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APRIL 26
I can tell we are all entering into the "dog days" of
reading. Hang in there and as Paul said to Timothy, "as for you, always be steady…" (2 Tim. 4:5, RSV). The Lord has
a way of blessing you with something you've read when you least expect it. And
you're getting to know the Lord, seeking Him. He will definitely reward that.
And again, as Paul said in Philippians, I
press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me His own (Phil.
3:12). Happy pressing.
Judges 6
Vs. 1-6 Notice that it was the hand of the Lord that moved first and
gave Israel into the hand of Midian.
Remember that both Moses and Joshua promised the people that if they forgot the
Lord and fell into idolatry, they would have to watch others take what they
worked for. The Midianites made Israel look like a Walmart © parking lot.
V. 6 Notice that the people had to be brought very low before their
crying out was genuine and unified. We've seen this in David and we'll see it
at the end of Judges. Sometimes God allows "bad" to get worse, so
that our asking goes to the depth of dependence on God.
Vs. 7-10 It seems to me that the Lord might have sent this prophet
first to see if the people would respond with remorse and obedience to a human
messenger. If they had said, “Who is he? He’s just a guy like us,” I think God
would have let them sit a while longer. Apparently the people were humble.
Vs. 11-18 It is interesting that it is the angel of the Lord who came. Note also, that Gideon had heard
the stories of God’s working in delivering Israel from Egypt and was struggling
with God’s inactivity. He knew the stories, but not the Lord. Of course, if
Gideon had understood enough of the stories, he would have known exactly why
they were in such a bad situation. We know that the people didn't know the law
and they were not hearing Deuteronomy read. Knowing the stories doesn't make
you a follower. It is the intersection of the words of God, the listening heart
and the Holy Spirit that brings life and change.
Vs. 16-18 Faith seems to have been a rare thing. Although the Lord
promised Gideon victory, Gideon didn't exactly believe, but he didn't exactly
disbelieve. He was asking for a test to make sure this was all true.
Vs. 19-24 There are many interesting things here. It appears as if God
was not holding the people to worship at the tabernacle during this period of
disobedience. Normally, sacrificing anywhere but the tabernacle was forbidden.
God was looking for faith and devotion to His commands as He was giving
direction. Notice that after the angel of the Lord left Gideon in shock, the
Lord spoke to Gideon and calmed him. Having seen the Lord and now hearing this
voice, Gideon knew it was the Lord who was invisibly with him, speaking to him.
From this account and what we find later, Gideon was a fearful follower who
needed lots of encouragement and direction. But, the Lord is OK with that.
That’s something to give us hope as we follow Christ in the harvest. We don’t
have to fit into the mold of any hero of the faith or into some preconceived
notion of spiritual boldness.
Vs. 25-27 God gave Gideon very specific instructions. Although Gideon
was afraid of the people, so that he obeyed God at night, he still did it. The
altar was probably big, like a monument, so Gideon enlisted 10 men who helped
him and then, apparently, informed the authorities. Again, the Lord worked with
Gideon in all of this.
Vs. 28-32 I love the response of Gideon’s father. I wouldn’t have liked
a nickname like that. At least it wasn’t a tattoo.
Vs. 33-40 Verse 34 is interesting. It says the Spirit clothed Gideon, which is literal from
the Hebrew.
One thing you see with Gideon in the case of the altar, and now in
facing Midian, Gideon sought the help of others.
V. 36 I think that when a person has the right heart, the Lord doesn’t
mind someone asking for confirmation of His will. It might depend too, on what
the Lord has already done in our lives up to that point. If He has already shown
us great acts of kindness and guidance, we might not need to ask for
confirmation in continuing to do what He has already shown us. In this case
with Gideon, there hadn’t been a sign of the Lord’s working for some time. And
again, the Lord showed him a lot of understanding. I think He shows us a lot of
understanding too.
Notice too that before Gideon asked for this confirmation he had already
sounded the alarm and begun gathering Israel. He had already acted in faith and
gone forward as a leader.
Luke 22:54-23:12
Luke 22:54-71
Vs. 54-62 What is notable about this account of Peter’s denial is that
Luke mentions that when the cock crowed the last time, Jesus heard it and
turned; and across the distance, He met eyes with Peter.
Vs. 63-65 Jesus' self-control, for our sakes, is amazing. Jesus was the
only person present who was in control of Himself, and He allowed these little
evil men to harm Him.
Vs. 66-71 The trial of Jesus had been illegal. They had to wait until
daybreak to re-try Him with the full Sanhedrin. Notice that Jesus does some
talking here. When He said that He was the Son of Man, it led to the question
of being God's Son. This was a very clear statement. Verse 70 could be
translated, "You have said it. I am." The you say is a Greek idiom meaning "yes." So what Jesus is
saying is "Yes, I am."
Luke 23:1-12
Vs. 1-5 This is a hearing that looks similar to what we have seen in
Matthew and Mark.
Vs. 6-12 This is only found in Luke. Jesus frustrated the entire
situation by just saying nothing. It is interesting that Pilate and Herod
became friends after this. That gives you a view of Pilate that makes you feel
less sympathetic toward him, even if he was forced to hand over Jesus to the
Jews. Apparently Pilate’s remorse passed quickly.
To me, it is interesting that Jesus held to what He taught His
disciples. He didn’t cast pearls before swine. Herod interrogated Him at
length. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Jesus to be mocked and taunted for as long
as He was. This all makes me think that as a disciple, I have to be willing to
be taunted and mocked; but I can stand with the security and knowledge that I
am working in the harvest as Jesus was, and for the same purpose.
Psalms 95-96
Psalm 95
I don't know if this was written in conjunction with David, but I can
imagine him urging this to be put to music, so the people coming to Jerusalem
would put their minds on God and open their hearts.
Vs. 1-5 This is a call to come to worship their Savior King. David knew
this King and His salvation very personally.
Vs. 6-7 This is a call to come and worship their Maker Shepherd.
Especially in these two terms being put together, there is the urging to submit
to His leading.
Vs. 8-11 This may seem like a less than happy way to end the
psalm/song, but the warning is appropriate. Israel in the wilderness was
blessed and still resisted God's loving leadership. God was using David to
bring the people out of 400 years of wandering and despair. They needed to
embrace the blessing of David's kingship with obedience to God.
If you’d like to hear a great rendering of this psalm, search for “Psalm
95 Sons of Korah.” When you hear this song, you’ll sense that what we read
might just be one dimensional without the music and singers. And, the psalm
ends upbeat.
Psalm 96
Vs. 1-6 This psalm seems to be a call to the people of the world. The
one Creator created all men and nations. He is the only God and He has one
majesty and splendor that should be worshiped by all.
Vs. 7-9 These are strong cries to worship God. If Israel did this, the
next verse would be easy.
V. 10 With the heart of conviction expressed in the last verses, this
would have been an easy testimony to give to the nations. This is very much
like what we hear David say so often. God's blessing and salvation are to be
shared with others.
Vs. 11-13 The creation will rejoice at God's coming. These parts of
creation have nothing to fear of judgment, nor will the righteous. This is a
call for all men to be ready to meet God.
This is why we have been left here, to praise God in the harvest,
making disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.
Proverbs 14:5-6
With the pairing here, it is almost as if you could read that a lying,
false witness will always seek wisdom in vain, but a person who tells the truth
will find it easy to gain understanding. He is already on the same wavelength
as God's wisdom.
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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