Sunday, July 31, 2016

DBRP_214 JER.24 JER.25 PSA.150 1CO.7


JEREMIAH 24-25:
A stunning prophecy was given in yesterday's reading:

5 The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will rule wisely and do what is right and just throughout the land.
6 When he is king, the people of Judah will be safe, and the people of Israel will live in peace. He will be called ‘The Lord Our Salvation.’

How amazing it is that this identity of ‘The Lord Our Salvation/Righteousness’ is specifically linked with the Righteous Descendant— whom we now know is Jesus! Yesterday's reading also contained the interesting command about not calling the Lord's message a ‘burden’.

Some Christian leaders today would do well to note God’s angry statements about the prophets who pan off prophecies that just come from their own imaginations as coming from the Lord. I would not like to be in their shoes at the judgment day!

PSALM 150:
The exuberant finale to the psalms!

1CORINTHIANS 7:
Yesterday's reading in 1 Corinthians started out with Paul rebuking the Corinthian Christians for taking their fellow believers to court before secular judges. Paul returned briefly the theme of sexual sin. Then, in supporting his points, Paul gave some of the most amazing verses in all Scripture about our position in unity with Christ. Chapter 6 ended with these words:

NLT 17 … the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Translation notes:
1 Now, to deal with the matters you wrote about. [Like someone there has said, “] A man does well not to marry. [”]
5 Do not deny yourselves to each other, unless you first agree to do so for a while in order to spend your time in prayer; but then resume normal marital relations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation[s] because of your lack of self-control.
16 How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your husband[ if you remain living together]? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife[ if you continue to live together]?
35 I am [saying these thing//giving this advice//saying this] because I want to help you. I am not trying to put restrictions on you. Instead, I want you to do what is right and proper, and to give yourselves completely to the Lord's service without any reservation.


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Saturday, July 30, 2016

DBRP_213 JER.23 PSA.149 1CO.6


JEREMIAH 23:
In yesterday's reading, we heard how king Zedekiah sent two men to Jeremiah to ask him for help to pray for a miracle. And God made it ever so clear that no miracle of deliverance would be given. Jeremiah repeatedly tells the king what he needs to do, but Zedekiah  just couldn’t bring himself to do it. The area of giving justice was especially prominent in yesterday's reading.

Translation note:
18 [Jeremiah speaks//I said], “None of these prophets has ever known the Lord's secret thoughts. None of them has ever heard or understood his message, or ever listened or paid attention to what he said.

PSALM 149:
We old saints should not despise all of the new songs of the young saints. Yet I totally understand the desire to avoid change.  Here we see that Scripture commands that we sing new songs. And this whole psalm can be taken as a prelude to what we will see in the book of Revelation.

1CORINTHIANS 6:
A few days ago I challenged you to find out what was special about the quote in John 19 about none of Jesus’ bones being broken. In yesterday’s reading in 1Corinthians 5, we heard several metaphors relating to that based on Jesus being our Passover Lamb. And now as we start chapter 6, we have a chapter break at the right place, as Paul starts a new topic.

Translation note:
3 Do you not know that we shall judge the angels? How much more, then, [should we be able to judge] the things of this life!
9 Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or [both kinds of male homosexuals//homosexual perverts]


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JoySightings_032 The Carnival Daughter


Chapter 8 of Tales of the Resistance, by David and Karen Mains:

The Carnival Daughter


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Friday, July 29, 2016

DBRP_212 JER.21 JER.22 PSA.148 1CO.4.14-21 1CO.5


JEREMIAH 21-22:
These verses from Jeremiah 20 have been often quoted as a reason for memorizing Scripture:

NLT 9 But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD
or speak in his name,
his word burns in my heart like a fire.
It’s like a fire in my bones!
I am worn out trying to hold it in!
I can’t do it!

Remember the priest Pashur who put Jeremiah in stocks. The Passhur that time was the son of Immer. Today it is evidently a different Passhur who visits Jeremiah, the son of Malchiah.

PSALM 148:
The ending psalms just keep getting more and more exuberant in praise!

Translation notes:
5 Let them all praise [Him//the name of the Lord]! He commanded, and they were created;
11  Let them all praise [Him//the name of the Lord]! His name is greater than all others; his glory is above earth and heaven.

1CORINTHIANS 4:14—5:
Paul is about to drop a bombshell in chapter 5, and it is good to see the transition from chapter 4.

Translation notes:
4:17 For this purpose I am sending to you Timothy, who is my own dear and faithful son in the Christian life. He will remind you of the [way of living//principles] which I follow [, and which is appropriate for all of us who are joined in union with Christ Jesus.//in the new life in union with Christ Jesus] [0//which] I teach [these principles] in all the churches everywhere.


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Thursday, July 28, 2016

DBRP_211 JER.19 JER.20 PSA.147 1CO.3.10-23 1CO.4


JEREMIAH 19-20:
yesterday’s reading, we again heard some often-quoted verses. These verses come just after verses in chapter 17 where the Lord himself beautifully paraphrased Psalm 1:

9 “Who can understand the human heart?
There is nothing else so deceitful;
it is too sick to be healed.
10 I, the Lord, search the minds
and test the hearts of people.
I treat each of them according to the way they live,
according to what they do.”

Then in chapter 18, we also heard the famous passage about the Lord being like a potter, which Paul refers to in Romans 9.

PSALM 147:
Again this is quite a contrast with Jeremiah’s feelings which we just read! This is our second Hallelujah psalm. And hallelujah has been translated according to its meaning here as “Praise the LORD.” This psalm has incredible depth.

1CORINTHIANS 3:10—4:
Paul is still ‘going on about’ the same thing. He is going to return to the subject of himself and Apollos in chapter 4— which summarizes the division in the Corinthian church. To give the connection, let’s start reading at chapter 3 verse 10.

Translation notes:
3:16 Surely you know that you are [included as a part of] God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you!
17 God will destroy anyone who destroys God's temple. For God's temple is holy, and [we— all of God’s people//you yourselves] are his temple.
[Translations in English often fail to make clear that ‘you’ in Greek is plural here. The Corinthians as a group are being built into the temple of God— as Paul says in Ephesians 2. It seems a bit more natural or complete in English for Paul to include himself in the body of Christ, so it is possible to use ‘we’ and a modifying phrase, as I have suggested above. There is another verse we will soon read where Paul says that we each individually are a sanctuary/temple of the Holy Spirit.]
21 No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do.  [(Implicit info:) Because of being joined as one with Christ,] Actually everything belongs to you:
22  [So that includes] Paul [and] Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future—all these are yours,

4:1 You should think of us [apostles//0] as Christ's servants, who have been put in charge of God's secret truths.
17 For this purpose I am sending to you Timothy, who is my own dear and faithful son in the Christian life. He will remind you of the [way of living//principles] which I follow [, and which is appropriate for all of us who are joined in union with Christ Jesus.//in the new life in union with Christ Jesus] [0//which] I teach [these principles] in all the churches everywhere.

 


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Wednesday, July 27, 2016

DBRP_210 JER.17 JER.18 PSA.146 1CO.3


JEREMIAH 17-18:
One catches so clearly how trapped Jeremiah was in the time of God’s judgment, and how hot God’s anger was against Judah. Jeremiah’s audience would not have appreciated him telling them where the Lord said they could ‘go’! No wonder he so often weeps and cries out in despair. God’s verdict in 15:2, which shows his sovereign choices, is repeated in Revelation:

15:1 Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were standing here pleading with me, I would not show these people any mercy. Make them go away; make them get out of my sight. 2 When they ask you where they should go, tell them that I have said:

Some are doomed to die by disease—
that's where they will go!
Others are doomed to die in war—
that's where they will go!
Some are doomed to die of starvation—
that's where they will go!
Others are doomed to be taken away as prisoners—
that's where they will go!

Translation note:
6 [They are like bushes//He is like a bush] in the desert, which [grow//grows] in the dry wasteland, on salty ground where nothing else grows. Nothing good ever happens to [them//him].

PSALM 146:
This is the first of five Hallelujah psalms. In the GNT, ‘hallelujah’ is translated, “Praise the Lord.”

1CORINTHIANS 3:
The topic of this chapter is still related to that verse from Jeremiah that Paul quoted about boasting, but only boasting about knowing the Lord. And this chapter builds on what Paul has just said about wisdom, as he moves into discussing how to think about different Christian leaders.

Translation notes:
1 As a matter of fact, my friends, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian _faith_.
[I just want to point out that here I don’t feel the need to translate ‘faith’ as ‘way of believing’. Since there is a modifying word, ‘faith’ is no longer fuzzy. The literal is “infants in Christ.”]
16 Surely you know that you are [included in building up] God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you!
17 God will destroy anyone who destroys God's temple. For God's temple is holy, and [we— all of God’s people//you yourselves] are his temple.
[Translations in English often fail to make clear that ‘you’ in Greek is plural here. The Corinthians as a group are being built into the temple of God— as Paul says in Ephesians 2. It seems a bit more natural or complete in English for Paul to include himself in the body of Christ, so it is possible to use ‘we’ and a modifying phrase, as I have suggested above. There is another verse we will soon read in 2Corinthians where Paul says that we each individually are a sanctuary/temple of the Holy Spirit.]
21 No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do.  [(Implicit info:) Because of being joined as one with Christ,] Actually everything belongs to you:
22  [So that includes] Paul [and] Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future—all these are yours,

 


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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

DBRP_209 JER.15 JER.16 PSA.145 1CO.1.18-31 1CO.2


JEREMIAH 15-16:
Yesterday the dialog between the Lord and Jeremiah continued. We heard of the drought. And the Lord forbid Jeremiah to pray for the people of Judah.

Translation note:
10 What an unhappy man I am! Why did my mother [ever] bring me into the world? I have to quarrel and argue with everyone in the land. I have not lent any money or borrowed any; yet everyone curses me.

PSALM 145:
This is an acrostic psalm in Hebrew, and it gives us a great place to start when praising God.

Translation notes:
[Again in this psalm in the podcast I will rephrase some verses so that all of this psalm becomes a prayer to God. Third person to first person changes occur in verses 3, 13-14, and 17-21.]
21 I will always praise the Lord; let all [your//his] creatures praise [You//his holy name (metonymy)] forever.

1CORINTHIANS 1:18—2:
Let’s not allow the chapter division here to interrupt what Paul teaches us about God’s wisdom! So let’s start reading in chapter 1 verse 18.

Translation notes:
19 [God says in scripture//The scripture saysr, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars.”
2:5 Your [believing//faith], then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.


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Monday, July 25, 2016

DBRP_208 JER.13 JER.14 PSA.144 1CO.1


JEREMIAH 13-14:
In yesterday’s reading, Jeremiah complained to the Lord,

12:1 “Lord, if I argued my case with you,
you would [be shown//prove] to be right.
Yet I must question you about matters of justice.
Why are the wicked so prosperous?
Why do dishonest people succeed?

And the Lord replied in an answer that bears reading in context and needs some thinking about,

“Jeremiah, if you get tired racing against people,
how can you race against horses?
If you can't even stand up in open country,
how will you manage in the jungle by the Jordan?

PSALM 144:
This poem is quite a contrast with what we have just heard in Jeremiah. This is the joyful prayer of a king who is leading his people according to the will of God.

Translation note:
[As in other Psalms, I read verses 1-2 and 15 as a prayer made directly to God, rather than using the third person in talking to the Lord.]
15 [O Lord our God,//0] Happy is the nation of whom this is true; happy are the people [who worship You!//whose God is the Lord!]

1Corinthians 1:
In Paul’s day, Corinth was a metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea with a population of between 150,000 and 300,000 Roman citizens and about 460,000 slaves. There was evidently a healthy criminal population, and the city was a center of banking, so there were incredibly wealthy people there. The city was full of idol shrines of deities from Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and there was cult prostitution.

Some commentators claim that 1 Corinthians contains parts of two letters from Paul, so that 2nd Corinthians might actually be a third or fourth letter. I don’t buy that.

Key topics of the letter include the divisions in the church, the obstacles to sharing the Gospel, God’s wisdom as it appears to Greeks and Jews, partnership among apostles of Christ, vice in the church, various instructions about marriage, the Lord’s supper, food sacrificed to idols, Paul not cashing in on his rights as an apostle, spiritual gifts and the spiritual fruit of love, and the resurrection of Christ.


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Sunday, July 24, 2016

DBRP_207 JER.11 JER.12 PSA.143 JHN.21


JEREMIAH 11-12:
Yesterday we heard important verses in chapter 9:23-24, verses that Paul quotes more than once:

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
or the powerful boast in their power,
or the rich boast in their riches.
But those who wish to boast
should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD …

Translation note:
12:1 “Lord, if I argued my case with you, you would [be shown//prove to] be right. Yet I must question you about matters of justice. Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why do dishonest people succeed?

PSALM 143:
It seems that prayer is very neglected these days. Oh yes, we might hear something vague about praying for victims right after some tragedy strikes. But it seems that every church has trouble keeping a prayer meeting going. I myself have trouble keeping my prayer life going. David shows in this psalm that he has learned secrets of effective prayer. Note how his prayer is very like how Jeremiah felt in the two chapters we just read.

Translation note:
9 I [come//go] to you for protection, Lord; rescue me from my enemies.

JOHN 21:
This is one of my favorite chapters. John again tells us important information not given in the other gospels. Note that there is a famous exegetical fallacy here. John does use two different words for ‘love’ in the dialog between Jesus and Peter. But this should NOT be taken— as has been so frequently taught, as showing a play on words, or that John was intending different shades of meaning. Instead the use of synonyms is just a feature of John’s style in writing. John does this for poetic variation, like the parallelism in Hebrew poetry. Another example of this in this same passage is the variation of ‘little lambs’ and ‘sheep’.

Translation notes for verses 1-15 and 22-24:
[John concealed his name, but since chapter 1 he has been hinting that the writer is an eyewitness. In the last two chapters he clearly wants it known that the writer-eyewitness is ‘the disciple Jesus loved’. (I think the reason that John and Matthew did not include themselves using the first person in the Gospels overtly is because they didn’t want to boast at the honor being an inner-circle disciple of Jesus.) It is probably quite odd in any of the world’s languages for a writer to conceal his identity using literary devices as John did. In some languages, translating these devices literally is so confusing that it is better to rephrase some verses so that the writer speaks in the first person. (Here’s an example showing why John’s literary device would be confusing: If the text says, “The disciples got into the boat,” in Indonesian and Orya and most other languages, it means the writer was not among them. For the writer to be present, one would expect something like, “We disciples got into the boat.”) Translators who make the change to first person (I/we/us) will add a footnote explaining why John used the third person instead of the first person. In my opinion, for our Daily Bible Reading podcasts, it is much clearer for listeners to use the same technique.]
22 Jesus answered him, “If I want him to live until I [return//come], what is that to you? Follow me!”
23 So a report spread among the followers of Jesus that [I//this disciple] would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die; he said, “If I want him to live until I [return//come], what is that to you?”

 


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Saturday, July 23, 2016

DBRP_206 JER.9 JER.10 PSA.142 JHN.20


JEREMIAH 9-10:
Being a prophet is not exactly an easy job. In 7:27 God told him,

“Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.”

We’ll find that God told the same thing to more than one prophet around this same time.

Translation note:
9:22 Dead bodies are scattered everywhere, like piles of manure on the fields, like grain cut and left behind by the reapers, grain that no one gathers. [And] This is what the Lord has told me to say.”

PSALM 142:
When you are discouraged, here is a psalm to pray!

JOHN 20:
There are so many fulfillments of Scripture that happen in the crucifixion chapters in the Gospels that many times the authors didn’t take the time to highlight each one of them. The Jewish readers would have picked up on them without the need for an explanation. In verse 36, John highlighted one fulfillment, saying, “This was done to make the scripture come true: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’” I hope you remember what that was about! See Ps. 34:20, Ex. 12:46, Num. 9:12. If you don’t know, I hope this teaser will encourage you, because this is a golden gem. And Jesus’ death did not mean that he stopped fulfilling Scriptures.

Translation notes:
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary [— the one from the village of] Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance.
2 She went running to [Peter— who was also called Simon//Simon Peter] and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!”
[In the podcast recording, I reduced the other double-name instances later in the chapter to just Mary/Peter. The context makes it clear who is being referred to, and doing so is more natural in English.]
13 [One of them asked her,//0] “[0//Woman,] why are you crying?” [0//they asked her.] She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!”
15 “[0//Woman,] why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?” She thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, “If you took him away, sir, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
31 But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your [believing//faith] in him you may have life.

 


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JoySightings_031 The Forbidden Princess


The seventh chapter of Tales of the Resistance, by David and Karen Mains:

The Forbidden Princess


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Friday, July 22, 2016

DBRP_205 JER.7 JER.8 PSA.141 JHN.19.14-42


JEREMIAH 7-8:
In this and several other prophetic books, it is important to observe where quotes begin and end, and who is speaking. The section headings are also very helpful to our understanding. Modern translators and editors use the heading to help modern readers understand such things as ancient poetic imagery.

Yesterday's reading had this ironic statement spoken by the Lord:
5:19 When they ask why I did all these things, tell them, Jeremiah, that just as they turned away from me and served foreign gods in their own land, so they will serve strangers in a land that is not theirs.”

PSALM 141:
David received the answer to his prayer in verse 5, if this was written before his affair with Bathsheba. Nathan did what David prayed for here. This psalm contains gems that are well worth digging for and meditating on.

JOHN 19b:
I believe that John saw, and wanted us to feel, the extreme irony in many events that we have read. The ironic events and statements also didn’t happen by accident. It was not an accident that the mob who came to arrest Jesus stumbled back and fell when he said, “I am He.” That was— and still is, a sign from God. All of the statements of Pilate and the chief priests drip with irony which they could not see, but which we can. “I find no fault with this man!” “Behold your king!” “We have no king but Caesar!” “What is truth?” “Don’t release him, we want Barabbas!”

Translation notes:
30 [After Jesus tasted//Jesus drank] the wine and said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 Then the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to allow them to break the legs of the men who had been crucified, [so that they would die quickly and their bodies could be taken//and to take the bodies] down from the crosses. They requested this because it was Friday, and they did not want the bodies to stay on the crosses on the Sabbath, since the coming Sabbath was especially holy.
35 ([I,] The one who saw this happen [have now//has] spoken of it, so that you also may believe. What [I//he] said is true, and [I know that I speak//he knows that he speaks] the truth.)


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Thursday, July 21, 2016

DBRP_204 JER.5 JER.6 PSA.140 JHN.19.1-27


JEREMIAH 5-6:
God, speaking through the prophets, frequently says how he feels about idolatry. He considers it just like the faithlessness of a wayward wife. It is moving that Jeremiah could so clearly see what would happen— the anguish of the people when his prophecies are fulfilled and they will be attacked by armies from the north.

PSALM 140:
This is a prayer for anyone who fears the imminent attack of wicked enemies.

JOHN 19a:
The chapter break here interrupts the story of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. Jesus has already told Pilate that he is a king, but his kingdom is not of this world. Then when Jesus said, “I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me.”— Pilate asked his famous rhetorical question,

38“And what is truth?”
Then Pilate went back outside to the people and said to them, “I cannot find any reason to condemn him.
39 But according to the custom you have, I always set free a prisoner for you during the Passover. Do you want me to set free for you the king of the Jews?”
40 They answered him with a shout, “No, not him! We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a bandit.)

 


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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

DBRP_203 JER.3 JER.4 PSA.139 JHN.18.19-40


JEREMIAH 3-4:From yesterday’s reading I highlight 1:12, where God says, “I am watching to see that my words come true.” In Hebrew the word ‘watching’ is a play on words.

Yesterday we also read Jeremiah 2:13, which is one of the most frequently quoted verses from this book. Look at it in context starting at verse 11:

11 No other nation has ever changed its gods,
even though they were not real.
But my people have exchanged me,
the God who has brought them honor,
for gods that can do nothing for them.
12 And so I command the sky to shake with horror,
to be amazed and astonished,
13 for my people have committed two sins:
they have turned away from me,
the spring of fresh water,
and they have dug cisterns,
cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all.

Translation note:
4:2 [NLT Then when you swear by my name, saying,
‘As surely as the LORD lives,’
you could do so
with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
and all people would come and praise [Me//my name[//GNT it will be right for you to swear by my name. Then all the nations will ask me to bless them, and they will praise me.”]
[I was going to bet that the NLT added the words, “As surely as the Lord lives” in order that the idea of ‘swear’ing not be taken in the sense of taking the name of the Lord in vain. That can also be called ‘swearing’ in English. But I find that my assumption was wrong! It seems that GNT left out the Hebrew words ‘YHWH live’, and even literal versions translate the two words like NLT. I think this may be one of the few places where one could defensibly say that GNT made a mistake, and the CEV translators must have simply have followed it without checking the Hebrew.]

PSALM 139:
What a contrast with what we just read! Our God searches us out and knows all about us. This psalm has been a great comfort to many.

Translation note:
18 If I counted them, they would be more than the grains of sand. [And] When I awake, I am still with you.

JOHN 18b:
Jesus knew he was walking inexorably to the cross. To me it is interesting that in Jesus’ short time with the governor of the land, he brought the focus to the concept of ‘truth’.

Translation note:
33 Pilate went back into the palace and called Jesus.[and asked him,] “[So,] Are you the king of the Jews?” [0//he asked him.]
37 So Pilate asked him, “Are you a king, then?”
Jesus answered, “[NIV You are right in saying I am a king.//You say that I am a king.] I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me.”
38“And what is truth?” Pilate asked.
Then Pilate went back outside to the people and said to them, “I cannot find any reason to condemn him.

 


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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

DBRP_202 JER.1 JER.2 PSA.138 JHN.18.1-27


JEREMIAH 1-2:
The book of Jeremiah was written between 627 and 580 BC, and it is the longest book in the Old Testament. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet, and his other book is Lamentations. It is possible that he is the son of the high priest Hilkiah who brought the book of the Law to the attention of king Josiah. Having just heard in 2 Kings  an overview of what happened during the last days of the kingdom of Judah, we now will hear the poems and sermons of a sensitive man living through it all. Mears says, “No other prophet bares his soul to his readers as does Jeremiah. Although Jeremiah announced the coming destruction of Judah, he looked beyond this judgment to a day when everyone would know the Lord personally through the forgiveness of his or her sins (Jer. 31-34). This new kind of relationship with the Lord would be part of the “new covenant” the Lord would establish with his people (Jer. 31:31).”

PSALM 138:
This is the first of a series of eight psalms where the psalmist speaks in the first person singular. This psalm includes an important declaration in verse two, which ESV translates like this:

2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

NLT and CEV have done a good job translating the meaning, and I particularly like the second phrase in NLT.

Translation note:
2 [NLT I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise [you//your name] for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.//
CEV I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before.//GNTD I face your holy Temple, bow down, and praise your name because of your constant love and faithfulness, because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.]

JOHN 18a:
As John said in chapter 13, “Jesus, having always loved his disciples, he loved them to the end.”

Translation note:
10 [Peter— whose other name was Simon, had a sword. He//Simon Peter, who had a sword,] drew it and struck the High Priest's slave, cutting off his right ear. The name of the slave was Malchus.


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Monday, July 18, 2016

DBRP_202News_from_Phil


I hope that in a few days, those of you who read along with the DBRP using the Youversion Bible app will see a difference in the formatting of the Digging Deeper reading plan. There will be either one or two direct links to the podcast audio in the upper right hand corner of the Devotional Content section. If you are listening in the first 200 days of the reading plan, you will see a link for listening to either GNT or NLT. If you are listening in the last part of the year, you will just see the NLT link, because I am still recording the GNT podcasts. I have also made improvements to the devotional text in the first 200 days of the plan.

The listening links should open whatever is your default MP3 player and you will be able to return to the Bible app to read along. And here is where I ask for your help: Please try out the links, and let me know if there are problems. I may need to change the way the audio files are linked within the Devotional Content text.

My work to encourage the understanding of God’s Word in Indonesia is vigorously moving ahead even though I am in Arkansas. Two women in Jakarta finished our online Bible translation course and have joined our translation team on a part-time basis. They are producing high quality drafts of Exodus. Our team in Papua has had difficulties saving their work because of a broken undersea fiber optic cable that served the province, and because of other technical issues. I don’t think the cable issue is fixed, but the other issues were solved, and their drafts are slowly getting to our out-of-country server. I have been much more engaged in managing the total team since coming back to the states, and working hard on longer range planning. Planning has never been my strong suit, but through the mentoring of an Indonesian businessman and friend, I am getting better at it. I never thought it would happen: The Lord has given me pleasure and joy in doing this kind of planning work.

Who of us is not disturbed by the events that have been happening all over the world?! What can we see in God’s Word that will help us at this time? As I prepare podcasts several days before they are released, I have been reading in Jeremiah, and you probably realize already that the Digging Deeper reading calendar is weighted heavily toward the prophetic writings from now to the end of the year. Jeremiah was living in a time of God’s judgment on Judah. His being a righteous man in God’s sight could not save him from the events of his day. He was given the heavy responsibility of preaching to the people of Judah, even though God told him they would not listen. Because they refused to repent, we will read of the terrible events Jeremiah had to witness. More than just the historical facts, we will read his poems telling how all this caused him to suffer. We’ll also hear God telling us exactly why he sent that terrible time of judgment upon Judah. It won’t be hard for you to see correspondences to our modern times. So, what if we are caught in a time of judgment like Jeremiah? No matter what happens in our lifetime, we can be encouraged by God’s promises. As we keep on reading, we will see amazing prophecies fulfilled. Others are being fulfilled right now before our eyes. Even though this may be scary, it also ought to encourage us. We’ve read the end of the story, and know who wins in the end!

I encourage you to pass on the blessing any time the Lord blesses you through a through his Word— whether or not that happens through the DBRP. If anything will help our troubled world, it is God’s Word. If you share on Facebook, after sharing with your friends, please also share your encouragement with the Digging Deeper Facebook group.

Thanks for listening. If you would like to comment to me about anything, please use our Digging Deeper Facebook group, or send a Facebook message to me.

May the Lord bless you ‘real good’.


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DBRP_201 JON.3 JON.4 PSA.137 JHN.17


JONAH 3-4:
Running from God didn’t work for Jonah. When saved from the ocean, Jonah grudgingly obeys God.

For most of my life I have been fooled by Jonah's prayer in chapter 2, and I am not alone, because others have called it, “One of the great prayers in the Bible.” For most of the prayer, Jonah simply borrowed verses from the Psalms. And there is nothing wrong with that! However, if you look closer, Jonah prayed a me-centered and self-righteous prayer. The worst thing about it is there is no hint of repentance or asking forgiveness.

Translation note:
4 How can we sing a song to [You, Lord,//the Lord] in a foreign land?

PSALM 137:
As a musician, I can imagine what the musician who wrote this felt. The imprecation at the end should be taken in view of God’s justice. Compare the thought here with Rev. 6:9 and following verses (the cry of the saints under the altar), and also the ending chapters of Revelation that portray the vengeful judgment against ‘Babylon’— which in that book is used as a figurative name.

Rereading JOHN 17:
Note again the importance of the organic bond of union between the Father, the Son, and we who believe in Jesus. Again note the bond of love. Note that our Savior actually prays for us. And this is because we live in a world that is not our home.

Translation notes:
1 After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to [Me,] your Son, so that [I//the Son] may give glory to you.
2 For you gave [Me//him] authority over all people, so that [I//he] might give eternal life to all those you gave [Me//him].
3 [I, the writer, agree and add that, “//And] eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], whom you sent.[” Jesus was still praying,]
21 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be [joined as one with//in] us, just as you are [joined with//in] me and I am [joined with//in] you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me.
23 I [— joined as one with//in] them and you [— joined with//in] me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.
26 I made you known to them, and I will continue to do so, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and so that I also may be [one with//in] them.”


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Sunday, July 17, 2016

DBRP_200 JON.1 JON.2 PSA.136 JHN.17


JONAH 1-2:
For quite a few years when I was just reading the Bible without a set reading plan, I enjoyed a break from reading the books of history after Second Kings, moving to the prophets. And our first is Jonah, who was mentioned back in 2 Kings 14.

Note that the little story of Jonah is masterfully written. Little details poke out everywhere. Jonah has a downward journey. He goes down from Jerusalem to Joppa, then down again into the hold of the boat, and then down into the underworld of the ocean. He wasn't just being disobedient. He was saying, “I'm turning in my prophet's mantle.”

Bob Deffinbaugh: “Let’s face it, don’t you find that our text has reversed the heroes and the villains? … we would have expected Jonah to be the hero, while the heathen sailors would certainly have been expected to be the villains. This was certainly the perspective of Jonah, and of the Israelites, whom he typified. Yet in our text it is the sailors who pray, while Jonah does not. The sailors sought to deal with sin on the ship, not Jonah. The sailors end up worshiping God, [Jonah grumbled against God//not Jonah]. The sailors have compassion on Jonah, while he seems to have little concern for the danger in which he has put them. Clearly this chapter turns our expectations inside-out.”

Even the fish comes out better than Jonah. He obeyed. The pagans of Nineveh and their king also come out looking better than Jonah. They repent.

Translation note:
1:16 [NET The men feared the Lord  greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord.//This made the sailors so afraid of the Lord that they offered a sacrifice and promised to serve him.]

PSALM 136:
This is the most famous antiphonal psalm. If it won’t bother anyone around you while you are listening, I invite you to join me on the antiphonal response: His love is eternal.

JOHN 17:
Jesus’ high priestly prayer is considered the pinnacle of the upper room discourse.

Translation notes:
3 [John, the writer, inserts his prayer, “//And] eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent.[” Jesus was still praying,]
21 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be [joined as one with//in] us, just as you are [joined with//in] me and I am [joined with//in] you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me.
23 I [joined as one with//in] them and you [joined with//in] me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.26 I made you known to them, and I will continue to do so, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and so that I also may be [one with//in] them.”


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Saturday, July 16, 2016

DBRP_199 2KI.24 2KI.25 PSA.135 JHN.16.12-33


2KINGS 24-25:
In yesterday’s reading, we heard of Josiah’s reforms, leading the people to renew the covenant with God. That chapter had this telling comment about the Passover:

There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Many times I think people make the naive assumption that the people of Israel customarily performed all sorts of difficult commands in the Law— like the one about the Year of Jubilee. In my opinion, no way!

PSALM 135:
Olsen’s book gives the title for the chapter on this psalm as, “What kind of God do you have?” That’s a great question to ask to introduce this psalm!

 

Translation notes:
1 Praise the Lord! Praise [him//his name], you servants of the Lord,  
3 Praise the Lord, because he is good; sing praises to [him/his name], because he is kind.  
14 [You,O Lord//The Lord] will defend [your//his] people; [You//he] will take pity on [your//his] servants.

JOHN 16:
At the end of chapter 14, Jesus mentioned leaving that ‘place’— the upper room, but Jesus’ teaching in chapters 15-16 fit so well with chapter 14 that they may have taken place in the upper room. This chapter includes more important teaching about the Holy Spirit— our Advocate, and important key concepts about prayer.

Translation notes:
13 When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into [the full//all the] truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come.
23 “When that day comes, you will not ask me for anything. I am telling you the truth: the Father will give you whatever you ask of him [for the sake of my glory//in my name].
24 Until now you have not asked for anything [to glorify me//in my name]; ask and you will receive, so that your happiness may be complete.
26 When that day comes, you will [begin to//0] ask [the Father directly for things that glorify me//him in my name]; [You won’t need me to//and I do not say that I will] ask him on your behalf,
33 I have told [all these things to you who are joined as one with me, so that you will have peace.//you this so that you will have peace by being united to me.] The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!”


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JoySightings_30


The sixth chapter of Tales of the Resistance, by David and Karen Mains:

The Sewer Rat and the Boiler Brat


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Friday, July 15, 2016

DBRP_198 2KI.23 PSA.134 JHN.15.18-27 JHN.16.1-15


2KINGS 23:
Hilkiah found the book of the Law in the temple while repairs were being carried out as ordered by king Josiah. When Josiah heard the book of the Law, he instituted reforms. And God again is glorified in fulfilling a prophecy we heard in 1 Kings.

PSALM 134:
I would like to have been one of the Levitical temple musicians who had the duty of singing praises to God at night. This is the last of the Psalms of Ascent.

JOHN 15:18—16:15:
We are still in the upper room. I have chosen to reread the last verses of chapter 15, in order to help us make the connection with chapter 16.

Translation notes:
1 “I have told you this, so that you will not [fall away from your belief in me//give up your faith].
8 And when he comes, he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about [the way people are made right in God’s sight//what is right] and about God's judgment.
9 [First about sin: He will make them aware that they sin if//They are wrong about sin, because] they do not believe in me;
10 and about the way people are made right in God’s sight: The Helper will make them aware that I have opened the way for people to become right in God’s sight,//they are wrong about what is right,] because I am going to the Father and you will not see me any more;
11 and about the final judgment: He will make them aware that the final judgment will happen,//and they are wrong about judgment,] because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
13 When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into [the full//all the] truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come.


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Thursday, July 14, 2016

DBRP_197 2KI.21 2KI.22 PSA.133 JHN.15


2KINGS 21-22:
The Assyrian king mocked the God of Israel at the end of chapter 18. We heard God's answer yesterday in chapter 19, and we were introduced to the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah asked to live for a longer time, and his request was granted. I have heard that there is actually scientific proof of the long day miracle that was given to Hezekiah. What a shame that he did not ask God not to send his sons to Babylon!

Translation note:
21:4 He built pagan altars in the Temple, the place that the Lord had said was where [he, the Lord//he] should be worshiped.

PSALM 133:
This Psalm of Ascent comes at a very fitting time in relation to our readings yesterday and today in John. If we are _one_ with Jesus, then we are _one_ with one another.

Rereading JOHN 15:
Today we hear again about our vital relationship of oneness with Jesus. We didn’t actually choose Him! Before we chose Him He had already chosen us. If you are one who has difficulty believing that there is anything good about you, let your identity and worth be based on this passage! Here also we find the promise repeated of answered prayers when we pray for the sake of Jesus’ name— which is to say, for his cause or for his glory. Note that this is not just ‘dropping or using Jesus’ name’. God realizes when we are praying selfish prayers, and He is not fooled by our tacking on ‘in Jesus name’ at the end.

NLT Translation note:
16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, [for my name’s sake/for the sake of my glory//_using_ my name (NLT)].
[This must be one of the worst mistakes in the NLT! We don’t simply ‘use’ Jesus’ name and cash in on this promise! The idea is NOT simply ‘dropping’ Jesus’ name! This translation shows that the translator has been affected by modern Christian culture and did not consider what this really means. But then, I must admit, every translator— including me, falls in this regard from time to time, and that is why it is said in the NIV introduction, “No translation is perfect.”]

GNT Translation notes:
4 Remain [joined as one//united] to me, and I will remain [joined as one//united] to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains [joined to//in] the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain [joined to//in] me.
5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain [joined to//in] me, and I [with//in] them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.
6 Those who do not remain [joined with//in] me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.
7 If you remain [joined to//in] me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.
16 You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him [for the sake of my glory//in my name].


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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

DBRP_196 2KI.19 2KI.20 PSA.132 JHN.15


2KINGS 19-20:
The writer of 1 & 2 Kings was very brief about the sins of the people of Israel (in both kingdoms) until what we heard yesterday. He seems to have saved the moral of the story until chapter 17. And then we have the wonderful contrast with Hezekiah in chapter 18. Then the Asyrian king mocked the God of Israel at the end of chapter 18. We hear God's answer today.

PSALM 132:
It would appear that Solomon wrote this Psalm of Ascent, as part of it was quoted by him at the dedication of the temple.

Translation note:
14 [He says,] “This is where I will live forever; this is where I want to rule.

 

JOHN 15:
Yesterday we heard Jesus promise that He would send our Advocate/Comforter/Helper, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the one who literally ‘comes along beside’ and will lead us into all truth and be with us forever. And I think it is really due to Him that we can have “a peace that the world cannot give or understand.”

Translation notes:
[When talking of the organic unity of a branch and a vine, we don’t say a branch ‘in’ a vine, do we?! Greek says it that way. But it is much more natural it English to say a branch is ‘joined’ or is ‘connected’, and various other words. Because of this, we also tend to miss out on the meaning of ‘in Him/Christ’ that comes up so often in the New Testament. The meaning is NOT that we are ‘inside’ Him, but that we are joined as one with him.]
4 GNT Remain [joined as one//united] to me, and I will remain [joined as one//united] to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains [joined to//in] the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain [joined to//in] me.
5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain [joined to//in] me, and I [with//in] them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.
6 Those who do not remain [joined with//in] me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.
7 If you remain [joined to//in] me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.
16 You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him [for the sake of my glory//in my name].


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Tuesday, July 12, 2016

DBRP_195 2KI.17 2KI.18 PSA.131 JHN.14.15-31


2KINGS 17-18:
Yesterday we again heard quite a few names of kings, especially on the Israel/Northern side. And this culminated with Tiglath-pileser of Assyria deporting the people of Israel. Because of a heavy bribe, Judah avoided this by becoming a vassal state of Assyria. Actually, this was probably wise on king Ahaz's part. Judah was not always so wise in interpreting the signs of the time.

PSALM 131:
God’s grace requires that we receive from the Lord, not insisting on our working to gain good standing by ceaselessly trying to earn points with God. We can learn from children.

JOHN 14b:
In John 14 yesterday, we read one of Jesus’ most important and often quoted statements:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Translation notes:
10 Do you not believe, Philip, that I am [joined as one to//in] the Father and the Father is [joined to//in] me? The words that I have spoken to you,” [all of you//Jesus said to his disciples,] “do not come from me. The Father, who remains [joined with//in] me, does his own work [through me//0].
11 Believe me when I say that I am [joined as one with//in] the Father and the Father is [one with//in] me. If not, believe because of the things I do.
13 And I will do whatever you ask for in [order to bring glory to me//my name], so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son.
14 If you ask me for anything [for the sake of my glory//in my name], I will do it.
20 When that day comes, you will know that I am [joined as one with//in] my Father and that you are [one with//in] me, just as I am [one with//in] you.
22 Judas (not [the one from the village of Carioth//Judas Iscariot]) said, “Lord, how can it be that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”
26 The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send [for the sake of my glory//in my name], will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.


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Monday, July 11, 2016

DBRP_194 2KI.15 2KI.16 PSA.130 JHN.14.1-21


2KINGS 15-16:
In yesterday’s reading, on the Israel (10 tribes) side, we heard of Jehoahaz's reign. He was helped by Elijah in his final prophecy.  Then the names started getting confusing, as we heard of Jehoahaz's son Johoash.

Also in yesterday’s reading we heard of Amaziah's reign in Judah. And it is confusing again because Amaziah's father was Joash, without any middle position h's. Amaziah was very unwise to insist on war with Jehoash.

PSALM 130:
Thas Psalm of Ascent is one of the most beautiful of all the psalms, and an expression of hope for anyone in despair.

JOHN 14a:
In John 13 we heard of Jesus taking the role of a servant and washing the disciples’ feet. Judas left the upper room, and Peter was told that he would deny knowing Jesus three times.

Translation notes:
10 Do you not believe, Philip, that I am [joined as one to//in] the Father and the Father is [joined to//in] me? The words that I have spoken to you,” [all of you//Jesus said to his disciples,] “do not come from me. The Father, who remains [joined with//in] me, does his own work [through me//0].
11 Believe me when I say that I am [joined as one with//in] the Father and the Father is [one with//in] me. If not, believe because of the things I do.
13 And I will do whatever you ask for in [order to bring glory to me//my name], so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son.
14 If you ask me for anything [for the sake of my glory//in my name], I will do it.
20 When that day comes, you will know that I am [joined as one with//in] my Father and that you are [one with//in] me, just as I am [one with//in] you.


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Sunday, July 10, 2016

DBRP_193 2KI.13 2KI.14 PSA.129 JHN.13.12-38


2KINGS 13-14:

Yesterday we heard of Athaliah's seven year reign over Judah, of how Joash was saved from being killed, and of Jehoida's successful plot to end Athaliah's reign. Joash turned out to be sorta good, but disappointing at the end of his reign. And it is interesting to note that the people who worked on restoring the temple evidently had more integrity than the priests.

Translation note:
23 but the Lord was kind and merciful to them. He would not let them be destroyed, but helped them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [The Lord//He] has never forgotten his people.

PSALM 129:
This is another Psalm of Ascent and another nationalistic psalm. In this year’s readings, in just a few days we will begin hearing the parts of Israel’s history where this psalm writer could have received the scars on his back. (I like how the GNT shows that the scars on the back might be taken figuratively for the whole race, instead of personally for just the writer. But one just listening to a reading of this chapter will probably not pick up on that detail.) In our time, this psalm gives us permission to pray that the Lord’s enemies do not prosper.

 

Translation note:
8 No one who passes by [those people (enemies of ours)//0] will say, “May the Lord bless you! We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

 

JOHN 13b:
John spends several chapters in the upper room, and this is the first. We hear the most complete account here about Judas, and only here do we find the story of Jesus washing the disciple's feet. This is another time where we see Jesus consciously acting out a parable for us. And because of that event, the interchange with Peter is more poignant, although John takes pity on Peter and does not include details of that conversation that are found elsewhere.

Translation notes:
24 Simon Peter motioned to him and said, “Ask him whom he is talking about.”
31 After Judas had left, Jesus said, “Now [My glory as the Son of Man//the Son of Man's glory] is revealed; now God's glory is revealed through [Me//him].
32 And if [My Father, God’s//God's] glory is revealed through [Me//him], then God will reveal [my glory as the Son of Man//the glory of the Son of Man in himself], and he will do so at once.


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Saturday, July 9, 2016

DBRP_192 2KI.11 2KI.12 PSA.128 JHN.13.1-17


2KINGS 11-12:
Yesterday's story was of Jehu, anointed on Elisha's orders, and who executed the Lord's vengeance on Ahab and his whole family, and even his friends and the worshipers of Baal. However, after that, he still didn't follow the Lord, but continued the idolatry of Israel.

PSALM 128:
Today’s Song of Ascent has a similar theme about the Lord’s blessings for families as yesterday’s psalm, Psalm 127.

DBRP_192
Jesus’ words often have a double meaning. An example was heard yesterday when He said, “when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

Translation notes:
2 Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas[0//, the son of Simon Iscariot,] the thought of betraying Jesus. [He was the son of Simon, (the one) from the village of Carioth.//0]


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JoySightings_029


Chapter 5 of Tales of the Resistance by David & Karen Mains, entitled 

The Most Beautiful Player of All


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Friday, July 8, 2016

DBRP_191 2KI.9 2KI.10 PSA.127 JHN.12.20-50


2KINGS 9-10:
Yesterday we heard one of my favorite Old Testament stories: The one about the three lepers and the famine in Samaria. Elijah's prophecy was so dramatically fulfilled, and the scoffing officer could be a parable for modern times. Then we heard how the woman from Shunem returned and was blessed a second time. The narrative switched briefly to the kingdom of Judah and Ahaziah's reign.

Translation note:
9:22 “Are you coming in peace?” Joram asked him. “How can there be peace,” Jehu answered, “when we still [hold on to//have] all the witchcraft and idolatry that your mother Jezebel started?”
28 His officials [put//took] his body [in a chariot and took it//0] back to Jerusalem [0//in a chariot] and buried him in the royal tombs in David's City.

PSALM 127:
About ‘children/sons’ in v. 3, NET’s note says this:

Some prefer to translate this word with the gender neutral “children,” but “sons” are plainly in view here, as the following verses make clear. Daughters are certainly wonderful additions to a family, but in ancient Israelite culture sons were the “arrows” that gave a man security in his old age, for they could defend the family interests at the city gate, where the legal and economic issues of the community were settled.

This psalm would not be considered politically correct in today’s world. Let’s understand it with a historical perspective learn from it.

Translation notes:
2 It is useless to work so hard for a living, getting up early and going to bed late. For the Lord provides for those he loves, [even] while they are asleep.
3 [Sons//Children] are a gift from the Lord; they are a real blessing.

JOHN 12b:
Following the raising of Lazarus, the Jewish leaders became even more firm in their plans to kill Jesus.

Translation notes:
24 I am telling you the truth: a grain of wheat remains no more than a single grain unless it [falls//is dropped] into the ground and dies. If it does die, then it produces many grains.
25 Those who love their [life in this world//own life] will lose it; [but] those who [have no regard for//think nothing of (NLT)//hate] their [0//own] life in this world will keep it for life eternal.
42 Even then, many Jewish authorities believed in Jesus; but because of the Pharisees they did not talk about it openly, so as not to be expelled from the synagogue[s].


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Thursday, July 7, 2016

DBRP_190 2KI.7 2KI.8 PSA.126 JHN.12.1-26


2KINGS 7-8:
Yesterday we heard two more chapters containing fascinating miracles performed by Elisha. The story about Gahazi getting the gifts from Naaman, and the vision about the chariots of fire both have interesting spiritual significance to ponder.

We come back to the story from chapter 7 where the Aramean army is surrounding Samaria. The famine is severe. The king has sent an executioner to kill Elijah. And then:
32 NLT Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “A murderer has sent a man to cut off my head. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. We will soon hear his master’s steps following him.”
33 GNT He had hardly finished saying this, when the king arrived and said, “It's the Lord who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something?”

PSALM 126:
Laughter, joy, and tears are in this often quoted psalm.

JOHN 12a:
In yesterday's reading, Jesus worked his biggest miracle so far in the story— the raising of Lazarus, and the Jewish leaders became even firmer in their plans to kill Him.

Translation notes:
4 One of Jesus' disciples, Judas[— who was from the village of Carioth, and//Iscariot—] the one who was going to betray him—said, He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief.
6 He carried the [disciples’] money bag and would help himself from it.
24 I am telling you the truth: a grain of wheat remains no more than a single grain unless it [falls//is dropped] into the ground and dies. If it does die, then it produces many grains.
25 Those who love their [life in this world//own life] will lose it; those who [think nothing of (NLT)//hate] their [0//own] life in this world will keep it for life eternal.


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Wednesday, July 6, 2016

DBRP_189 2KI.5 2KI.6 PSA.125 JHN.11.21-57


2KINGS 5-6:
Yesterday we heard of the many miracles done by Elisha, supplying water for three armies on their way to Moab for war, helping the widow of a prophet, blessing the woman from Shunem, purifying Jericho's water, and supplying food during a famine.

PSALM 125:
The first verse of this psalm is one that our family has sung for years. Gale and I learned this song from a cassette tape that came from a Canadian church called St. Margaret’s, a place we have never been to. At that time (around 1977) we were teachers in Papua New Guinea and our David was two. Those who trust in the Lord are secure!

JOHN 11b:
Reminding us of what we heard in John 10: Our Shepherd calls us by name. He knows us thoroughly, just like He and the Father know each other. He goes before us and leads us into a rich and satisfying life. He is our great and good Shepherd because He was willing to sacrifice his life for us.


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Tuesday, July 5, 2016

DBRP_188 2KI.3 2KI.4 PSA.124 JHN.11.1-26


2KINGS 3-4:
Yesterday we heard of the final amazing prophecies of Elijah, and then how he took leave of the prophets and particularly, his successor Elisha. Elisha quickly showed that he was Elijah's successor.

Translation note:
[NLT96 So he took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. As a result, the anger against Israel was great, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.//GNT So he took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country.]

PSALM 124:
I keep being amazed how people (and particularly those in America) don’t seem to learn anything from the amazing things that are happening in our times. The last verse of this psalm expresses the lesson that I think we should have learned by now.

JOHN 11a:
Reminding us of what we heard in John 10: Our Shepherd calls us by name. He knows us thoroughly, just like He and the Father know each other. We hear his voice and recognize him. He goes before us and leads us into a rich and satisfying life. He is our great and good Shepherd because He was willing to sacrifice his life for us.

Translation notes:
5 [Although] Jesus loved Martha and [loved] her sister and [loved] Lazarus[, yet]
[Greek repeats the verb ‘loved’. I think John wanted to emphasize the individual nature of Jesus’ love.]
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been buried [already] four days before.



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Monday, July 4, 2016

DBRP_187 2KI.1 2KI.2 PSA.123 JHN.10.11-42


2KINGS 1:
Yesterday we heard stories which show that King Ahab indeed “sold himself to evil,” including the story of Naboth's vineyard. And also we heard of Ahab's friendship with King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Finally we heard how the prophecies against Ahab were fulfilled.

PSALM 123:
This psalm has an important similarity with Ps. 121 which said,
1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!

Today’s psalm tells us how to ‘look’.

JOHN 10b:
In John 9, with the formerly blind man standing there, Jesus said,
39 “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”
41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

I think the formerly blind man would have been greatly comforted to find out that the Son of Man was now his shepherd and the gate for the sheep. John 10:10 is a frequently memorized verse because of Jesus’ promise: Life in all its fulness.

Translation note:
38 Again there was a division among the people because of these words. We know that what the scripture says is true forever; and God called those people gods, the people to whom his message was given. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, you should at least believe my deeds, in order that you may know once and for all that the Father is [united with//in] me and that I am [united with//in] the Father.”


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