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JULY
10
1
Chronicles 9-10
We're almost out of the woods.
1 Chronicles 9
Vs. 1-9 This gives you the point
of this chapter and the past eight chapters. Who were the first of the people
to return from exile in Babylon? Those who could trace their roots.
Vs. 10-35 The particular
interest in this chapter is the Levites and setting up the worship of God. One
of the questions you might ask yourself is how they were so ready to return,
both in terms of organization and genealogies. Did they have a "heads
up?" God did some amazing things during their time in Babylon. More on
that later. I'm amazed how organized this was.
Vs. 10-13 These were the priests
who returned ready to roll.
Vs. 14-16 These are the seven
families of Levites who returned to serve in the temple.
Vs. 17-27 Since the temple
operated every day for morning and evening sacrifices, the gatekeepers were
important and appropriately organized.
Vs. 28-32 They apparently needed
fewer Levites to attend to the services in the temple.
Vs. 33-34 And then you have the
singers. We'll hear more about them later.
In a way this shows that when
Israel returned they knew it was God's grace. Where the worship of God had been
a mess before the exile, they wanted to return and worship God properly with
the proper people. This was a very good thing. What is interesting is that this
was prepared for during the exile. When we begin the book of Daniel you will
see how these preparations could have been possible.
Vs. 35-44 Once again, this is
the lineage of King Saul going up to those of his descendants who returned to
Jerusalem after the exile.
1 Chronicles 10
This is a very abbreviated
rendition of Saul, in fact, only his death. The real point is to get to David
in the next chapter.
Vs. 1-12 This is the account of
Saul's death and his sons. Notice that this account is at odds with the guy who
came to David and said he had killed Saul (2 Sam. 1:14). Saul was dead before
his armor bearer killed himself. It gives proof to the fact that the kid lied in
order to win David's favor. His lie got him killed.
Vs. 13-14 This is an interesting
commentary on Saul's sin and death. How do you reconcile the fact that Saul
said he had tried to contact God, but God wasn't talking, with this report that
Saul didn't seek guidance from the Lord? Sometimes seeking is a matter of how
and how long. Also, we never heard that Saul was in any sense repentant for
killing a town of priests and unjustly seeking to kill David. Sometimes seeking
God needs to happen the right way. It is clear that most of his life Saul
didn't seek God.
Acts
27:21-44
Vs. 21-26 Some people wonder why
Luke included this story of Paul's trip to Rome. The trip is evidence of God's
working. And, I'll bet it made the centurion's report exciting to read.
V. 21 Inspired by the Holy
Spirit, Paul says, "I told you so."
Vs. 23-24 Once again we have
confirmation, that even in this catastrophe at sea, God was in it. Remember
too, that the centurion would have to file a report.
Vs. 27-32 That's a long time. I
definitely would have been beyond seasick.
V. 29 Nelson, of Her Majesty's
Navy, took a lesson from this use of the anchors and did likewise before one of
his battles.
Vs. 31-32 It wasn't a matter of
God needing the crew together to save them all, it was a matter of needing all
the experienced sailors present when they struck land so they could save
everyone else.
So the centurion wrote in his
little book. "Once again, that Jewish criminal was pretty helpful."
Vs. 33-38 Paul had faced so many
storms for Jesus, that he was definitely in control and able to serve them.
Vs. 39-44 The centurion was a
good guy. I'll bet he wrote in his little book, "We all made it safe to
land. Little Jewish criminal was right again. His vision must have been
true."
It is interesting to me that as
Paul and company were going through this, they were encouraging those who had
given up and helping others see that God was in the situation. It is a good
thing Paul knew God was present. As disciples, we don't determine the harvest
field; the Lord does. All He asks us to do is to follow with the passion to
reach lost people and make disciples. He does the rest. He trains us and gets
us to the place where we can bring calm into a storm. The people around us see
that it is because of our Lord. He does this. It isn't a strategy. It is
following in the harvest.
Psalm
8
I wonder if David wrote this one
evening in the wilderness when there was a pause in running from Saul.
Vs. 1-2 It is interesting that even in a praise psalm like
this, David still had his enemies in view. He says that God's wonder, spoken
through the lips of babes and infants,
is so strong that it defeats and confounds His enemies. This is what Jesus
meant and what the Pharisees would have understood in Matthew 21:16, when the
Pharisees said to him, "Do you hear
what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never
read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared
praise?’" In the context of this psalm, the Pharisees would have
understood they were God's enemies and that these babies were defeating them.
Vs. 3-4 This is part of the purpose of God's creation.
Vs. 5-8 There is an important contrast in v. 5. The angels
are heavenly and glorious, yet man is crowned with glory and honor. This definitely applies to Jesus in Hebrews
2:7, and in the future it will apply to us. This is what made Satan mad enough
to become proud and rebel. He was the beauty of God's creation and should he
serve mankind?
V. 6 David the shepherd
appreciated this command from the creation to have dominion over the work of
God's hands. Notice that under his feet
prophetically applies to Jesus, but in terms of man's dominion, it doesn't mean
to crush or treat in a demeaning way. David as a shepherd loved and cared for
his sheep, protecting them with his life, pulling a lion's beard here and
clubbing a bear to death there. Authority means different things depending on
the degree of rebellion and submission of the followers.
V. 9 Amen.
Proverbs
18:23-24
I guess this is saying that the
poor make real friends because they are humble and know they are needy. There
is something about adversity that teaches you humility and bonding together.
I'll bet that Paul and the centurion on the ship were friends after their
adventure together. Both were needy and humble, and the centurion was willing
to trust the word that Paul had heard from the Lord.
In our lives here on earth, I
think it is the harvest that gives us this kind of humility and this kind of
closeness. Churches and pastors herniate themselves trying to produce the kind
of unity that only comes from knowing we're saved by grace to follow Christ and
work together in the harvest. Musical worship and potlucks and summer missions
trips will never replace living as disciples in the shadow of His grace, in the
shadow of the coming storm, working together in the 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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