DBRP_011 GEN.20 GEN.21 JOB.11 MRK.7

Preparing to read GENESIS 20-21:

In chapter 19 of Genesis we heard what happened to Lot and his daughters after being saved from Sodom. The sons of Lot’s daughters became the ancestors of the Moabite and Ammonite races who were always at war with God’s people.

Translation notes:
2 he [told people//said] that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

We turn to JOB 11:

In chapter 10, Job accused God,
13 But now I know that all that time [since birth]
you were secretly planning to harm me.
14 You were watching to see if I would sin,
so that you could refuse to forgive me.
15 As soon as I sin, I'm in trouble with you,
but when I do right, I get no credit.
I am miserable and covered with shame.

Let’s turn to MARK 7:

Yesterday's reading in Mark 6 was of Jesus feeding 5,000+ and walking on water.

I would like to challenge each of my listeners to dig deeper to find a spiritual gem behind Jesus’ seemingly harsh and impolite first answer to the Syro-Phoenician woman. I encourage you to ask what right anyone (and especially any Gentile) would have to come to Jesus and ask for a miracle. With that question in mind, I encourage you to read all of Ephesians chapter 2.

Translation note:
8 “You put aside God's command and [instead] obey human teachings.”
6 Jesus answered them, “How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you[— you hypocrites!//! You are hypocrites,] [It’s] just as he wrote:
11 But you teach that if people have something they could use to help their father or mother, but say, ‘This is Corban’ (which means, it [already has been promised as an offering] belongs to God),
18 “You are no [smarter//more intelligent] than the others,”
33 [So Jesus took him off alone, away from the crowd. First he put his fingers in the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue. //So Jesus took him off alone, away from the crowd, put his fingers in the man's ears, spat, and touched the man's tongue.]

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Please help to improve this reading plan! If you join our online community, you can quickly post a suggestion when you spot a mistake in the the devotional content included in this plan. See the Sharing Together page of the dailybiblereading.info website for how to join us.

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DBRP_010 GEN.19 JOB.10 MRK.6.30-56

Let’s turn to GENESIS 19:

In yesterday's reading, Abram and Sarai received new names and God confirmed and expanded his covenant with Abram (now Abraham). Circumcision was added as a sign of following the covenant. Angels visited Abraham and Sarah and Abraham bargained with God about saving the few righteous people in Sodom— among whom I am sure Abraham was thinking of Lot.

Preparing to read JOB 10:

Job continues his response to Bildad. At the end of chapter 9 Job showed mankind's need of a mediator:
32 “God is not a mortal like me,
so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
33 If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
34 The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 Then I could speak to him without fear,
but I cannot do that in my own strength.

Mankind has now received that mediator in the person of Jesus.

Let’s turn for the second time to MARK 6:

In the first part of chapter 6, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples after giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. He also sent them to teach, and to heal. Then we learned about the death of John the Baptist.

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Do you know an elderly person who can no longer read the Bible? Or, do you know someone who would enjoy listening to audio Scripture but who is not able to use the Internet? An easy way to help such people is by sharing MP3 recordings via inexpensive MP3 players or audio CDs. See http://dailybiblereading.info for how-to instructions and MP3 downloads.

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DBRP_009 GEN.17 GEN.18 JOB.9 MRK.6.1-29

Turning to GENESIS 17-18:

In chapter 15 we heard of God's covenant with Abram and Abram's _fully believing_ God's promises. Then in chapter 16 we read of Abram and Sarai trying to help God fulfill his promises.

Chaper 15 verse 6 is a famous verse that is quoted three times in the NT:
6 Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him. (GNT)

The NT translates this verse a bit differently because it is quoted from the Septuagint (the LXX, the ancient translation of the Old Testament into Koine Greek, made in the third and second centuries BC).

Translation notes:
8:12 So Sarah laughed to herself and said, “Now that I am old and worn out, can I still enjoy [having a child//sex]? And besides, my husband is old too.”
25Surely you won't kill the innocent with the guilty. [That wouldn’t be right!//That's impossible!] You can't do that. If you did [that], the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That [wouldn’t be right//is impossible]. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”

Preparing to read JOB 9:

In chapter 8, Bildad defended God as always acting with justice and insisted that this meant that there had to be some sin on Job's part or his children's.

Translation note:
27-28If I smile and try to forget my pain,
all my suffering comes back to haunt me;
I know that God [holds//does hold] me guilty.

Turning to MARK 6:

In the second half of Mark 5, Jesus did two amazing miracles— the second one causing a dead girl to live again.

Translation note:
6 He was greatly surprised, because the people did not [believe in him//have faith].
14 Now King Herod heard about all this, because Jesus' reputation had spread everywhere. Some people were saying, “John the Baptist has come back to life! That is why [Jesus//he] has this power to perform miracles.”
15Others, however, said, “He is Elijah[ (come back from heaven)].”
Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16When Herod heard it, he said, “[He’s gotta be//He is] John the Baptist! I had his head cut off, but he has come back to life!”

17Herod himself had ordered John's arrest, and he had him tied up and put in prison. Herod did this because of [Herodiana//Herodias], whom he had married, even though she was the wife of his brother Philip.
19So [Herodiana//Herodias] held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because of Herod.

In our translations in Indonesia, it was found to help understanding to give Herodias a more feminine sounding name. In Indonesian Herod is Herodes, and Herodias was too close in sound and the two names became  confused. Even though English does not have that problem, I think it will helps a little to give her a name that people will recognize as a girl-name.

 

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DBRP_009NewYearNews

Hi everyone! Greetings to you on the 9th day of 2016.

Welcome to all of you who have started following the DBRP since January 1. This is the third full year of the DBRP, and the first year for using the GNT in the podcasts. There are several versions of the GNT in YouVersion, and some are more nicely formatted than others. If you are following along, I am using the version labeled GNTD, which is marked as the ‘US version’.

I am so pleased that a number of you have already joined and contributed to our Facebook group! Several members have shared little glimpses of how God’s Word is making a difference for them. Thanks for several people who have left a word of thanks after finishing one whole year of listening to the DBRP. Several posts have shared the verse-pictures that are made in the YouVersion reading app. Those pictures always catch my attention and encourage me. They represent little clues as to how God is working through His Word. (See the episode notes for pointers on how to easily make and post verse-pictures to our Facebook group.) Being a member of the Digging Deeper Facebook group will give you an opportunity to be encouraged, and to pray for and encourage others. The group also provides a good way for me to share things I will not share in the podcasts— such as statistics about the DBRP, prayer requests for our family, and news about our Bible translation ministry in Indonesia.

I am looking for 2-3 people who will manage and moderate the Facebook group. This wouldn’t take much time. We just need someone who can take a look at the group daily. Secondly, I would like a list of any group members who are spiritually mature and who would be willing to correspond with anyone who sends in questions of a personal nature. If you are willing to help in either of the two ways just mentioned, please send a private message to me in Facebook. See the episode notes for the link to me on Facebook. (My page is https://www.facebook.com/philip.c.fields.)

One of the faithful listeners from 2015 wrote to me just the other day, saying that she suddenly felt the Holy Spirit’s nudging her to pray for me. She warned me to be vigilant against spiritual attack. So I want to share something I have never said in a news podcast before: Yes, please include me in your prayers from time to time! Please pray for Gale (who has chronic health concerns) and also for me for both physical and spiritual health. I send out prayer updates by e-mail about every 2 months. If you would like to receive these updates, there is a link for joining our list at dailybiblereading.info and the Our Story page.

Our middle child, Rachel, will be home from East Africa in March for a short home assignment. And her younger sister, Hannah, with her family are back from their time of service in Pakistan. Hannah is due to give birth to her third child at the end of March. Lord willing, my first trip to Indonesia will start in April. Here are some prayer requests for our work in Indonesia:

• Please pray that God would lead Indonesian Christians to become our partners in distributing the Plain Indonesian New Testament in rural areas where there are no bookstores.
• Please pray for our 4-member team working on translating the Old Testament into Plain Indonesian. Please pray for others who may join this team soon.
• Please pray that Indonesians would catch the vision for increasing the understanding of God’s Word in Indonesia— especially among the hundreds of ethnic groups, so that they pray for, partner with, and support the OurLanguage Bible Organization. (Indonesian web site: http://albata.info.)

God’s Word is the TRUTH, and His truth is a transforming power. I am so glad that the Lord led you to find the Digging Deeper Daily podcasts. To Him be the glory for what happens among us this year!

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How-to information:

There are some cool features in the YouVersion Bible reading app that I have only just begun to use. If you click on a verse, you have six very useful options— including highlighting verses and writing comments. I particularly like the third option, the one for making a verse-picture. The pictures are easy to make and provide an eye-catching way to share meaningfully with your friends on social media. The backgrounds provided within the app are quite nice, and now you can also upload background images from your own device’s picture gallery. Then you set the size, color, and location of the verse text. The results are often so artistic that your friends will re-share your creations.

Please share your YouVersion verse-pictures with the Daily Bible Reading Podcast community at this address: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DBRPdiggingdeeper/

First, visit that link and click the “Join group” button on the right side of the title picture! (It may take a day or two before I get around to approving you as a member.) Then when you mark a verse or make a verse-picture, after you share it in your normal fashion, please click the share button again. Choose Facebook. Note that the default choice on the top line will be to share “On your own timeline.” Click the little triangular button next to the words “On your own Timeline,” and pick to share “To a group.” If you have already joined the DBRPdiggingdeeper group, you will be able to choose it there. It’s quick and easy to share!

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DBRP_008 GEN.15 GEN.16 JOB.8 MRK.5.21-43

Preparing to read GENESIS 15-16:

Yesterday we heard the stories of Abram and Lot separating company, and of Abram rescuing Lot in time of war. Then we heard of the mysterious priest Melchizedek (who we will read about in the NT in Hebrews).

Translation note:
Initially I was not happy with the GNT translation for 15:6, so I looked up the Hebrew and other resources. GNT has translated well. It is best to translate the Old Testament as it would have been understood by readers in Moses’ day— without letting the New Testament color the translation too heavily. See the notes in the NET.
15:6 Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and _accepted him_.
16:6 Abram answered, “[Well,//Very well,] she is your slave and under your control; [you can] do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so cruelly that she ran away.

Let’s turn to JOB 8:

In the preceding two chapters, Job said some very despairing and angry words, telling God basically to go take a walk and leave him alone. Job again wished for his own death.

He said to God,
19 Won't you look away long enough
for me to swallow my spit?
20 Are you harmed by my sin, you jailer?
Why use me for your target practice?
Am I so great a burden to you?
21 Can't you ever forgive my sin?
Can't you pardon the wrong I do?

Translation note:
GNT moves v1 to the heading: More literally:
Then Bildad the Shuhite replied to Job.

Let’s turn for the second time to MARK 5:

In the first part of Mark 5, Jesus cast a host of demons out of a man named Mob.

Translation note:
34 Jesus said to her, “[Dear one,//My daughter,] [you are healed because you believed fully in me.//your faith has made you well.] Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble.”

The Greek does say, ‘Daughter’. Like where Jesus calls Mary, his mother, ‘Woman’, this is very hard to translate. In the case of Jesus calling his mother ‘Woman’, that would be regarded as very impolite in English, and He was not being impolite in Greek or Aramaic. In the case of the woman healed in Mark 5, calling her ‘Daughter’ can imply that she was younger than Jesus— which is probably wrong. In using ‘Dear one’ as I have done here, I hope that it does not imply that she was too much on a friendly basis with Jesus.

35 While Jesus was saying this, some messengers came from Jairus' house and told him, “Your daughter has died. [There’s no use in bothering the teacher any longer.//Why bother the Teacher any longer?]”

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The Daily Bible Reading Podcast site has two other kinds of podcasts in addition to the Bible recordings. There are community news updates, and there is a series of parables and and children stories called JoySightings. The updates are released with similar file names as the podcasts, but with a few more words, such as
DBRP_051News from Jakarta.
You can find them by looking at a chronological list of podcasts.

There is a separate page for JoySightings table of contents at dailybiblereading.info.

 

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DBRP_007 GEN.13 GEN.14 JOB.7 MRK.5.1-20

At the bottom of the notes for this podcast, I have included information about features of the YouVersion Bible reading app. Take a look if you are new to using that app, as I will not read that text in this podcast.

Preparing to read GENESIS 13-14:

In yesterday's reading we heard about God scattering people by confusing their languages. It’s important to remember that the city they were building is called Babylon. Then we traced the ancestry of Abram, who descended from Seth's line. Then we read about the call of Abram and what happened when they were staying in Egypt because of a famine. Abram doesn’t sound like a model husband.

Let’s turn to JOB 7:

Today we hear the second chapter of Job’s response to Eliphaz. In chapter 6 Job said,
10 If I knew he [God] would [kill me], I would leap for joy,
no matter how great my pain.
I know that God is holy;
I have never opposed what he commands.

And he also complained:
14 In trouble like this I need loyal friends—
whether I've forsaken God or not.
15 But you, my friends, you deceive me like streams
that go dry when no rain comes.

And his three friends are only warming up to what they will say. In desperation Job says,
24 All right, teach me; tell me my faults.
I will be quiet and listen to you.
25 Honest words are convincing,
but you are talking nonsense.

Translation notes:
12 Why [, O God,] do you keep me under guard?
Do you think I am a sea monster?
17 Why are people so important to you[, O God]?
Why pay attention to what they do?

Turning now to MARK 5:

We completed the one and only ‘parable chapter’ of Mark yesterday. Following the parable of the mustard seed, the disciples and Jesus took off to the other side of the lake. Jesus slept soundly in the boat while a storm was raging on the lake, and then he calmed the storm.

Translation note:
17 [The people/So they] asked Jesus to leave their territory.
20 So the man left and went all through the Ten Towns [region], telling what Jesus had done for him. And all who heard it were amazed.

——————

If you click on a verse in this Bible app, you have six very useful options— including highlighting verses and writing comments. Have you tried making a verse-picture yet? The pictures are easy to make and provide an eye-catching way to share meaningfully with your friends on social media. The backgrounds provided within the app are quite nice, and now you can also upload background images from your own device’s picture gallery. Then you set the size, color, and location of the verse text. The results are often so artistic that your friends will re-share your creations.

Please share your YouVersion verse-pictures with the Daily Bible Reading Podcast community! See how to join the community on the Sharing Together page at http://dailybiblereading.info.

 

Check out this episode!

DBRP_006 GEN.11 GEN.12 JOB.6 MRK.4.21-41

Preparing to read GENESIS 11-12:

Yesterday in Genesis 9-10, we heard the story of Noah's drunkenness and his curse on Canaan because of it (which wasn't very fair since it was his father Ham who actually caused the offense to Noah, and because Ham also had other sons). Then we heard about Noah's descendants.

Translation notes:

18 Then the king sent for Abram and [complained to him//asked him], “What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she [is/was] your wife? 19 Why did you say that she [is/was] your sister, and let me take her as my wife? Here is your wife; take her and get out!”

Let’s turn to JOB 6:

Eliphaz continues to imply that Job has sinned:
6 Evil does not grow in the soil,
nor does trouble grow out of the ground.
7 No indeed! We bring trouble on ourselves,
as surely as sparks fly up from a fire.

Eliphaz’ main point in that chapter was that Job would be forgiven and blessed if he repented:
17 Happy is the person whom God corrects!
Do not resent it when he rebukes you.
18 God bandages the wounds he makes;
his hand hurts you, and his hand heals.

There is truth in what Eliphaz says, and a similar statement to verse 17 is found in James 1.

Translation note:

26 [If you//You] think I am talking nothing but wind;
then why do you answer my words of despair?

We turn for the second time to MARK 4:

Chapter 4 is the parable chapter of Mark. The Parable about the Different Kinds of Soil is in all three synoptic Gospels— which are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. That parable holds deep meaning that one never really grows out of. Each time you hear it, new facets come to light, and every believer should meditate on what kind of soil they are most like at the present time.

Translation notes:

Rhetorical questions were often used by Jesus to start a new topic in his teaching, and at the end of the chapter, he used two rhetorical questions to give a mild rebuke to the disciples. In many of the world’s languages, people don’t use rhetorical questions for starting a new topic, but most languages seem to use questions for rebuking. In English, I think it is more natural not to use the verb ‘ask’ in the quote margin if the question is a rhetorical one.

30 [Jesus began another teaching, “What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” _asked_ Jesus.//“What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus.] “What parable shall we use to explain it?

40 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you frightened? [It’s obvious that you still don’t believe in Me.//Do you still have no faith?]”

Note that in the podcast recordings, I will often change the word ‘faith’ to ‘believe’ or ‘fully believe’. This is because the English word ‘faith’ is used with all kinds of fuzzy meanings these days and can easily be misunderstood. 1) In Greek, ‘faith’ and ‘believe’ are the noun and verb forms of the same root word. 2) When one uses an abstract noun like ‘faith’ in English, we lose the object— in this case the Person who is being believed. Note that ‘faith’ does not have the a vague meaning like ‘endurance’ or ‘ability to live without fear’— which might be assumed in this passage. Such fuzzy meanings almost always end up placing ‘faith’ in ourselves— which is a big mistake. The ‘faith’ that Jesus is talking about at the end of this chapter is placing our trust 100% in Him!

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To learn about the people who created this reading plan, see the Our Story page at http://dailybiblereading.info.  

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