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.
AUGUST 25
Time to
celebrate! Today we are almost half way through Job and we'll finish 1
Corinthians. And, there are only 123 shopping days left until Christmas! Get a Frappuccino® (or the local equivalent of something you
like) and go nuts.
Job 16-19
I really wonder if Job would have said some of this if his friends
hadn't accused him and urged him on. It seems to me that Job's friends were the
greatest challenge that Satan threw at him. In defense of his friends, they had
been mobilized by a lying vision and so they thought they were on a mission.
But, if they had known God as deeply as Job did, they would have known, too,
that Job wasn't guilty and that something else was going on. In that case,
their only recourse would have been to comfort Job and strengthen him until God
spoke.
Job 16
Vs. 1-5 The irony of how they were treating Job is that he was a
champion of the weak and knew how to encourage them. Job would have treated
them with kindness.
Vs. 6-11 It isn't God who is wearing out Job; it is Job's friends. But
wait, the fact that God is allowing this means that God is involved. But, for
what purpose? We shall see.
V. 9 Job is suffering in pain and grief; and now he has Moe, Larry and
Curly entertaining him, so we should go easy on him. Still, he is wrongly
accusing God of motives like hate. Job clearly had something to learn.
Vs. 12-17 Job was wrong to accuse God of all of this.
V. 17 sounds like Isaiah 53:9.
Vs. 18-19 These verses hint at Job holding some knowledge of God that
told him there was still hope.
Vs. 20-22 Job really wanted to talk with God. It may have been too,
that he didn't want to be shamed in the sight of others, since he had put so
much hope in God and spoken of Him to others.
Job 17
Vs. 1-2 Not only was his spirit broken, but now Job felt he might not
recover from the poison of his friends.
Vs. 3-5 It sounds like Job wanted God to make a pledge for him, because
now that God had brought this event into his life, no one else would.
Vs. 6-10 Notice the reaction of the righteous to Job. They know that
Job is innocent and are appalled that this could happen. Still, they hold to
their faith and trust in God. Job's friends, on the other hand, should be warned.
Verse 10 is like Job saying to them, "put up your dukes."
Vs. 11-16 After Job's burst of energy, he seems to fall back into
despair.
Job 18
This is like tag-team wrestling, except Job is alone and there are
three of them fighting against Job. Now Bildad enters the ring. If you look at
what Bildad says, he is basically saying, "This is what happens to the
wicked. Oh look, it just happened to you. Any questions?"
Vs. 1-4 Can you believe that Job had a friend like this? Here Job is in
his grief, scraping pus out of his boils, and Bildad decides that Job needs a
good beating.
Vs. 5-21 In this description of how the wicked are going to get it, he
is describing Job in somewhat veiled terms.
Job 19
This is a very strong chapter.
Vs. 1-6 They were destroying Job with their misapplied righteousness.
Job is basically saying that if he has sinned, it is between him and God and
they should let him alone.
Vs. 7-12 Job is crying for their compassion, but all they see is that
Job must have sinned. In v. 11 Job is overstepping his bounds, but this is out
of his grief and agony. I think God understood.
Vs. 13-19 Can you imagine this? Everyone was condemning Job because of
what had happened to him: everyone he had helped, his family, the entire
community. That is a lot of rejection to throw on top of a very high mountain
of grief and pain.
Vs. 20-22 What a sincere cry for help and compassion.
Vs. 23-29 Job doesn't understand what has happened to him, but there is
something he knows because of knowing God. He knows that there will be a fair,
final judgment; and in that judgment, he will be vindicated.
Vs. 28-29 Job knows his friends will be judged for what they are doing.
Reading this
reminds me of Paul's words in Ephesians 5:15-16, Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the
best use of the time, because the days are evil. As disciples in the
harvest, the easiest way Satan can stop us is to get our eyes on ourselves, our
needs, our rights and what we deserve. What we know because God has saved us
lifts us above all of that. The Word shows that this world is dying, that God's
love is enduring, and that now is the time to work and sacrifice. We are loved
beyond reason and left here to work with the Lord to make disciples of those He
died for. It is no news to us that this life is full of danger, and it
shouldn't shake our confidence in the Lord if He uses us as an example to the
world, to angels and to men. We need to keep alert to His working. His love
never fails. I think this is why we have the book of Job.
1 Corinthians 16
Vs. 1-4 Notice that Paul says this is the same thing he directed the
churches in Galatia to do. We've seen this reminder to the Corinthians ever
since the first chapter. Paul tells the Corinthians that he is giving them the
same teaching and directives that he gives everywhere in every church.
This "encouragement" for them to help the church in Jerusalem
will continue into 2 Corinthians and be complete when Paul writes Romans, which
is actually written from Corinth just before Paul headed to Jerusalem with this
gift.
Vs. 5-14 I think these verses comprise a unit, because the Corinthians
needed help now, but the help they thought they needed wasn't available.
Vs. 5-9 Paul was coming, but the Lord had him busy in Ephesus. Notice
the wide door and many adversaries. The fruit that the
Lord provided drove Paul on even in the face of danger. Paul saw suffering as
an indication that he was near the battlefront and important matters were being
decided. We see this in Job.
Vs. 10-11 Timothy was probably returning with the letter, but it is
clear from I Timothy 4, that some people didn't respect him. Timothy would
probably have been a help to those who were really following Christ, but not to
the critics.
V. 12 Apollos wasn't in a hurry to visit Corinth, that high maintenance
church.
Vs. 13-14 Therefore Paul told them to stand strong in the Lord. Notice
all of the advice. This sounds like what Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians
15:58, in the reading from yesterday, and in the verses above, from Ephesians
5:15-16. This is how we should live every day.
Vs. 15-18 And Paul told them to look to the servants/leaders among
them. Stephanas and his family had devoted themselves to the service of the
saints. They might not have been "super" apostles, but they were
worth following. Paul urged them to receive these servants as leaders and to
give them the recognition of the church. Notice that Paul talked about people
being recognized or not recognized at the end of chapter 14. I was reading this
morning of Jesus teaching His disciples that the humble servant would be the
greatest among them. Looking at Corinth, I don't think they were looking for
that kind of leader. Second Corinthians will show that they enjoyed the
forceful kind. I think this is why Timothy was scorned and why they didn't
appear to value Stephanas.
Vs. 19-20 The Corinthians should have valued the greeting of Aquila and Prisca. Apparently they loved
this couple.
Vs. 21-24 This is one of Paul's stronger endings. Notice the mention of
any who do not love the Lord being accursed.
So what does it mean to love the Lord? We all love Jesus. Right? I
think it would be better to define love as doing what Jesus said to do (John
14:21-23, John 15:8-10): following Him in the harvest, reaching out to the
lost, making disciples, who make disciples. As shown in this letter, the church
can be full of people who do church and use their gifts for themselves, yet
don't really love their Lord. Jesus Himself said that not everyone who calls
Him Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven. The safest way to follow Jesus and
show that we love Him is to obey Him in the harvest, reaching the lost and
making disciples, who make disciples. Had the Corinthians obeyed Jesus like
that, many of their malfunctions would never have been.
Psalm 40:1-10
Another wonderful psalm. This is the first year that I've felt the
connection between reading Job and reading these psalms.
Vs. 1-3 This was not only David's experience, but it became Job's
experience too. Waiting on the Lord is worth it and out of it you get a new song and a heart of praise.
V. 4 This is the blessing of those like Job who hold to what they know
is true about God.
V. 5 This is what David discovered by waiting for the Lord, and it is
also what Job discovered.
Vs. 6-8 Even in 1 Corinthians we saw something like this. The people
were doing church things, but the love of God was not within their hearts. They
didn't delight to follow the Lord as their spiritual father Paul did.
Vs. 9-10 David gave great testimony to the Lord and His deliverance.
The book of Job is testimony. And just reading Paul share his heart with the
Corinthians is an amazing testimony of God's works and grace in working His
plan of redemption.
Proverbs 22:1
Maybe this is the same as saying that being approved by God is the best
thing on this planet.
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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