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.
OCTOBER 6
Jeremiah 6:15-8:7
If you notice the way the verses are laid out in chapters 1-6, most of
it appears to have been prophecy given in a declarative fashion. Looking at
6:27-30, you have a sense that God's commissioning of Jeremiah is now complete.
In those verses, God is stating for Jeremiah one of His purposes among the
people. It seems then that all of chapters 1-6 were during the time of Josiah,
probably before Josiah's revival. Chapter 7 will be the first sermon that
Jeremiah preaches, and we'll see, without needing anyone to tell us when this
happened, it was definitely after Josiah's death. The sermon is reporting, in
real time, what the people were actively involved in.
I'm saying this all just to help you understand a little how to look
for clues that give you some order of events and where there are changes.
Remember to keep underlining phrases that recur or connections between words if
they stand out to you. An easy phrase to begin with is thus says the Lord.
Jeremiah 6:15-30
V. 15 The lack of shame isn't just rebellion; it had now become
something they were unable to do. Worshiping idols and doing bad stuff was the
new normal for them. But God's perspective of reality is the only one that
counts. Jesus said that if the light in man became darkness, that darkness would
be great. And so it was, and is.
Vs. 16-17 As a result of the lack of shame in v. 15, God tried to
reason with them. Do you notice the dialog here?
Vs. 18-20 This is why God was bringing the punishment on them. Notice
that even the nations were being called upon to take note of this judgment. I
have the sense that when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the temple
years later, he fully understood that he was fulfilling God's judgment on these
people.
Vs. 21-26 There are two separate punishments here, each introduced with
thus says the Lord. How would you
describe these? The first was internal; the second was external. The nation
would rot from within, and a nation from without would destroy some and take
others captive.
Vs. 27-30 This is how God will use Jeremiah in the lives of these
people in the history of this nation. Sometimes God uses us this same way and
we have to accept it as His assignment for us.
Jeremiah 7
You have to get to vs. 16-20 to see what was actually happening in
Jerusalem. This has to have happened during the reign of Jehoiakim, meaning it
was after Josiah's death. That would be 15-18 years after God's appointment of
Jeremiah. Now the fun begins.
Vs. 1-4 Notice the location where Jeremiah gives this sermon. You get
the point right? Talk about God sending His man into harm's way.
Vs. 5-7 This is what God really wanted. If they wanted to dwell in
Jerusalem and worship in the temple, all they had to do was obey.
Vs. 8-11 Notice that the do not
trust in v. 4 is picked up again in v. 8. This is a really strong charge
against the people. Christians wouldn't do this, right? Remember what Paul said
to the believers in 1 Corinthians 10? They became involved in idolatry too. In
Jeremiah and 1 Corinthians, the people didn't get rid of God (they thought),
they just brought in other gods that they could worship alongside of God. It
might be easier to be idolatrous than we think. A disciple needs to be alert. Paul
says in that famous verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 in the context of idolatry, No temptation
has overtaken you that is not common to man. God
is faithful, and he will not let
you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also
provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
V. 11 I believe this is part of what Jesus quotes the second time He
cleanses the temple in Matthew 21:13. Jesus knew the OT.
Vs. 12-15 God shows them that He's done it before. Ephraim refers to the northern kingdom of Israel, already taken
into exile.
Vs. 16-20 This is really interesting. Jeremiah was always weeping for
the people. God says not to intercede for them. Later, after Jeremiah gets
roughed up, he will be the one to tell God not to listen to the people.
Vs. 21-26 I'll bet when Paul read these words after he had found
Christ, v. 23 burned right though his heart. This is all God ever really
wanted.
Vs. 27-28 God is preparing Jeremiah for how the people will respond to
his first sermon.
Vs. 29-34 This section begins with a call to mourn. Look at what the
people had done. They themselves had desecrated the temple. They had begun
again to offer their children in sacrifice. Notice back in 7:9 there is a
mention of Baal. Where you had Baal worship, you had people sacrificing their
babies. You had to do something with those unwanted children that came through
Baal worship. That generation was beyond repair.
Jeremiah 8:1-7
Vs. 1-3 This is what God says to Jeremiah as fact. Notice in v. 2, this
will only be done to those who had served these things. David's bones wouldn't
be out there, but I wonder about Solomon's.
Vs. 4-7 Notice the difference here. This is the prophetic word that God
has given Jeremiah to declare.
When I read v. 7, I thought of Paul's charge to Timothy in 2 Timothy to
preach the Word. People need to constantly hear what God says. In the harvest,
it isn't our job to make people believe, but we need to herald. Those who hear the words of God will step forward.
Colossians 2:8-23
Vs. 8-15 The key to this section is the threat in v. 8, the declaration
in v. 9, and the words in Him. Paul
didn't need to write a book. Jesus Himself was the answer.
V. 8 Adding religious works or routine to Christ might seem logical,
but it is foreign to the living faith in following Christ. Traditions appeal to
the past ways and rote formulas for being acceptable to God. The elementary
teachings are for babies, not for the mature.
Vs. 9-10 We do not come into the fullness of Christ by doing things.
Period. We own the fullness of Christ and experience it as we follow and
mature.
Vs. 11-15 Notice how Paul uses the catch words of legalism and shows
how those old forms were fulfilled in being made alive in Christ. He shows that
the spiritual meaning of circumcision was fulfilled in coming to Christ and
putting off the old nature, the flesh.
V. 15 The rulers were disarmed because their authority to
"rule" as guardians of mankind was only theirs if mankind was
constantly proven to be guilty before God in perpetual sin and unrighteousness.
Therefore Satan is a constant accuser. When Jesus lived a sinless life, died
for our sins and was raised from the dead, man could be declared righteous; and
Jesus Himself, the man, was seated at the right hand of God and declared the
righteous ruler of mankind. Satan was served notice and disarmed. The enemy can
accuse, but Christ makes righteous all who come to Him. True freedom then is
only in Christ, not obedience to laws and rituals.
Vs. 16-19 Notice the phrase let
no one. This represents the teaching of these Jewish teachers. Verse 19 is
what the Colossians needed to focus on.
Vs. 20-23 This self-inflicted suffering seemed religious and good. Paul
had real suffering that came from working in the harvest. Paul's scars came
from working alongside Jesus, not trying to suffer for Jesus. Working in the
harvest, we work in the freedom of Christ. If He wants us to suffer or
experience hard times, He'll provide them, not us.
V. 21 This verse was used in the prohibition of the early 1900's in the
States, quoted out of context, saying these words were God's opinion about
drinking. Ironically, that misuse of these verses is exactly what Paul and the
Spirit were warning against. If you take away the choice to obey, grow and
mature in Christ by building fences and traditions, you produce rebellion and
immaturity. Only by freely following Christ can we fully mature in Him. That is
a good thought as we make disciples in the harvest who make disciples.
Psalm 78:1-31
Like before, we will be in Psalm 78 for three days. This will be a good
review of some events we read about at the beginning of the year.
Vs. 1-4 I mentioned before that Matthew and the Spirit quote v. 1 of
this introduction as the reason why Jesus told parables, thus fulfilling this
verse. Go figure. What that means for us is that in the rest of Psalm 78, there
is a parable for us to understand. What fun! What stands out to you and what do
you think the real point of this recounting of history is?
Vs. 5-8 Look at what God gave and why. What an honor to receive this
information and the personal words of the Lord. That was grace, but God showed
us in Israel that the sin within us is stronger than the perceived privilege of
receiving the words of rescue and life.
Vs. 9-11 It may be that Ephraim is mentioned here because of the
northern kingdom going into exile during the time of Hezekiah. Judah
represented the godly line which produced David and eventually the Messiah.
Look again at Jeremiah 7:15 in today's reading.
Vs. 12-16 This is what God did. Underline He.
Vs. 17-20 This is what they
did. Notice that v. 20 is a part of their words against God.
Vs. 21-31 This is a retelling of Numbers 11. If you look at Numbers
11:20 you'll see the miracle of God making quail come out of noses. Why do I
find this funny?
In Jeremiah today we read how God allowed Shiloh to be destroyed, the
place where the tabernacle had been. If we were reading this entire psalm
today, we'd read Psalm 78:60. Kind of interesting, huh?
As I was highlighting the high points of this reading, what stood out
to me were vs. 7, 11, 19 and 21-22. I don't think God wants a lot from us. I
don't want to fall into acting like they did. God wants us to review and
remember His grace and love. That is what helps us through the hard times on
earth, in the harvest. We walk in the daily reminder of the love of Christ as
we follow Him in the harvest.
Proverbs 24:26
This is an interesting analogy. I think He means a kiss that brings
satisfaction, peace and delight, not some politically motivated or correct
little peck.
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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