Daily Bible Reading Podcast

JEREMIAH 9-10:Being a prophet is not exactly an easy job. In 7:27 God told him, “Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.” We’ll find that God told the same thing to more than one prophet around this same time. PSALM 142:When you are discouraged, here is a psalm to pray! JOHN 20:There are so many fulfillments of Scripture that happen in the crucifixion chapters in the Gospels that many times the authors didn’t take the time to highlight each one of them. The Jewish readers would have picked up on them without the need for an explanation. In verse 36, John highlighted one fulfillment, saying, “This was done to make the scripture come true: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’” I hope you remember what that was about! See Ps. 34:20, Ex. 12:46, Num. 9:12. If you don’t know, I hope this teaser will encourage you, because this is a golden gem. And Jesus’ death did not mean that he stopped fulfilling Scriptures. NLT Translation note:Jer. 9:1

JEREMIAH 7-8:In this and several other prophetic books, it is important to observe where quotes begin and end, and who is speaking. The section headings are also very helpful to our understanding. Modern translators and editors use the heading to help modern readers understand such things as ancient poetic imagery. Yesterday's reading had this ironic statement spoken by the Lord: 5:19 When they ask why I did all these things, tell them, Jeremiah, that just as they turned away from me and served foreign gods in their own land, so they will serve strangers in a land that is not theirs.”  PSALM 141:David received the answer to his prayer in verse 5, if this was written before his affair with Bathsheba. Nathan did what David prayed for here. This psalm contains gems that are well worth digging for and meditating on. JOHN 19b:I believe that John saw, and wanted us to feel, the extreme irony in many events that we have read. The ironic events and statements also didn’t happen by accident. It was not an accident tha

JEREMIAH 5-6:God, speaking through the prophets, frequently says how he feels about idolatry. He considers it just like the faithlessness of a wayward wife. It is moving that Jeremiah could so clearly see what would happen— the anguish of the people when his prophecies are fulfilled and they will be attacked by armies from the north.  PSALM 140:This is a prayer for anyone who fears the imminent attack of wicked enemies.  JOHN 19a:The chapter break here interrupts the story of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. Jesus has already told Pilate that he is a king, but his kingdom is not of this world. Then when Jesus said, “I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me.”— Pilate asked his famous rhetorical question, 38“And what is truth?”  Then Pilate went back outside to the people and said to them, “I cannot find any reason to condemn him. 39 But according to the custom you have, I always set free a prisoner for you during the Passover. Do y

JEREMIAH 3-4:In yesterday’s reading there was a play on words in Jer. 1:11-12, where the Hebrew word for ‘almond tree’ sounds like the word for ‘watching’: 11 Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.” 12 And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching,* and I will certainly carry out all my plans.” *footnote: The Hebrew word for “watching” (shoqed) sounds like the word for “almond tree” (shaqed). Yesterday we also read Jeremiah 2:13, which is one of the most frequently quoted verses from this book. Look at it in context starting at verse 11: Jer. 2:11 NLT Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! 12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord. 13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug f

JEREMIAH 1-2:The book of Jeremiah was written between 627 and 580 BC. Counting the number of verses, Jeremiah is longer than all other books of the Old Testament except Genesis and Psalms. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet, and his other book is Lamentations. It is possible that he is the son of the high priest Hilkiah who brought the book of the Law to the attention of king Josiah. Having just heard in 2 Kings  an overview of what happened during the last days of the kingdom of Judah, we now will hear the poems and sermons of a sensitive man living through it all. Mears says, “No other prophet bares his soul to his readers as does Jeremiah. Although Jeremiah announced the coming destruction of Judah, he looked beyond this judgment to a day when everyone would know the Lord personally through the forgiveness of his or her sins (Jer. 31-34). This new kind of relationship with the Lord would be part of the “new covenant” the Lord would establish with his people (Jer. 31:31).” PSALM 138:This is the fi

JONAH 3-4:Running from God didn’t work for Jonah. When saved from the ocean, Jonah grudgingly obeys God. For most of my life I have been fooled by Jonah's prayer in chapter 2, and I am not alone, because others have called it, “One of the great prayers in the Bible.” For most of the prayer, Jonah simply borrowed verses from the Psalms. And there is nothing wrong with that! However, if you look closer, Jonah prayed a me-centered and self-righteous prayer. The worst thing about it is there is no hint of repentance or asking forgiveness. PSALM 137:As a musician, I can imagine what the musician who wrote this felt. The imprecation at the end should be taken in view of God’s justice. Compare the thought here with Rev. 6:9 and following verses (the cry of the saints under the altar), and also the ending chapters of Revelation that portray the vengeful judgment against ‘Babylon’— which in that book is used as a figurative name. Rereading JOHN 17:Note again the importance of the organic bond of union between the Fath

JONAH 1-2:For quite a few years when I was just reading the Bible without a set reading plan, I enjoyed a break from reading the books of history after Second Kings, moving to the prophets. And our first is Jonah, who was mentioned back in 2 Kings 14.  Note that the little story of Jonah is masterfully written. Little details poke out everywhere. Jonah has a downward journey. He goes down from Jerusalem to Joppa, then down again into the hold of the boat, and then down into the underworld of the ocean. He wasn't just being disobedient. He was saying, “I'm turning in my prophet's mantle.”  Bob Deffinbaugh: “Let’s face it, don’t you find that our text has reversed the heroes and the villains? … we would have expected Jonah to be the hero, while the heathen sailors would certainly have been expected to be the villains. This was certainly the perspective of Jonah, and of the Israelites, whom he typified. Yet in our text it is the sailors who pray, while Jonah does not. The sailors sought to deal with sin on the s

2KINGS 24-25:In yesterday’s reading, we heard of Josiah’s reforms, leading the people to renew the covenant with God. That chapter had this telling comment about the Passover: 2Kings 23:22 There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah. Many times I think people make the naive assumption that the people of Israel customarily performed all sorts of difficult commands in the Law— like the one about the Year of Jubilee. In my opinion, no way! PSALM 135:Olsen’s book gives the title for the chapter on this psalm as, “What kind of God do you have?” That’s a great question to ask to introduce this psalm! JOHN 16:At the end of chapter 14, Jesus mentioned leaving that ‘place’— the upper room, but Jesus’ teaching in chapters 15-16 fit so well with chapter 14 that they may have taken place in the upper room. This chapter includes more important teaching about the Holy Spirit— our Advocate, and important key

2KINGS 23:Hilkiah found the book of the Law in the temple while repairs were being carried out as ordered by king Josiah. When Josiah heard the book of the Law, he instituted reforms. And God again is glorified in fulfilling a prophecy we heard in 1 Kings. PSALM 134:I would like to have been one of the Levitical temple musicians who had the duty of singing praises to God at night. This is the last of the Psalms of Ascent. JOHN 15:18—16:15:We are still in the upper room. I have chosen to reread the last verses of chapter 15, in order to help us make the connection with chapter 16. NLT Translation notes:John 16:23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you [pray for the sake of my glory//use my name].24 You haven’t done this before. [Make requests for the sake of my glory//Ask, using my name], and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.26 Then you will [make requsts/ask] [for the sake of my glor

2KINGS 21-22:The Assyrian king mocked the God of Israel at the end of chapter 18. We heard God's answer yesterday in chapter 19, and we were introduced to the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah asked to live for a longer time, and his request was granted. I have heard that there is actually scientific proof of the long day miracle that was given to Hezekiah. What a shame that he did not ask God not to send his sons to Babylon! PSALM 133:This Psalm of Ascent comes at a very fitting time in relation to our readings yesterday and today in John. If we are _one_ with Jesus, then we are _one_ with one another. Rereading JOHN 15:Today we hear again about our vital relationship of oneness with Jesus. We didn’t actually choose Him! Before we chose Him He had already chosen us. If you are one who has difficulty believing that there is anything good about you, let your identity and worth be based on this passage! Here also we find the promise repeated of answered prayers when we pray for the sake of Jesus’ name— which is to say,

2KINGS 19-20:The writer of 1 & 2 Kings was very brief about the sins of the people of Israel (in both kingdoms) until what we heard yesterday. He seems to have saved the moral of the story until chapter 17. And then we have the wonderful contrast with Hezekiah in chapter 18. Then the Asyrian king mocked the God of Israel at the end of chapter 18. We hear God's answer today. PSALM 132:It would appear that Solomon wrote this Psalm of Ascent, as part of it was quoted by him at the dedication of the temple. JOHN 15:Yesterday we heard Jesus promise that He would send our Advocate/Comforter/Helper, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the one who literally ‘comes along beside’ and will lead us into all truth and be with us forever. And I think it is really due to Him that we can have “a peace that the world cannot give or understand.” NLT translation notes:Ps 132:2 He made a solemn promise to [You/the] LORD.He vowed to [You,] the Mighty One of Israel,====John 15:4 Remain [joined to//in] me, and I will remain [joined

2KINGS 17-18:Yesterday we again heard quite a few names of kings, especially on the Israel/Northern side. And this culminated with Tiglath-pileser of Assyria deporting the people of Israel. Because of a heavy bribe, Judah avoided this by becoming a vassal state of Assyria. Actually, this was probably wise on king Ahaz's part. Judah was not always so wise in interpreting the signs of the time. PSALM 131:God’s grace requires that we receive from the Lord, not insisting on our working to gain good standing by ceaselessly trying to earn points with God. We can learn from children. JOHN 14b:In John 14 yesterday, we read one of Jesus’ most important and often quoted statements:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” NLT Translation notes:John 14:20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am [joined as one with/in] my Father, and you are [joined as one with/in] me, and I am [joined with/in] you. 22 Judas (not [the] Judas [from the village of Carioth//I

2KINGS 15-16:Readers and listeners are frequently confused by the names of the kings in yesterday’s reading in 2nd Kings.  Judah’ king, Joash, died at the end of chapter 12. Then on the Israel (10 tribes) side, we heard of Jehoahaz's reign, and then the reign of his son, Johoash. He was helped by Elisha’s final prophecy. Also in yesterday’s reading we heard about of the reign of  Joash’s son, Amaziah, in Judah. Amaziah was very unwise to insist on war with Israel’s king Jehoash. PSALM 130:This Psalm of Ascent is one of the most beautiful of all the psalms, and an expression of hope for anyone in despair. JOHN 14a:In John 13 we heard of Jesus taking the role of a servant and washing the disciples’ feet. Judas left the upper room, and Peter was told that he would deny knowing Jesus three times. NLT Translation notes:John 14:10 Don’t you believe that I am [joined as one with// in] the Father and the Father is [joined as one with// in] me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his w

2KINGS 13-14:Yesterday we heard of Athaliah's seven year reign over Judah, of how Joash was saved from being killed, and of Jehoida's successful plot to end Athaliah's reign. Joash turned out to be sorta good, but disappointing at the end of his reign. And it is interesting to note that the people who worked on restoring the temple evidently had more integrity than the priests. PSALM 129:This is another Psalm of Ascent and another nationalistic psalm. In this year’s readings, in just a few days we will begin hearing the parts of Israel’s history where this psalm writer could have received the scars on his back. (I like how the GNT shows that the scars on the back might be taken figuratively for the whole race, instead of personally for just the writer. But one just listening to a reading of this chapter will probably not pick up on that detail.) In our time, this psalm gives us permission to pray that the Lord’s enemies do not prosper. JOHN 13b:John spends several chapters in the upper room, and this is the f

2KINGS 11-12:Yesterday's story was of Jehu, anointed on Elisha's orders, and who executed the Lord's vengeance on Ahab and his whole family, and even his friends and the worshipers of Baal. However, after that, he still didn't follow the Lord, but continued the idolatry of Israel. PSALM 128:Today’s Song of Ascent has a similar theme about the Lord’s blessings for families as yesterday’s psalm. Unlike what I said about translating the Hebrew word ‘sons’ in Psalm 127, the context of today’s psalm seems more inclusive, so we can easily agree with the  NET and other versions in translating that word as ‘children’ here in Psalm 128. JOHN 13a:Jesus’ words often have a double meaning. An example was heard yesterday when He said, “when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” NLT Translation notes:John 13:2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas[, 0>>//son of Simon Iscariot,] to betray Jesus. [Judas was the son of (a man named) Simon from the village Carioth.] 8 “No,

2KINGS 9-10:Yesterday we heard one of my favorite Old Testament stories: The one about the three lepers and the famine in Samaria. Elisha's prophecy was so dramatically fulfilled, and the scoffing officer could be a parable for modern times. Then we heard how the woman from Shunem returned and was blessed a second time. The narrative switched briefly to the kingdom of Judah and Ahaziah's reign. PSALM 127:About ‘children/sons’ in v. 3, NET’s note says this: Some prefer to translate this word with the gender neutral “children,” but “sons” are plainly in view here, as the following verses make clear. Daughters are certainly wonderful additions to a family, but in ancient Israelite culture sons were the “arrows” that gave a man security in his old age, for they could defend the family interests at the city gate, where the legal and economic issues of the community were settled. This psalm would not be considered politically correct in today’s world. Let’s understand it with a historical perspective learn from it.

2KINGS 7-8:Yesterday we heard two more chapters containing fascinating miracles performed by Elisha. The story about Gahazi getting the gifts from Naaman, and the vision about the chariots of fire both have interesting spiritual significance to ponder. We come back to the story from chapter 7 where the Aramean army is surrounding Samaria. The famine is severe. The king has sent an executioner to kill Elisha. And then: 2Kings 6:32 NLT Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “A murderer has sent a man to cut off my head. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. We will soon hear his master’s steps following him.” 33 While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, “All this misery is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” PSALM 126:Laughter, joy, and tears are in this often quoted psalm. JOHN 12a:In yesterday's reading, Jesus worked

2KINGS 3-4:Yesterday we heard of the final amazing prophecies of Elijah, and then how he took leave of the prophets and particularly, his successor Elisha. Elisha quickly showed that he was Elijah's successor. PSALM 124:I keep being amazed how people (and particularly those in America) don’t seem to learn anything from the amazing things that are happening in our times. The last verse of this psalm expresses the lesson that I think we should have learned by now. JOHN 11a:Reminding us of what we heard in John 10: Our Shepherd calls us by name. He knows us thoroughly, just like He and the Father know each other. We hear his voice and recognize him. He goes before us and leads us into a rich and satisfying life. He is our great and good Shepherd because He was willing to sacrifice his life for us. NLT/GNT Translation comparison: 2Kings 3:27 NLT So he took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. As a result, the anger against Israel was great, so the

2KINGS 1-2:Yesterday we heard stories which show that King Ahab indeed “sold himself to evil,” including the story of Naboth's vineyard. And also we heard of Ahab's friendship with King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Finally we heard how the prophecies against Ahab were fulfilled. PSALM 123:This psalm has an important similarity with Ps. 121 which said, Ps. 121:1 NLT I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?2 My help comes from the LORD,who made heaven and earth! Today’s psalm tells us how to ‘look’. JOHN 10b:In John 9, with the formerly blind man standing there, Jesus said, 39 NLT “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. I think the formerly blind man would have been greatly comforted to find out that the Son of

1KINGS 21-22:What a cruel surprise it must have been for Elijah to bring about such an irrefutable display of God's power before the people, but then to have to flee for his life because of Queen Jezebel! Note that God deigned to speak twice to King Ahab. And the reason was: God wanted it known to Ahab and to us that He is not a territorial God. God also gave amazing, symbolic revelations of Himself in the story of His appearing to Elijah at Mount Sinai. Finally, in yesterday’s reading, Elijah's successor, Elisha, was introduced. PSALM 122:Consider how exciting it would have been to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. And let’s all keep ‘marching to Zion’. JOHN 10a:This is a place where our chapter divisions in our Bibles probably do not serve us well. In the original manuscript by John, there would not be any separation between what Jesus said to the Pharisees to answer their question about spiritual blindness, and this chapter. In fact, in John’s day they didn’t even have spaces between words. So in all likelih