If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/.
This site allows you to select from
several languages and several English translations.
JANUARY 5
Genesis 11:1-13:4
There is a lot of information in this section, most of it flowing
toward Abraham. God and Moses are not giving Israel a "history of the
world," but to some degree, a history of their nation. I say "to some
degree," because inherent in this history is the description to Israel of
how this mess began, and how God is working with and through mankind to bring
redemption. Israel will become God's messenger to the world that salvation and
blessing are possible. Unfortunately, Israel will also become the symbol of
mankind in rebellion to God. This "service" to humanity will cost
them a lot, but there will be blessing at the end.
Genesis 11
Vs. 1-11 Whereas the problem in Genesis 6:1 may have involved man
calling on "spirits" and those angels mixing with mankind in a way
that produced almost absolute corruption, this initiative seems to come solely
from man. Notice the term in v. 5 - children
of man.
V. 4 It seems implied that the tower
was for worship, possibly for worshiping or getting information from the stars.
Ironically, this area is where the wise men eventually came from.
V. 6 That nothing would be impossible for man, I think, implies that
mankind would have become as deeply corrupt as they were before the flood. God
"nipped it in the bud."
Vs. 7-8 I have never understood that mankind had sinned in that they
didn't scatter after the flood. How do you define disperse? The sin here was the tower and seeking to make themselves
capable of finding answers without God. The giving of languages was brilliant
on God's part. Interestingly today, English has become the common language of
the world. Things are more connected today than ever before, and once again it
seems we are capable of all sorts of things. What God did there held back this
"unity and self-sufficiency" phenomenon for a long time.
Vs. 9-26 This is tracing the line of faith and of the promise of a
child and deliverer. Almost all of these names appear in Jesus' genealogy in
both Matthew and Luke.
Part of enjoying reading the OT is getting curious and making
observations.
How many years were there between the end of the flood and Peleg and
the end of the flood and Abe? Who is the last baby in the line of the promise
that Noah would have bounced on his knee? You also have to look at yesterday's
reading regarding Noah's age and how many years he lived after the flood. Have
fun!
These years were a time of incredible change in history. Nimrod, thought
to be the builder of Babel, and first "man of renown," was born right
away. This would set the wheels in motion for the language confusion, the
scattering of mankind and the grouping of languages, clans and tribes, and (in
my opinion) the drifting of the continents in the days of Peleg, about __ years
after the flood.
These days would also have been the days of Job. The climate would have
been changing; animals that needed the pre-flood greenhouse climate to live
would have been going extinct. Also, the age of men was decreasing drastically,
some think, due to the different atmospheric conditions after the flood (that
being the natural agent of God's working to bring the age of man down to about
100).
V. 26 There is a little bit of a problem with this verse. If you look
at Gen 12:4, Abe was 75 when he left Haran. That doesn't work if Abe was born
when Terah was 70 and didn't leave Haran until after Terah had died (Acts 7:4).
It is best to understand this verse saying that after Terah was 70, he had
three sons in the years that followed. Probably, Abraham is named first because
he is the most prominent of the three. Apparently Abraham was born when Terah
was 130. The reason for the focus on these three sons is that they figure in
the history to follow, but Abe is the focus of the story. Abraham is not only
the beginning of the nation of Israel, but with Abraham, the promise of
redemption becomes more defined. Another promise is given.
A guy once asked me why God was a Jew. As you see the story to this
point, there isn't a Jew around. But there is God who is seeking to use the
godly lineage, from Adam through Noah to Abraham and beyond, to bring about
redemption. As disciples we have to believe that since the Fall, God has been
involved in the redemption of mankind fulltime. As you see Him working with the
godly line of mankind, He is saving and working through those who have faith in
Him and hope in His promise. As redemption is His purpose, and was to be the
purpose of Israel and was the purpose of Christ, it is to be our purpose as His
disciples.
An interesting take on all of this history and the selection
of Abraham/Israel is given in the ESV and Septuagint reading of Deuteronomy
32:8, When the Most High gave to the
nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the
peoples according to the number of the sons
of God (my emphasis)." The Septuagint (Greek version of the OT
written before Christ and after the Babylonian exile) says "angels of
God." These "sons" or angels would be referring to those bad
princes mentioned in Daniel 10. The implication being, that as God allowed
Satan and his angels to follow through with the authority He had given them to
watch over mankind and the nations of men, God kept one man for Himself, making
a nation from him to use as His voice of redemption to the other nations, and
then, to all humanity.
Vs. 27-32 This introduces Abraham's (Abram's) family and background.
Some of the names mentioned here will be important during the lives of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
These verses are a summary. Apparently God called Abraham in Ur, a city
on the Euphrates near the Persian Gulf. Terah accompanied Abraham toward Canaan
and brought his family and stuff 600 miles north until they settled in a place
they called Haran, which they named after his youngest son who had died in Ur.
For some reason they stopped here. Some suggest that this was disobedience on
Abe's part. More likely God had this planned. Haran would become an important
place for Isaac and Jacob. It could be that the father, Terah, had a strong
hold on Abraham. Who knows? But, according to Joshua 24:2, Terah was an
idolater. Abraham was not. He was a fully devoted follower of God. God probably
wanted Terah left behind. From here God spoke to Abraham again to separate
himself from his family and go to Canaan.
Genesis 12
Vs. 1-3 According to Acts 7:2, God first called Abraham in Ur. Now in
Haran, after the death of Terah, God renews the call and promise to Abraham.
The promise to Abraham is explained in the New Testament to be for the
redemption of mankind. Jesus came from Abraham and fulfilled this promise; that
is, in Jesus, the descendant of Abraham, all nations will be blessed. This
promise is a monument in redemptive history.
The faith of Abraham is amazing. It is not only a lesson and model for
us all (Romans 4), but it serves as a basis of understanding that even in the
OT, before and after the giving of the law, salvation was based on faith. It
could be that Abe just "had" this faith, but I think he was
influenced by Noah. Depending on how you understand the dating, Abe would have
either been 60 when Noah died or Abe would have been born two years after
Noah's death. In any case Shem, the son of faith who believed the promise,
lived for 500 years after the flood and died just 25 years before Abraham died.
For Abraham, the story of redemption wouldn't have been some old story handed
down from generation to generation. Abe knew of Noah and he might have
personally known Shem. If so, I'll bet God touched his heart with the need for
salvation and redemption.
Vs. 4-9 This account shows Abraham's entrance into Canaan.
V. 4 Apparently Abraham felt responsible for Lot, his brother Haran's
son. Note that Abe was 75 when he left Haran.
V. 5 When they left, Abe already had servants born into his household.
When they traveled, it must have looked like a mass of people, wagons and great
flocks. When they set up, they probably looked like a tent city. This was no
small endeavor.
V. 7 Shechem would become a fairly well-known place. God confirmed His
calling and promise to Abraham.
As the people of Israel heard this story as Moses wrote it and read it
to them, they would be instructed in the faith and failings of Abraham and
God's faithfulness to His promises.
Vs. 10-20 Now we come to something Abe did wrong. It was something that
was to instruct Israel. As disciples, we are meant to learn from this as well.
Once given the promise, Abraham still panicked when the famine came.
With the firmness and nature of the promise God had made to him, Abe should
have known that God would protect him in all situations, and so, to seek God
and rest in Him. That's easy to write, right? Going to Egypt, per se, wasn't
wrong, but we have no evidence that he asked God about going to Egypt. I
definitely don't think God helped him come up with the half lie regarding
Sarah.
God saved Abe from the Egyptians, but He didn't save him from the
consequences.
Genesis 13:1-4
What Abe gained in Egypt became a thorn in his side. His "ill
gotten" wealth became a division between him and Lot. And then, they
acquired Hagar, and she became a division between Abe and Sarah.
Even as disciples, "using our heads" and just doing what
seems obvious can cause major problems or destroy the work that God is doing
through us. We have to seek God and His way, even if we think the way before us
seems obvious. We are no better than Abraham, and this story is here for us, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands,
take heed lest he fall. (1 Cor. 10:11-12)
We have seen a man like Noah who became an object of ridicule for his
neighbors for 100 years as he built the ark. It was all because he followed
God. Now we see Abraham and Sarah following God. They gave up everything they
had in Ur and in Haran to live in tents for the rest of their lives. The nature
of knowing the Lord is to follow. But it is the passion of every disciple to
follow his Lord in the harvest, making disciples, who make disciples.
Matthew 5:1-26
Although Matthew is being somewhat chronological here, his focus now,
having established that Jesus is the Messiah and King of Israel, is to give a
demonstration of His teaching. Matthew shows Jesus' authority over the law and
how the people should live.
Let me put the sermon and the timeframe when Jesus said this in
perspective. At this point, John, chapters 2-5 are finished. Jesus has been in
public ministry for over a year. If you read Luke 6:1-19, you'll see what
happened just before the sermon. The leaders now really want to kill Jesus.
Jesus has just been up all night in prayer and this morning has just called the
Twelve. He comes down the mountain with them to a level place. The huge crowds
gather, and He goes back up a bit to a place where He can sit and have His
disciples come to Him. Luke 6:20 gives you the true audience of the sermon, And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples,
and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
Vs. 3-12 The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' orientation for His
disciples. For your reading, imagine that all the "blesseds" are
choices you make or don't make in following Christ as a disciple in reaching
out to a lost world as Christ did. You can choose to be poor in spirit now, or
not. You can choose to weep now, or not. This means you can opt to live a
comfortable, non-focused life, making the decision to be burdened, or not
burdened, by this calling. The burden leads to blessing.
Vs. 13-16 Notice that the call to follow Christ as a disciple means
working in the harvest as salt and light. Everyone who knows Christ should
be salt and light. This is why the Lord has left us on earth, and this is the
way we are close to Him, following Him. Inherent in what Jesus is saying here
is our option not to obey.
Vs. 17-20 Jesus begins to re-adjust the way the disciples have been
taught to think about God and obedience. What He says here will give the
explanation for what follows in you have
heard that it was said (v. 21-48). When Jesus is referring to the law here,
He means moral law, not the ceremonial laws and rituals, the sacrifices,
cleansings, etc.
V. 20 would have blown the disciples away. These religious leaders were
looked on to be the most righteous and heaven-worthy of all men in their
society. Jesus is about to show them that true following is in the attitude of
faith, obedience and love toward God.
Vs. 21-26 It is interesting that Jesus begins with this one. The new
commandment that Jesus will give His followers later is to love one another.
What He says here is really key to loving one another and loving our neighbor.
V. 21 Note that Jesus doesn't say, "It is written.” He is
referring to how the leaders taught this.
V. 22 Jesus is saying that if you have the attitude, you are guilty
without committing the act. Notice that this applies to insults and calling
someone fool. As disciples our
hearts, our understanding of life, and our focus on Christ have to lift us
above these attitudes. We are all guilty of this. In any election year you can
hear Christians "murdering" politicians, hurting their own hearts and
bringing shame to the name of Jesus. Disciples are not supposed to be doing
this.
Vs. 23-24 Allow me to paraphrase this through the filter of some
conflicts I have seen between believers in the church.
What is interesting here is that the offended party didn't come to
church. The offender is in church and everything is fine. The person who is not
at the temple worshiping is probably at home calling the other "fool"
in his heart and is the one who was harmed to the place of isolation. Now, it
could be that the person doing the offering didn't mean to offend the guy who
is not at the temple worshiping, but even knowing the other guy was offended
meant he had some connection and needed to try to be reconciled to the other.
Care for our brother is more important to God than offering or attending church
in peace.
Vs. 25-26 Later, Jesus will use this same example to tell the
multitudes to be reconciled to God. Here, the story seems to imply that if you
don't reconcile quickly with someone you've offended, then the offence might
become a permanent resentment that will always be there exacting some sort of
harm to the relationship. If so, married people should take heed and reconcile
quickly. Unfortunately, churches are full of this stuff too.
The bottom line is that rotten relationships can hurt disciples. The
basis of loving one another in the work of the harvest is forgiveness and
reconciliation. If we don't do it, it can keep us from being as fruitful as we
could be.
Psalm 5
It is possible that David ran from Saul for about 10 years. In order
for Saul to smooth this with the people, he and his leaders spread lies about
David. You sense the injury these lies meant for David. It was through this
pain and suffering that God led David to Him and His Word. This was David's
education in becoming a man after God's own heart.
Vs. 1-3 David had lived the high life after Goliath. He was a hero, had
a good bank account and he was a son-in-law of the king. All David did turned
to gold, until Saul's jealousy and hatred was directed toward him. Now he was
homeless and in danger every day. David's focus went to God, his true King. His
life became simplified because the only hope he had was in God. That David
sought God made him the great follower that he was.
Vs. 4-6 Israel was full of talk and lies about David. It seemed like no
one would listen to the truth and David really couldn't defend himself, running
as he was. Yet, He had to rest in the Lord. God doesn't tolerate wickedness. David
had to learn to wait on the Lord. David waited a long time.
Vs. 7-8 This is what David learned and it becomes the testimony of
David. God's steadfast love never
failed him and David's heart sought the joy of simply being in the presence of
God. Amen.
V. 8 is also expressed again in Psalm 27:11. David wanted God's very
plain and certain leading every day.
Vs. 9-10 Note that Paul quotes v. 9 in Romans 3:13 regarding the
incurable sickness of sin. Just as Jesus said, sin directed against those
following Christ is ultimately directed against Jesus and against the Father. All
sin is a rebellion against God.
Vs. 11-12 To me, these verses are the real challenge in following
Christ. Understanding that we are safe in God and there is no need for despair
or anxiousness, we should be joyful. Apparently before this joy, you have to
learn the deep crying out of the first verses.
Remember that these psalms were sung in worship.
Proverbs 1:24-28
These words seem hard but they are just. God is not mocked. In the OT,
we are about to see the amazing patience and love of the Lord. He will give
Israel chance after chance, over hundreds of years. He will forgive and be
patient beyond anything we could imagine. But when people have refused to the
place where their guilt is overflowing, God will judge. That is the same in our
world. We just don't see or perceive it.
V. 28 Compare this verse with Luke 13:23-28. It is sad but true, and
God will be totally just in doing this. Jesus also expressed this in John 7:34
and 8:21. Both contexts are very sobering.
I think, in God's love, I've experienced and learned in this way of
having ignored God and then suffered the results of my foolishness; but by
God's grace, there has been restoration. God's grace knows no end for those who
are willing to come to Him and heed His voice.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow
Him in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
The daily installments of the Reading Notes can be found at http://fencerail.blogspot.com/
If you would like documents containing an entire month of the
Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full presentation of discipleship read Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with insomnia and would like a long
boring dissertation on disciple making, these can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis 2011
The One Year Bible © by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton
Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright ©
2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
No comments:
Post a Comment