[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 286-Zechariah 12-14; John 11 summary!]

Today’s readings from Genesis 37-40 show us biblical accounts don’t always flow in a “straight line,” that is Genesis chapters 37 and 39-40 tell us about Joseph, while chapter 38 diverges to an account of Joseph’s brother, Judah, and his encounter with Tamar, who was his daughter-in-law, but ended up becoming his wife! There’s nothing illogical or unreasonable about the insertion of the account of Judah and Tamar in chapter 38, but it does take us away from the flow of the account of Joseph’s life, which dominates most of the rest of the book of Genesis.

The account of Judah and Tamar and its placement shows us that at times the biblical writers included information that seems tangential to the main flow of their book.  Some biblical scholars believe this is because the writers were using different source materials and they simply inserted material from a different source at that point.  That is possible. Luke tells us in chapter 1 of his Gospel that “many” had undertaken the important matter of writing an account of Jesus’ life. Then he tells us he had reviewed the accounts, and interviewed eyewitnesses to write his account. Thus, Luke used different sources. That does not eliminate the underlying truth that God led each of the biblical writers in their writing through the Holy Spirit. For whatever reason, God wanted us to have the account of Judah and Tamar, so it is included within the account of Joseph.

The account of Judah and Tamar is another reminder God’s people didn’t always act as God would have had them act. The account of Judah’s sexual immorality was not included to show us how to live. Quite the contrary. Throughout the Bible sexual immorality is condemned. The account ultimately shows us how the lineage of the tribe of Judah flows, and that is vital to the overall message of the Bible, because both King David and Jesus were from the tribe of Judah.

In chapters 37, 39-40 we read of Joseph’s “rise and fall,” as it were. As a teenager, Joseph dreamed he would one day rule over his family. The dreams were from God, but Joseph’s method of presenting them to his brothers, and then his parents led them all to be critical of his claim. The dysfunction of Joseph’s family manifested itself in the brothers selling him into slavery. As readers, we think, “Oh, no. God can’t fulfill the dreams now.” If chapter 40 were the end of the story, we would be right, but as Joseph ends up first as a slave in Potiphar’s house, and then in prison, we read the words, “God was with Joseph.”

We might think when God is with someone that person’s life will be blessed. In a manner of speaking, Joseph’s life was blessed in Egypt. He was the chief slave in Potiphar’s house, and had great freedom. Even when he was falsely accused of rape and imprisoned, he quickly became the warden’s right-hand-man, and once again experienced great freedom. This is nothing compared with the blessing Joseph would eventually experience, but the greatest blessing in any situation is to have God’s presence in our lives. Joseph was freer as a slave in Egypt than his brothers were back home in Palestine. We must always remember when God is with us whatever our circumstance, our lives are better than if we were “free” or “rich” and didn’t have God in our lives.

As we turn to Mark 11, we find Jesus triumphantly riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. For a brief moment everyone acknowledged Jesus for who He was: The King of kings. But the moment wouldn’t last. We see Jesus’ authority demonstrated in the cursing of a fig tree that withers, and in His driving the money changers out of the Temple, but even after all this evidence the religious leaders question Jesus’ authority. They want to know what gave Him the right to do the things He did. Jesus didn’t answer them. He changed the subject to the source of John the Baptist’s authority. He asked the religious leaders whether it was from God or man? The religious leaders realized they couldn’t answer without putting themselves in a jam, so they said, “We don’t know.” This gave Jesus the opportunity to respond, “Neither will I tell you, where my authority originates.”

The tension is obvious, and as we’ll see in the remainder of Mark, Palm Sunday led to a week of confrontation and ultimately to Jesus’ crucifixion. Thankfully, just as God was with Joseph during his time of slavery and imprisonment, Jesus being God’s only Son, experienced His Father’s presence through the week leading to the crucifixion. The key in each of our lives is not what happens to us at any given moment, but that we rely on God’s presence in those moments. God will give us the strength to endure whatever we face, when we put Him first in our lives. Joseph and Jesus are two of the best examples of that reality!

Day 286-Zechariah 12-14; John 11

Zechariah 12-14 flows as a more of a unit than some of the other chapters have. The overall tone of the chapters is the restoration of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem in the days ahead. We find references to the future time of Jesus once again, as at one point we’re told, they will “look upon him whom they have pierced.” This could be a reference to Jesus. We also find that in the time that is prophesied, the LORD will live among the people. This is most certainly a reference to the end time. We’re told those who still remain against the LORD’s people will die horrible deaths, but the remnants of the nations will come to Jerusalem and worship the LORD. As is nearly always the case, this prophecy ends with a proclamation of the LORD’s mercy, His goodness, and His ultimate triumph, and the triumph of His people.

As we return to John 11, we read one of the most amazing accounts in Jesus’ life: the raising of Lazarus. We’re introduced to the situation, when someone comes to tell Jesus His friend, Lazarus, is sick. Jesus tells the disciples it will be okay, and that Lazarus has fallen asleep. The disciples think, “If he’s sleeping, he’ll get better.” But Jesus was referring to Lazarus having died. Jesus doesn’t arrive at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha until four days after Lazarus has died. Jesus has two poignant encounters, one with each of the sisters, and ultimately breaks into weeping, before calling Lazarus to come out of the tomb. Can you imagine what it was like? Everyone thought Lazarus was dead and gone. Now, here he stood, alive! We might think when the Pharisees heard about this amazing miracle, their minds would have changed about Jesus, and they would have proclaimed Him as the Messiah. Precisely the opposite happened. They decided that because Jesus had done such a miracle, they needed to get rid of Jesus before the people turned to Him and caused an uprising that Rome would be compelled to squash. Speaking prophetically without knowing it, one of the leaders said, “Better for one to die than for the whole nation to be destroyed. Jesus would, indeed, be the one person who died to save the entire world from our sin!

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 285-Zechariah 9-11; John 10 summary!]

In our readings for today, Mark offers six major events in Jesus’ ministry in one chapter, while all three chapters from Genesis cover only a few significant events. Let’s turn to Genesis 34-36 first.

In Genesis 34 we read the account of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, being raped by Shechem the Hivite. This tragic event led to Jacob agreeing with the Hivites to let Schechem marry Dinah, and to have the groups intermarry with one another. But Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s brothers, placed a condition on the arrangement: all their men would have to be circumcised. Schechem’s father convinced the people to go along with the agreement. While the men were recovering from the “surgery,” Simeon and Levi went into the town and slaughtered them. We see again, God didn’t choose Jacob and his family for their goodness. The Bible records so many examples of God’s people not acting at all as if they were God’s people. Yet, God continued to relate to them, and to call them His people.

We see this clearly, as we move to chapter 35, because God not only continued to relate with Jacob, but gave him a new name, something God often did as a sign of His covenant with His chosen leader. Jacob means one who grasps the heel. He received the name, because he was grasping Esau’s heel when they were born.  His new name, Israel, can mean many things, but one of the more likely possibilities is “Prince with God.” Jacob or Israel wrestled with his brother, with God, with telling the truth and with himself. Yet God continued to work in and through Jacob/Israel, and ultimately his descendants would become the people of Israel.

I placed chapter 36 in parentheses, because it consists of the genealogy of Esau, along with a listing of the rulers of Edom. While, some might find it interesting reading, it’s one of those passages I typically skim through on my way to the next chapter!

Moving to Mark 10, we find Jesus addressing the matters of divorce, blessing children, a rich man’s desire to obtain eternal life, Jesus again predicting His impending death, James and John’s request to sit on His right and left hand, and Jesus addressing that, and Jesus’ healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus. Wow! That’s a lot in a single chapter. Remember, though, the chapter and verse markings weren’t original to any book of the Bible. They were added later to make it easier to locate specific passages. Mark didn’t record these events as six events in chapter 10, but as six important events from Jesus’ life and ministry.

It’s important for us to remember as we’re reading the Bible, the first task we have is to understand what was happening at the time the event occurred. We want to read “out of the text” what is there. The fancy word for that is exegesis. The challenge is we tend to “read into a text” what we know from our own experience and situation or what we want it to mean. That is called eisegesis. Exegesis is good, while eisegesis is not. For example, when we read Jesus’ comments about divorce in Mark 10:1-12, we tend to think about divorce from a 21st century perspective, or we might think about it based on our own biases regarding divorce. What we need to do is consider the context and meaning of divorce in Jesus’ day. When the religious leaders came to Jesus, they had a specific question about divorce, “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”

Jesus offers us a helpful strategy for reading out of a text what is there, rather than reading into it what we think. He asks another question, “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?”  Jesus turned the question back on the religious leaders.  He knew the religious leaders knew what Moses had written about divorce. Jesus also knew those leaders were seeking to trap Him into saying something that would go against that law, so they could discredit Him. The religious leaders told Jesus that Moses permitted divorce.  Jesus’ answer is instructive. He told the religious leaders God permitted it only because of the hardness of human hearts. Then Jesus referred back to God’s original intention for marriage in Genesis 2. There we see marriage was instituted by God in the fabric of creation. Marriage is to be between a man and a woman, and to last throughout the couple’s life.

Jesus’ answer established marriage as a permanent union between a man and a woman. He notes divorce is permitted for reason of adultery, but is not commanded, and is not God’s intention. He adds another comment to ensure the permanence of marriage, when He says, “…let no one split apart what God has joined together.” Jesus’ words hold a clear meaning for marriage, its definition, and its permanence. We can read other things into it, but if we only read out of the text what is there, Jesus told us marriage is between a man and a woman and God’s intention is for it to be permanent. We find Jesus applying an important principle of interpretation in His comments to the religious leaders: let one part of the Bible interpret another and let every part of the Bible be interpreted by the rest of it.  While the religious leaders wanted to go back only to Moses’ law, because they condoned divorce, Jesus took them back to God’s original intention for marriage. Jesus then affirmed that original intention and deepened it with His comment about letting no one split apart what God had joined together.

As we read the remainder of Mark 10, we see Jesus going against the accepted norms in several areas.  He took the time to bless the children brought to Him by their parents. The disciples thought this was a waste of Jesus’ time.  When the rich young man came to Jesus to find out the key to eternal life, Jesus first told Him to obey the commandments. When the man said he had done so since his youth, Jesus didn’t even argue about whether he had, indeed, done so. He pointed to the man’s wealth and said that was the stumbling block to eternal life for him. The man was incredulous–as were the disciples. In those days, as often is still the case in our day, people thought financial “blessing” was a sign of God’s favor. Financial blessing can be a sign of God’s favor, but Jesus showed us in this example, the man’s money was an obstacle to his salvation.

When Jesus again predicted His death, James and John saw the opportunity to ask Jesus to place them at His right and left hand (positions of power and authority) when He came into His Kingdom. Jesus took the opportunity to show that “power” in God’s Kingdom is inverted from power in the worldly perspective. The greatness of a person isn’t found in lording over others, but in serving them. Reading out of the text what is there, will often leave us shaking our heads when Jesus is the subject of the passage. As Isaiah had told the Israelites 800 years before Jesus was born, “…God’s ways are not our ways…” Jesus made that so clear in His daily interactions with the crowds, the religious leaders, and His disciples. Thankfully, we have the records of many of those interactions, so we, too, can be impacted by them!

J

Day 285-Zechariah 9-11; John 10

Zechariah 9 starts with a proclamation of judgment against the nations surrounding Israel. Then the LORD foretells of the coming of the Messiah, who will be humble and riding on a donkey. This is the prophecy we turn to when we read Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Finally, we’re told the LORD Himself will appear and lead His people. What an amazing future we have to look forward to as God’s people! We also see how a prophecy can speak of the immediate future, the distant future, and the time of the consummation of history, when Jesus returns.

Zechariah 10 promises the restoration of Israel and Judah. The LORD starts with a rebuke of the false shepherds that have served in Judah but moves on to proclaim that although the people of Israel and Judah have been scattered, they will be brought back and they will be so numerous the land will not hold them. The LORD offers a powerful rebuke against Egypt and tells us the Nile will be dried up as part of the process of restoration.

Zechariah 11, we return to the LORD renouncing the wicked shepherds, and in the midst of that, the LORD tells us the shepherd will receive wages of thirty pieces of silver, precisely the amount Judas received for betraying Jesus. The thirty pieces of silver were poured out in the potter’s field, which again refers to the events in Judas’ life. While it isn’t always to make the connections between the prophecies we find in the Jewish Scriptures and the life of Jesus, in this case the connection seems much more obvious.

As we return to John 10, Jesus offers us the image of Himself as the Good Shepherd. For anyone familiar with the Jewish Scriptures or Old Testament, Psalm 23 comes to mind immediately. In it King David proclaimed, “The LORD is my shepherd. I shall not want. Analogously, Jesus tells us as the Good Shepherd, He lays down His life for His sheep. As we might expect, this once again brought disagreement among those who heard Jesus. The religious leaders condemned Jesus again. They said He had a demon, but others among the Jews said He didn’t speak as one with a demon. As the conversation continued, Jesus told them He and His Father were one, which brought about more condemnation. While we’re only half way through John’s gospel, it’s easy to see that the direction of Jesus’ interaction with the religious leaders is leading to His crucifixion.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 284 – Zechariah 5-8; John 9 summary!]

In our reading from Genesis, Jacob responds to God’s call to return home with his family. But while Jacob responded to God’s call, he relied on his own methods rather than God’s. First, Jacob left without even telling Laban, his father-in-law, he was leaving.  When Laban found out what Jacob had done, he took off in pursuit of Jacob.  That could have ended quite badly for Jacob, except God intervened and spoke directly to Laban. He told him not to take action against Jacob.  The interaction between Jacob and Laban wasn’t healthy, but at least it led to an agreement that they wouldn’t hurt each other in the future. Next, Jacob decided to appease Esau, his brother, by sending gifts ahead of his entourage as they returned. Jacob surely remembered Esau’s promise to end his life after their father died. Thankfully, Jacob’s long absence had given Esau time to cool down, and to recognize God’s hand in his own life.  Thus, Jacob and Esau came together as brothers, their long-standing animosity put behind them.  Again, Jacob’s plan wasn’t the key. After all, Esau didn’t even want Jacob’s gifts or bribes. He took them at Jacob’s insistence, but Esau had grown significantly during the years Jacob was away.  Had Jacob taken time to consult with God about this, Jacob would have saved time, worry and effort.

As we read these passages, we’re reminded of how often God works despite us.  He has a plan for our lives, and He has modeled that plan in His word. Yet, all too often, we forge ahead without reading what He has written to us in the Bible, or listening to what He says to us through the Holy Spirit as we pray. Investing time and effort in prayer and Bible reading is so important for us to discern God’s purpose and plan.  Then we must step forward in faith.  That’s no small feat.  Consider what happened with the disciples in Mark 9. They had been with Jesus for nearly three years.  They had heard His incredible teaching.  He had called each of them to follow Him.  They had seen Jesus perform amazing signs and wonders. But nine of them couldn’t cast one demon out of a boy, when Jesus and the remaining three disciples took a few days away.

It’s easy to condemn the nine, because Jesus did. But we are not Jesus! Would we have fared any better when faced with the opportunity to help the boy? Our purpose in reading the Bible from cover-to-cover is so much more than accomplishing that feat–as important as it is. Our purpose is to hear God’s voice in it, and to believe He speaks to us through it, and will use His words to equip us to live His will in our lives. But reading the words will not be enough. We must live them out in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the disciples they failed to heal the boy, because some demons come out only through prayer. (Some manuscripts of Mark 9 read “…prayer and fasting.”) As we go about this day, having read God’s word, having gained some additional understanding of how He works, the key is to let the words build our faith, so we will approach our lives here and now trusting that God is still working today, and will work in our lives as we let Him.

Jacob heard directly from God–and often lived according to His own plan.  The disciples lived with Jesus–and often lived according to their own plan. We have both God’s written word and His Holy Spirit speaking into our lives.  We don’t need to live according to our own plan.  We see God can and does work in and through our plans, broken as they are, but the better course of action is to live out God’s plan in faith and obedience. That is always the best path to take, not the easiest sometimes, but always the best. God’s plan is always better than ours!

Day 284 – Zechariah 5-8; John 9

In Zechariah 5, the visions continue to flow. First, we read of a vision of a flying scroll. The scroll is a scroll of judgment. One side pronounces judgment against stealing, and the other side against swearing falsely. Next, comes the vision of a woman in a basket. The basket represented sin, and the woman wickedness. It was being carried to the land of Shinar. The point of both visions: judgment is coming on the sins of people.

In Zechariah 6, we read of a vision of four horses with chariots. They remind us of the four horsemen in the Book of Revelation. The purpose of the horses was to go out and patrol the earth. They represent both God’s watchful eye and His Spirit. Next, we return to Joshua, being crowned as king. We aren’t sure whether he is the Branch, or whether this will be another king name Joshua–Yeshua–or Jesus!

In Zechariah 7, the LORD calls for justice and mercy. He reminds the priests and the people their fasts were not for the right purposes, and when they ate and drank, they did it for themselves, not in honor of the LORD. He called the people to stop oppressing the poor, the orphan and the widow, and to bring justice and mercy to the land.

In Zechariah 8, the LORD promises Jerusalem’s return to prominence and the people’s return to blessing. Old men and women will again sit in the gates, and children will play in the streets. The remnant will no longer be small, but the people will regain their former greatness–as they remember the LORD and follow in His ways.

As we return to John 9, we remember Jesus being questioned by His disciples about a man born blind. They assumed, as people often still assume today, that someone must have sinned for such a tragedy to occur. Jesus’ responded the man was born blind so God’s glory could be demonstrated. Then He healed the man. Of course, the healing took place on the Sabbath, which provoked the religious leaders. Once again, a heated debate ensues, and the religious leaders ask the man what he thinks about Jesus. He tells them Jesus is a prophet. They refute his position, saying Jesus is a sinner, because he breaks the Sabbath. The man responds with one of the most powerful testimonies ever: I don’t know about that. What I know is I was blind, and now I see!  How many of us could say the same thing: I was blind, but now I see.  Our blindness might have been purely spiritual, or it might have been emotional or intellectual. Whatever our blindness, Jesus enters in and gives us sight!

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 284 –  Zechariah 1-4; John 8 summary!]

In Genesis 27-30, Jacob is the “star.” At least Jacob is center stage in these chapters. The account of Jacob deceiving Isaac and taking Esau’s blessing makes me wonder, “Why did God choose Jacob instead of Esau?” While, Jacob was only following Rebekah’s instruction when he went to his father and deceived Isaac into giving him Esau’s blessing, even that shows us Jacob’s weakness of character. The chief lesson we learn here is God doesn’t choose us for our character, goodness, or integrity. God chooses us because He does! After God chooses us, He works on our character, goodness and integrity. Sin broke us all. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, the nature of rebellion became part of us. We are born with a me first attitude. Jacob exhibited that attitude as much as any character in the Bible. Even so, God blessed Him, and used Him to fulfill His promise to Abraham and giving Him many descendants.

While Abraham contributed only one son, Isaac, to the promise; and Isaac contributed two sons, only one of whom, would be considered part of the completion of the promise–Jacob; Jacob would eventually contribute twelve sons. Those twelve sons would become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. As we will see as the book of Genesis continues to unfold and we move to Exodus, it was the descendants of Jacob who multiplied and became a nation. The process took about 400 years, but God always keeps His promises, and thankfully, He uses ordinary, imperfect people in the process. We don’t have to wonder why. Ordinary, imperfect people are all God has had to work with ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against Him.

Mark 8 offers several important encounters between Jesus and others, but the most important of all is His encounter with His own disciples, when He asked them who people were saying He was. Peter’s response that Jesus was the Messiah marked the turning point in Jesus’ ministry. Everything in Mark’s gospel led up to that moment, and in the remaining eight chapters, Jesus walked into His destiny of dying on the cross to pay the penalty for human sin and rising from the dead to demonstrate His victory over sin and death. While we are reading only one chapter of Mark each day, it is important for us to see how each chapter fits into the bigger picture of God’s plan for the redemption of humanity.

In the even bigger picture, one of Jacob’s sons, Judah, provided the human lineage for Jesus.  As we read through the Bible during this year, we will see time and again how God’s great plan is lived out in simple events, including the births of particular people at just the right time. You and I were also born at just the right time to fulfill the plan God has for us. the next time you’re thinking you don’t matter all that much, remember that!

Day 284 –  Zechariah 1-4; John 8

Today we turn to the Book of the Prophet Zechariah. He also ministered during the time of the return of the exiles from Babylon, (or Persia, because they had overtaken the Babylonians by this time. While Zechariah condemns the Israelites for their lack of faithfulness, he also prophesies the people’s return, and ultimately the coming of the Messiah!

Zechariah 1 begins with a call to return to the LORD. Darius has become king, replacing the Babylonians, and the seventy-year period of exile is coming to an end. As the chapter continues, we read a vision of angelic horsemen who have been traveling over the earth and seeing the other nations at rest. The LORD tells them, those nations will be punished for their part in Israel’s continued exile. Next, comes a vision of four horns and four craftsmen. The horns “scattered” Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. The craftsmen came to eliminate the horns’ power.

Zechariah 2 consists of a man with a “measuring line,” who is told to measure Jerusalem. The good news for the people of Israel is Jerusalem is going to become a city without borders, and the LORD Himself will put a wall of flame around it to protect it. Remember: This is a vision.  It doesn’t mean a literal wall of flame necessarily. It simply means Israel will have no enemies able to come against it. 

Zechariah 3 offers an amazing vision of Joshua the high priest who is accompanied by an angel and Satan. Satan, of course, is there to accuse, while the angel is told to put pure vestments on Joshua. Joshua is promised he will rule over the people, and that the LORD will send “The Branch,” which is an image for Jesus, to rule the people. This is more good news for Israel.

Zechariah 4’s vision is even greater for Israel, as it shows a golden lampstand, and two olive trees, which it turns out to be a promise that Zerubbabel, who laid the foundations for Jerusalem and the Temple will also finish it. He is promised that it will not be by his power or might, but by the Spirit of the LORD that this will be accomplished. The hope of the people who heard this prophecy must have soared.

As we turn to John 8, we read one of the most poignant accounts in Jesus’ ministry. The religious leaders once again wanting to trap Jesus, bring a woman caught in adultery to ask Jesus what judgment ought to be carried out against her. They assumed they had Jesus, because if He said to carry out the judgment the Law of Moses required–death, they could accuse Him of being unmerciful, but if He said to let her go, they could accuse Him of disobedience to the Law. Jesus had a different response: go ahead and stone her…but the one who is without sin cast the first stone. That led to the religious leaders departing one by one, until only the woman was left. Jesus turned to her and asked where her accusers were? She responded that none were left. Jesus said He didn’t condemn her either, but to go and sin no more. What a powerful message: no condemnation, but a call to go and lead a new life! The remainder of the chapter is another all-out battle between Jesus and the religious leader. Jesus proclaims Himself the light of the world. The religious leaders deny that and challenge Him. Jesus responds that if they knew the truth it would set them free. Those were fighting words, because the religious leaders assumed they knew the truth. Jesus ultimately told them they were children of their father, the devil. The last and most telling statement Jesus makes in the chapter is “Before Abraham was, I am.” The “I am” reference here, is to claim the name of God: Yahweh – I am.  Without any doubt, Jesus marked Himself for death with that statement. No human being could claim to be God, which is what He had done. The religious leaders would do whatever it took to see Jesus eliminated. Please, understand: Jesus isGod, but because the Jewish leaders wouldn’t accept this truth, they path to the cross was becoming more certain all the time.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 282-Haggai 1-2; John 7 summary!]

Today’s readings offer much about which we could comment. In each chapter we find a major event that overshadows the rest. This is commonly the case as we read the Bible.  (Before I comment on the “big story” in each chapter, let me say something about the chapter and verse divisions found in the Bible.  You might know chapter and verse markings weren’t part of the original biblical manuscripts. They were added hundreds and in some cases thousands of years after the particular passages were written. The reason for the addition was to make locating specific passages much easier. Imagine if your Bible contained only the specific book headings:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus… but no chapters and verses.  How would you locate a particular account from Genesis? To find a particular reading from Isaiah’s prophecy, you would have to go through the entire book [or scroll, as Jesus did in Luke 4!]. Thankfully, that work has been done for us, so we can locate passages much more quickly.)

In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his most trusted servant back to Abraham’s homeland to find a wife for Isaac.  The account is amazing in that the servant prayed for God to show him the right woman for Isaac, and set extremely narrow parameters, yet God provided Rebekah nearly instantaneously. God doesn’t always answer our prayers that quickly. (In my experience, He doesn’t often answer our prayers that quickly.) Yet, this account shows us God is engaged in our lives and responds to our prayers.

In Genesis 25, Jacob and Esau are born and grow up. (This shows us how some chapters cover minute details of particular events, while others span years and even decades.)  The event that stands out, though, is when Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup. In their culture, the first-born son received a double portion of his father’s property as an inheritance when the father died. That means Esau’s birthright was one third of Isaac’s wealth! While, Esau told Jacob he was starving, we know that was an exaggeration. Imagine, giving up fifty percent of your future inheritance for a bowl of soup. The lesson here is clear:  Fifteen-minute decisions can haunt us for the rest of our lives.  Esau giving up his birthright was definitely a Fifteen-minute decision!

Genesis 26 seems like Deja Vu, doesn’t it? Just as Abraham had deceived the King of Egypt and Abimelech regarding his relationship with Sarah, Isaac does the same thing regarding his relationship with Rebekah. Deception is never a good thing, but we see this family tendency being lived out in a second generation, and as we will see, Jacob will carry out the biggest deception of all concerning his father’s blessing. We learn from our parents, and the challenge is we learn both the good and the bad lessons our parents teach us. While Isaac and Jacob both exhibited the faith of their father and grandfather, Abraham, they also exhibited his tendency to use deception. For those of us who are parents, this is a vital lesson: We are always teaching our children! They won’t always believe what we say, but they will always believe what we do.  Let’s rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us, so the lessons we teach will bring God glory.

Finally, in Mark 7, the passage that stands out is Jesus’ healing of a foreign woman’s son. What stands out is it seemed at first that Jesus would not respond to the woman’s request. Only after she responded to Jesus’ comment about not feeding the children’s bread to the dogs, does He do so. Why? Why would the Savior of the world, not be concerned about saving all people? Why did He tell the woman, He was only sent to the children of Israel? It was a matter of focus. Jesus limited His ministry primarily to Israel. He equipped His disciples for a world-wide mission. Had He let Himself be distracted from that mission, you and I might not know about Jesus today. Think about that. Because Jesus stayed on task, the disciples were equipped to extend Jesus’ influence “to the ends of the earth,” but had Jesus not equipped them, when He returned to heaven, the mission might have ended with Him. That’s a lesson I need so much. My tendency is to “jump on my horse and ride off in all directions,” rather than staying focused on the one thing that will make the most impact for the Kingdom of God in that moment. My prayer for each of us is we will keep our focus on the one thing Jesus is calling us to do today, that He will be glorified!

Day 282-Haggai 1-2; John 7

Haggai served as a prophet during the time when the exiles were returning from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. The people quickly got distracted from the task, and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah called them to return to it.

In Haggai 1, the LORD declared through Haggai that the people must rebuild the Temple. Illustrations of cause and effect were offered, because the people lived in “paneled houses” while the LORD’s house remained in ruins. The illustrations were that in every area of life the people’s return on their work or investment was little. That was because the LORD was not blessing their work. He would bless them, when they remember Him and His house. With this reminder, the people returned to the work of rebuilding the Temple.

In Haggai 2, the LORD promises His glory will return to the Temple. Although the rebuilt structure was smaller than the original, and any who could remember the original would weep, the LORD promised in the latter days the Temple would be greater than the first. The people had continued not to see the return on their efforts they expected, but the LORD promised when the Temple was completed they would, that He would bless them even though they were an “unclean” people. The book ends with the LORD promising Zerubbabel, the governor, that his prominence would surpass that of kings.

As we return to John 7, the fighting over Jesus continues. This time it takes place in Jerusalem. Jesus went to the city for the Festival of Booths, and while He was there the people were divided over whether He was the Messiah or not. Jesus continued to confront the religious leaders, even as they said they were committed to eliminating Him. These confrontations, which have already seemed heated will continue to the point that Jesus ends up condemned and crucified. While such a reality devastates us all, that we would crucify the God of the universe, that was His plan of redemption for us. It is the truest example that in allthings God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 281-Zephaniah 1-3; John 6 summary!]

When Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac was born to him and Sarah. That sentence shows us the amazing power of God to keep His promises. God had told Abraham he would become the father of many nations, and Isaac was the “down payment” on that promise. After all, before one can have descendants as numerous as the sands of the seashore, one must have one descendant. God always keeps His promises. We are beneficiaries of one of God’s promises to Abraham. God told Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed through Him. Through Jesus that promise is being fulfilled across the planet. God told Abraham the promise of land for his people wouldn’t be fulfilled for 400 years, long after Abraham would see the fulfillment. Yet, Abraham believed God and experienced many blessings from Him throughout his life.

In Genesis 22, we read of God’s “test” for Abraham. Imagine waiting all your adult life, waiting until you were 100 years old, before having your first-born child. Then, after the joy of having a son, and watching him grow, God tells you to take that only son, whom you love a great deal, and offer him as a sacrifice to God. Unimaginable, right? Actually, quite imaginable to any of us who have read the Bible in even a cursory way, because the account of Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God is one of the most familiar stories in Genesis. We know God spared Isaac at the last minute, telling Abraham to put down the knife. But Abraham’s obedience to God went to the extreme of being willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to Him.

Living in the 21st century, as we do, we find it hard to imagine “our” God, carrying out such a test in anyone’s life. “Our” God is loving and kind. He doesn’t hurt anyone or want us to hurt anyone. Our God is loving and kind. He is also holy and majestic. He alone is God, and He deserves our absolute allegiance. Jesus’ fame and miraculous ministry demonstrated God’s power in ways the people of Israel must have nearly forgotten. Yet, when Jesus went home to Nazareth, the people didn’t acknowledge His authority and power. As a result, Jesus wasn’t able to do many miracles there. “All” He could do was lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them.  (I’ve always thought laying my hands on a few sick people and healing them would be a fantastic day!) Jesus was amazed at the people’s unbelief. What a sad reason for Jesus’ amazement. I often wonder whether Jesus is amazed at our unbelief, and at how often we mold God into our image of what we think He ought to be like, rather than loving and serving Him for who He is.

God is not nice. He isn’t sweet. God does call us to radical obedience, and He has given us the same Spirit that was in Abraham. He has also given us salvation through the blood shed by Jesus on the cross.  We must read every passage in the Bible and live out our lives remembering God has never been formed in our image. His constant goal is to shape us into His! For Abraham the greatest test was to give up His beloved son, Isaac. He passed the test with flying colors. Whatever tests God sends our way today, may we call on the power of the Holy Spirit that we, too, may pass!

Day 281-Zephaniah 1-3; John 6

Zephaniah prophesied during the reforms of King Josiah of Judah. Zephaniah spoke of the coming “Day of the LORD!” This day has two meaning throughout the writings of the prophets: 1) judgment against His own people for their sins, and various other nations for their sins that took place in their times; and 2) the LORD’s ultimate return and establishing of His Kingdom forever.

In Zephaniah 1, the LORD pronounces judgment against Judah for their sin, and also speaks of the day of the LORD. In that time, no one will escape the LORD’s hand, many nations will be brought to task for their sin against the LORD.

In Zephaniah 2, the LORD pronounces judgment against all of Judah’s near enemies for their sin against Judah as well as for their own sin. While we have seen the LORD’s hand go against His own people throughout our readings, because He always judges sin, it is no small matter to attack His people, or to fail to help them in their times of need. The nations surrounding Judah and Israel had done both.

Zephaniah 3 starts with judgment for Judah and the nations, for their evil at every level. Then as we draw to the end, the LORD tells us He will bring people from every nation to Himself. Finally, we’re told Israel will be restored and those who are humble and lowly will experience His favor. As is typically the case, in the words of the prophets, words of hope are the final word.

As we return to John 6, we read again of the only miracle performed by Jesus recorded in all four gospels: the feeding of the five thousand. Only in John’s gospel, though, does this amazing incident turn into an extended battle not only between Jesus and the religious leaders, but also between Jesus and most of His followers. The point of contention is Jesus’ statement that He is the Bread of life and that people needed to “eat His flesh and drink His blood,” which was obviously intended figuratively, but which they all took literally. By the time the discussion ended, everyone had left Jesus but the twelve disciples. Jesus asked them, “Are you going to leave, too?” They responded with a question and a powerful statement: To whom shall we go? You hold the words of life. It must have been a challenging day for everyone that day, but at the end of it, Jesus had made clear the preeminent place He must hold in our lives, if He is truly our Savior and Lord.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 280-Habakkuk 1-3; John 5 summary!]

While the “action” in Genesis 17-20 is compelling, let’s focus on our reading from Mark 5 today.  I have always loved Mark 5, because it contains three amazing examples of Jesus’ love and power. First, Jesus encountered Legion, a man possessed by “many” demons. We’re told the man had suffered much, and lived among the tombs, because no one could bind him. Imagine the torment.  Not only did Legion suffer internally from the demon possession, he also suffered externally, because no one could be near him. In the midst of that pain and isolation, Jesus came and provided wholeness. Legion was so filled with gratitude he asked Jesus to let him accompany Jesus and the disciples, but He told Legion (who probably needed a new name!) to go home and tell everyone what God had done for him. Imagine the amazement of Legion’s family and friends when they saw him sane, dressed, and proclaiming the good news of Jesus.

As Jesus continued on, Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and begged Him to heal his daughter who was dying. That a synagogue leader, a leader among the Jews, would come to Jesus and ask for a healing miracle shows his desperation. The Jewish leaders had already turned against Jesus, but Jairus would have done anything to save his daughter.

Jesus agreed to go with Jairus, but as they walked along, a huge crowd gathered, and pushed against Jesus on all sides. In the hustle and bustle of the moment, a woman who had a terrible bleeding disorder saw her opportunity to receive healing. According to Moses’ Law, she was “unclean” and wasn’t permitted to be near people.  She certainly wasn’t permitted to touch them. Yet, in her desperation she conceived a plan: if she could just touch Jesus’ robe, she knew His power would heal her. The plan was sound. She was right. She touched Jesus’ garment, and immediately she was healed. One thing she hadn’t considered, was Jesus would feel the healing power go out of Him. He asked, “Who touched me?”

You have to love the disciples. They looked around, saw hundreds of people pressing in on Jesus from all sides and asked, “Really? Look, Master, with this crowd how would we ever be able to tell?” The woman realized she was revealed. Her plan had worked, but now she would suffer the humiliation of being called out by Jesus for breaking Moses’ Law. Precisely the opposite happened. Jesus not only didn’t reprimand her, He called her “daughter.” This is the only place in the four gospels where Jesus called anyone daughter. Then Jesus affirmed her faith, telling her it was her faith that had made her well.

By this time, some folks arrived from Jairus’ house and told him they didn’t need to bother the Teacher further, because the little girl had died. Jesus looked at Jairus and said, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Wow! having daughters of my own, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for Jairus in that moment. Whatever the distance to his house from where they were, it must have seemed an eternity before they arrived. As they entered the house, family and friends were weeping and wailing as we would expect in such a tragic moment. But Jesus told them the girl wasn’t dead. She was just sleeping. They laughed at Jesus, but He went to the girl, took her hand and told her to get up. She did!

Each of the three accounts isn’t only an account of an exorcism or a healing, but a demonstration of God’s awesome power in Jesus. In each case, the person healed had been separated from loved ones in extreme ways, and Jesus restored each one to life, health, wholeness and community. I’m grateful Mark included these accounts for us, because they show us nothing is too hard for God, and that Jesus cared not only about the physical well-being, or even only about the spiritual well-being of those He healed, but even for their social well-being–their ability to live in and be part of their families and communities.

As we go about the day, let’s remember the same power that came from Jesus is part of our lives as His followers. We have the same Holy Spirit in us who lived in Jesus. Let’s be ready for the opportunities God sends our ways as we go about the day, just as Jesus was ready for Legion, the woman, and Jairus’ daughter.

Day 280-Habakkuk 1-3; John 5

Habakkuk was written immediately before the fall of Assyria to the Babylonians. The theme question of Habakkuk is how could God use wicked nations for His purposes? He had used the Assyrians to destroy Israel, and now would use Babylon to destroy Assyria and Judah. As we live in the midst of wickedness, the key is to live by our faith, as Habakkuk tells us in Habakkuk 2:4. This statement was so powerful, we find it quoted three times in the New Testament.

Habakkuk 1 starts with Habakkuk complaining to the LORD for not answering his cry for mercy and protection. The LORD answers by saying He’s going to use the Chaldeans or Babylonians as a tool of judgment. This raises another complaint from Habakkuk who cannot understand how God can forget His people.

Habakkuk 2 ends Habakkuk’s second complaint. The LORD answers by telling Habakkuk to write the vision on a tablet so large that a rider could see it as he rode by. The LORD tells him that no matter how long it takes for the vision to come to wait for it. Then He tells Habakkuk the righteous shall live by faith. This is the oft-quoted verse, we noted in the introduction. The LORD goes on to pronounce judgment on the Chaldeans/ Babylonians, who were His current “tool” for bringing judgment to other nations. He condemns them for their ruthlessness toward other nations, and for their insistence on worshiping dead idols rather than the living God. He reminds them the LORD is in His holy Temple, and to let all the earth be silent before Him.

In Habakkuk 3, Habakkuk offers a prayer to the LORD, and it concludes with one of the strongest statements of faith in the face of adversity ever recorded: ¹⁷Though the fig tree should not blossom,nor fruit be on the vines,the produce of the olive failand the fields yield no food,the flock be cut off from the foldand there be no herd in the stalls,¹⁸yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.¹⁹GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s;he makes me tread on my high places.Habakkuk 3:17-19 (ESV) As we return to John 5, Jesus encounters a man at the Pool of Bethesda who had been waiting for decades to be healed by entering the pool when it was stirred. Because he was lame, he could never get there before someone else. Jesus asked the man what on the surface seems like an uncaring question: “Do you want to be healed?” Because Jesus asked the question, we know it wasn’t uncaring. He sincerely wanted the man to address the matter of whether he wanted to be healed. Jesus healed the man, and this raised a great debate between Him and the religious leaders, because He healed the man on the Sabbath. The debate covered many areas, but at the bottom of it, Jesus contended He was God, and the religious leaders were having none of that. While we’re only in John 5, we see that in John’s gospel as in the others, Jesus engaged the religious leaders early in His ministry in ways that caused them to be determined to eliminate Him.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 279-Nahum 1-3; John 4 summary!]

One of the most important truths we learn from Abram is when God makes a promise don’t take matters into your own hands. God promised Abram He would give him a son, but Abram and Sarai decided God was taking too long, so they took matters into their own hands. Sarai gave Abram her maidservant, Hagar, so “they” would be able to have a son. In truth, Hagar’s son would be Abram’s son, but that son would not be the child God promised him. We will see as we read in the days ahead that Hagar’s son, Ishmael, became a challenge and a problem, for Abram and Sarai. That could have been avoided had they only waited for God’s timing instead of insisting on moving in their own.

How many times have you been impatient with God’s timing in your life? I know it has been far too often for me. I have never had such a specific promise from God as Abram and Sarai, but I remember when Nancy and I were praying for God to give us a child, a period that lasted for nearly a decade, so many times I thought God had forgotten us. In much smaller matters, I push my will thinking it is God who is challenging me to step forward in faith. The question becomes, “How do we know when God is speaking to us, and when it is our own desire?” Henry Blackaby offers a great response to that question in his book Experiencing God. Blackaby tells us God speaks to us in four primary ways: 1) through His written word–the Bible; 2) through prayer; 3) through circumstances; and 4) through other believers.

Let’s look a little closer at each way.  When we read the Bible we find principles and promises that speak clearly to us. I’m not talking about a “name it and claim it” theology, where we find a verse that says what we want to hear or have and claim it as a promise from God. Rather, I mean when Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, God will add everything we need to our lives, that as we put God first, He will provide our daily needs.

God speaks to us through prayer in many ways. In my experience, God has spoken audibly to me only a couple of times, but He often speaks in my Spirit when I pray. The temptation is always to speak to myself and call it God, but my discernment process involves being certain the “answer” I receive is consistent with God’s revealed will in the Bible. After all, God will never tell us something that isn’t consistent with what He has already said in His word.

God speaks through our circumstances. For example, I have often prayed God would use our home effectively for His purposes. Since Abby and Emmy moved out of the house several years ago, we have had a big house all to ourselves. We have hosted a couple of short-term house guests over the years, but in August 2017, when Pastor Joe Tung from Canada e-mailed me and told me their church had three teenaged girls who needed a home, I immediately sensed this was God answering my prayer. Of course, with such a major decision, Nancy and I needed to discern together that God was, indeed, calling us to become parents again.  The opportunity to serve Him through parenting Teresa, Yukina, and Yumiko has been His voice speaking clearly through circumstances.

Finally, God sometimes speaks through other believers. When I was seventeen, and had accepted an appointment to West Point, I had one last opportunity to preach in my home church in Gipsy, PA. After the service, a close family friend, Shyrl Spicher looked me in the eyes and said, “I think you missed your calling.” She didn’t know, that I knew God was calling me to be a pastor, but I was doing everything I could to avoid that call in my life. Her words echoed in my mind and heart for years. I knew God was speaking through her, and ultimately, I responded to that call.

In each of our lives, we can do our will or God’s will. God’s will is always better for us! I pray we will take the time to listen for and to God’s voice in whatever manner He speaks to us today.

In Mark 4, we come to the first extended teaching passage in the Gospel. Mark introduces us to a number of parables about the Kingdom of God–the topic of most of His parables. He also tells us why He teaches in parables. The chapter closes out with Jesus calming a storm. Once again, we see Mark’s focus on action, and not just any action, but Jesus’ action of transforming this world into His Kingdom!

Day 279 – Nahum 1-3; John 4

The prophet Nahum’s message, which we turn to today came about a century after Jonah preached to Nineveh and saw the people repent. This time the Ninevites would not repent and they and their nation, the Assyrians, would fall. God had used the Assyrians to judge Israel, the northern Kingdom in 722 BC. Now, in the early 600’s BC the Assyrians would fall to the Babylonians. As we have seen throughout the prophetic writings, the LORD used pagan nations to judge Israel and Judah and one another. After all, He is the LORD of history.

Nahum 1 tells Nineveh she will fall. We are reminded the LORD is slow to bring forth judgment, and righteous in His acts, but He will not avoid judging those who do evil, who worship idols. The idols will be broken and the people will be brought to account. The end of chapter one tells Jacob they will rejoice at the good news. The good news for them is the judgment of the Assyrians, personified by Nineveh.

Nahum 2 continues with more words of judgment for Nineveh, and more words of comfort for Judah. It might be hard for us to see how the destruction of a city and a nation are “good news” for another, but we can all think of societies throughout history that needed to be stopped, and the world was better off when they were. Thus, the LORD calls Nineveh to account, and the people of Judah would rejoice.

Nahum 3 concludes with a final pronouncement of judgment against Nineveh and Assyria. The LORD compares the nation to a prostitute, and “she” will be humiliated in her destruction. She will be like Egypt who suffered the same fate. She will be destroyed and scattered. The LORD’s concern goes far beyond the people of Israel and Judah. He concerns Himself with all people. We see that in its fullness when Jesus comes to the earth. While He carried out His entire ministry in Israel, His death on the cross was for the entire world, and His redemption is available to every person who will receive it.

As we return to John 4, we revisit Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well. While she had been married five times, and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband, a life far beyond scandalous in those days, while she belonged to the hated (by the Jews) nation of Samaria, Jesus received her, asked for her help, and ultimately offered her and the people of her village redemption. This shows us the truth of the final statement in the concluding summary of Nahum. Jesus’ love is for people of every nation. His death paid the penalty for every human sin. His redemption is available to every person who will trust Him personally as the Messiah, and receive the new life He came to give!

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 278-Micah 4-7; John 3 summary!]

As noted in your 1 Year Prayer and Bible Reading Guide, Genesis 10 is a genealogy, so you might want to skim rather than read through it thoroughly!

Genesis 11 offers us an intriguing look at human nature after God spared it from total destruction. With new opportunities to turn to God and serve Him, instead we decided to “make a name for ourselves.” The amazing thing is God acknowledged our capacity was unlimited. He said whatever we set our minds to do, we would accomplish–and that was without the power of the Holy Spirit. In God’s mercy, He confused the languages of the people, which caused them to abandon the building project and scatter over the earth.  How ironic, God’s original intention was for us to be fruitful and multiply and rule over the whole earth with Him. That would have included covering the earth, but the difference would have been our travels would have fulfilled God’s purpose. Now, humanity scattered and divided, becoming distinct peoples who would ultimately war and strive against God and one another rather than working in unity.

Thankfully, that was not the end of the story. As we see in Genesis 12-13, God called Abram, and started establishing the fulfillment of His plan for humanity through him. Notice Abram was far from perfect. He told Sarai to lie about their relationship as husband and wife, when they went to Egypt to protect himself from harm, and at the potential cost of having her become someone else’s wife. God didn’t call Abram, because Abram was perfect. That’s good news for us: God calls us despite our sin and shortcomings, not because of how good we are! He starts with where we are and through the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, transform us from he inside out.

As we go about the day, remember God’s purpose is to draw us together, not scatter us, and to redeem us from the sins and shortcomings of our lives, to be His sons and daughters. No wonder Jeremiah would one day proclaim God has plans for our good and to provide us a future and a hope! We see that future and hope embodied in the life of Jesus. In our reading from Mark 3, Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons to demonstrate the power of God’s future for us. Notice, though, the religious leaders and even Jesus’ own family members didn’t see what He was doing as from God. God’s ways are often misunderstood by those who haven’t yet experienced His saving touch. Take that to heart the next time you offer someone the truth and love of Jesus and they reject it, make fun of it, or ignore it.

Day 278 – Micah 4-7; John 3

In Micah 4 we see the image of “The Mountain of the LORD.” This mountain in Israel will be a place where people from all nations gather to live in a time of peace and prosperity. The peace will be so profound that nations will pound their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. What a promise! Then the LORD turns to a promise for the restoration of Zion. While He reiterates the people will be carried off to Babylon, the future will be a time when they will return and prosper. As always the LORD’s mercy supersedes His judgement.

In Micah 5, we read the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. It is this prophesy the religious leaders and priests quoted when the Wise Men came to Jerusalem seeking the new born king of the Jews. This king will be a shepherd for His people. This king will bring deliverance for them. The Assyrians are called out by name for judgment, but all the nations of the earth will be judged for their idolatry and turning away from the LORD.

In Micah 6, the LORD returns to His judgment of Israel. He reminds them of their corruption. Then He asks the rhetorical question: What shall we bring before the LORD? He tells us He doesn’t want sacrifices, and then offers this: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV) Then He goes on to condemn the people for using corrupt scales and many other actions carried out against the poor.

Micah 7 closes the book with a call to look for the LORD’s salvation. The images go from hope to judgment, hope to judgment, but as always the book closes with an affirmation of the LORD’s compassion and mercy. He will not forget His children forever. In the end He will redeem them and they will follow Him!

As we return to John 3, we return to the most famous verse in the Bible: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. The verse is the culmination Jesus’ interaction with a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who came at night to speak with Jesus. While Nicodemus exchanged pleasantries and affirmations of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus cut to the chase by telling him the only way to eternal life is to be born again. Nicodemus was confused, thinking Jesus meant a physical rebirth, but Jesus made it clear it is spiritual rebirth we must all experience. Only then will we experience the eternal life Jesus came to give us. Jesus offers the analogy of light and darkness to show us only as we live in Him, and in the reborn life of the Holy Spirit will we live in the light. The chapter closes with John the Baptist pointing out the necessary ascent of Jesus to the limelight, while he fades into the background. As Jesus increases, and John decreases the world will focus on the Messiah. John’s work was simply preparation.

[NOTE: For those who are continuing the 1-year Bible reading plan we started on April 1, 2018, just go to the end of this entry and you will find the Day 277-Micah 1-3; John 2 summary!]

As we open our Bibles today, Genesis 5 is the first chapter before us. The chapter is a genealogy of people from Adam through Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. To me, it is not exciting reading. To you, it may well be. Genealogies have never been overly exciting to me. To others they offer a door of understanding. When I come to them in the Bible, I typically skim through to see whether there are details about a particular person or family line that offers insight. Other than that, I move quickly through the lists of names in search of the next section of narrative.

That next section in Genesis starts in chapter six and continues through Genesis nine, with us being told humanity had degenerated in not too many generations from fallen to reprobate. what an incredibly rapid descent. God “repented” (in the old King James Version) of having made humanity. While God knew where humanity would go once sin entered the world, He created us anyway. Why? We can’t answer that question with absolute certainty, but it seems God’s love for us, and God’s desire for our love for Him to be genuine and without coercion, had to allow for our rejection of God. That rejection has been absolute in so many cases, and without skipping over the amazing account of that rejection leading to God’s destruction of all but eight human beings, let’s turn to our own rejection of Him.

You and I are descendants of Adam. If we could reconstruct the genealogy of our family trees all the way back to Adam we would find them connecting somewhere with the list in Genesis 5. We inherit Adam’s sin nature at birth. As the old saying goes, “We aren’t sinners, because we sin.  We sin because we’re sinners.” It’s our nature. Thank God we were born on this side of the flood! God has continuously reached out to humanity. He did it through Noah, through Abraham, through Moses, through the judges and kings of Israel, and ultimately through Jesus. While that’s getting way ahead of the story, the Bible’s connective thread is God’s ongoing effort to intercede in our behalf to overcome the sin we brought into the world. Preserving Noah and his family was a vital moment in that effort.

As we read through the Bible, we see God is always plotting to do us good. As  our reading from Mark 2 reminds us, Jesus’ ministry brought healing to the sick, welcome to the outcast, and victory over the rigid ways of legalism. Such amazing good would ultimately be rewarded with crucifixion, which shows us the depth of human sin and Satan’s desire to defeat God’s goodness. That crucifixion resulted in Jesus’ ultimate defeat of sin, death and Satan, which is one more example of how God is, indeed, always plotting to do us good!

Day 277 – Micah 1-3; John 2

Today we turn to Micah. Micah prophesied during the time when the northern Kingdom (Israel) fell, and when the southern Kingdom (Judah) was living in great prosperity. Micah spoke against the abuses of the wealthy against the poor. His writing is divided in three sections and alternates between pronouncements of judgment and the LORD’s restoration (as do most of the prophets). Micah also tells of a future deliverer who will be born in Bethlehem!

Micah 1 starts with pronouncements of judgment against Samaria (capital of the Northern Kingdom) and Jerusalem. The pronouncement is more severe for Samaria, as it will be crushed and brought low. Micah’s words also mention the surrounding nations as being involved in the judgment. In this chapter the judgment only comes to the gates of Jerusalem, but as we will see, Micah’s pronouncements include more against Judah as well.

Micah 2 offers a general judgment against the wealthy who oppress the poor, while Micah 3 condemns the leaders and prophets, primarily of Judah for their oppression of the poor, and their continual sin against the LORD. While the judgment includes Israel, in this chapter we’re told that Judah and Jerusalem will be crushed. Just as the pronouncement had been primarily directed against the northern Kingdom in Micah 1, we find it primarily against the southern Kingdom in chapter 3.

As we return to John 2, we recall Jesus’ first miracle: turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Jesus was reluctant to perform this miracle, because His “time” had not yet come, but He responded in obedience to His mother’s request for help in what was a most awkward social situation. While the miracle didn’t heal anyone, or remove a demon from anyone, it still demonstrated the Kingdom power of Jesus. We can say in God’s eternal Kingdom we will experience no lack, so Jesus’ miracle of provision foreshadows that. John records Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem as the next act of authority He carried out. While the cleansing of the Temple is found in the last week of Jesus’ life in the other three gospels, it is not at all unlikely Jesus did this on more than one occasion, because of the great offense against His father He found it to be. In any case, Jesus demonstrated His authority to act on His Father’s behalf in this situation and in so many more throughout His ministry. As we consider Jesus’ role in our lives, we must always remember He is our first and final authority. What He tells us to do, we must do in the power of His Spirits and what He calls us to avoid, we must avoid.