July 18, 2015

JULY 18

Today's Reading in the ESV One-Year Bible

1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34

1 Chronicles 26:12-32

Vs. 12-19 Again, it is hard to know exactly what the gatekeepers did. Since there were sacrifices always going on, there would constantly be people coming to Jerusalem to worship and offer sacrifices when the tabernacle was there. Also, there were the three festivals each year to which all the men were to come. This would require a lot of organization. The gatekeepers were not guards. Soldiers would have had the responsibility of guarding the gates and the city. The job of the gatekeepers might have been more that of organizing and helping in worship and preparation for worship. Their primary responsibility seems to have been at the gates of Jerusalem, meeting the people coming to worship and to offer sacrifices. Since Jerusalem wasn't a huge place, and since wherever the tabernacle was set up it couldn't have held all the people at once, there must have been places around the city where these men led people in worship, singing and prayer.

Vs. 20-28 Samuel and Saul, but especially David, dedicated huge amounts of precious metals to the service of the Lord. David literally amassed tons of gold, silver, copper, and iron for the work on the temple. All of this needed to be kept track of, guarded, and disbursed for payments, buying supplies and making repairs to the tabernacle and later to the temple.

Vs. 29-32 This is the political organization of the country, beginning with the 2.5 tribes on the west side of the Jordan.

V. 31 Notice that this happened in David's final year. If not for Ezra and this record of David's organizing, we would never know this about him.

1 Chronicles 27

This is the summary of David's organization of the government. There are lots of little, interesting things to observe.

Vs. 1-15 This was the standing army. Every month a new tribe was on duty with their 24,000 men. Notice the name of Jashobeam in v. 2. He was not only of the tribe of Judah, but he was the chief of the three and took out 800 men all by himself in one battle.

V. 7 Notice who Asahel was. This means that David began his organization of the country immediately after he became the king in Hebron, at the beginning of the civil war with Saul’s followers.

Vs. 16-24 These are the king's chief liaison officers in contact with the heads of every tribe. Of interest is v. 21 where David appointed Abner's son (Abner was murdered by Joab) to be his chief officer to the tribe of Benjamin.

V. 24 Ezra makes no mention of Bathsheba, but the census is mentioned again a second time. It might be that the Spirit and Ezra are making a point that the glory of Israel is not to be seen in its numbers, but in its worship of God. This would help keep the returnees focused on the right thing and keep them from being discouraged.

Vs. 25-31 These are the chief stewards over David's personal property.

Vs. 32-34 These were David's counselors. Of course, you notice Ahithophel.

The question to ask here is what Ezra's purpose is in recording all of this. Tomorrow David will inspire the nation and hand off the leadership to Solomon. But here, we see David the hero and sweet singer of Israel as a dynamic spiritual leader, organizing the worship of the nation and laying out the government.

Again, I think the point Ezra is making has to do with the preeminence of David as the king of promise and as a model to the new leaders leading the returned nation to honor and glorify God.

As disciples who are to make disciples, modeling the right stuff is important for us too. Discipleship is "caught." We need to show what it means to follow Christ. Paul says this to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:1, Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. I also like what someone said, "Set yourself on fire, and people will come for miles to watch you burn."

Romans 4:13-5:5

Romans 4:13-25

This is really a great passage on faith. Verses 16-25 are worth memorizing.

Vs. 13-15 This is Paul's final argument that Abe could have only been justified by faith. Notice v. 15. What does that say to you? This will be worth discussing in your cell group. For any Jew or believer focused on the law, the law causes sin to have an allergic reaction to God. Grace and faith do not have that same effect. Any non-Christian trying to please God by the law will only have His wrath to face. Any believer who transforms faith in Christ to a list of “Do’s and Don’ts,” simply following laws, will enrage the power of sin and will miss the grace and love of God. We'll see this in the first words of the next chapter.

V. 16 This is the pivotal verse here. The common denominator is faith, not the law. The promise to Abraham and the promise of redemption is not limited to the Jews. The faith of Abraham brought him the righteousness of God before he was a Jew, so to speak.

Vs. 17-21 Notice the expression of Abraham's faith in the promise. I am always struck when I read this, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. What amazing faith! The strength of Abe's faith is magnified by the length of God's silence. But Abe didn't have faith in "an immediate answer," he had faith in an amazing God and the promise He had made. In hope Abraham believed against hope that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told. What a model for us as disciples and how humbling.

Vs. 22-25 Amen!

Romans 5:1-5

These would also be good verses to memorize. I wish they would have included 6-11 in today's reading. It completes the thought that the Spirit and Paul are expressing.

V. 1 This is the only way to have peace with God. This is the gospel. This peace, as we'll see in a few verses, is peace as in deliverance from God's wrath. Remember what Paul just said, the law brings wrath. Anyone who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36)

V. 2 This is John 3:16 and Ephesians 1-3 all rolled together in a few words.

Vs. 3-5 An utterly new life. Not only do we stand in grace and the prospect of receiving God's kindness in all eternity, but He changes our lives now as we follow in the harvest. This is not a “perspective” on life, it is the active working of God to sanctify us and change us into the image of His Son. I don't know how often I have been helped by this progression from tribulation to hope. The key element that makes this process work is the work of the Holy Spirit pouring the love of Christ into our hearts. We are never meant to recover from our salvation. It is what keeps us fresh in loving our Lord and living for Him in the harvest. We follow and obey out of our love for Christ.

Notice for the first time, the Holy Spirit is mentioned as having a major part in our new lives. His role will be fully developed in Romans 8. God gives us new life at salvation. A new creation of spirit is created within us. The Holy Spirit is given to walk with us, within us, to help, strengthen and lead us; and He is the guarantee and proof of our inheritance until the resurrection. Without the Holy Spirit within us, even though saved, we would not stand a chance against the rebellious nature within us. With Him, all things are possible.

Read and re-read these passages in Romans. They are like a breath of spiritual life. I would suggest that you memorize these portions to make them a part of your heart and meditation and what you pass on to the disciples you make in the harvest.

Psalm 14

V. 1 Notice also that Romans 4:15 says that the law brings wrath and that Romans 5:1 says that there is only one way to have peace with God. The fool of this psalm is in control and doesn't sense the wrath of God or the fact that he and God are not on good terms.

V. 2 This psalm speaks to the purpose of God's silence. It allows the fool to show himself; and it causes those who love God to seek Him, crying out to Him and holding tightly to their knowledge and faith in Him. The Lord will come and put this all in order. David suffered during these times, but when he finally saw the deliverance that he knew God would bring him, David became that man who led and organized the worship of Israel. Because David experienced this, later, he ordered that there would be perpetual thanks given in worship and that it would be continually sung that the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.

V. 3 Look at Romans 3:10-18 and see if you can tell that Paul knew this psalm.

Vs. 4-6 I like the contrast here. It reminds me of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2, that the unspiritual man doesn't understand the gifts of the Spirit. His ignorance of God is evidence of God's wrath on him. God's foolish gifts to the spiritual man look just like the process in Romans 5 of growing in suffering. Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope doesn't allow us to be disappointed because we know the love of God, which has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. To learn that God is with us and is our refuge is a great gift.

V. 7 David was longing for this, and it will happen when Jesus returns to Jerusalem and then gathers His saints to do battle as He establishes His eternal kingdom.

Proverbs 19:17

It is interesting that Jesus commanded His disciples in Matthew 5:42, Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. But the point is not giving to get a reward from God. If you read that context in Matthew 5, you'll see it has to do with living as a disciple whose only purpose on this planet is to follow Christ in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. The resources God gives us are given for a purpose. Sometimes we don't know what that purpose is and then we are nudged by the Spirit to give to a person or an outreach. This proverb intensifies Jesus' command to be generous to the poor. We are really giving to the Lord.

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.