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.
MARCH 25
By now you've worked off your McReuben and Shamrock Shake. Set your
sights on April 1, no joke, and work to stay caught up. Deuteronomy is
fantastic reading, but there isn't a lot of action. There will be more action
in Joshua and then we'll roll for several months reading about one person after
another. That will be more interesting for you. By May 1 everything will go
faster. We'll be in Judges and in the Gospel of John. For now, if need be,
forget about these Reading Notes and just keep up in The One Year Bible.
If you get behind, put the Bible somewhere where it is visible, like on a
kitchen counter, and when you pass by it, sit down, read a page, mark the page
as read, and jump back into what you were doing. The discipline you develop
will stay with you all your life. You'll feel good about yourself, because you
are gaining God's Word and heart, and He'll notice you are doing this for Him.
Today we know Him here as we follow Him in the harvest; tomorrow we will be
with Him forever.
Deuteronomy 4
These chapters in Deuteronomy are like sitting down to an amazing
feast, where everything you'd want is there, but there's too much. Or it's like
having a late-night conversation with someone you haven't seen in years who you
really respect, and everything they're saying is good and confirms and strengthens
your heart, but you know in the morning you won't remember it all. This book,
these chapters, is like a deep well that any disciple will want to come back to
repeatedly to drink from. So, mark up your Bible and highlight everything that
speaks to you, that you think is important for you, for us, as disciples
following Christ in the harvest. Next year, and the next and the next, when you
read this again in The One Year Bible, you’ll find more each time.
Vs. 1-4 This is like the prologue to Moses giving the new generation
instructions. This long "talk," probably given over a week, will be
Moses' final words. Although v. 44 says law,
the word is really "instruction." Moses is advising the people, from
his love for Yahweh and his love for them, to follow the Lord.
V. 2 Notice that the Pharisees, like all of us, were guilty of both of
these. They added traditions to the law, as if to enforce what can only come
from a heart of faith. Then, they lightened the law to create loopholes for the
sins they liked, like divorcing a wife for any reason.
Notice the contrast in vs. 3 and 4. Listening to Moses and following
God was illustrated in what happened at Baal-peor. Those who sinned died and
those who held fast to the Lord
lived.
Vs. 5-8 Israel was to have been a very simple country with their entire
routine ordered around their feasts. The nations would have thought they were
nuts, leaving their homes and fields for these celebrations, always taking one
day off of work per week. Nuts. But as they obeyed the Lord, all nations were
to have seen that something else was at work. God's blessing of Israel's love
and faith would have won nations and people to the Lord. That was the plan.
Vs. 9-14 I think the primary thought here was that the people were to
fear the Lord. All of these people, if born at that time, had seen the Lord
descend on Mt. Sinai. God wanted to instill a respect and awe. Not only that,
they had seen what happened to the generation that rebelled against the Lord
and how it caused the entire nation to wander for 38 years. God was to be
respected, held in awe and feared. Then, out of love for their kids and concern
for the future of the nation, they were to teach their children.
Vs. 15-19 Notice again that this begins with a caution. Moses really loved
these people. I never noticed the connection of the people hearing God but not
seeing Him, and how that related to not making an image.
V. 19 And they were warned not to worship any of the heavenly bodies.
When you read the days of creation you notice that the sun, stars, etc., were
made on the fourth day. In an interesting way, that made them secondary and
unnecessary, not only because God made them, but because there already was
light and vegetation on the earth. They were made only to serve mankind, not to
be worshiped by mankind.
Vs. 20-24 God was their Savior and their Lord who visibly led them to
freedom and salvation.
Vs. 21-22 Yet even as great as Moses was, his own disobedience to the
Word of God brought God's punishment. How much more should the people be alert
to obeying God and not making Him angry?
Vs. 23-24 Another warning. It is fair to say here that Moses was saying
they were not to treat God like a "religion." They were in
relationship with a living, listening, and seeing Lord and Savior.
Vs. 25-31 What an amazing portion of Scripture. This is prophetic to
the point of telling of the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom.
Vs. 25-26 Moses was a wise steward over God's house. He knew these
people. This generation was "charged up" on the fear of God, but if
they failed to teach the next generation, they would stray from God.
Vs. 27-29 This happened, officially, after the devastating rule of King
Manasseh. Israel was exiled for 70 years, one year for every Sabbatical year
they missed. The book of Daniel accounts for the entire time of the exile. If
you want to see an example of v. 29, read Daniel, chapter 9. This promise has
been available to every generation of Israel. The last scattering of Israel
happened to the generation that rejected the Christ.
V. 30 Israel will seek God earnestly when they see the day of the Son
of Man, the Tribulation, begin. Then there will be a national turning of Israel
to God. For those seven years of Tribulation and for the thousand years of the
Millennial Kingdom, Israel will be a testimony and witness to the nations of
the glory of God.
V. 31 This is the promise to Abraham and the hope of Israel. Israel may
fail to obey the covenant they made at Sinai, but God will never forget the
covenant He made with Abraham. Notice what both Mary and Zechariah say in Luke
1:50-80. Both of them mention God's promised mercy to Israel. That mercy has
always been there, and it will "kick in" with full power when Israel
turns to God in the future and begs for their Messiah's return.
Vs. 32-40 Again, this section is a powerful plea from Moses and God
Himself for the people to take to heart what has been done for them. What deep
love and faithfulness God had shown them.
V. 40 This command is based on the living proof of God's love and
salvation.
For us as disciples, our response to God is and always has to be from
His love and His salvation. God does call us to hardship and to sacrifice in
the harvest, but Jesus walked there before He ever called us. What He paid will
always outweigh anything we ever do in this life. We will always be the
unworthy servants who, when we have done all that is commanded us, say,
"we have only done what was our duty." But we obey and do this
because we are, and always will be, overwhelmed by the super abundance of His
grace, love and mercy.
Notice the reference to Israel being given the land for all time. This will explain the next
few verses.
Vs. 41-43 This might seem out of place. Suddenly there is another
subject. Moses has been talking about them polluting the land through idolatry,
but there is another way for them to pollute the land, through murder and
bloodshed. The next great curse on creation, after Adam and Eve rebelled
against God, was that Cain killed Abel and "hid" his blood in the earth.
God cursed the ground. When Israel is finally exiled out of the land, which has
just been spoken about, it is because of how King Manasseh filled the land with
innocent blood.
Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled
Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so
that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD (2 Kings 21:16).
...and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled
Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon (2 Kings 24:4).
You don’t really have to wonder what God thinks about the killing of
innocent children for the sake of our sexual freedom and convenience. The
Canaanites sacrificed the children born through Baal worship to Moloch. For all
of this, after hundreds of years of patience, God finally judged them through
Israel saying that the land vomited them out. If God is silent, God’s silence
is scary. There is grace and there is patience, but His patience is His
kindness trying to lead us to repentance. When we reject His kindness, only
judgment is left.
Or do you presume on the riches
of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness
is meant to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:4)?
As a friend of mine said, “God doesn’t always pay on Friday.” The
Bible, from one end to the other, says that “pay day” is coming.
The cities of refuge were a provision to make sure the innocent were
protected, so that the land wouldn't be polluted through the shedding of
innocent blood.
Vs. 44-49 What we have read is the reason Moses needed to give the
coming instructions and motivation to follow the Lord. Now we are told where
this all took place. Tomorrow we will begin reading Moses' great sermon to
Israel.
Luke 6:39-7:10
Luke 6:39-49
Jesus finishes up His "disciple orientation." Think of what
you just read in Deuteronomy. Moses will keep telling Israel to heed God's
words. Jesus is telling His disciples to heed His words. How interesting. The
instructions Jesus is giving the disciples here will be repeated again in Luke.
I wonder how often Jesus repeated these things to His disciples in different
situations over the next two years.
When you read these same things in Matthew, chapters 5-7, it is a bit
easier to see the logical connections between one thing and another. The order
was very logical and necessary for the disciples.
Vs. 39-42 Jesus had just told the disciples that to follow Him in the
harvest they needed to have a perspective of life on earth, working in the
harvest, which was very supernatural. If they didn't have that, they would be
horrible makers of disciples, like blind men leading blind men.
V. 40 They had to become total disciples of Jesus to be like Him. Their
disciples in the future would reflect their same level of discipleship. That
could be good, or bad.
Vs. 41-42 This is a warning to them, and to us. The disciple maker and
the disciple are in view here. For the next two years, Jesus would be helping
them to examine their own eyes.
Vs. 43-45 Just as the "eye" stood for perception and honesty
of heart in the last illustration, the fruit is an illustration for the content
of the heart. Disciples of Jesus are not primarily people of skill or ability,
but they are deep lovers of Jesus. It all flows from a heart in love with
Christ.
Vs. 46-49 And having said all of that about heart, love is seen in
obedience. To have a feeling of love is not the same as following. What are His
commandments? Most of the commandments I see from Jesus involve following and
bearing a cross in the harvest, acknowledging His name before men. That is a
love and a life that can withstand this planet and its sickness.
Luke 7:1-10
This was probably the first big lesson for the Twelve. Here was a
Gentile who actually had the kind of faith in Jesus that recognized Him as one
with authority, a Lord. If you are a master, you say it and it is done. This
Roman soldier knew Jesus was a ruler. As in the parable above, not everyone who
calls Jesus “Lord” recognizes Him as Lord. The proof is in the doing.
V. 9 You don't see Jesus marveling over faith very often.
Psalm 68:1-18
David must have been having a good day. This seems to have been written
after David brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, fulfilling David's
dream to dwell in the presence of the Lord in Zion.
Vs. 1-3 We haven't read about David's life yet, but this is a very
joyous summary of his suffering and that God had saved and vindicated David.
Vs. 4-6 This praise is to come from the oppressed and those in need of
mercy and comfort. That was David for many years. God is a gentle protector.
Vs. 7-10 All the years before God established David in Zion, Israel
lived as a prey of the nations. David is describing God bringing physical
blessing and peace to Israel.
Vs. 11-14 This is some celebration among the people of the victories
the Lord gave. Apparently the Hebrew is hard to understand, but later, we'll
see that when Saul and David returned from battles, the women lined the roads
and sang.
Vs. 15-18 This is a poetic expression of the greatness of Mt. Zion,
Jerusalem, because the Lord chose it as His abode. All the other mountains were
envious.
V. 18 Notice that Paul quotes this in Ephesians 4. Yahweh is seen here
coming up the mountain into the city in victory, leading the captives. Here,
the victor receives gifts and in Ephesians 4, having received the spoils of
victory, He gives gifts to men (See also, Isaiah 53:12.).
Proverbs 11:28
The thing is, society exalts the prominence of the rich, but you don't
notice the leaves of trees.
I was reading this morning where Jesus told the disciples that it would
be almost impossible for those with riches to enter the Kingdom of God. The
disciples seem to have understood this and were shocked that to have
possessions could actually block you from saving faith. But it seems that the
issue is really who, or what, is ruling our hearts. If riches are our trust and
our comfort and our hope, they are an idol, a god. If a person has that kind of
god, it is hard to go to the real God who says, blessed are the poor and go, sell what you possess and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (Matthew
19:21).
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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