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 9
Jeremiah 12-14:10
Jeremiah 12
Vs. 1-4 Jeremiah is upset that as times got bad, the wicked and those
who are plotting against him could hold off the effects of God's chastening longer
because of their resources.
Vs. 5-6 God is challenging Jeremiah. He has not yet really seen what
God's judgment will look like and how vile the people will be in their response
to his preaching. God is telling Jeremiah that this is a picnic compared to how
it will be. I think too, of how easily I can be shaken by mail, phone calls,
bad news, and frustrations. It gives you a reminder of how deeply within us sin
affects us and how self-focused and fragile it makes us. God trains us to
handle pressure and live by spiritual reality and focus on trusting Him by
exposing us to pressure, and at the same time, leaving us with no place to go
but Him.
Vs. 7-13 You notice that the words heritage
and portion are prominent in this
pronouncement of God's judgment on Judah and Jerusalem.
Vs. 14-17 This is a pronouncement of judgment on the neighbors, then a
promise of compassion on Judah and compassion on the nations who listen to what
the Lord is doing. This might be looking to the end of the Tribulation and the
beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. This is like a summary of what God had
always intended with Israel. The nations would see God's blessing on Israel
because of their special relationship to God, and the people would come to
Israel and be saved. That is the blessing promised to Abraham. Now and in the
future, this is how nations will come under God's judgment or blessing.
Jeremiah 13
Vs. 1-7 First, what was this? Apparently it was like a belt, worn around
the waist. The priest wore a sash or belt like this. John the Baptist wore one
made out of leather. In order for this to have made any point to the people, it
would have been recognizable and understandable to them. Apparently when
Jeremiah wore it, it was either very attractive or it made him look like he was
working as a priest.
V. 4 There are two possibilities with the Euphrates. There is a
town/location about 3 miles from Jeremiah's hometown of Anathoth that is
spelled exactly the same way. If it is the Euphrates River, that would have
been a 700-mile round trip. If it is the near location, then this
"parable" would have been more visible to the people and would have
applied to the usefulness of the people to God. The name would have been a
"suggestion" of exile, since it sounded like the Euphrates. If it
really is the Euphrates, then this is also a very strong warning about the
future exile, since the exiles would have been led north to the Euphrates and
then south down the Tigris to Babylon.
Vs. 8-11 The point here is the linen
loincloth. Just as the belt looked good and brought glory to the wearer,
also signifying the purpose of the priest, Judah and Jerusalem's usefulness was
in giving glory to God. When they stopped doing that and fell into idolatry and
disobedience, they were rotted and were rendered useless.
Vs. 12-14 The people liked wine, but these are the grapes of wrath. The
anguish of this judgment would be so emotionally devastating that it would be
like them being drunk, confused, off balance, and unable to regain their
composure. Imagine being drunk forever. This is another example of how people
shouldn't count on making a last minute cry to God. The logic is living like
they want and getting all the gusto right up until the end and then making that
prayer and going to heaven. When God brings this distress on Israel, they will
be so emotionally off balance and so overwhelmed that they might not be
thinking straight. God is not mocked.
Vs. 15-17 This is God's warning of judgment, and Jeremiah is warning
the people that if they don't listen, he's going to cry again.
Vs. 18-19 This looks like it is the humbling of King Jehoiachin and his
mother who actually surrendered the city to Nebuchadnezzar, keeping it from
being totally destroyed. This humility marked the second deportation of exiles
and was a sign of mercy. The people who remained in Jerusalem didn't heed this
mercy.
Vs. 20-27 The new king and the people didn't change, so the next time
Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem it was for total destruction.
V. 22 Some of this imagery is very strong. The harlot is being raped,
receiving the punishment fitting of her sin.
V. 23 This generation of people was incurable in their idolatry and
perversion of what they thought about God and spirituality. But just for
perspective, there were individuals who were being saved and who truly loved
God. Jeremiah was one of them and we'll meet more.
V. 27 This imagery is just that, imagery. God will cleanse His people.
Jeremiah 14:1-10
Vs. 1-6 Drought was one of the punishments God would bring against the
people if they left Him, and is mentioned in Deuteronomy.
Vs. 7-9 This is Jeremiah pleading for the people, that God should do
something. He did. God removed the people from Israel, preserved them through
their hardship and cleansed them in the Babylonian captivity.
V. 10 Here is God's answer to Jeremiah. The people wouldn't change, so
God had to punish them.
When Jeremiah was just getting started, King Josiah found a copy of the
Bible. When they read the books of Moses to Josiah, especially Deuteronomy and
probably all five books, Josiah was moved to tears and grief because he
understood the judgment coming against his people. When we read all of this, as
disciples, we need to understand that what is going to happen to the people who
don't know Christ - on this planet, in our town, in our neighborhood, and in
our family - will make Jeremiah look like a party. Jesus said it best when He
talked about what the lost would be facing for eternity, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. That is
eternal punishment. It doesn't mean we need to get obnoxious in the harvest,
but it does mean that we need to work and pray constantly. It was Jesus who
saved us from the wrath of God. He is the only one who can save them.
1 Thessalonians 1-2:9
After Paul established the church in Philippi, he went on to
Thessalonica, a major city of about 200,000. We've read this in Acts 17:1-9. We
know Paul was there at least three weeks, and perhaps from 3-6 months. Paul thanked
the Philippians for two gifts of money they sent to him as he worked, starting
and establishing the church in Thessalonica. From the two letters we have to
this church, we can see that Paul did some very in-depth teaching to establish
them. There was a lot of persecution to Paul and the church there, and
eventually Paul was driven out and had to flee to Berea. When Paul settled down
in Corinth, he wrote these letters to encourage the people in their faith, to
strengthen them in the persecution, to correct their misunderstandings about
what he had taught them and to counter false teaching by some of the Jews, who,
as usual, tried to discredit Paul.
1 Thessalonians 1
Vs. 1-3 Notice that their faith became immediately visible. They were
immediately met with opposition.
Vs. 4-5 Notice our gospel.
This is to say that in spite of what others said about Paul, the power of the
gospel was visible to them and bore fruit. Paul was simply a servant.
Vs. 6-10 Children become imitators of their parents. This is why Jesus'
words to His disciples are so important, a
disciple is not above his teacher. We need to be disciples of our Lord so
that as we make disciples and they imitate us, they naturally grow to imitate
Christ. The word about what God did among the Thessalonians and their faith in
Christ became news.
V. 9 It is interesting that we're reading about idols in Jeremiah and
these people were saved from idols.
V. 10 Notice how this chapter ends. Paul had taught them to wait on the
Lord and to wait with expectation. This verse is important in that the
implication of this verse is that those who know Christ will not enter into the
Tribulation, that is, the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-9
Vs. 1-4 As you read this, understand that Paul had been/was being
slandered and was said to have taken advantage of the Thessalonians. Just like
in 1 & 2 Corinthians, Paul is having to defend himself here. But notice the
gentleness in his tone. This wasn't a job for Paul. He poured out his heart to
God and to them. Paul and his co-workers even sacrificed, providing for
themselves, so that they could work there among them.
V. 5 They didn't come to flatter or make a name for themselves.
V. 6 They didn't come there to take advantage of their position as
workers of Christ.
Vs. 7-8 They had come with a sense of love and vulnerability.
Vs. 9 As mentioned, they received financial gifts from the church at
Philippi and when they didn't have money, they worked. This was to keep their
critics at bay and God enabled them to get by, trusting Him.
Disciples in the harvest are natural born fools - pouring out their
hearts, living by faith in love with Jesus Christ, allowing "life" to
pass them by in order to reach out to those who don't even know they're lost.
They spend their lives working to make disciples who will do the same and
follow Christ and pour out their lives to make disciples. Paul poured out his
heart, first to Jesus, and then in the love of Christ for others. He was a fool
for the sake of Christ. He is a good person to imitate.
Psalm 79
It's kind of interesting to
be reading Jeremiah as we're reading this psalm. What Asaph is protesting is
exactly what God says will come upon the people. This psalm suggests that this
son of Asaph was living in Babylon or was one of those who had returned with
Zerubbabel and was burdened by the difficulties Israel was having trying to
establish itself as a people and nation.
Vs. 1-4 God's entire
inheritance had been destroyed, both people and city.
Vs. 5-7 God's jealousy was
because of Israel worshipping other gods. Now God is being called on to be
jealous for His ruined servant Israel.
Vs. 8-10 In appealing to
God's mercy it was understood that what really had been damaged was the name of
God among the nations. He hadn't
deserved Israel's disobedience. In fact, it says that the nations blasphemed
the name of God because of Israel. Daniel prayed that God would restore the
city and the people for His name's sake. At the heart of this prayer was a true
love and appreciation for God. Read Daniel 9. For me this is the greatest
prayer in the Bible outside of John 17 where Jesus prayed for the disciples. In
both of those prayers, by Daniel and by Jesus, the name of God looms big and
should be honored.
Vs. 11-13 This is a kind of
repentance. They have not only suffered, but Asaph says they are like sheep,
helpless and needing a shepherd.
God did punish the nations
for going beyond the allowance He gave them to punish Judah and Jerusalem. In
many cases their violence against the Jews became butchery and was filled with
rage against God. Jeremiah will prophesy about that. At the end of the
Tribulation, this psalm will be fulfilled.
Proverbs
24:30-34
So, what is the point in all of this, especially if you don't own a
vineyard or take naps in the afternoon?
It seems to me that it is saying that a little neglect leads to ruin.
So, you can be a Christian workaholic and even be successful in
"ministry," but neglect your marriage, your kids, your health and
boom! Before you know it, there are weeds all over the place; the wall is down;
bad things are getting into the vineyard and it is ruined.
Along with the armor in Ephesians 6 is the command to stay alert with
all perseverance. We still have this silly idea that walking through this life
is easy and that God is a nice help when we need Him. This world is incredibly
dangerous. Our bodies/spirits in this world are irreparably damaged, and the
spiritual life is not a difficult life…it is an impossible one. We need the
Word every day and the Spirit every minute.
Notice that v. 33 is a backward progression. Sleep is mentioned first and folding
of the hands is mentioned last. The idea is that letting down a little can
lead to spiritual unconsciousness. We say that reading the Bible is important,
but live as if it is not really, really important. We need to keep our vision
clear and our hearts fed every day, and the Bible is God's method of choice. We
need our meds every day.
A Christian singer, who my children and I used to listen to, "came
out" in April 2010, making public that she is a lesbian. Now she's trying
to bend the Bible to match her "lifestyle." Ironically, her life is
now a ruined vineyard testifying to the truth of these verses. It probably
began with small areas of neglect. I don't believe she ever saw it coming.
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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