Day: July 1, 2021

HALFWAY ALREADY!!!

~ Patricia ~ 19 Comments

Today we are HALFWAY done with reading the Bible.  Tomorrow we will be closer to the end than the beginning.  YOU DID IT! A brief explanation of all that we have read so far:

  • Genesis answers two big questions: “How did God’s relationship with the world begin?” and “Where did the nation of Israel come from?”
  • In the book of Job: Satan attacks a righteous man named Job, and Job and his friends argue about why terrible things are happening to him.
  • Exodus: God saves Israel from slavery in Egypt, and then enters into a Covenant with them.
  • In Leviticus God gives Israel instructions for how to worship Him.
  • Numbers: Israel fails to trust and obey God, and wanders in the wilderness for 40 years.
  • Deuteronomy: Moses gives Israel instructions (in some ways, a recap of the laws in Exodus–Numbers) on how to love and obey God in the Promised Land.
  • Joshua (Israel’s new leader) leads Israel to conquer the Promised land, then divides out territories to the twelve tribes of Israel.
  • Judges: Israel enters a cycle of turning from God, falling captive to oppressive nations, calling out to God, and being rescued by leaders God sends their way (called “judges”).
  • Ruth: Two widows lose everything, and find hope in Israel—which leads to the birth of the future King David.
  • 1 Samuel, Israel demands a king, who turns out to be quite a disappointment.
  • 2 Samual: David, a man after God’s own heart, becomes king of Israel.
  • 1 Kings: The kingdom of Israel has a time of peace and prosperity under King Solomon but afterward splits, and the two lines of kings turn away from God.
  • Song of Songs- A love song (or collection of love songs) celebrating love, desire, and marriage.
  • A philosophical exploration of the meaning of life—Ecclesicaties.
  • In 1 Chronicles we read a brief history of Israel from Adam to David, with David commissioning the temple of God in Jerusalem.
  • We also read 150 Psalms that Israel sang to God (and to each other)—kind of like a hymnal for the ancient Israelites.
  • And meditated on the Proverbs: a collection of sayings written to help people make wise decisions that bring about justice.
  • Tomorrow: 2 Kings: Both kingdoms ignore God and his prophets until they both fall captive to other world empires.

We have 20 books (some very short, 1-day reads) left of the Old Testament and then we turn the page to the Gospel.

Do you have this handout? | Bible timeline, Understanding the ...

If you need a copy of the schedule because you hate waiting for me to post (when I fall back asleep after the alarm) 🙂 Click here

There is a handouts section on the website of any cool visuals we have used if you need to reference them at any time. (I am bad about not updating it all the time, but I will try harder)

I know many of you are reading but don’t comment BUT if you want to make me smile, you will write in comments 1 thing you learned reading this year that you did not know before 2021 began,  I would be so happy.

 

Obadiah and Psalm 82-83

~ Patricia ~ Leave a comment

Edom was a well-established nation way before the Israelites were.  The Edomites denied them a passage route in Numbers, however, the two nations co-existed for a long time, even during the reign of Saul.  David battled with them and defeated them (God defeated them) in 2 Samuel 8 but they grew to a large nation again.  The other day I said I skimmed over a passage but we would come back to it: 2 Chronicles 8:

8 In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9 So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 10 To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.

V.1-4 helps give us the imagery of Edom.  They were prideful in their settlement because they sat above any enemies.  Anyone who attacked them did not stand a chance.  (except the Lord!)

Petra

v.5-9 describes the judgment compared to robbers or grape pickers.  Both took what they could carry or wanted.  However,  God’s judgment will look different on Edom: It will be ransacked!! (Esau and Edom are used interchangeably in the read.)

v.10-14 is the “why”.  Note that the indictment is harsh because their sins were committed against their “brother”-Jacob is Israel.

v.15-21-A universal judgment is given and this can also be viewed as “futuristic” for end times as well.

An eye for an eye….you reap what you sow….but it can all go back to the covenant with Abraham too:(Genesis 12:3)

I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;

So read this in the context it was written referring to Edom, however, once I knew this book was about God bringing justice on a nation that thought they were untouchable, filled with Pride, and did not follow the laws of the Lord, I read it as it will be applied TODAY on current countries.

“The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.

Psalm 82-83

Psalm 82-if you read it once you may need to re-read it after this.  In Psalm 82 God refers to the people on earth that have been set in a position to judge as ‘gods’.  Those officials who on earth are here to not pervert justice and be the law keepers according to God’s scriptures.  In the Gospel, as the Jews are unjustly accusing Jesus in John 10, and pervert justice to have Jesus stoned he QUOTES THIS PSALM!

31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 

Psalm 83-

Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
    that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.