I can tell we are all entering into the
"dog days" of reading. Hang in there and as Paul said to Timothy,
"as for you, always be steady…"
(2 Tim. 4:5, RSV). The Lord has a way of blessing you with something you've
read when you least expect it. And you're getting to know the Lord, seeking
Him. He will definitely reward that. And again, as Paul said in Philippians, I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus
has made me His own. (Phil. 3:12) Happy pressing.
Judges 6
Vs. 1-6 Notice that it was the hand of the
Lord that moved first and gave Israel into the hand of Midian. Remember that both Moses and Joshua promised the
people that if they forgot the Lord and fell into idolatry, they would have to
watch others take what they worked for. The Midianites made Israel look like a
Walmart © parking lot.
V. 6 Notice that the people had to be brought
very low before their crying out was genuine and unified. We've seen this in
David and we'll see it at the end of Judges. Sometimes God allows
"bad" to get worse, so that our asking goes to the depth of dependence
on God.
Vs. 7-10 It seems to me that the Lord might
have sent this prophet first to see if the people would respond with remorse
and obedience to a human messenger. If they had said, “Who is he? He’s just a
guy like us,” I think God would have let them sit a while longer. Apparently
the people were humble.
Vs. 11-18 It is interesting that it is the angel of the Lord who came. Note
also, that Gideon had heard the stories of God’s working in delivering Israel
from Egypt and was struggling with God’s inactivity. He knew the stories, but
not the Lord. Of course, if Gideon had understood enough of the stories, he
would have known exactly why they were in such a bad situation. We know that
the people didn't know the law and they were not hearing Deuteronomy read. Knowing
the stories doesn't make you a follower. It is the intersection of the words of
God, the listening heart and the Holy Spirit that brings life and change.
Vs. 16-18 Faith seems to have been a rare
thing. Although the Lord promised Gideon victory, Gideon didn't exactly
believe, but he didn't exactly disbelieve. He was asking for a test to make
sure this was all true.
Vs. 19-24 There are many interesting things
here. It appears as if God was not holding the people to worship at the
tabernacle during this period of disobedience. Normally, sacrificing anywhere
but the tabernacle was forbidden. God was looking for faith and devotion to His
commands as He was giving direction. Notice that after the angel of the Lord
left Gideon in shock, the Lord spoke to Gideon and calmed him. Having seen the
Lord and now hearing this voice, Gideon knew it was the Lord who was invisibly
with him, speaking to him. From this account and what we find later, Gideon was
a fearful follower who needed lots of encouragement and direction. But, the
Lord is OK with that. That’s something to give us hope as we follow Christ in
the harvest. We don’t have to fit into the mold of any hero of the faith or
into some preconceived notion of spiritual boldness.
Vs. 25-27 God gave Gideon very specific
instructions. Although Gideon was afraid of the people, so that he obeyed God
at night, he still did it. The altar was probably big, like a monument, so
Gideon enlisted 10 men who helped him and then, apparently, informed the
authorities. Again, the Lord worked with Gideon in all of this.
Vs. 28-32 I love the response of Gideon’s
father. I wouldn’t have liked a nickname like that. At least it wasn’t a
tattoo.
Vs. 33-40 Verse 34 is interesting. It says
the Spirit clothed Gideon, which is
literal from the Hebrew.
One thing you see with Gideon in the case of
the altar, and now in facing Midian, Gideon sought the help of others.
V. 36 I think that when a person has the
right heart, the Lord doesn’t mind someone asking for confirmation of His will.
It might depend too, on what the Lord has already done in our lives up to that
point. If He has already shown us great acts of kindness and guidance, we might
not need to ask for confirmation in continuing to do what He has already shown
us. In this case with Gideon, there hadn’t been a sign of the Lord’s working
for some time. And again, the Lord showed him a lot of understanding. I think
He shows us a lot of understanding too.
Notice too that before Gideon asked for this
confirmation he had already sounded the alarm and begun gathering Israel. He
had already acted in faith and gone forward as a leader.
Luke 22:54-23:12
Luke 22:54-71
Vs. 54-62 What is notable about this account
of Peter’s denial is that Luke mentions that when the cock crowed the last
time, Jesus heard it and turned; and across the distance, He met eyes with
Peter.
Vs. 63-65 Jesus' self-control, for our sakes,
is amazing. Jesus was the only person present who was in control of Himself,
and He allowed these little evil men to harm Him.
Vs. 66-71 The trial of Jesus had been
illegal. They had to wait until daybreak to re-try Him with the full Sanhedrin.
Notice that Jesus does some talking here. When He said that He was the Son of
Man, it led to the question of being God's Son. This was a very clear
statement. Verse 70 could be translated, "You have said it. I am." The
you say is a Greek idiom meaning
"yes." So what Jesus is saying is "Yes, I am."
Luke 23:1-12
Vs. 1-5 This is a hearing that looks similar
to what we have seen in Matthew and Mark.
Vs. 6-12 This is only found in Luke. Jesus
frustrated the entire situation by just saying nothing. It is interesting that
Pilate and Herod became friends after this. That gives you a view of Pilate
that makes you feel less sympathetic toward him, even if he was forced to hand
over Jesus to the Jews. Apparently Pilate’s remorse passed quickly.
To me, it is interesting that Jesus held to
what He taught His disciples. He didn’t cast pearls before swine. Herod
interrogated Him at length. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Jesus to be mocked and
taunted for as long as He was. This all makes me think that as a disciple, I
have to be willing to be taunted and mocked; but I can stand with the security
and knowledge that I am working in the harvest as Jesus was, and for the same
purpose.
Psalms 95-96
Psalm 95
I don't know if this was written in conjunction
with David, but I can imagine him urging this to be put to music, so the people
coming to Jerusalem would put their minds on God and open their hearts.
Vs. 1-5 This is a call to come to worship
their Savior King. David knew this King and His salvation very personally.
Vs. 6-7 This is a call to come and worship
their Maker Shepherd. Especially in these two terms being put together, there
is the urging to submit to His leading.
Vs. 8-11 This may seem like a less than happy
way to end the psalm/song, but the warning is appropriate. Israel in the
wilderness was blessed and still resisted God's loving leadership. God was
using David to bring the people out of 400 years of wandering and despair. They
needed to embrace the blessing of David's kingship with obedience to God.
Psalm 96
Vs. 1-6 This psalm seems to be a call to the
people of the world. The one Creator created all men and nations. He is the
only God and He has one majesty and splendor that should be worshiped by all.
Vs. 7-9 These are strong cries to worship
God. If Israel did this, the next verse would be easy.
V. 10 With the heart of conviction expressed
in the last verses, this would have been an easy testimony to give to the
nations. This is very much like what we hear David say so often. God's blessing
and salvation are to be shared with others.
Vs. 11-13 The creation will rejoice at God's
coming. These parts of creation have nothing to fear of judgment, nor will the
righteous. This is a call for all men to be ready to meet God.
This is why we have been left here, to praise
God in the harvest, making disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.
Proverbs 14:5-6
With the pairing here, it is almost as if you
could read that a lying, false witness will always seek wisdom in vain, but a
person who tells the truth will find it easy to gain understanding. He is
already on the same wavelength as God's wisdom.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My
comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on
Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups
will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with
and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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