2CHRONICLES 14-15: Yesterday we heard the conclusion of Rehoboam’s reign, and the writer classed him as a wicked king. Then his son, King Abijah gave a truly amazing speech before his epic victory over Israel. PROVERBS 30a: Today I chose to highlight two verses: Pro. 30:5-6 NLT Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. 6 Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. MATTHEW 12b: How ironic that the religious leaders would make ...
Sep 23, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 267
2CHRONICLES 12-13: Yesterday we heard of David’s grandson, Rehoboam, and the unfortunate start to his reign. The northern tribes revolted and went with Jeroboam. Rehoboam seems to have made wise choices after that, at least for a short time. PROVERBS 29b: Today’s highlighted verse: Pro. 29:23 NLT Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. MATTHEW 12a: Yesterday’s reading included the judgements against the cities that refused to repent even though they witnessed Jesus’ miracles. Cha...
Sep 22, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 266
2CHRONICLES 10-11: Yesterday we completed the story of Solomon’s achievements. PROVERBS 29a: A highlight for today: Pro. 29:11 NLT Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. MATTHEW 11b: Yesterday we heard Jesus’ teaching about John the Baptist. NLT Translation note: 2Chon. 10:18 NLT96 edition has ‘labor force’, and newer editions have ‘forced labor’. Mat. 11:19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks [normally], and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a fri...
Sep 21, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 265
2CHRONICLES 9: Yesterday we heard God’s famous response to Solomon, which is so often applied as a promise to America. It is stretching it past the breaking point to apply that promise to America. First of all, our country does not have a personal relationship with God like that of Israel in Solomon’s time. We also skate over all the conditions of humbling ourselves, turning from wicked ways, and praying. And we are not in the position of having made corporate sacrifices to the Lord. PROVERBS 28...
Sep 20, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 264
2CHRONICLES 7-8: Yesterday we heard Solomon’s famous prayer at the dedication of the temple. He understood that the people would need forgiveness from the Lord, and requested the Lord’s mercy. PROVERBS 28a: Another favorite: Pro. 28:8 NLT Income from charging high interest rates will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor. MATTHEW 10b: Yesterday we heard the list of the twelve apostles, and the beginning of the instructions to them as He sent them out. It is clear that Jesus gav...
Sep 19, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 263
2CHRONICLES 6: Yesterday we heard of the various things that Huram-abi made under Solomon’s direction for the temple, and of the dedication of the temple. In today’s (not reverent) language, we might say that the Lord ‘showed up’ for that dedication, just like He did for the dedication of the tabernacle. PROVERBS 27b: Our hightlighted verse for today: Pro. 27:21 NLT Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.] MATTHEW 10a: Many stories were brought together...
Sep 18, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 262
2CHRONICLES 4-5: Yesterday we heard of the preparations for building the temple, and then the dimensions and the beginning of the construction starting in the 4th year of Solomon’s reign. PROVERBS 27a: Today’s first verse is very like the advice of James in the New Testament: Pro. 27:1 NLT Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. MATTHEW 9: Yesterday we heard of several powerful healings and the miracle of calming the storm. One of the one-becomes-two instances is...
Sep 17, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 261
2CHRONICLES 2-3: In yesterday’s reading we returned to the books of Chronicles, and picked up the story following King David, with the beginning of Solomon’s reign. Solomon gave 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord, then the Lord appeared to him. Solomon requested wisdom to rule Israel, and the Lord was pleased with his request. PROVERBS 26b: Today’s highlighted verse: Pro. 26:23 NLT Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. MATTHEW 8: We completed reading the ...
Sep 16, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 260
THEME: Buckle up the belt of truth by FOCUSING YOUR GAZE ON CHRIST. OK, in my last episode I told you about my nightmare. There was a visitor on my porch that night. That visitor was a picture of the demon who had gained a foothold in my life. He had been tempting me for years and knew just how to do it. He got on the exercise bicycle on my front porch— which, as I told you, did not exist— rather it was a symbol. I believe that the Lord helped me figure out the meaning of that symbol. The night-...
Sep 15, 2024•17 min
2CHRONICLES 1: Yesterday we heard Hosea’s final and heart-felt warning. At the end of his book, Hosea penned a rather short apology on behalf of the people, requesting forgiveness. God responded lovingly, pleading for the people of Israel to stay away from idols. And now we return to the story we interrupted in the books of Chronicles. PROVERBS 26a: A highlighted verse for today is verse 12, which I like in both the NLT and the GNT. Pro. 26:12 NLT There is more hope for fools than for people who...
Sep 15, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 259
HOSEA 13-14: Yesterday’s reading had this significant prophecy, prefaced by the words that God would not come to totally destroy: Hos. 11:10 NLT For someday the people will follow me. I, the LORD, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west. 11 Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again,” says the LORD. Hosea begins chapter 13 speaking against the tribe of Ephrai...
Sep 14, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 258
HOSEA 11-12: In yesterday’s reading, as the Lord was pleading with Israel and using agricultural metaphors, He said, Hos. 10:12-13 NLT … ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ 13 “But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies— trusting in your military might, believing ...
Sep 13, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 257
HOSEA 9-10: I like how the GNT translates the first paragraph of chapter 6 as being the words of the people of Israel. Hosea 6:1-4 GNT: 1 The people say, “Let's return to the LORD! He has hurt us, but he will be sure to heal us; he has wounded us, but he will bandage our wounds, won't he? 2 In two or three days he will revive us, and we will live in his presence. 3 Let us try to know the LORD. He will come to us as surely as the day dawns, as surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth.” 4 Bu...
Sep 12, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 256
HOSEA 6-8: In yesterday’s reading, Hosea bought back his wife from prostitution. And the Lord drew analogies in his speech to Israel. PROVERBS 24a: Favorite verses: Pro. 24:5 NLT The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. 6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers. MATTHEW 5b: Yesterday we read the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, including the famous and memorizable Beatitudes. We also heard the first...
Sep 11, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 255
HOSEA 3-5: Beautifully interwoven word plays or metaphors were constructed using the names of Hosea’s three children. And verses of yesterday’s reading, are quoted in Romans 9 and 1Peter 2. The last verse ended: Hos. 2:23 NLT “I will show love to those I called ‘Not loved.’ And to those I called ‘Not my people,’ I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’ And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’” PROVERBS 23b: As you may have noticed yesterday, this chapter is much more thematic than chapters 10 through...
Sep 10, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 254
HOSEA 1-2: We have already heard that God considers the sin of idolatry to be parallel and just as offensive as a wife being unfaithful to her husband. Hosea is told by God to actually live out this situation. He is told to marry Gomer, a prostitute. Through Hosea, God shows just how ready He is to restore and be reconciled with His wayward people. Hosea prophesied to the Northern kingdom during the same time that Amos, Isaiah, and Micah were prophesying in the Southern kingdom. This was during ...
Sep 09, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 253
1CHRONICLES 29: Yesterday we heard of the military commanders and officials under David, and the leaders of 13 tribes. Then we heard David’s instructions to Solomon. And it is always amazing to me the detail with which David planned for the temple, and also his generosity. PROVERBS 22b: Halfway through this chapter we begin a section where more of the proverbs are arranged in short paragraphs. That section begins at verse 17, just three verses after we begin today’s reading. Verse 20 introduces ...
Sep 08, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 252
1CHRONICLES 27-28: Yesterday we heard of the assignments of Levites as musicians, judges, and temple gate keepers. PROVERBS 22a: Our highlighted verse for today: 14 The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap; those who make the LORD angry will fall into it. (NLT) MATTHEW 2: For today’s intro to Matthew 2, I have a correction from what I said in this episode 251 before 2022. For this information, I am relying on Leon Morris’ commentary. How come the genealogies of Matthew and Luke are diff...
Sep 07, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 251
1CHRONICLES 25-26: There was a rather important shift in Israel’s religious life that happened with David and his plans for temple worship rather than the older pattern of worship at the Tabernacle: It was that the priests and Levites were re-organized into groups appropriate to the new state of affairs, introducing divisions on top of the old system which was based on family lines. This reordering was still in effect at the beginning of the New Testament, where we read that Zechariah was a memb...
Sep 06, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 250
1CHRONICLES 23-24: Yesterday we heard a rather odd story about how “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census.” But in 2Samuel 24:1 we read that “Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, ‘Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’” So who was it— Satan or the Lord? And if the problem was caused by someone else, why was David and all Israel punished?! I think, in a place like this, we have to go back to what we learned in J...
Sep 05, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 249
1CHRONICLES 21-22: Yesterday we heard the part where the writer of Chronicles skated over where David had his affair with Bathsheba. But we heard of the military victories and especially the misunderstanding that became the reason for the war with the Ammonites. PROVERBS 20b: Our highlighted verse for today: Pro. 20:24 NLT The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? Another proverb with deep significance is: 27 The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, expo...
Sep 04, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 248
1CHRONICLES 19-20: Yesterday we heard about one of David’s greatest hours, and I think David would rank this as better than the killing of Goliath. It was the time when he wanted to build a house for God, and instead God promised to build his house— making for him an everlasting dynasty. Then we heard of his leading in even more amazing military victories. PROVERBS 20a: Today’s highlighted verse: Pro. 20:3 GNT Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them. TITUS 1: Com...
Sep 03, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 247
1CHRONICLES 17-18: Yesterday we heard of the careful moving of the Ark, this time successfully. We heard exactly which men played what instruments. Then there was a sample of their praise. The psalm in chapter 18 is made of quotes from Psalms 105 and 96 and some other isolated verses. PROVERBS 19b: Our highlighted verse: Pro. 19:17 NLT If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you! 1THESSALONIANS 5: Before reading chapter 5, let’s review the resurrection portion of cha...
Sep 02, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 246
1CHRONICLES 15-16: Yesterday we heard about the first attempt to move the Ark, more about David’s family, and his defeat of the Philistines. PROVERBS 19a: A highlight from today’s chapter in Proverbs: Pro. 19:14 NLT Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife. 1THESSALONIANS 4: Paul and his companions prayed, and God answered: The Thessalonian believers stayed strong in their believing in the Gospel. NLT Translation note: 1Th....
Sep 01, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 245
1CHRONICLES 13-14: Yesterday we heard of mighty men who joined David in war, and the roll call of people who joined him politically to become king. And today we hear more about important events under David’s leadership. PROVERBS 18b: A highlighted verse for today: Pro. 18:22 NLT The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD. 1THESSALONIANS 3: Yesterday Paul reminded the Thessalonians of the way he, Silas, and Timothy lived among them, and they definitely loved th...
Aug 31, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 244
This is a bonus episode republished from my JoySightings.info podcast.
Aug 30, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 242
1CHRONICLES 11-12: In yesterday’s reading, we heard of the people who returned after the exile. Then, starting with the genealogy of King Saul, we jumped to the story of how he died. This prepares us for the stories about King David. PROVERBS 18a: Our highlighted verse today: Pro. 18:10 NLT The LORD is [like] a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe. In this verse Solomon used ‘the Lord’s name’ as a metonymy (a type of figure of speech). In other words, ‘the LORD’s name’ represents a...
Aug 30, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 243
1CHRONICLES 9-10: This is the last name chapter at the beginning of this book, bringing us up to the time of the returning exiles. And king Saul’s genealogy is given, because we pick up Israel’s narrative with Saul in the next chapter. PROVERBS 17b: This special verse reminds me of an old song we used to sing every Sunday evening with fellow missionaries. Pro. 17:22 NLT A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. 1st THESSALONIANS 1: The book of Revelation ha...
Aug 29, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 242
1CHRONICLES 8: Hang on! We’re almost through with the names chapters! PROVERBS 17a: I must say that it is hard to choose just one verse to highlight in today’s reading: Pro. 17:9 NLT Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. Re-reading EPHESIANS 6: I like the way our translation of the spiritual armor portion of this chapter helps the reader understand how the various parts of the armor are actually applied or ‘picked up’ and ‘worn’. So in the podcast fo...
Aug 28, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 241
1CHRONICLES 7: Yesterday we heard about Levite and priestly genealogies and their allotment of towns. The pace quickens as today we hear of six tribes. PROVERBS 16b: Today’s highlighted verse is this: Pro. 16:18 NLT Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. EPHESIANS 6: This is another chapter break that interrupts the flow. Yesterday we started a new topic with the words “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” We have heard about the husband-wife relationship un...
Aug 27, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 240
