December 26, 2015. Daily Reading: Acts 21-22. Background: Acts 19-20. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 21 Paul in Jerusalem: As Paul set fourth to Jerusalem, he and his company made several stops along the way. Notice the bond of the brethren here as they stop and find disciples in various cities, prolonging their stay a bit…
Tag: Jerusalem
Nehemiah 1-7: Rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.
December 22, 2015. Daily Reading: Nehemiah 1-7. Background: Until the third century AD, the book of Nehemiah was combined with the book of Ezra in a work that was referred to as either Ezra or Ezra-Nehemiah (see intro to Ezra). The book is a record of history continuing on after the temple was rebuilt under…
Zechariah 1-14: Addressing the people of God.
December 11, 2015. Daily Reading: Zechariah 1-7. Background: Zechariah is one of the final Hebrew prophets and is a contemporary of Haggai (see Ezra 5:1) encouraging the returning exiles to continue rebuilding the house of the Lord. Though not much is known about the personal life of Zechariah, he does date his writings more specifically than…
Psalm 123-125: The Lord and His people.
November 17, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 123-125. Background: Psalm 120-122. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 123 Looking to the Lord: Another psalm in the series of the songs of ascents (see psalm 120), this song gives focus to the Lord as the psalmist looks to Him in his people’s time of need. The Lord is glorified…
Psalm 120-122: Songs of Ascents.
November 11, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 120-122. Background: Psalm 119. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 120 A cry for deliverance: Psalm 120 begins a set of fifteen psalms (120-134) that are labeled as “Songs of Ascents,” a phrase of which different opinions have formed as to its meaning. Two notable views put forth that these psalms…
I Chronicles 15-19: Moving the ark the right way.
September 22, 2015. Daily Reading: I Chronicles 15-19. Background: I Chronicles 11-14. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 15 Bringing the ark to Jerusalem the right way: Back in chapter 13, we saw David try to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but he did it in a way that he thought was best, and…
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…
Psalm 87-89: Addressing God.
August 19, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 87-89. Background: Psalm 84-86. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 87 The city of God: A song of the sons of Korah, this psalm highlights the holy city of God (Jerusalem, whether physical or spiritual), often referred to as Zion, of which glorious are spoken of her. The first three verse of…
Ezekiel 19-24: Oracles against Jerusalem.
July 10, 2015. Daily Reading: Ezekiel 19-24. Background: Ezekiel 13-18. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 19 Lamentation for the princes of Israel: In this chapter, we are given a lament over the princes of Israel for the people to hear and lament the fall of the house of David into captivity. The house of David is…
Ezekiel 1-6: Visual prophecy.
June 19, 2015. Daily Reading: Ezekiel 1-6. Background: Ezekiel was a priest who was called to be a prophet of the Lord as an exile of Babylon. Judah, just as her sister Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians years before, had fallen into the hand of the Babylonians under the rule of King…
Lamentations 1-5: Hope in the midst of lament.
June 12, 2015. Daily Reading: Lamentations 1-5. Background: The book of Lamentations is a collection of five poems (corresponding to the five chapters) that are traditionally ascribed to Jeremiah, though there is no textual evidence that states this claim outright. The first four poems are acrostics, with each verse beginning with a successive letter of…
Jeremiah 37-41: The fall of Jerusalem.
May 22, 2015. Daily Reading: Jeremiah 37-41. Background: Jeremiah 32-36. Concepts and Connections. Jeremiah 1. Jeremiah’s warning: It is interesting that this chapter begins by saying that Zedekiah and all of Judah didn’t listen to the word of the Lord through Jeremiah, but then records how Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah to have him pray to…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 