June 11, 2015. Daily Reading: Proverbs 5-6. Background: Proverbs 4. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 5 Warning against adultery: It is very interesting that one of Solomon’s main concerns, at least at the beginning of this book, is to warn his sons against adultery. Perhaps he had learned from his father, as it was an affair…
Category: Christianity
Psalm 66-68: Blessings and Triumph.
June 10, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 66-68. Background: Psalm 63-65. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 66 Blessed be God: This psalm is a song of praise to our God for His awesome deeds that He has done throughout the earth. All the earth is called into a glorious chorus of praise to the Creator of the…
I Kings 5-9: The house of the Lord.
June 9, 2015. Daily Reading: I Kings 5-9. Background: I Kings 1-4. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 5 Preparing to build the temple: Since David was not allowed to build a house for the Lord due to the bloodshed and fighting that he had seen in his days (see II Samuel 7 and I Chronicles 22:6-10),…
Exodus 37-40: Preparing and building the tabernacle.
June 8, 2015. Daily Reading: Exodus 37-40. Background: Exodus 32-36. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 37 The ark, table, lamp stand and altar of incense: The last few chapters of Exodus are records of creating the structures and materials for the tabernacle, as well as the tabernacle itself, just as the Lord had commanded Moses to…
Ephesians 4-6: Unity and roles.
June 7, 2015. Daily Reading: Ephesians 4-6. Background: Ephesians 1-3. Chapter 4 1. Unity of the body of Christ: The first section of this chapter might be considered the penultimate point of the discussion on unity, as Paul draws it all together here to make an explicit statement about unity. Before he gets to that…
Luke 7-8: Stories of Jesus.
June 6, 2015. Daily Reading: Luke 7-8. Background: Luke 5-6. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 7 1. The centurion’s servant and the widow’s son: There are two stories of Jesus’ healing in this chapter. The story of the centurion’s servant is very unique and interesting in different regards. What might be surprising from the beginning of…
Jeremiah 47-52: Oracles to the nations.
June 5, 2015. Daily Reading: Jeremiah 47-52. Background: Jeremiah 42-46. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 47 Oracle against the Philistines: The previous chapter started the last section of the book of Jeremiah, which is a collection of oracles of judgment against various nations outside of Israel. It was not only Israel that was to be punished…
Proverbs 4: A father’s plea.
June 4, 2015. Daily Reading: Proverbs 4. Background: Proverbs 2-3. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 4 A father’s wisdom: Solomon reveals the purpose of his instruction in this chapter, emphasizing the importance of gaining wisdom and insight to his sons, just as his father and mother had taught him as a child. It is interesting to…
Psalm 63-65: Praise and prayers to the Lord.
June 3, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 63-65. Background: Psalm 60-62. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 63 Longing for the Lord: In this Psalm, David vividly expresses his longing and desire for the Lord, as one would thirst for water in a dry and weary land. David put the Lord as his top priority in this psalm,…
I Kings 1-4: Solomon.
June 2, 2015. Daily Reading: I Kings 1-4. Background: II Samuel 20-24. Though this is a separate book from II Samuel, it picks up right were II Samuel leaves off, with the end of the life of David. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 1 Solomon, not Adonijah, to be king: As David’s life draws to an end,…
Exodus 32-36: Sin and renewal.
June 1, 2015. Daily Reading: Exodus 32-36. Background: Exodus 29-31. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 32 The golden calf: The account of the golden calf that Aaron and the people of Israel made when they thought Moses was not going to come back down from the mountain is a well known story in both Judaism and…
Ephesians 1-3: Jews and Gentiles.
May 31, 2015. Daily Reading: Ephesians 1-3. Background: The book of Ephesians is a letter written by Paul to a church that was probably founded by his first journey there recorded in Acts 18, where he has a short visit; the work seems to be carried on by Priscilla and Aquila. At the time of his letter,…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 