December 7, 2015. Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 13-15. Background: Deuteronomy 10-12. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 13 Serving the Lord only: As part of the core of the Deuteromic core, the main teaching of this chapter is never to listen to anyone who suggests to go and serve other gods. This has a close connection to the…
Tag: daily devotion
I John 1-5: Walking in the Light.
December 6, 2015. Daily Reading: I John 1-5. Background: The first of three letters that have been persevered, I John is attributed to the Apostle John, author of the gospel that bears his name. The letter is written to what would seem to be believers that the aged apostle held in his care, who he…
Acts 13-14: The first missionary journey.
December 5, 2015. Daily reading: Acts 13-14. Background: Acts 10-12. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 13 The first missionary Journey, Paul and Barnabas: As Paul and Barnabas were staying in Antioch doing much teaching, the Holy Spirit called them out specifically to a work that He had appointed them to do. Notice that even after they were…
Haggai 1-2: Lethargy and obedience.
December 4, 2015. Daily Reading: Haggai 1-2. Background: Not a lot is known about the prophet Haggai other than he was the first of three post-exilic prophets. His ministry is set around 520 BC in the second year of Darius, king of Persia, and deals with the people’s failure to build the house of the Lord as issued by…
Ecclesiastes 11-12: The meaning of life.
December 3, 2015. Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 11-12. Background: Ecclesiastes 9-10. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 11 The preacher’s wisdom: As the book comes to a close, the preacher gives some practice wisdom for this life. Different interpretations of these proverb-like sayings have been given and thus what is commented here should not be taken as fact…
Psalm 129-131: Looking to the Lord.
December 2, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 129-131. Background: Psalm 126-128. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 129 Enduring affliction: Another psalm in the series of the songs of ascents (see psalm 120), this psalm recounts affliction that the people of Israel had endured from the people who oppressed them even from the beginning. As Israel was becoming a nation…
II Chronicles 33-36: The decline of Judah.
December 1, 2015. Daily Reading: II Chronicles 33-36. Background: II Chronicles 29-32. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 33 Manasseh and Amon: The beginning and ending of this chapter is very similar to II Kings 21:1-9 and II Kings 21:19-24, respectively. The difference we find in Chronicles about Manasseh’s reign is a record of his prayer and…
Deuteronomy 10-12: Seeking the Lord whole heartedly.
November 30, 2015. Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 10-12. Background: Deuteronomy 7-9. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 10 Circumcision of the heart: As Moses continues his discourse from the previous chapter to the children of Israel, he reminds them of how he was told to make two new tablets of stone and an ark, that the Lord might write…
II Peter 1-3: The day of the Lord.
November 29, 2015. Daily Reading: II Peter 1-3. Background: This letter is attributed to Peter as the second letter that he writes to the churches spread throughout Asia Minor (see background to I Peter), though many scholars contest Petrine authorship and would rather place it in the pseudepigrapha. The date, along with the authorship, has been…
Acts 10-12: The gospel goes to the Gentiles.
November 28, 2015. Daily Reading: Acts 10-12. Background: Acts 9. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 10 The gospel given to the Gentiles: Up until this point in the book of acts, the good news about Christ really had only gone to the Jews. Even when the believers were scattered abroad after the stoning of Stephen spoke…
Zephaniah 1-3: Judgment and restoration.
November 27, 2015. Daily Reading: Zephaniah 1-3. Background: Zephaniah’s ministry was during the reign of King Josiah in Jerusalem which lasted from 641-610 B.C. This date would make Zephaniah a contemporary of Jeremiah and probably a very influential prophet for King Josiah’s religious reform. Zephaniah’s message is a oracle of judgment against Judah and the…
Ecclesiastes 9-10: Wisdom and folly.
November 26, 2015. Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 9-10. Background Reading: Ecclesiastes 7-8. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 9 Time and chance happen to all: Similar to the preachers words in the second chapter, he looks out again here and sees that the same event (death) happens to all men, regardless of how righteous they are. Though he…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 