Sunday, October 28, 2018

October 29, 2018 Reading Notes


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 29
Lamentations 1-2:19
Happy days are here again….not. This is Jeremiah's lament over Jerusalem after it was destroyed. He refers to what he saw before and during the siege by the Babylonians. I'm not sure how "artsy" Jeremiah and the Spirit wanted to be, but of the five chapters, chapter 3, right in the middle, is a very personal pouring out of Jeremiah's heart. Surprisingly (or not), out of the crying out of chapter 3, we have gotten many good songs.
Lamentations 1
Vs. 1-10 Verse 1 sets the tone for this chapter and this section. It describes the humbling of this once beautiful princess, Jerusalem. This part of the lament is for the city. Notice the references to Zion and Jerusalem, and notice that the city is referred to with feminine pronouns. Just for fun, underline, circle or highlight them.
Vs. 11-22 Jeremiah and the Spirit personalize the crying out of Jerusalem in the first person. The first part of v. 11 explains the situation and transitions between the third person and the first person. Notice the repetition of I, my, and me.
Lamentations 2:1-19
Vs. 1-10 Now notice all of what God did. It wasn't the Babylonians; it was God. If you circle He and His, you might run out of ink; but it is a good exercise.
V. 6 is ironic in that, because of this judgment, God made Zion forget the festivals and Sabbath, meaning that they couldn't hold them. In reality, they had forgotten these things themselves, and that neglect was part of the reason for their judgment and the downward spiral of their culture.
V. 7 The people never expected God to do this, but He Himself promised this, if their hearts were rebellious and their worship was useless.
Just an aside, unless the ark of the covenant had already been destroyed or hidden, it was probably lost here. It is funny that other items in the temple are mentioned as being taken in Jeremiah 52, but an important item like the ark is not mentioned. Actually, none of the furniture in the Holy Place is mentioned either. It is just assumed that it was taken to Babylon.
V. 9 This mention of the prophets is ironic since Jeremiah was the only true prophet. The others were frauds who lied and strengthened the people's rebellion against God.
Vs. 11-19 Now Jeremiah is writing about his own heartache during this destruction. How many different things can you find in these verses that caused Jeremiah sorrow and anguish? There are at least five.
Vs. 18-19 It was easy to suggest that the people should cry out to the Lord, but the hearts of these people were very sick. Think of the people who took Jeremiah captive to Egypt. In spite of every word of Jeremiah coming true, they still thought that worshiping other gods would help. In one of Ezekiel's visions, we'll see another view of the depth of the corruption of the people's hearts. These people Jeremiah is writing about here were lost, blind and ignorant. It is doubtful that they could call on the Lord.
Like Jeremiah, our job is to faithfully follow the Lord into the harvest. As we present the Word and the love of Christ, He will draw men to Himself. We work to make disciples, who make disciples. It is more than tragic to see people disregard the Lord and lose their souls, but when it comes to that, it is their choice. We work in the hope of reaching and helping those who will reach out to our Lord.
Philemon
This letter was written by Paul, in prison in Rome under house arrest, during the time he wrote Ephesians and Colossians. Philemon was, apparently, a well-to-do Christian in Colossae, who had a church in his house and who had lots of slaves. One of those slaves apparently ran off with some stuff and tried to hide out in Rome. Rome was about 1000 miles from Colossae as the bird flies, and for a slave like Onesimus, probably at least 1500 miles by foot. And then Rome was a city of thousands. What a place to hide. But wouldn't you know it, someone in Rome (maybe Tychicus or Timothy or Luke) recognized him and brought him to Paul. Talk about bad luck. Then wouldn't you know it, it got worse. Paul led him to Christ. Oh, brother. Now, although Onesimus did wrong and fled, in Christ, he had to go back and fess up. Also, although Philemon had the right to punish this slave and even have him put to death, Onesimus was now a brother in Christ. And if that weren't complicated enough, when Philemon looked at Onesimus, he noticed that there was a note pinned to his shirt from Paul.
Vs. 1-3 Philemon was a worker. It is thought that there was a church in his house. It could be that Apphia was his wife and Archippus was his son. Archippus is also mentioned in Colossians 4:17 and may have been a pastor.
Vs. 4-7 It is interesting that Paul was not only moved that Philemon was growing in Christ as a disciple, but it looks like he was a good friend and had been a source of comfort and encouragement for Paul personally.
V. 6 Notice that Paul says that by sharing his faith, Philemon was growing into the fullness of knowing Christ. I really think this is how it is meant to be. If we are not involved in the harvest, we can't grow in really knowing the Savior.
V. 7 Philemon had a ministry to workers in the harvest, strengthening and helping them. His actions were from his evident love for Christ and His people.
Vs. 8-14 Introducing another of Christ's people to love: Onesimus. From v. 13 it seems that Paul would have been happy to have kept Onesimus, but there had to be due process of forgiveness and asking permission. The very fact that Paul is being so diplomatic shows there might have been something going on behind the scenes. It may be that Onesimus stole something when he left or was a real problem to everyone and deserved severe punishment. Paul seems to be going out of his way to defuse a situation that might have gotten the better of Philemon.
Vs. 15-16 Paul adds a little eternal perspective and some sovereignty of God into the equation.
Vs. 17-20 I don't think Paul is being manipulative here, but rather fatherly. It seems that Paul also led Philemon to Christ. It is important for parents to see their children do what is right. Sadly, stuff doesn't always go right in the home or in the church. Paul is guiding him, and again, it seems that Paul was being persuasive because he felt like he needed to be.
Vs. 21-22 This sounds a little like Philippians, where Paul had a feeling he would be released soon.
You just finished another book of the Bible!
It is kind of comical to think of Onesimus trying to escape from Philemon and slavery, and hiding in the super city of Rome. He had the "bad luck" of running into the hands of God. It is hard to escape from the long arm of the Lord.
Psalm 101
If I were a guessing man, I'd say this was written after David became king of the entire nation and just after he brought the ark of the covenant into the city of David. David's confidence and purity of heart seem to be "pre-Bathsheba." David seems to be saying that because of his confidence in God's steadfast love, he can be firm with those who are sinful and perverse. It might get him in trouble to be just, but his hope was in God. He knows that the steadfast love of the Lord will pull him through all the anger of men associated with this stand he is taking.
V. 1 What an interesting combination - steadfast love and justice. David learned both of these as he ran from Saul and waited on the Lord for the Lord's justice and vindication. In spite of all the hatred and warfare aimed at David, God fulfilled the promise of bringing David to the throne.
V. 2 This is the next part of the declaration of this psalm. It is hard to know if David is saying you to God or to the blameless way. David knew it was important to meditate on God and to keep himself pure before God. David wanted this to be true of those in his house.
Vs. 3-5 David was resolved to keep the dishonest and evil away from him.
V. 6 In contrast to the evil and faithless, David would protect the faithful in the land.
Vs. 7-8 We don't hear of David judging Israel, other than from his throne when people were brought before him. He never led wars against the wicked in Israel. During the time of the judges and the time of King Saul, lawlessness was allowed to grow. These wicked people were lawless and robbing and harming others. David would bring justice and order to the land. This need for justice is how these verses should be understood. Notice that David's desire was also to keep evil out of the city of the Lord.
Reading David's desires here, but knowing David's life, brings sad thoughts. Knowing what happened in the book of Jeremiah brings sad thoughts too. For us as disciples, knowing all of this should humble us and make us grow close to the Lord as we work in the harvest.
Proverbs 26:20
Think of this proverb in terms of what you just read in Psalm 101. Interesting connections.

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


The daily installments of the Reading Notes can be found at http://fencerail.blogspot.com/

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. 

Saturday, October 27, 2018

October 28, 2018 Reading Notes


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 28
This is a red letter day. You'll be finishing two books, Jeremiah and Titus. I don't mean to get you fat, but I think it would be an appropriate time for a treat of some sort.
Jeremiah 51:54-52:34
Wow, the end of the book of Jeremiah! You did it!
Jeremiah 51:54-64
Vs. 54-58 This is the end of the pronouncement of judgment on Babylon. Remember, most of this is yet to come.
V. 57 The night Babylon was taken, that brilliant and serious military strategist and king, Belshazzar, knowing his city was surrounded, decided to get everyone stinking drunk and celebrate to the gods. It was a desperate religious act, trying to find a god who would respond to their desperate need. The Persians could have taken the city with two boy scouts and a blind German Shepherd. To be fair to Belshazzar, he did get a response from "the other side." At one point King Belshazzar brought out the drinking vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem and fed wine to his wives while praising the gods of gold and silver. Yahweh took exception to that and publicly wrote a message to him in the plaster of the wall. Belshazzar died that night. Trivia question: Who was in charge of the empire of Babylon (the last Babylonian ruler) the night the city and empire fell? A Jewish exile named Daniel. Keep this in mind.
Vs. 59-64 So Zedekiah and Seraiah both went to Babylon in the fourth year of Zedekiah's reign. It could be that this is the event of Daniel 3. This would have been the 12th year of Nebuchadnezzar and that fits nicely into the time frame. If so, Zedekiah was on hand to see three Jewish men risk their lives to follow God, and he would have seen Nebuchadnezzar worship the God with whom Zedekiah was in rebellion.
Just for trivia, if you do a word search on those words describing who Seraiah was related to, the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah (Jere. 51:59), you find that Seraiah was the brother of Jeremiah's assistant, Baruch (Jere. 32:12).
Seraiah read the prophecy against Babylon and threw it in the Euphrates. Five years later Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. Seraiah was killed by Neb, and Zedekiah was severely punished by him.
Interestingly, this is the end of the prophecies of Jeremiah. Yet, we'll read more from Jeremiah in Lamentations. What follows now is all history.
Jeremiah 52
Tradition says that Jeremiah wrote 2 Kings. This might have been added here by Jeremiah as an historical summary of the final events.
Vs. 1-3 Zedekiah was a spineless man, ruled by those around him and by fear. His own lack of faith destroyed him. He rebelled against Babylon because of his officials who wanted to join an alliance with Egypt and the other surrounding neighbors to oppose Babylon.
Vs. 4-11 The reason the Babylonians could breach the city was because the famine was so severe, that no one could stand anymore to defend the walls. We have read this about the flight and punishment of Zedekiah.
Vs. 12-16 This is the end of Israel, beginning with the destruction of the temple, going to the destruction of the city and finally the taking away of the people. Thankfully God had already been working for several years to preserve His people in Babylon.
V. 14 When they burned the temple, the gold on the walls flowed into the cracks in the foundation. To get the gold, the foundation blocks had to be moved. This led to the total disassembling of that building. The foundation stones were valuable and well cut and were probably hauled away to be used for other buildings. When Zerubbabel showed up years later, he had to re-cut stones for the foundation of the temple.
Vs. 17-23 This was the total humbling of Israel. These items had been their pride. God promised Hezekiah that all of these would be removed to Babylon. See 2 Kings 20:17.
Vs. 24-27 Now this is what you did when you conquered a people. You found their leaders and you put them to death. Seraiah, whom we met in 51:59, died here. So here is a question. I mentioned that Daniel was the last ruler of the Babylonian Empire the night the Medes and Persians took over. Why didn't they kill Daniel? Why did Daniel become a beloved and key ruler under Darius the Mede? We'll figure it out together when we get to Daniel. God's amazing grace and working would be the short answer.
Vs. 28-30 Although the main deportations took place at a set time, Neb was always taking people into exile. Some of them lived in the surrounding area and some people obeyed and got out of the cities. Because of the next verses dealing with Jehoiachin, I tend to think that these minor deportations are those who obeyed and willingly surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar. That would also account for the low totals here. Not many of the people were willing to obey God.
Vs. 31-34 I've seen it suggested that this is a sign that the exiles would eventually return to Jerusalem. That may be. But clearly it is a delayed fulfillment of God's promise, that if anyone left the city and surrendered to the Babylonian army, they would be taken into captivity and God would honor them (Jere. 21:9). This is what Jeremiah told Zedekiah to do when Zed asked him to inquire of the Lord for him. Zedekiah didn't do it, because he didn't believe it and was afraid of his Jewish enemies. Jehoiachin, the king before Zedekiah, walked out of the gates of Jerusalem with his mother, was imprisoned, but for his obedience, was honored.
I'd like to think it was Jeremiah, 27 years after the fall of Jerusalem, who wrote these notes. I'd like to think he settled down on that acreage he bought in Anathoth, married some sweet young thing and lived in peace, writing out 2 Kings and enjoying the sunsets at night.
Jeremiah had suffered in his service for God. He was hated by most people for bringing them a message of salvation they didn't want to hear. And for all of this, he helplessly watched his people give themselves to disobedience and destruction. Yet even with this, he was much closer to God than anyone around him. When we read Lamentations 3, we’ll see the deep faith and maturity of Jeremiah in the midst of all the suffering.
Titus 3
Wow, the end of Titus!
Vs. 1-8 This is an awesome passage of Scripture. At this time, Nero was beginning to light the fires of persecution. To me, the section has to do with people being salt and light in the harvest.
Vs. 1-2 This is keeping our hearts and attitudes in tune with Jesus and His love, so that we can work in the harvest. Getting lost in "civilian affairs" and being anxious and vocal about elections is a way to repel others needlessly from Christ.
Vs. 3-7 We always need to remember that we, too, were lost and in rebellion to God, hating and being hated. It was His complete love and mercy that saved us in spite of who we were.
V. 8 The main way to show the love of Christ is good works. Even in persecution a disciple needs to remember why he is here, and it is very hard to slander a neighbor for being a Christian when he helps your elderly parent rake leaves. There are lots of things the Spirit shows us to do in our own neighborhood, if we know our neighbors and we live in the harvest. Notice that these good works are tied into our salvation in Christ. In fact, notice that this entire section has to do with living a life as an ambassador of Christ in a dying world. The spiritual perspective and power to live like this comes from the gospel and our own salvation, through the grace of God.
Vs. 9-11 Whatever focuses the church inward, taking on a self-righteous life of its own, is brought about by warped people. And it takes away our compassion for the lost in the harvest.
V. 12 I like this guy Tychicus. Suddenly he's everywhere. He's also mentioned in Acts, Ephesians, Colossians and 2 Timothy.
V. 13 Titus was supposed to make sure that the church supported these workers and sent them out with their back-packs full.
V. 14 One more urging of the people to be involved in good works, which I think means being in the harvest following Christ.
V. 15 Isn't this an interesting sentence, Greet those who love us in the faith? That "faith" embraced the entire spiritual perspective of life in Christ in the harvest. There is a kindred spirit of those who know what it is all about and are working hard in the harvest.
Psalm 100
Wouldn't it be great to get through something indescribably hard and dangerous, something that had been filled with difficulty and sadness, and then to stand on the other side of that "something" and celebrate the goodness and salvation of God? We get glimpses of this, and it is ultimately where we are heading.
Vs. 1-2 This will happen completely when Jesus takes His throne.
V. 3 These are just a few words, but the depth of what they mean is endless.
V. 4 That we can enter His gates and courts is enough cause for praise and thanksgiving.
V. 5 This is the declaration of David. God's steadfast love and His faithfulness are often found in tandem, and they are always found when we seek the Lord.
Proverbs 26:18-19
Wow, what a declaration from God. That little sin is the tip of a madly sinful and violent heart. Little sins have a way of seeming innocent, funny and acceptable. Those of us who have known people like this know that it definitely isn't funny.

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


The daily installments of the Reading Notes can be found at http://fencerail.blogspot.com/

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. 

Friday, October 26, 2018

October 27, 2018 Reading Notes


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 27
Jeremiah 51:1-53
More on the judgment of Babylon. Reading all of this, the question I have is why so much space is given to Babylon. Babylon did take the last of Israel into captivity, and they did enter the temple and destroy it. These things alone would put them in a special category.
Also, God put a lot of time into His work in Babylon and says some very big, good things about Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar built one of the seven wonders of the world, and God humbled Neb and revealed Himself to Neb in ways He has never done with other Gentile rulers.
I tend to think that there might also be something about Babylon that typifies the pride and rebellion of man. The Tower of Babel was built there; Nimrod became a great man there, and mankind was unified there in its rebellion, forcing God to judge mankind yet again. (As a result of that curse we have the German language. J) There must be something going on beyond the words in Jeremiah. I say this because some of these words against Babylon haven't happened yet, and in Revelation there is a very significant chapter about "Babylon" as represented in a woman sitting on a beast. There is apocalyptic meaning associated with this empire.
To show you what I mean, look at these references: Revelation 14:8, 16:19, 17:5 and 18:1-21. Much of what is written about Babylon in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel is repeated in Revelation. The fulfillment is yet to come.
As you read this section, look for structure and things to underline.
Vs. 1-5 Notice that this section mentions that in spite of God's judgment, Israel and Judah are not forsaken.
Vs. 6-10 Notice the references to leave Babylon. Verse 10 seems to be a key verse. God used Babylon to accomplish His work and purposes, and now He would vindicate Israel and restore Zion. Again, when you get to the first five chapters of Daniel, you will see a lot of God's grace being given to Babylon. To reject God's grace, as is seen in Daniel 5, is a good justification for judgment. They did have a chance to change and worship God.
Vs. 11-14 So, who is it who really is bringing the ruin of Babylon? God doesn’t use His people. He uses the ambitions and pride of other nations to defeat the proud. Israel, God's redemptive people, are not used in His judgments.
Vs. 15-19 Notice that Jeremiah as a man and prophet declares God to be the true God who is bringing this judgment. Notice how God is referred to in the third person.
Vs. 20-26 Now notice that God is speaking in the first person. This judgment has not fully taken place and is probably reserved for the time of the Tribulation.
Vs. 27-33 This is the poetic description of the battle against Babylon in those future days.
Vs. 34-40 This is Israel's case against Babylon.
Vs. 41-44 This is the taking of the city. Verse 41 sounds like a verse from Revelation 14:8 and 18:2.
Vs. 45-46 In spite of this destruction, Israel is to take courage. During the Tribulation with all the destruction and all the forces at play in the world, that might not be an easy thing for Israel to do. Trust is never easy.
Vs. 47-49 It is interesting to think of this. The Babylon of Jeremiah's day would be punished for the slain of Israel. Regardless of who the Babylon of Revelation is, they will be punished because the blood of the saints was found in her (Rev. 18:24).
Vs. 50-53 Babylon's destruction is guaranteed, and v. 51 is one of the reasons for it.
In reading all of this about judgment and thinking about Revelation, I think of Jesus on His throne, taking the book of judgment. He earned the right to open that book by dying for mankind. He is the only man of all mankind who is worthy to judge mankind. That generation on the earth will behold His glory in His wrath. In heaven, we will bow and worship Him as the Lamb who was slain and lives forevermore.
Titus 2
Some of what Paul tells Titus sounds like things from 1 Timothy, just very brief and condensed.
Vs. 1-6 In 1 Timothy 5 Paul told Timothy how to address different groups. Here Paul tells Titus how these groups are supposed to behave. It is interesting that older people in the church are to be models for the younger people in terms of faith and following Christ. This holds true especially for the older women. This teaching of the younger women looks like more than what accidentally happens over a cup of coffee. It is planned discipleship.
Vs. 6-7 Very brief compared to 1 Timothy 4:11-16.
Vs. 8-10 This is directed to slaves.
Vs. 11-14 What a great declaration as to how our lives should reflect the truth of the gospel. These are the first verses I memorized back in 1875 as an Awana leader. (I might be 100 years off.)
Notice the good works. In any time and in any culture, I think this is how the church reaches out, by loving our neighbors for the sake of Christ. This is much deeper than meets the eye and it is very neglected in terms of the harvest. Not only did Jesus list loving your neighbor as the second greatest commandment (Matt. 22:39), but Paul mentions it twice in the last part of Romans (13:9, 15:2).
V. 15 Apparently this thought was supposed to keep everyone focused on the mission of the church. This sounds like Paul's words to Timothy, Let no one despise you for your youth.
Psalm 99
Vs. 1-5 The king is very clearly the Lord who reigns in Zion over all the people of the earth. It is hard to read the Bible on any day in The One Year Bible without bumping into the final redemption of man with God reigning over all. I think the Lord wants us to keep that before our eyes in the harvest.
Vs. 6-7 God worked through these great men during crucial times in Israel's history to bring Israel justice and peace. But even though you had these leaders, God's presence and lordship were still visible. He was leading.
Vs. 8-9 Notice the actions of v. 8, answering, forgiving and avenging. The Lord is the King who is exalted and holy and to be loved and honored.
Proverbs 26:17
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


The daily installments of the Reading Notes can be found at http://fencerail.blogspot.com/

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.