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.
FEBRUARY 27
Here are a couple of notes before we begin today.
First, there is wonderfulness to reading a one-year Bible. If you've
been following from the beginning of the year, you have been building a great
routine these two months. When I started reading like this, I had always
thought that I was pretty good about having my quiet times. As a pastor, I
never have my QT as part of my workday and I thought I was pretty consistent.
Then I began with my German one-year Bible, and I would sit down thinking I had
missed, maybe a couple days, and would find that I was behind a
week. I mark my pages each day so there was no mistake. I'd develop
strategies to get caught up, slowly inching my way up to the current date,
swearing (in a devout manner) that I wouldn't let that happen again. But it
did. So I really concentrated on the time of the day and getting set up in the
same spot, coffee prepared and ready to turn on. This was great for me. Now, since
1995, I seldom, if ever, miss two days in a row, even on the road. As a result,
my relationship with the Lord has never been stronger, even through very rough
times.
Second, there is the joy of making your own observations and what this
brings into a discipleship group. So, Laura comes into my office this morning
with a smile. She found something in yesterday's reading. Now, to be fair,
sometimes I don't mention as much as I could, but instead I'll make mention to
look for something, repetitions of words, etc. I was not only happy for her,
but it felt good to see something I had never noticed before in the text.
Yesterday (and today) in the OT reading, I never caught the repetition of, I am the Lord, or I am the Lord your God. How cool. Then we talked about the
application of that phrase for us as disciples. As our Lord, He lovingly
guides, directs and protects us. As our God, He sustains us, making our lives
worth living on earth, and preparing us to live with Him in the future. In a
group, everyone would be adding to the encouragement and strengthening that
this phrase gives to us. Very cool.
So, when you discuss the reading in The One Year Bible with
others in a group, there is a joy in seeing people find stuff and really
getting into it. This is a very natural way to help, strengthen, and encourage
one another as we follow Christ in the harvest, reaching out and making disciples,
who make disciples.
Leviticus 20:22-22:16
Notice the repetition in this section. It isn't just I am the Lord, but look at all the
mentions of holy. If I were to ask
you at the end of Leviticus, what the point of the book was, these words would
give you a very good idea.
Leviticus 20:22-27
As you read and come to a section like this, which comes at the end of
a chapter, you have to ask yourself what the purpose of this block is. It
appears to be a summary. Summaries often contain purpose statements.
Notice again the mention of vomit. This is what would happen to the
people in the land they were taking. Imagine, all the idolatry and sexual
perversion we've just read about were considered normal culture and everyday
life in the land of Canaan. This is a warning here, but by the time we get to
Jeremiah, it will be reality. Israel will be "vomited" out of the
land into exile.
So, why v. 27? How does it fit? I'd suggest that the people were to be
constantly coming to the Lord with questions. Mediums and necromancers were a
common way for people to get answers. We'll see King Saul go to a medium in 1
Samuel 28:7. It is interesting to note that Saul destroyed a city of priests.
Answers to all the people's questions could be found with the priest who
carried the Urim and Thummim. Instead, the people would be tempted to find
answers closer to home. After all, Jerusalem was a long way away. Israel only
had one God, one place to worship and one altar. Jerusalem was far away, but
they had a God who would lead them and answer them. If the answer didn't come
in prayer, it could be found in Jerusalem with the priest of God.
Leviticus 21
Vs. 1-9 These rules were for all the priests, to emphasize their
special position as mediators for the people. The priests were to keep
themselves always ready to serve the people before God. They could become
unclean (ceremonially unready) in only a few instances. It is interesting that
in the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus uses this law. The difference was
that the beaten man wasn't dead; he was seriously injured. Compassion and mercy
were always acceptable reasons to touch others and to risk becoming unclean.
V. 5 These were cultural ways to express grief. Notice that a priest
can't have a Mohawk.
Vs. 6-9 Again, these rules are symbolic of separation and holiness,
emphasizing the special calling of the priest. It should be noted that the
mention of prostitutes in v. 7 would be referring to ex-prostitutes. One of the
women (there were actually two notable Gentile women) in the line of Christ was
an ex-prostitute named Rahab. She is related to Jesus, but she couldn't have
married a priest.
Vs. 10-15 These rules were for the high priest. In grief, he couldn't
even let his hair look wild or tear his clothes.
V. 15 gets expanded upon in Ezekiel 44:22. A priest could marry the
widow of a priest. Again, there wasn't anything wrong with widows. Ruth was a
widow and a Gentile and was in the line of Christ, but she couldn't have
married the high priest. These were living object lessons and symbols pointing
to a separated life of service for God in the ministry to the people.
Do you think it is fair for God to have such high standards for the
priests? Do you think that it is fair for God to have high standards for those
who follow Christ? We are saved by grace, so why should there be any standards
at all? Look at Ephesians 4:1-6 and Philippians 1:27-30. If you look at what
Jesus says about discipleship, it all begins with denial of self and carrying a
cross to our deaths, just like He did. That is being separated unto Him to work
in His harvest for His glory.
Vs. 16-24 Understanding God's symbolism here helps to balance the fact
that this portion seems hard. Unlike our situation as disciples, where some who
have disabilities do a better job witnessing and representing God than those
without disabilities, the priests had to be whole in every way.
I think it was God's way of saying that you offer the most healthy, the
most robust. You give the sacrifice that costs you the most. In a sense, those
with disabilities had been preselected by the Lord not to serve as priests,
since God was responsible for the disability. With sacrifices (this happened in
Malachi's day) people thought that because times were tough it would be ok to
offer a lamed animal in sacrifice. It wasn't good for anything anyway, so why
not give it in sacrifice. I think the people eventually had the same thought
toward the priests. They didn't really do anything all day except for a couple
of sacrifices. They really didn't bring anything to the table, so let anyone be
a priest. Save the able-bodied men to serve in the army, be movie stars, etc.;
and let the others be priests. As time went on I don't think they revered the
priest like he was really important.
I've heard this said of people who have gone into fulltime ministry who
had very special talents and abilities or an amazing education. People say,
"He became a missionary? What a waste."
Anyway, we can learn something about God in all of this, but we don't
have to complain; because in the grace of Christ, in our work in the harvest,
all of us are used by the Lord. Some of the real heroes of faith, since Christ,
have lived in mind staggering poverty, been scarred by family or persecution,
been disabled, and have had little or no education. They have defied death to
share Christ. They have hidden with other Christians in dark corners of the
world to entrust the truth and make disciples. They have died for Christ as
martyrs and have been murdered without justice or discovery. And we won't even
know their names until we meet them in heaven.
Leviticus 22:1-16
There are lots of rules here that serve as "object" lessons.
What do you see as the focus of this section? What are the key words?
Vs. 1-9 This was specifically addressed to the priests to make sure
they were "clean" and ready, so that when the people brought their
sacrifices they could both sacrifice and enjoy their portion before the Lord.
Vs. 10-16 These were the people who could eat the offerings. Again,
there was to be a sense of reverence, importance and privilege in receiving and
eating these offerings. God gave them this as a daily reminder of the
redemption He was working and the separation (holiness) they should have toward
His work.
For all of our rhetoric that our role models should just be looked at
like normal people and not held to a higher standard, we still want them to
live to a higher standard. We subtly accept sin as normal by watching TV, but
if a preacher or politician becomes guilty of sin, we rightly draw the line.
Those guys who represent people should live to a higher standard. I agree. God
wanted the priests of Israel to live to a higher standard, showing that it was
possible to live completely for God, because they represented the people before
God.
The application to us as disciples following our Lord in this time of
harvest should be obvious. We are called to be set apart in Christ to be His
servants, bearing much fruit, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make
disciples. Everything else during this time of emergency is either a gift from
Him to encourage us, or we should treat it as common. Our calling in Christ is
holy and more important than the stuff around us.
Mark 9:1-29
Vs. 1-13 If you are ever on a quiz show and asked, "How many days was it,
after Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, that Jesus was transfigured
before them?" Mark gives you the answer.
Again we see Jesus leading His men into a deeper relationship with
Himself even after one of them, Peter, had a major malfunction in his faith and
understanding. Jesus was a very patient and perceptive disciple maker.
V. 1 This verse connects what Jesus just said about the Son coming in
glory, to what is about to happen. These three would be the first to see Jesus
glorified.
Vs. 2-8 Actually Mark doesn't give you the complete answer. You need Mark
and Luke. Mark says that Jesus led them up the mountain six days later, but
Luke says it is eight days later that Jesus is changed. That means they were up
there two days praying before Jesus was transfigured.
Transfigured means that Jesus was changed. It doesn't mean that He only
outwardly glowed, but He was entirely metamorphosed (that is literally the
word). He became different and they saw Jesus, minus the nail prints, as He
appears in heaven, in His glory.
Vs. 9-13 Remember, these three men will become the leaders of the
Twelve and will need to give leadership to the others. The road that Jesus
leads them on will only get darker and more conflict ridden. This was God's
gift to these three men to strengthen them as makers of disciples.
Vs. 14-29 We've seen this before in Matthew 17. It is really
interesting how much space is given to this situation. Mark is giving it as
much space as the transfiguration. I still need to wrap my head around this.
There must be something about the transfiguration that connects to this
struggle of faith.
Note that when Jesus comes down the mountain, the disciples are in an
argument with the scribes, probably challenging their correctness and their
authority. Paul tells Timothy, the disciple, to stay out of stupid, silly
controversies. Arguments seldom settle anything, but you usually walk away
emotionally unsettled.
V. 27 Notice that Jesus takes the boy by the hand. Very personal touch.
If you reread Matthew 17, Jesus says they failed to cast out the demon
because of their lack of faith. Faith expressed how? In not praying? Were they
distracted by the crowd and the conflict with the scribes, and didn't have the
courage and presence of mind to huddle together, in front of all those people
and detractors and pray?
Maybe the message for us as disciples is that if we become too
"crowd" focused, we might lose the power and strength we have in the
harvest, which only comes through faith and pounding on the door of heaven. I
was reading today and was challenged again by what Jesus says about the mustard
seed and faith. Disciples need faith to seek God in the harvest and know His
power.
Psalm 43
There is no notation of who might have written this, but if you read
yesterday's psalm, you probably figured it out. It looks like another son of
Korah.
Vs. 1-2 The psalmist is feeling like the success or threats of the
ungodly are somehow a sign of God's rejection. That's how he feels, but he
knows better.
Vs. 3-4 It is interesting that he asks for God's Word, His light and
truth (the Urim and Thummim of the priest literally mean light and truth and
were used for gaining those in decisions). The cry for vindication is followed
by the true desire to be close to God, sheltered and led by His light and
truth, in His dwelling, before His altar. Nothing I've done gets closer to this
than sitting before the Lord after someone has come to Christ. The bruises
don't hurt as much. The voices of conflict and doubting become distant and
without merit; the reality of the truth seems like a light. There is deep joy,
and you're willing to offer even more.
V. 5 So, I ask myself today, Why
are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my salvation and my God. Keep going, keep praying, keep working, and keep
trusting. Hold to what the Lord tells you to do, and the Lord will bring you
there again.
Proverbs 10:18
Amen.
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
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, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
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.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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