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 29
So, we are at a landmark. With today's reading, you have made it a
third of a year. You have read 100 psalms and you have finished Luke, the last
of the synoptic Gospels (summary, parallel accounts), plus you've read the
first six books of the Bible. Even if you're behind and your "regular
reading" muscles are not yet toned and strong, you've probably done better
than you did last year. More importantly, you've given the Spirit lots to work
with. You've already had insights and grown stronger in the Lord. But even with
some of what you've read (that you think has gone in one eye and out the
other), when you don't expect it, a word will come to you or a story will come
to mind and you'll see the Spirit giving you insight or leading you in the
situation you are in. That's what being a child of God and a disciple in the
harvest is all about: growing in Him. All who are led by the Spirit of God are
sons of God. And He leads us through His Word and the Spirit.
Judges 9:22-10:18
Judges 9:22-57
Vs. 22-25 There is an expression, "God doesn't always pay on
Friday," meaning that He doesn't always pass judgment according to our
sense of timing. I wonder what it was like for Jotham to have to wait three
years to see God finally work things around like this.
V. 23 We will see this a couple more times in 1 Samuel 16:14 and again
in 1 Kings 22:19-23. God judges those who rebel against Him by allowing demonic
forces to give them what they want. I'm sure God is doing the same today.
V. 24 God didn't forget what had happened and He included those who
supported Abimelech. Since God knows the heart, you can still be guilty without
pulling the trigger. It's good to keep your heart cleansed from this kind of
guilt.
With all of this betrayal going on, it is interesting that Abimelech
seems ignorant of it. He doesn't do anything until he is incited to action by
the anger of Zebul (the city's mayor) in v. 30.
Vs. 26-41 This section is ironic in that Abimelech won everything back,
but his pride got the best of him. If he had stopped here, he would have had
peace, but God knew he would push things to literally bring destruction upon
his own head.
V. 38 Zebul (one guy with a funny name) goads Gaal (another guy with a
funny name) to take the fight to the open fields. This was a bad move for Gaal.
Vs. 42-57 In the deaths of his brothers, Abimelech had been guilty of
irrational violence and arrogance. Now those character qualities will lead him
to judgment.
V. 49 Like medieval castles, in the
center of the grounds of the castle they had a tower for refuge and defense. It
sounds like they started a fire at the base of the tower, or on the roof of
the tower or both; and everyone died from the smoke.
Vs. 50-57 The same trick didn't work at Thebez. In God's justice, He
guided a woman to throw a small millstone, about the size of a brick, on the
troops and she beaned Abimelech. God's justice was complete.
Abimelech was never called a judge. He ruled a part of Israel and by
his presence he kept other enemies at bay, but he never brought peace. This
story shows the awful condition of the nation. No other tribe sought to correct
the murderous injustice Abimelech and the men of Shechem committed on the
family of Gideon. This is what being free of God and His Word can do for you.
It frees you up to be corrupt.
Judges 10:1-18
Vs. 1-5 The only things I see with these two judges is that Tola was on
the west side of the Jordan and Jair was on the east side of the Jordan. Tola
probably kept the Philistines at bay until the arrival of Samson. Jair may have
kept order until Jephthah arrived. It seems that they were sort of like local
heroes to be reckoned with, though it never says who they fought against. Jair
was a rich man, like Gideon, with lots of sons and donkeys. I wonder if they
had donkey races, and if so, I'll bet they looked funny.
Notice that although these men were judges, it doesn't say that there
was a period of peace. You get the feeling that these men were very local and
gave peace to the area where they lived. They still accounted for 45 years of
bringing a good influence to the land.
Vs. 6-9 The two peoples mentioned here will be the focus of the next
two judges. Jephthah will go after the Ammonites and Samson will go after the
Philistines; although in Samson's case, it's hard to say he went after anything
but Philistine women. He was a judge by arrogance and intimidation only.
Vs. 10-16 Eighteen years is a long time. The people here are finally
crying out and they repented. It seems that this time, they understood, as a
people, that they were really in trouble and knew that their trouble was
because of idolatry. Notice that they willingly put away their foreign
gods/idols. Where were the Levites and what, if anything, was happening at the
tabernacle in Shiloh?
I wonder how this conversation with the Lord took place. I wonder if
the people gathered together at the tabernacle in Shiloh.
Vs. 13-14 God gave the people what they deserved.
Vs. 15-16 The people were genuinely ready to follow God. Now, too, God
was quick to move.
One of the benefits of being close to God in His Word and following Him
is that we don't need God to use hard times to push us to repentance, obedience
and the putting away of idols. We respond to challenges in an entirely
different way, understanding that the Lord is moving things in the harvest to
open up opportunities or to work some purpose we don't understand. But we don't
have to worry that we goofed.
Vs. 17-18 It's interesting that these verses are included today since
they really apply to tomorrow. They were looking for someone to lead them
You'll be surprised to see that they find a guy like Abimelech, only much truer
to God. Jephthah is another of these judges who knows the stories, but doesn't
know the Lord through His Word.
Luke 24:13-53
Vs. 13-35 I don't know who isn't inspired in some way by the story of
the guys going to Emmaus. I would have loved to have been there. There is a lot
to observe in this account. Have fun.
V. 27 That would have been a great talk to hear. These guys became
totally engaged and v. 32 expresses what they were feeling. That still happens
if we abide in our Lord's Word.
V. 34 On Easter, many Christians in all countries have a greeting and
response when they see each other on Easter morning. One says, "He is
risen!" and the other person says, "He is risen indeed." That
response is taken from this verse.
We have no record of what happened when Jesus met Peter. We hear about
it here and in 1 Corinthians 15, but the details are missing. Apparently Jesus
had some very private words with Peter to keep him from giving up after having
denied Him.
V. 35 This is a great sentence and I'm sure it has launched many
sermons.
Vs. 36-43 This is Luke's "proof" that Jesus was risen and
that the disciples were not just having a mass mirage of some kind.
This is the meeting that Thomas missed. I wonder if when Jesus put the
fish in His mouth, if the disciples looked to see if it went through Him and
hit the floor.
Vs. 44-49 The Holy
Spirit had not been given yet, and for the next 40 days, they would need to understand
the Word. So Jesus opened their minds. This is exactly what the Spirit does for
us. We do not understand the Word for any other reason than that He helps us.
Jesus' word to His disciples, to seek and find, apply to our understanding of
the Word and God's will. Think over what
I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything (2 Tim. 2:7).
Do we really press on to understand until the Lord shows us?
Vs. 50-53 When I read this quick summary, I get the feeling that Luke
might not have had the writing of Acts in mind. If he had, I think he would
have made a smoother transition between books. The first part of Acts covers
this section in much greater detail.
I wonder if Theophilus got this book and said, "Luke, this is
great, but you can't stop here. Here, I'll stake you a couple hundred thousand
drachma to write the continuing story."
Even beyond the book of Acts, we are the continuing story, following
those who have gone before us, following Christ in the harvest while it is
still day.
Psalm 100
This is a short, beautiful psalm that has launched a thousand songs.
Vs. 1-2 Notice that all the earth is to praise God, serve Him and come
into His presence with singing. It is good for us to remember that sin isn't
just what you do, it is also what you don't do. For moral, noble, lost people
not to treat God as God is still sin. To give thanks isn't a command as much as
it should be an involuntary reaction to Him.
V. 3 This expands on v. 1. He is God our Creator and God our Shepherd.
And, we belong to Him. That is not slavery. It is an amazing and liberating
life.
V. 4 This expands on v. 2. We are to come to God. Adam sinned and hid.
The response of the saved is longing to be in His presence. Does He really get
our time? Do we just sit before Him and enjoy Him?
V. 5 It is because of that steadfast
love and that faithfulness, that
Christ sought us and died for us while we were yet sinners and enemies of the
cross. I'd say that defines God as pretty good.
Proverbs 14:11-12
I wonder if the way that seems
right is the one that convinces you to make heaven here and live in houses,
as opposed to realizing that we should choose to live in tents here and work in
the harvest, until the Master calls us in from the fields.
Without the Word of God we are lost and will conjure up our own opinion
of God's will or the "right" way. We need our "meds" daily.
Without the daily input of the Word in our lives, all of us would stray from
His love and His purpose for us in this harvest.
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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