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.
APRIL 23
I'm including a few charts/maps that may help you to orient yourself to
what is being written about Israel. Since the action is taking place in
different parts of the country, this should give you an orientation. The
following are located at the end of this document.
“The Judges of Israel,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT, p.
375.
“Canaan in the Days of the Judges,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT,
p. 377.
“The Judges and the Oppressors,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT,
p. 385.
Judges 1:1-2:9
The introduction of Judges in the Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT,
pp. 373-374, provides some good information. Apparently, Judges was probably
written by Samuel sometime after Saul was made King of Israel, but before David
became king. Samuel is the final judge of Israel. Though he isn’t mentioned in
Judges, he is thought to have been a judge during the same period of time as
Samson. The period of time involved in Judges is a whopping 410-450 years. The
US hasn’t been a nation that long. We will cross that long span of time in this book.
Judges 1
Vs. 1-21 The leadership of Judah. This section describes what God did
through Judah, both before and after Joshua’s death. We have heard of some of
these adventures in Joshua while Joshua was still living.
V. 1 According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT, pp.
376-377, it is better to understand, After
the death of Joshua, as a heading for the history that Samuel was about to
summarize. Joshua’s final words and death will be mentioned in 2:6-9.
Vs. 2-7 It doesn't say it here, but when the people inquired in v. 1,
it was probably the priest using the Urim and Thummim. The center of Israel was
the tabernacle at Shiloh. Notice how Judah became a model of one tribe bonding
with another tribe to fight together. This was a great victory.
Vs. 6-7 This is similar to what Joshua did in having his captains put
their feet on the necks of their enemies and then hanging them. Here,
apparently they knew the reports of this king and God used them to punish him
as he had punished others. FYI, a man without thumbs couldn’t hold a weapon,
and without big toes, you don’t fight or stand as well.
Vs. 8-10 This is the first time we hear of Judah going after Jerusalem,
but we’ve heard of them winning at Hebron. Notice that Judah did conquer
Jerusalem, possibly after Joshua’s death. It just wasn’t a capital city for
them, and they were told to give it to Benjamin. We’ll see that Benjamin
couldn’t hold it.
The three names in Hebron may be the sons / clans related to the king
of Hebron mentioned in v. 20.
Vs. 11-15 We have heard this story before and how Othniel wins the city
and Caleb’s daughter.
Vs. 16-21 As a testimony to how well Judah did its fighting and
securing of the land, the Midianite (Kenite) part of Moses’ family came to
dwell in Judah’s land.
V. 18 Judah conquered this area but as time went on they couldn’t hold
it. Caleb and Othniel broke the power of those people but it would take faith
to occupy those lands.
V. 20 I think these three sons are mentioned in v. 10.
V. 21 Judah defeated the city, but the people of Benjamin couldn’t hold
it.
Vs. 22-26 The other honored tribe of Israel, Ephraim, had one major,
notable victory. Notice that this man and his family were spared but chose to
live in Syria. All of the Canaanites could have moved.
Vs. 27-36 Now begins the subtle beginning of the end. The people didn't
obey. It started with tolerance and peace agreements now, and ended up with
Israel losing its identity and becoming involved in full-blown idolatry later.
Vs. 27-29 This is a summary of the tribes of Joseph. The tribe of
Manasseh rationalized their sin by putting the Canaanites to forced labor.
Ephraim just allowed the Canaanites to live among them.
Notice that all of the tribes that had land in Canaan sinned in making
peace agreements with the people. It should make us think about the importance
of obedience and influence.
The tribe of Dan has a little more mentioned about their situation. At
the end of Judges we get a dysfunctional little story involving Dan. Apparently
they had the honor of being the first complete tribe to fall into idolatry.
Judges 2:1-9
Notice the angel of the Lord
and the way He speaks. This points to His identity as God.
Notice that the Lord goes up from Gilgal. Important things have
happened there. No one is sure where Bochim was. Since this section has a
parallel with Joshua’s final addresses to Israel, it could be that Bochim is
near Shechem. Joshua made part of his final address at Gilgal and his final
words were spoken at Shechem. In any event, this must have been a gathering
place, but it wasn’t Shiloh where the tabernacle was.
V. 4 Notice that the people weep, but they don’t seek the Lord to find
out how to correct their wrong. Years later the people in Ezra’s day will do
something similar, and when they seek counsel from Ezra, they actually do what
he tells them. The people crying is not the same as the people repenting.
V. 5 How does this make sense? The only place they were supposed to
sacrifice was at the tabernacle. By the end of Judges we will see some very
wrong religious thinking. It looks like their worship was becoming a matter of
the “heart,” rather than obedience to the Word.
Vs. 6-9 With these verses, it is as if Samuel has finished one summary
of the time after Joshua, and is beginning a new train of thought. This summary
of Joshua dismissing the people is a review of the end of the book of Joshua
and the faithfulness of that generation. As time went on and men like Joshua
and Caleb were gone, the people drifted from God.
In a very real sense, God allowed this to happen to test the people in
that He didn't appoint a national leader. At first the people sought a leader,
but that didn't last long. God often leads a person to a particular place and
then draws back and is silent, to reveal what is in that person's heart. This
is God’s way to see if we will honor Him and follow, or if He needs to show us
that we will still very easily drift from Him. Tomorrow we’ll be given a very
clear rationale for why God allows adversity into our lives.
Luke 21:29-22:13
Luke 21:29-38
Vs. 29-33 Two groups of people are being addressed here. First are the
people in Jesus’ generation who would be present and watching things come together
for the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Then there are those who will be
present in the future when the temple is desecrated at the midway point of the
Tribulation. Both of these generations will witness completion of those events
within their lifetimes.
Vs. 34-36 Very clearly this is referring to the Tribulation and those
believers who will be tempted to lose focus and give in to the sadness of those
times. Just as it will be possible to miss the beginning of the Tribulation, it
will be easy in the Tribulation to miss the signs of the Lord’s coming. Again,
I think the "he who endures to the end will be saved" message is not
referring to losing salvation, but salvation from the effects of bitterness and
persecution. The way to be "saved" is to remain strong and focused on
what is taking place, knowing that it is God's working. This is much the same
with us today.
This is a good word for us as disciples. We are surrounded by the
wreckage of Christians who have forgotten why we are here. They are simply
living among the "natives" to be liked by them and they have been
ruined by becoming like them. We’ll see this happen to Israel, but we are no
different. We are here in the harvest as our Savior was, to seek the lost and
introduce them to Him. If we are just here to live life and go to church until
we die, we get lost and bitter and careless. The way to remain undamaged is to stay awake at all times, praying that you
may have strength to escape. But we often think we’re here on vacation
during this time in history. The danger around us and the need to stay awake is
just as grave.
Vs. 37-38 And we see Jesus, facing a violent death, yet teaching right
up to the end. A disciple is not above his Master. We are to work in the
harvest following our Lord until the end.
Luke 22:1-13
Interesting that you have four persons preparing for the Passover:
Satan and Jesus, and over all God the Father and the Spirit. You see what Satan
is doing, and you see what Jesus is doing, and in everything (even Satan’s
madness), God is working all things together for good. This would be a good
point to remember what Paul and the Spirit wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:8, None of the rulers of this age understood
this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Vs. 1-6 It seems like the occasion for Judas doing this came on
Thursday morning. The night before, Mary of Bethany had anointed Jesus’ feet
and Judas had raised a ruckus. Feeling snubbed, the next morning Judas prepared
to do Satan’s business, while Peter and John were doing Jesus’ business and
making the preparations for the Passover.
Vs. 7-13 Apparently there were two days to eat the Passover lamb. This
was probably because of the crowds and the large numbers of sheep to be killed.
Jerusalem didn’t have a lot of rooms to rent for this day and the next week of
feasting. Jesus and His disciples used the earlier day. That means that the day
Jesus was killed was actually the normal day for killing the Passover lamb.
With the thousands of people in Jerusalem, waiting until the last
minute like Jesus did to seek a room, it was a miracle that they found a place.
But I think that is the point. Tradition points to this room belonging to the
family of John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark and Barnabas’ nephew.
This is also the room they think the disciples were in when the Spirit came on
Pentecost.
Psalms 90-91
Both of these psalms are written by Moses.
Psalm 90
As you read Psalm 90, imagine that Moses is writing this as the nation
is under God's punishment after Kadesh-barnea. They endured a very long 38
years in the wilderness, as they waited for the rebellious generation of adults
to die. All psalms are inspired, but when you read this, you can sense the
depth of Moses’ person and his maturity with God. It’s like every word is gold.
Somewhere on our lists of “what to memorize,” Psalm 90 should appear.
Vs. 1-2 Notice v. 1 referring to a dwelling
place. We've seen references to dwelling with God in a lot of The Psalms.
Here, Moses is referring to the fact that though they constantly moved around
the wilderness without a home or destination for those long 38 years, God
Himself was their dwelling place.
Vs. 3-11 Look at the way Moses describes our mortality and our frailty
under God’s judgment. It is interesting to think that although we are saved in
Christ, our bodies are still under the penalty of sin and the judgment of the
fall. And as if that were not enough, God knows our hearts. We know that
without the righteousness of our Lord, we would all be subject to judgment,
rejection and a trip to hell. Moses lived in the reality of this for 38 years.
V. 12 This is something we should all do, given the disaster happening
on this planet. No nation had a better view of the temporary nature of life
than Israel did during those 38 years. The reality of this life on earth and
the urgency of the harvest are vitally connected to our relationship with
Jesus. How can we be saved and not number our days as we work in the harvest?
Vs. 13-16 This is Moses and God telling us that our true joy and
fulfillment come from God. The heart of wisdom from v. 12 is what should make a
person simplify and focus their life to be filled with God.
V. 17 This is something I pray. Only the Lord can establish the work of our hands. The question is, as a disciple,
what do you want Him to establish? Joshua served God, and as a result, an
entire generation served the Lord. I think for disciples, the work we want God
to prosper is the making of disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples,
who make disciples.
It is interesting to me that as Moses was ending his ministry to
Israel, hoping the people would go beyond him and serve God, God told him they
would fail. We’ve begun to see this failure today in Judges. The failure comes
quickly. Yet someday, the Lord will establish the work of Moses’ hands as the
nation succeeds in the Tribulation and is honored during the Millennium.
Psalm 91
This psalm has a more victorious and confident tone. If Moses was the
author, I would guess He wrote this for the next generation going into the land.
The writer wanted the people to be confident in the Lord.
Vs. 1-2 Notice the idea of dwelling in God. Verse 1 is probably where
Elizabeth Elliot got the title for her book, The Shadow of the Almighty.
Vs. 3-8 This is the victory promised to Israel, but it is really a
description of God’s love and faithfulness to them.
Vs. 9-16 Notice how this section has two parts, each introduced with
the cause for God’s blessing, signaled by the word because.
Vs. 11-12 Satan quoted these verses to Jesus to entice Him to jump off
the pinnacle of the temple. It amazes me that Satan saw these verses and knew
that they referred to the Jew’s Messiah. I don’t think we would have known that
any other way. Like it or not, as a spiritual being, Satan’s knowledge of the
Bible is better than ours. Having the Spirit and a regenerated spiritual life
that is drawn to God in love and obedience makes all the difference and gives
us the victory. Love and obedience are greater than knowledge.
Vs. 14-16 These verses make me think of Jabez entering the land, and of
Jesus in Isaiah 53, making Himself a sacrifice for us and then being honored by
God.
Proverbs 13:24-25
It seems that the parent’s discipline of the child in v. 24 leads the
child to a life of contentment and gratitude to God as seen in v. 25.
Disciplining a child does more than keep him out of trouble; it creates a godly
perspective of our life on earth.
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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