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.
DECEMBER 31
Time to celebrate!
Malachi 3-4
This
generation of Jews had a very muddled history. Part of their history was miraculous
privilege and the other part was tragic judgment. Yet they were still God's
people, chosen to make His redemptive plan known to the world. They should have
been impressed with the astounding manner in which God had bent and moved the
nations to protect Israel in exile and to restore them to their land. Instead
it was all so wearisome and so vague. There was this hope, but they didn't want
to fully commit themselves to God. They thought a little following would work,
but it only made matters worse. (This sounds like a lot of people today in the
church.) This would also be a picture of the Jews before Jesus arrived. In a
way, it is a picture of all of mankind. We have a vague sense we should seek
God, but we want His blessing on our terms at whatever level of interest we're
willing to give Him. We think He should just be happy with what He gets, right?
Wrong.
Malachi
3
Vs.
1-5 So God will send messengers to prepare the people.
V.
1 There are two messengers here. John the Baptist is the first and the messenger of the covenant was Jesus.
We know what happened with John and Jesus. In fact, tomorrow you get to begin
reading the Gospels.
V.
2-5 Suddenly God warns them of His coming. We saw in Amos 5:18, that a person
shouldn't wish lightly for the day of the Lord. The result will be that Judah
will be cleansed, but it will be through the fire. I think this is captured in
Jesus telling the multitudes that if they are walking with their accuser on the
way to the court, to try to settle on the way. If it goes to judgment, they
will have to pay every penny. The idea for that generation and each individual
was, "Now is the time. Don't wait until the day of the Lord."
Vs.
6-12 The point of this section takes a little thought. It is not that God is
interested in tithing, but the lack of tithing did reveal a lack of spiritual
understanding.
V.
6 Just as God has always done, He will continue to spare them because of His
covenant with Abraham.
V.
7 So what do the statutes have to do with returning to God and paying the
tithes? Remember in Nehemiah that Nehemiah set everything in order. The priests
and the Levites were all in Jerusalem working and the people were bringing the
tithes. Nehemiah left for a time and when he returned (Neh. 13:6), the Levites
were scattered back to their farms. The people had stopped bringing the tithes.
I
can imagine the people saying, "Hey, the times are hard. Why should I
tithe to support a bunch of people sitting around doing nothing?" The
thing is that God had appointed the priests and Levites to be teachers of the
people. How would the people learn the statutes and the Word (and of God
Himself) if the Levites weren't there? That is the point here. A spiritually
perceptive person would have seen that his own spiritual welfare and the spiritual
welfare of his family and nation were dependent on the ministry of the priests
and Levites. And the priests and Levites were supported by the tithes. Tithing
tested the hearts of the people. They failed. When the people held back, God
held back and not only did the economy suffer, but so did their spiritual
wellbeing.
V.
12 Israel was to have been a witness and a blessing to the nations because of
God's blessing to them as they followed. In Isaiah 55 God says that they will
be a blessing during the Millennium.
Vs.
13-15 I have met Christians who basically have this attitude. Yet, a little
following and trust, mixed with a major portion of living your life the way you
want, only brings bitter disappointment. We are not left here to have more
comfort, better health and cooler toys than the unbelieving world. We are here
to serve our Lord, following Him with a cross on our shoulder into the harvest.
In this there is joy. Any other view is our own.
Vs.
16-18 Some people did respond and God promises to acknowledge these people on
the day of resurrection. God's acknowledgement of them will add to the judgment
of all those who didn't respond. It might also be that in the time of Malachi,
God chose to bless those who truly repented, and did this in a visible way.
V.
18 God will make this distinction clear at Christ's coming and in all eternity.
For those who love Jesus, they already understand the spiritual depth of this
difference. It is all grace and nothing we have done. To know Him is itself the
reward.
Malachi
4
These
are God's final words in the Old Testament, then come 400 silent years. And
tomorrow, for us, we read about the coming of the Savior and His herald.
V.
1 This not only sounds like the judgment at the end of the Tribulation, but
John the Baptist told the leaders and people that the axe was laid to the root
of the trees and that burning would accompany ignoring the message. John answered them all, saying, “I
baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of
whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire. 17His
winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the
wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18So with many other exhortations he
preached good news to the people (Luke 3:16-18). I always smile
when I read that last sentence after John's version of the "good"
news.
Vs. 2-3 This really
sounds like the fighting in Jerusalem just as Jesus returns. The sun of righteousness only appears here
and it was used by Charles Wesley in "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."
Since it is spelled "sun" and not "son," the meaning has to
do with a coming day that will dawn on mankind. Oddly enough, there is a mention
to that in Luke 1:76-79 (RSV). Zechariah the father of John the
Baptist is speaking. "And you,
child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the
Lord to prepare his ways, 77to
give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78through the tender mercy of our God, when
the day shall dawn upon us from on high 79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace." Jesus is that Light that
dawns upon us.
V. 4 In a heart of faith the
statutes and rules were obeyed in faith, out of a heart of love and
gratitude for God's salvation and deliverance. The first and great commandment
of the Law was to love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and all your
strength and all your mind. That love came from one's understanding of the
Lord's love in saving them out of Egypt (and now Babylon) and for fulfilling
the promise to Abraham. In the same way, our service and obedience as disciples
flows first from our love for Christ and our gratitude that He saved us.
Growing in our love for Him and His Word has to be our first priority or
everything else becomes duty.
Vs. 5-6 So, is this
John the Baptist? Read what Gabriel said to Zechariah regarding John in Luke 1:16-17
(March 13). He quotes a part of verse six. Jesus said that John fulfilled this
ministry. Jesus said in Matthew 17:12, "But I tell you that Elijah
has already come, and they did not
recognize him, but did to him whatever they
pleased." Still, there is enough ambiguity in what Jesus says to allow
room to understand that Elijah really will come during the Tribulation and be
one of those two witnesses.
These
are the final words of the Old Testament. God wanted to make His point. In His
love and compassion there is the warning of judgment. It would be unloving to
withhold a valid warning. As disciples we can't afford to be unloving. Tomorrow
we begin again in the good news. As we work in the harvest we carry the burden
of knowing how important God's message truly is. It is worth it, now on earth,
to forsake all else for the surpassing worth of following our Savior, knowing
Him and knowing His closeness as we labor reaching the lost and making
disciples. As those who have been saved to serve our Savior, we work until He
calls us to rest and to witness the beginning of that coming day when life
really begins as God meant it to be.
Revelation 22
Vs.
1-5 This scene is reminiscent of the Millennial Kingdom, but different. Some of
this looks like a glorious memorial of salvation. The water of life goes through the city, not to the Dead Sea. I'll
bet there is no more "Dead Sea" on the new earth. We have no idea what
life will be like then, but will we need water of life? Will there be new life
that will be born and then will these people be led to that water? Who knows?
The leaves "were" previously for the
healing of nations. Now they are for something else. Maybe they are just a
remembrance of our salvation and healing.
V.
4 We will see His face and belong to Him, therefore the name.
V.
5 Reign is either a hint to other
activities or a word that denotes a place of being secure. For example, after
all of David's trials, he finally reigned. He came to a place of having the
promise of God fulfilled.
Vs. 6-7 These are
words of confirmation that this will take place, and when it begins it will
happen quickly. Jesus told His disciples in Luke 12:40, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man
is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
So what does it mean to keep
these words? Jesus talked often about keeping His Word. I don't think it meant
just obedience, but rather maintaining the mindset of what He was saying. For
most Christians, obedience to Jesus means staying out of trouble or not
stepping out of bounds. I think this misses Jesus' heart completely. I think
what Jesus meant by "keep" is expressed in what He said to His
disciples in Luke 12:35-36, “Stay dressed
for action and keep your lamps burning, 36and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the
wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and
knocks." I think that readiness and attitude is "keeping" His
commandments. It is allowing His words to possess our hearts and our actions in
this life. In that sense, following in the harvest is "keeping" His
Word.
Vs.
8-9 John again is overcome. Notice again the word keep.
Vs.
10-11 John is supposed to publish this vision. Life will continue as it has on
the earth, but another testimony has been added to what is available for men to
consider and to help them make their choice.
Vs.
12-16 This is the final written personal appeal of the Savior and King to
mankind.
V.
17 This is the call of the Spirit and the
Bride (the church) to an unbelieving world to come. We are back to the
beginning. Remember, this revelation was written to seven churches. The reason
for the Spirit and the church calling is that the Spirit is the one who makes
the appeal through those He indwells. Us! Notice again as in Revelation 21:6
and Isaiah 55, the appeal to those who are thirsty. As often as we have read
references to Isaiah 55 in Revelation and in the Gospels, I think it would be a
good chapter to memorize, along with Isaiah 53, of course.
Vs.
18-19 These are Jesus' words. Just as the Old Testament ends with a warning, so
does the New Testament. These are solemn words. The stakes are eternal and the
Savior, Judge and King has spoken. Let the earth take heed.
V.
20 This is Jesus again with John's Amen
at the end.
V.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus - The
capstone to this earthy history of lost and tragic humanity. Darkness beyond
imagination was pierced by His life, His light and His grace.
Paul,
the disciple and disciple maker, said to Timothy in those dark days before he
died at the hands of the Romans, working in the harvest, You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ
Jesus (2 Tim. 2:1). The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is our strength as
we follow Him in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make
disciples, who make disciples, until our Lord returns. Amen. Here is the
expression of that grace that should make us strong as we follow in the
harvest.
But
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by
grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in
the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show
the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For
by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it
is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:4-10).
Psalm 150
Vs.
1-6 What a fitting end to the year and to all of our reading about the Lord's
return. Praise the Lord!
Proverbs 31:25-31
I have to wonder why Proverbs
ends with this description of a godly woman, especially when Proverbs began
with a man telling his son not to be a fool. Maybe the way the Lord keeps us
men from becoming fools, in addition to His Word, is by giving us good, godly
wives. J
Again,
I don't think this is super woman. I know if this were written to men, I'd read
it and not feel too good about myself. I don't think that is God's intent.
Verse 30 is what I would focus on. Proverbs began with the fear of the Lord
being the beginning of wisdom, and it ends with the fear of the Lord leading to
a fulfilled life and service to those closest to us. Amen.
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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