder, at the very end, of the LORD’s primary concern. Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 12:9: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Ezekiel 45 through 48. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 83 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeOne of our key motivators at YouCanReadTheBible is to allow the Biblical story to unfold on its own. We bring in outside information sparingly, always looking backward for referents rather than forward, because that’s how the Bible itself was revealed. We have chosen to approach the Gospels in the same way. While the Gospel writers possibly shared information and referred to the same sources, each of them sets out to tell a unique story, drawing our attention to the episodes, patterns, and themes that serve their purposes. There are four simultaneous stories being told about this one Jesus, and, as John says later on, if all that Jesus did could be written, “I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that could be written.” So when we turn to chapter 11 today and are introduced to “a certain man” named Lazarus, and to his sisters, Mary and Martha, try to put out of your mind anything else you know about them from the other Gospels. John uses their appearance here to bring about the close of His Gospel’s first act. Remember the issues that have been swirling thus far. The Jews have insisted that Jesus is a Samaritan, demon-possessed, a blasphemer. Jesus has insisted that His miracles are all the proof they should need to believe that God has sent Him. Yesterday the Jews challenged Christ with: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Today Jesus will answer, standing in front of a grave at Bethany. And the Jewish leaders will answer as well, with a plot to put the question of authority to rest once and for all. The tension resolves a bit as the second act opens in chapter 12: Six days before Passover. Some time has passed between these chapters and the tension has abated a bit. Listen as John revisits the Pharisees’ love for “the glory that comes from man,” and contrasts it with Jesus’ insistence that it was the Father, and not He himself, who would lift Him up. Listen as the theme of authority again rises to the surface. And listen, along with the crowd, for a voice that sounds like thunder. Our verse for this week is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John chapters 11 and 12. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 164 Guided 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 67 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeWe’re nearing the end of Moses’ speeches that fill the book of Deuteronomy, and once again all Israel is called together to reaffirm the LORD’s covenant with them. We’ve seen this many times, and there is no variation in the pattern today. Israel is reminded of the LORD’s faithfulness to them, called to fidelity, and reminded of what would happen should they succeed or fail. Most contracts, or covenants, require some sort of witness, someone who will vouch for your ability to follow through on the agreement. Many of you have probably signed for a loan that required a cosigner – someone who was actually taking financial responsibility for your ability to fulfill your commitment. This is what’s going on at the end of chapter 30 when Moses calls “…heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life...” Should Israel fail in its obligations – and the end of chapter 31 shows that God is sure of it – nature itself will rise up against it. You’ve heard this language often and here it’s codified: heaven and earth are not slaves to Israel, but will rebel against her when she turns away from the Creator. Pay attention to the commissioning of Joshua in chapter 31. Moses’ concerns are beyond the question of succession. He knows better than anyone that leading Israel is not about personal charisma or physical might, but about trust in, and faithfulness to, the LORD. His words to both the people and their next leader will echo forward as they cross the Jordan: “Be strong and courageous…It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Our verse for this week is Galatians 3:29: And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. Deuteronomy 29 through 31. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 345 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarize“Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” - 1 Corinthians 12:3-7 This, from our reading yesterday, is perhaps the clearest example of Paul’s understanding of the interplay between God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Throughout this letter Paul has been using these terms interchangeably – referring liberally to the same Being – and here they are tightly wound around a spiral of attributes that synonymously reinforce each other. It’s easy to imagine that Paul is doing more than making a theological point: God Himself provides the prime example of the unity that Paul wishes upon the Corinthian “body.” Pay close attention to the roles of God the Father and Jesus and especially the use of verbs in the 15th chapter. Only rarely is Christ portrayed as active: “Christ died,” and “appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve…” Typically, Christ is represented as passively receiving what the Father gives Him: He “was raised on the third day,” and “God has put all things in subjection under His feet.” Follow this throughout the chapter: Christ did not raise Himself; rather, “We testified about God that He raised Christ.” This is not at all subtle, and forms the foundation of Paul’s argument that the dead will also be raised. There is an energy to chapter 15 that gives us another side of Paul’s personality, of a passion for the Gospel that was displayed in the opening verses of this letter and throughout the book of Acts: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” Notice what Paul declares is “of first importance”… notice the number of times the words “raised” and “death” appear... the emphasis on Jesus’ appearances… the interplay of creation and resurrection, mortality and immortality… and the way Paul uses actual and presumptive questions to push the conversation forward. In the final chapter Paul reviews his travel plans and reinforces his call for a collection for the saints at Jerusalem. He commends certain believers as models and travelers, including Timothy, who may be coming their way. His final instructions include a reminder, once more, to “Let all that you do be done in love.” Our verse for this week is Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel. The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 1 Corinthians 15 and 16. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 340 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizePaul has a few priorities for the last few chapters of his letter to the Romans. First, he concludes the section on bearing with others with a prayer that “…the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with each other…that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is followed by another reminder that “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.” The letter turns toward a conclusion in the middle of chapter 15, as Paul affirms his satisfaction for the Roman church, though on some points he has written to them “…very boldly by way of reminder…” He again affirms his desire to come to Rome, but cites his ambition “to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named” as a factor in his delay. It is apparent that he is still on his way to Jerusalem, after which he expects to visit them on the way to Spain, assuming he is “delivered from the unbelievers in Judea.” This fear is prescient, and we know from Acts that he does end up in Rome, though because of rather than in spite of those Judean unbelievers. The final chapter is devoted primarily to greetings to and from fellow saints. He opens by introducing a patron, Phoebe, who could well be the letter’s deliverer. He then commends to them Prisca and Aquila, tentmakers who had fled Rome earlier and joined Paul in Corinth, taught Apollos in Ephesus, and were now apparently returning to their home. Among the other names there could have been additional travelling companions or brethren from around the city of hundreds of thousands of people. The greetings from Ephesus, including Paul’s scribe, host, and even the city treasurer, not only personalize the letter but place it squarely in history. Pay attention to the final instructions and doxology. Last words in these epistles often possess a specific warning or challenge that Paul wants to make sure he includes. Today’s caution about those who cause divisions and create obstacles may be general, but connects with his instructions in the last half of this letter. And in case they need encouragement, he is confident that “The God of Peace will soon crush Satan under [their] feet.” Our verse for this week is Genesis 1:1: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Romans 15 and 16. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →Day 310 Guided Podcast
YesterdayTap to summarizeI, the preacher, have been king over Israel and in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. -Ecclesiastes 1:12-14 There is a tradition that attributes the book of Ecclesiastes to king Solomon, and as you read the first few chapters you’ll find clues that generate this theory. The speaker’s name is defiantly hidden, but listen to the name he gives his kingdom, the capital from which he reigns, and the wealth and glory that is ascribed to him… and remember your history. However, since the speaker only goes by the name of “Preacher,” that’s what we’ll call him. The spring-like joy of the Song of Songs yields to an autumnal chill in Ecclesiastes. The Preacher looks backward, not forward, remembering everything he has seen under the sun, and behold, all is vanity…empty…meaningless…and striving after the wind. This word “vanity” and its variants appear at least 37 times in this short book; evil, another 22. Notice also how the themes of memory and legacy occupy his mind. Though he looks for meaning in his work, in pleasure, in wisdom, it gnaws at him that “…sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it…” All of this has a way of playing with the reader’s mind. Read the Preacher’s arguments carefully but also remember his place, time, position, and understanding of life and the afterlife. It’s important to pay close attention to your own emotions, which may respond to the author as well as his words. Allow yourself to feel, to respond to the text, as the Preacher lays out his acquisitions. And remember that his search has only begun. 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. Ecclesiastes 1 and 2. Now let’s read it!
Transcribe →