September 4, 2015. Daily Reading: Daniel 1-6. Background: The book of Daniel is set in the time period just after the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon and continues on through the Medo-persian era. It makes mention of Kings Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar of Babylon and Kings Darius and Cyrus of the Median/Persian reign. The book is divided into two different…
Category: Daily Devotions
Proverbs 19: Words of wisdom.
September 3, 2015. Daily Reading: Proverbs 19. Background: Proverbs 17-18. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 19 Continuing proverbs: The list of proverbs in couples of wisdom continues here with a focus on righteousness and and pursuing wisdom. There is a variety of topics that are found here, including the foolishness of lying, implications and pitfalls of…
Psalm 93-95: Glory, vengeance and praise.
September 2, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 93-95. Background: Psalm 90-92. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 93 The Lord Reigns: This is a psalm of praise, ascribing power and authority to the Lord who reigns on high. We open with a royal picture of a reigning king, robed in majesty, sitting on a thrown that has been…
I Chronicles 1-4: Genealogies.
September 1, 2015. Daily Reading: I Chronicles 1-4. Background: The books of first and second Chronicles were originally one work that was split up in a later copy of scripture. The chronicler is anonymous, but it seems that he was probably a Levitical priest and a meticulous historian. The Chronicles start with Adam and continue…
Leviticus 25-27: Jubilee, warning and vows.
August 31, 2015. Daily Reading: Leviticus 25-27. Background: Leviticus 22-24. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 25 The Sabbath year and the year of Jubilee: This chapter details two years in which the children of Israel were to neither sow their fields or prune their vineyards. The first was the Sabbath year, which occurred every seventh year,…
Ezekiel 43-48: Prophecy and Measurement.
August 30, 2015. Daily Reading: Ezekiel 43-48. Background: Ezekiel 37-42. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 43 1. The glory of the Lord fills the temple: In the previous chapters, we have read about Ezekiel’s vision of the temple and the man measuring the temple meticulously, relaying the pattern of the temple to Ezekiel. In the beginning of…
John 1-2: Come and see.
August 29, 2015. Daily Reading: John 1-2. Background: The gospel of John is quite different from the other three synoptic (meaning synopsis, or summery) gospels, containing different stories, miracles and theological emphasis. The differences in this gospel reflect a different purpose in writing, likely written after a good amount of theological reflection of the author,…
I Timothy 4-6: Instructions for the church.
August 28, 2015. Note: I am switching Friday and Sunday’s reading, so today’s reading will be I Timothy 4-5, and Sunday’s will be Ezekiel 43-48. Thank you for understanding. ___________________________________________________________ Daily Reading: I Timothy 4-6. Background: I Timothy 1-3. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 4 1. The Apostasy: Paul begins this chapter talking about the apostasy…
Proverbs 17-18: Wisdom in word and deed.
August 27, 2015. Daily Reading: Proverbs 17-18. Background: Proverbs 16. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 17 Proverbs for life: This chapter continues on in a like manner of the previous chapters before it, laying out couplets of few words but great wisdom. Each couplet typically addresses a different concept, but there are themes that run through…
Psalm 90-92: Refuge.
August 26, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 90-92. Background: Psalm 87-89. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 90 Numbering our days: This psalm, a prayer of Moses, compares our finite nature with the infinite nature of God, juxtaposing our short time with the everlasting. God is eternal, enthroned in the heavens, and has been the dwelling place for…
II Kings 21-25: Evil, reform and ruin.
August 25, 2015. Daily Reading: II Kings 21-25. Background: II Kings 16-20. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 21 1. Manasseh: After King Hezekiah died, his son Manasseh reigned in his place, beginning at age 12 and reigning for 55 years, which would be the longest reign in the history of the kingdom of Judah. For all…
Leviticus 22-24: Acceptable offerings, feasts and justice.
August 24, 2015. Daily Reading: Leviticus 22-24. Background: Leviticus 19-21. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 22 1. The eating of holy things: The bringing of this chapter lays out a warning first to priests and then to any who would eat the holy things that had been offered as sacrifice before the Lord. The warning to…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 