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.
SEPTEMBER 26
Isaiah 48:12-50:11
Isaiah 48:12-22
Vs. 12-13 Isn't it interesting that God declares His eternal nature and
power as Creator to comfort His people, not to threaten them? Who does that?
Our Father does. As God calls the creation and it obeys, so will it be when He
calls His people out of exile.
Vs. 14-22 This is God's promise to free His people from Babylon. Notice
all of the love and comfort being spoken to Israel. And some people really
insist that the God of the OT is a god of wrath?
V. 16 This sounds like it is the Messiah.
V. 18 Doesn't this sound a little like Jesus crying over Jerusalem?
Anyone who says there is no love in the OT hasn't read it and doesn't
understand the heart of God. Isn't it amazing to be able to say that we can
understand the heart of God?
V. 22 There is no rest for the wicked; and then somebody said,
"and the righteous don't need any." Not true.
Isaiah 49
The past nine chapters have been focused on giving the people hope.
They would be scattered and punished in the world, in Babylon, and in the times
that precede the coming of Christ in His kingdom. These next nine chapters will
focus on the Messiah. Read these chapters with that understanding, and you'll
see how some of these verses will pull at your heart.
Vs. 1-4 This is the Messiah introducing Himself.
V. 2 This sounds like what the apostle John witnessed, when he saw
Jesus in the book of Revelation.
V. 3 The Messiah is called “Israel,” because chronologically on earth,
He takes over for Israel as the servant of God.
V. 4 This sounds a little "un-Messiah" like, but as a man,
Jesus did cry out to His Father.
Vs. 5-6 This is the Messiah's job. He will bring Jacob back to the
Father and He will be a light to the nations.
Vs. 7-12 Amazing verses. Because of the Messiah, nations come to Israel
and the people will be saved. Jesus Himself will be a covenant for the people.
It is clear that this will apply to a future generation of Israel.
Vs. 13-14 Because of the Messiah there should be rejoicing from all of
creation, but Israel felt forgotten. They have paid a hard price for their
disobedience, and now God has used them as an object lesson. The future will
take away all of Israel's anguish.
Vs. 15-18 God will
not forget His promise to Israel. Paul and the Spirit say this in Romans
15:8, For I tell you that Christ became a
servant to the circumcised to
show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the
patriarchs. The church didn't supplant Israel or take their promises.
Israel's promises were confirmed by the Messiah and they will be fulfilled in
the future.
Vs. 19-21 When the Messiah brings everything to fulfillment, Israel
will feel like the land is too small for them because of all the blessing.
Vs. 22-26 At the Messiah's coming Israel will be exalted among the
nations. This will not just be because the King is in Israel. It will be
because of the role Israel plays during the Tribulation, risking their lives to
get out the word of the kingdom to the people of the earth as the storm rages.
Verse 23 confirms that those who wait for the Messiah will not be put to shame.
V. 25 This sounds like what Jesus said about binding the strong man and
looting his house. In this case, the loot is people. Jesus would free people
from bondage to death and the power of Satan. He will also redeem Israel,
allowing Israel to be the servant of God in the Tribulation and during the
Millennial Kingdom.
Isaiah 50
Vs. 1-3 Although God had "divorced" Israel because of her
"adultery," the Messiah has the power to bring them back.
Vs. 4-6 This introduces the price the Messiah will have to pay to
redeem Israel and mankind.
V. 5 He put His hand to the plough and didn't look back. He was
obedient and humbled Himself even to die on a cross.
V. 6 This is exactly what happened to Jesus before the cross.
Vs. 7-9 The Son walked by faith and sought the help of His Father. As
His disciples we do the same. He is the perfect example of what abiding means.
V. 7 I was reading this morning in John 7, When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go
to Jerusalem. That is the context of this verse.
Vs. 10-11 There are two lights here. One light is in trusting in the
Messiah. The other light is one's own trust in himself or in whatever. One
light leads to the peace that passes understanding, and the other light leads
to torment in this life, and in the life to come.
I was just reading in John 17 how Jesus said He would send us into the
world. Because of that assignment He would consecrate Himself, so that we would
also be consecrated in the truth. Jesus was already laying everything down for
us, for our forgiveness and to pay for our sin. Now, in the context of our
mission in the harvest, He was saying that His commitment would redouble to
guide us during this time. If Jesus is this committed to us and to the harvest,
it means that we should be committed too; but more, it means that we have all
of the power and authority of heaven at our back, enabling us as we follow,
reach out, and make disciples, who make disciples.
Ephesians 4:17-32
With all of the grace that is described in chapters 1-3 and with the
inclusion of us all in the mystery of the revealed church, Paul makes his
second strong appeal in this chapter. The first appeal was to live a life
worthy of our calling in Christ and our inclusion in the work of the church.
This appeal is even stronger. Now that we bear the name of Christ in the world,
we are to live and work as one. This sounds a lot like John 17.
V. 17 This verse ought to be stunning. As Christians we can still live
in the futility of our minds. This is why church often doesn't work. The love
of Christ becomes replaced by routine and by our agendas. The love of Christ is
supposed to drive us together in the power of the Spirit into the harvest.
Although the next verses will describe the darkness of the lost mindset
in terms of ethical malfunctions, the futility of mind that Paul mentions here
is living and thinking without being filled by God's Word and Spirit. There is
nothing “intuitive” about the spiritual life. We can’t get it from ourselves. We
need the solid input of the Word every day in our hearts and minds. Then,
rather than relying on our feelings, desires, and agendas, we must rely on the
leading of the Spirit. That old life is lived in our imagination, in our
desires, in our gut, in our resources and in our intellect. The sin within us
still permeates everything. That old life never worked before and it doesn't
work now. The new life is bound to the Word and our salvation in Jesus. Now, we
are to follow Him and to walk by asking the Spirit to guide us in all
situations, expecting that He is doing it. It’s a wilder ride than we think.
Vs. 18-20 This is the darkness of the lost mind and the reason for it.
This is the world at present, and since this is written to a church, it means
that we are still capable of doing it.
What do we (did we) learn in Christ?
Vs. 20-24 So, what are we being renewed in? What is it that is
constantly making us over and guiding our thinking and attitudes and actions
every minute and hour? That would be everything Paul said in chapters 1-3.
Based on that, following the Spirit into the harvest with a loving,
supernatural, humble mindset should be a given. This continual renewing will
only happen if we are in the Word every day and taking up our cross every day
to follow Christ in the harvest.
Vs. 25-32 Oh, yeah, how does all of that relate to this people in this
"divine" organization? If the church is a team, reaching the lost,
making disciples, who make disciples into the next generation, it has to
function like a team. Unlike any other "team" that might work
together, but not really like each other, we are supposed to love one another
because of the special bond we share in the love, blood and salvation in Jesus
Christ. Again, read the context of John 16-17. In John 17 Jesus says that His
followers will be hated by the world but are sent into the world to proclaim
His message. So Jesus appealed to the Father to protect His people from the
evil one and prayed that His followers might be one with Him and the Father.
Loving one another and being one in Christ is the only way we can succeed in
this mission. Too many believers have lost the mission, and too many believers
strive to make church what they want. The church is about what Jesus wants in
this time of harvest.
V. 32 I've seen this verse abused by Christians. God does not forgive
us if we do not repent and say we're sorry. To force others to forgive when a
lie still exists in the room is not being like God; it’s just trying to get
someone off the hook or sweep the matter under the rug in the name of
“forgiveness.”
Psalm 69:1-18
Before you begin reading you should know that this psalm is full of
references to the Messiah and some of this is fulfilled in Jesus. Whatever
David experienced would be mirrored in the life and suffering of our Lord, both
before the cross and while on the cross.
Vs. 1-4 It must
have made David wonder why so many people wanted him dead. He had done nothing
to Saul to deserve that. But
the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: `They hated me without a cause' (John 15:25).
V. 5 I can identify with this. This would have been David, but not
Jesus.
Vs. 6-8 In some
respect, this portion reminds me of John 17. And imagine, David had all of
these people joining him, following his faith in God. I can sense the weight of
that. If you lead people in faith, it is often your faith that they hang on to.
This is why Jesus said in John 17:19, And for their sake I consecrate
myself, that they also may be
sanctified in truth.
V. 9 The first half of this verse is quoted in John 2:17, when the new
disciples of this new rabbi watched Him go "postal" in the temple
(maybe they watched Jesus and came up with the expression, “going temple”),
chasing animals, overturning tables, telling people to leave. His disciples remembered that it was
written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Paul quotes the second part of this verse in Romans 15, telling the
Romans to live for others because Jesus did not live to please Himself, but as it is written, 'the reproaches of
those who reproached you, fell upon me.’
Vs. 10-12 I know this applied to David, and it certainly applied to
Jesus. And Jesus endured this for us.
Vs. 13-18 David appeals to God's faithfulness
and His steadfast love. Verse 13 is
also interesting in that David apparently knew that God had a plan and a time
in mind for everything that was happening.
Could this portion
also have been true of our Lord? In the
days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and
he was heard because of his reverence (Heb. 5:7).
Proverbs 24:5-6
Verse 6 explains the full of
strength and the enhances his might
of v. 5. The wise man knows how to go
to the right people and get the counsel he needs. In the harvest, we need to
learn to seek wisdom and counsel from others, but we often learn this by first
having to learn who to go to, or not go to. Not all believers live by faith,
and not all are disciples. Finding kindred spirits who are able to help and
give good advice is priceless. Sometimes it might seem wiser to go it alone,
but that should be the exception. The wisdom from God given here is to seek
godly help. If God wants you isolated and alone in the wilderness, you’ll know
it.
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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