Today we start and finish the book of the prophet Nahum! Nahum prophesied against Nineveh, about 100 years after Jonah prophesied against Nineveh. Nahum was prophesying between 663 and 612 B.C., when Nineveh was at the height of its power. Nineveh was capital of the Assyrian empire and it had control of the Fertile Crescent area. Assyria had recently conquered Israel, the northern kingdom, and was threatening and causing much suffering to Judah. Nineveh was eventually conquered by Babylon in 612 B.C., as Nahum prophesied. A good overview of the book of Nahum is at bible.org at this link. Below is an image of Nahum being called by God from a 14th century illuminated Bible:
Chapter 1 verse 7 stood out to me in today's reading: "The LORD is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him." This is a comforting verse. Do you seek God when trouble comes? Do you realize that he is a strong refuge - if you will seek him and let him be a strong refuge for you? Do you know that God is good? Do you trust in him?
Chapter 3 verse 18 jumped out at me for some reason today: "O Assyrian king, your princes lie dead in the dust. Your people are scattered across the mountains. There is no longer a shepherd to gather them together." For some reason this verse made me very thankful that we do indeed have a shepherd to gather us together today. The shepherd whose birth we will be celebrating each Christmas. A shepherd who was born in a stable in a little town called Bethlehem. Will you allow Jesus be your shepherd this next Christmas season? Will you allow Jesus to gather you together with others to celebrate his birth?
Worship Video: Today readings reminded me of the NewWorldSon song "There is a Way:"
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
It is very interesting to see the rise of Babylon in history and how God foretold Israel that Babylon was coming. God gave Israel so many chances to repent, but Israel wouldn't. Jeremiah in chapter 6 verses 10 & 11 today tells us - "To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the LORD. They don't want to listen at all. So now I am filled with the LORD's fury. Yes, I am weary of holding it in!" What about us today - do we listen when God speaks? It is amazing that Israel would not listen to words like these from God in verses 6 through 8 (though... maybe not so amazing... perhaps we can do a good job of ignoring God's words & warnings in our lives today as well...?) - "This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Cut down the trees for battering rams. Build ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked through and through. She spouts evil like a fountain! Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction. Her sickness and sores are ever before me. This is your last warning, Jerusalem! If you do not listen, I will empty the land."
Today in Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 16 we read - "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” I love these verses! It reminds me that on a daily basis each of us is standing at a crossroads. A crossroads of where the world would have us go and where God would have us go. Too often I am afraid we take the worldly path and not the ancient path. "Ask where the good way is" - Do you do this in your life? How often? I think we can best do this through prayer. "Ask, and you shall receive" we have learned from Jesus. Do we ask Jesus in prayer where the good way is? Then, do we walk in it? And the reward for walking in it is - "you will find rest for your souls." I like this a lot! Who doesn't want rest for our souls? Is your soul at rest today? Why or why not? If your soul is not at rest, is it possible that you are walking along the wrong path? The worldly path? Will you seek instead the ancient paths? The good Way? Will you find rest for your soul?
Wow... I thought today's readings in Second Kings Chapter 22 are some of the best readings we've had in a while! King Josiah cleaned up house for God! He went to town on all the idols, pagan altars and high places. Unfortunately, as we'll see in tomorrow's readings, the southern kingdom of Judah is about to meet a similar fate as the northern kingdom of Israel did in recent days readings. But King Josiah goes down with a fight for the Lord in today's readings! I wonder about this in our lives today - are we willing to fight for the Lord and his values in the way that Josiah did today? Or, perhaps "fight" isn't quite the right word, as Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek.... but, then, considering this, should we simply be meek and mild and not fight for things of the Lord? I don't think Jesus modeled this entirely either. Jesus turned over some tables in the Temple and turned over some ideas about God during His life... What can we learn about a zeal for God from Josiah and Jesus' lives? Please post up your thoughts in the Comments section below. Below is an image of King Josiah and his men destroying a pagan altar from today's readings:
2 Kings 22 verse 8 reminds me of the old adage - "Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives..." :) - "Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!" Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it." That is amazing to think about - that finding the Book of the Law in the Lord's Temple was a big find! Most commentaries suggest that the scroll was either the entire Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) or possibly just Deuteronomy. Imagine if you will that the Bible was "forgotten" about for generations and then finally discovered today!
King Josiah's words in verse 13 are wonderful repentful words - "Go to the Temple and speak to the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah. Ask him about the words written in this scroll that has been found. The LORD's anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing what this scroll says we must do." Have you ever had ah-ha experiences like this in your life? Where you realize finally what God wants you to do - and you realize that you have not been doing it? Well, fortunately God is a God that Psalm 145 verse 8 tells us, "is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love." There is room for repentance with God! When you have these ah-ha moments like King Josiah did, will you turn in repentance and humble yourself before God?
YouTube: Today readings reminded me of the Chris Tomlin song "King of Glory:"
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today in Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 26 we read this sad statement - "Like a thief, Israel feels shame only when she gets caught. Kings, officials, priests, and prophets--all are alike in this." How about us in our lives today? Do we only feel shame when we get caught? Do we realize that God knows exactly what we are doing even if we think we might be doing something in "secret"? Do you realize there are absolutely no secrets with God?
We read some harsh words today from God to Israel in Jeremiah chapters 2 & 3 - calling the nation a prostitute and an adulteress. These are not words a person wants to hear from God - much less an entire nation hearing these words! Jeremiah wrote this book during the last 40 years of Judah's existence, which is not surprising to consider when we read this in chapter 3 verses 8 through 10 - "But now Judah, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution. Israel treated it all so lightly--she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been greatly defiled. But in spite of all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry," says the LORD." Again, not words you want to hear from God. Can you imagine a much worse insult from God? A prostitute? An adulteress? As harsh as these words are - I almost hesitate to ask this - But I think I should - Today, are we ourselves ever a "prostitute" or an "adulteress" to God? Do we give ourselves over to sins and lusts and false loves that break God's heart because of his love for us? Well, when we act in such a bad way, we are fortunate that God says things like he did in verse 1 of chapter 3 of Jeremiah today - "But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the LORD. Yet I am still calling you to come back to me." Even though we may sin gravely against God, he still calls us to come back to Him! Through Jesus today we can come back to Him! Do you need to come back to Him in any way in your life? Will you? Will you leave behind any and all "adulteress" or "prostitute" behaviors, and return to Him simply as the child of God that you were always made to be?
Today in Jeremiah chapter 5 verses 14 through 17 we read God's words to Israel about the coming of the armies of Babylon! "Therefore, this is what the LORD God Almighty says: "Because the people are talking like this, I will give you messages that will burn them up as if they were kindling wood. O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you," says the LORD. "It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand. Their weapons are deadly; their warriors are mighty. They will eat your harvests and your children's bread, your flocks of sheep and your herds of cattle. Yes, they will eat your grapes and figs. And they will destroy your fortified cities, which you think are so safe."
Per Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion today - "Babylon was indeed an ancient nation. The old Babylonian empire had lasted from about 1900 B.C. to 1550 B.C., and earlier kingdoms had been on her soil as early as 3000 B.C. Babylon in Jeremiah's day would shortly rebel against Assyrian domination, form its own army, conquer Assyria, and become the next dominant world power."
Worship Video: Today's readings in Jeremiah reminded me of the David Crowder song on the radio called "How He Loves." Here's an artist named Jared Anderson covering this song live. Beautiful song!
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
2 Kings 21:1-9; 2 Chronicles 33:1-9; 2 Kings 21:10-17; 2 Chronicles 33:10-19; 2 Kings 21:18; 2 Chronicles 33:20; 2 Kings 21:19-26; 2 Chronicles 33:21-25; 2 Kings 22:1-2; 2 Chronicles 34:1-7; Jeremiah 1-2:22 ~ Click here to read today's Scripture on Bible Gateway ~ ~ Listen to today's Scripture on The ESV Bible ~
Today we begin the book of the prophet Jeremiah! Below is a painting from the year 1630 titled "Jeremiah Laments the Devastation of Jerusalem" by the artist Rembrandt. This painting can be viewed today in Amsterdam at the Rijksmuseum.
~ Jeremiah ~ Author: Jeremiah Date: Sixth century B.C. Content: Jeremiah’s life covered the last forty years of Judah’s existence. The burden of his message was for God’s people to accept the judgment of God so that a new beginning could be made. He lived through the invasions by the Babylonian armies, the deportations of his people by the enemy, the slaughter of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the Temple of God. He warned the people concerning these events, pleading with them to turn from their sins, but to no avail. He received only scorn and persecution. Jeremiah’s life is described in some detail, thus making him the best known of the Old Testament prophets. Theme: In the crisis days during which Jeremiah lived, he had but one message for the people: Repent and turn to God. All false hopes must be abandoned and God must be given his rightful place in the nation. Nothing can save the people – neither their wealth, their armies, their diplomats, nor even their religion – only God can save. The destruction of Jerusalem stands as a memorial for all time that when a nation rejects God, the inevitable result will be ruin. Jeremiah also has a message of hope. Although Judah had abandoned God, God had not abandoned them and would once again show himself mightily on their behalf. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 13) A great commentary on the book of Jeremiah by Donald Curtis is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings in Jeremiah today reminded me of JJ Heller's fantastic song "True Things:"
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Isaiah chapter 64 verses 5 through 7 stood out to me as a stark reminder of why Jesus came into our world as our Savior eight centuries after this was written by Isaiah - and why we still need Jesus today as our Savior... - "But we are not godly. We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us. How can people like us be saved? We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins." Do these verses remind you of your need for Jesus? Has Jesus saved you from your constant sinning? Have you been saved from the "infection" of sin? This is great wording in these verses by Isaiah - we are all "infected" with sin... praise God that Jesus saves us from this infection! C.S. Lewis says this about Christianity being a "good infection" -
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah chapter 65 titled "The Lord's Answer: Mercy for Israel" is at this link.
Today we finish up the book of the prophet Isaiah! What a great read this book has been for me this year! I hope it has been a blessing for you as well. Tomorrow we begin the book of the prophet Jeremiah! We read powerful words from God in Isaiah chapter 66 verses 2 & 3 today: "I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. But those who choose their own ways, delighting in their sins, are cursed. Their offerings will not be accepted." Have you ever literally trembled at God's Word, the Bible? I am not 100% sure if I have. I hope so. I have certainly read portions of God's Word where I have felt very convicted. Where I have realized I must change my ways. So, I suppose in this regard I have trembled at God's Word. Do you have a humble and contrite heart? Again, I hope I do. I know I do sometimes... But do we have a humble and contrite heart all of the time? I pray that we learn to. Let us not choose our own ways. Let us not delight in our sins. Let us instead tremble at God's Word.
God's words in the last 3 verses of the book of Isaiah are apocalyptic (which is not a bad thing - just the Truth of what is to come) and seems to be a precursor to John's Book of Revelation that we will read later this year: ""As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear," says the LORD. "All humanity will come to worship me from week to week and from month to month. And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by will view them with utter horror.""
Worship Video - Today's readings in Isaiah reminded me of Britt Nicole's song "You:"
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today in Isaiah chapter 59 we read about warnings against sin - which were written for Israel in 8th century B.C. Do you think we should heed these warnings today as well? Any of these warnings in chapter 59 sound like they could have been written for our modern day? In verses 9 & 10 today we read - "It is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us. That is why God doesn't punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in darkness when we expected light. No wonder we are walking in the gloom. No wonder we grope like blind people and stumble along. Even at brightest noontime, we fall down as though it were dark. No wonder we are like corpses when compared to vigorous young men!" When I read these verses above and look at this image below, I for some reason think of people in our world today who are addicted to pornography. Pornography is a horrific sin that indeed turns vigorous young men into "corpses" of themselves. Pornography sells you "vigor", but it delivers just the opposite - death. I pray that if anyone reading this is addicted to pornography that you'll run for your very life to counseling. Seriously. Your life is too short and precious to walk around like a corpse any more! Go for God! You likely can't pull out of the addiction on your own. You'll need help - immediately. Find an addiction counselor in your town ASAP. Please don't walk in the darkness of this deadly addiction anymore...
Today in Isaiah chapter 60 we read about Jerusalem's future glory! Verses 4 through 6 tell us - "Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. Your eyes will shine, and your hearts will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands. Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. From Sheba they will bring gold and incense for the worship of the LORD."
Beautiful imagery in verses 8 & 9 - "And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests? They are the ships of Tarshish, reserved to bring the people of Israel home. They will bring their wealth with them, and it will bring great honor to the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he will fill you with splendor."
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah titled "The Spirit-filled Servant and the Kingdom of God" is at this link.
Today in Isaiah chapter 63 we read about God's judgment against his enemies. It is interesting dialogue in verses 1 through 3: ""It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who is mighty to save!" Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? "I have trodden the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. It is their blood that has stained my clothes."
YouTube: Today's discussion in Isaiah above about pornography reminded me of the movie starring Kirk Cameron called Fireproof. Have you seen this movie yet? It is terrific! It is an awesome movie about marriage and God. Kirk's character does struggle with pornography in the movie, but is redeemed. Please see the movie soon if you can. Below is the trailer:
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Isaiah chapter 53 is one of the most powerful chapters of the Bible - and one of the saddest to really meditate upon. Isaiah chapter 53 is all about Jesus! This is a powerful chapter to read... I'm sure you likely caught that this chapter was about Jesus when you first read it, but if not, please re-read the chapter again and do you see how Isaiah is prophesying Jesus' passion and death? It is astounding to realize these words of Isaiah's were written in 8th century B.C. Verse 5 tells us: "But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!" Do you believe that the words of Isaiah's in chapter 53 today are about Jesus? Do you believe that Jesus was wounded and crushed for your sins? Was he beaten that you might have peace? Are you healed because Jesus was whipped and then murdered on a cross?
Verse 7: "He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth."
Verse 8: "From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins--that he was suffering their punishment?"
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah chapter 53 titled "The Triumph of the Suffering Servant" is at this link. Below is a great image for Isaiah 53:6 from today's readings:
Today we read Isaiah chapter 55, which is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible! I went to a wedding several years ago in Napa, California and God led me to a church in that town on a Sunday morning where the pastor preached an incredible sermon from Isaiah 55. It is a beautiful chapter for all of us who are Thirsty. Let us drink deeply of God’s Word today! Verse 1 tells us - "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money!" Are you drinking freely of the Bible this year? Even if you have no money, do you believe that God is inviting you to drink deeply of his True and Holy Water, His Word? Are you thirsty?
Verse 6 is fantastic... Will you seek? Will you call?
In verses 10-12 we read:
“10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
How do these above verses resonate with you, based on our One Year Bible readings? Particularly verse 11 above – is God’s Word accomplishing something in you this year through reading the Bible each day? Is the Bible “watering” you? Are you Thirsty? Do you feel that you are going out in joy and being led forth in peace? Have the mountains and hills burst into song before you? Are the trees of the field clapping their hands in your life today?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah chapter 55 titled "God's Exhortation to Receive His Grace" is at this link.
Today in Isaiah chapter 57 verses 20 & 21 we have a chance to think about that sometimes elusive word "peace": ""But those who still reject me are like the restless sea. It is never still but continually churns up mire and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked," says my God." I don't know about you, but I know I have gone through many days of my life without true peace - and many days with true peace. And I do honestly believe that there is no peace in our lives apart from God. When we live our lives solely for our own selfish motives, we live a very chaotic un-restful un-peaceful life I believe. But, when we turn our lives over to God, when we embrace God, when we love God, and when we are obedient to God's will for our lives, we come to know true peace! And it is indeed a peace that surpasses all understanding. I pray that each of us is walking in the light of God's peace this very day. And tomorrow. And the next day. Please, don't ever step out of the peace of God and back into the chaos of living for yourself. I know this can seem to be a glib saying at first glance, but there's a whole lot of truth to this one:
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah chapter 57 titled "God's Condemnation or God's Comfort" is at this link.
Worship Video: I'm sure many of you have heard on K-LOVE "By His Wounds" by Mac Powell, Mark Hall, Steven Curtis Chapman and Brian Littrell. This song is based on Isaiah 53 verse 5 from today's readings. It is a beautiful song about our beautiful Savior Jesus. Here's a live version of the song:
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Isaiah chapter 49 verse 6 is sometimes referred to as "the great commission of the Old Testament"! Here it is: "You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." Paul and Barnabas quote this verse in part in Acts 13:47. The preceding 5 verses (1-5) in chapter 49 are considered the second servant song in Isaiah and are thought to refer to Jesus, the coming Messiah. Isaiah chapter 50 verses 4 through 9 in today's readings are considered the third servant song (out of a total of four) in Isaiah. It's interesting, when I initially read these verses in chapter 50 I really thought they were solely about the prophet Isaiah. But, as we all know by now from our readings in Isaiah - and we'll see this again in big ways in our coming day's readings - Isaiah often had the coming Savior of the world, Jesus, on his mind when he was writing this incredible book of the Old Testament in the eighth century B.C.! I love this painting below of Isaiah writing about Jesus...
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah chapter 50 titled "The Lord Can and Will Help Those Who Trust Him" is at this link. Below is a nice image for Isaiah chapter 48 verse 17 from today's readings:
Worship Video: Today's reading remind me of "God of Wonders" with Third Day and Caedmon's Call:
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Isaiah's words in chapter 44 verses 18 & 19 today are classic Old Testament very direct words! "Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think. The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, "Why, it's just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a chunk of wood?" I wonder about us in our lives today - do we create idols of our own today? Maybe our idols are not made out of chunks of wood these days. But do we create idols perhaps out of other people? Do we create idols out of material goods? Do we create idols out of our careers? Do we create idols out of how we spend our time? Are you bowing down and worshiping any "chunks of wood" in your life today? Please turn any idols you might have over to Jesus and allow him to heal you from worshiping those idols in your life!
In Isaiah chapter 45 readings we read about King Cyrus of Persia! Verse 13 says this about Cyrus in today's readings: "I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide all his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people--and not for a reward! I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!" The interesting thing to note here is that Cyrus was not Jewish - he was a Gentile ruler who was raised up for the purpose of freeing the Israelite captives from exile in Babylon and allowing them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. In yesterday's readings in chapter 45 verse 1 Cyrus was even referred to as "God's anointed." This is the only place in the Bible where a Gentile ruler is said to be anointed. It's also very interesting to note that Isaiah is calling Cyrus by name some 150 years before Cyrus ruled! Isaiah prophesied from 740 to 681 B.C. and Cyrus ruled from 559 to 530 B.C. Some Bible commentaries suggest that Cyrus read these prophesies of Isaiah during his reign and was so moved by them that he decided to indeed fulfill them. In any case, Cyrus played a pivotal role in our spiritual history - allowing the promise of Abraham's many descendants to continue to the fulfillment of the coming Messiah in Jesus!
Isaiah chapter 45 verses 22 & 23 are powerful and foreshadow Jesus' ministry here on earth: "Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to my name." These verses are also foreshadowing of the book of Revelation that we will read later this year. We read Paul quoting these verses to describe Jesus in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11. Do you believe that all the world should look to God for salvation? Is there another god? Is Jesus God? Do you believe that one day every tongue will confess allegiance to the name of Jesus and every knee will bow to Jesus?
Art used by permission by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. To order prints visit her "Revelation Illustrated" site.
Below is an image from Isaiah 46:4 from today's readings:
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah titled "Dead Idols or the Living God" is at this link and "The Knowledge of the Lord" is at this link and "The Lord's Superiority to the gods of Babylon" is at this link.
Worship Video: Isaiah chapter 45 verse 23 reminded me of the fantastic Brian Doerksen song "Come, Now is the Time to Worship" which includes the lyrics: "One day every tongue will confess you are God. One day every knee will bow. Still the greatest treasure remains for those who choose you now!" Here's a great live version of this song, sung by Phillips, Craig and Dean:
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today in Isaiah chapter 42 we read some amazing prophecies about Jesus! Verses 1 through 4 in Isaiah 42 are known as the "Servant Song," in which the servant is the coming Messiah, Jesus. There are 3 other servant songs in Isaiah we'll read in the coming days. The nation of Israel, as well as the Messiah, are both often called "servant". The nation of Israel was to be a kingdom of priests and the Messiah is the high priest who atones for the sins of the world. In Isaiah chapter 42 verse 1 today we read: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.” Verses 1 through 4 are quoted in part in Matthew 12:18-21. Do you see the prophecies about Jesus as you read today's chapter 42? Is this chapter and its prophecies encouraging to you?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Isaiah titled "The Lord is the Gracious Redeemer" is at this link. Below is a great image for Isaiah 43:2-3 from today's readings:
Also below is a great image from Isaiah 44:3 from today's readings:
Worship God: Wow, I forgot how powerful Isaiah chapter 43 is until studying it a bit more just now. Next year I'm going to have to give some more commentary on this chapter! I recalled while reading Isaiah 43 an incredible worship song a church I used to attend sang called "Do Not Fear (Isaiah 43)." Fortunately YouTube has this song! This song seriously would nearly bring me to tears for some reason every time we sang it. I guess because it just reminded me of the sovereignty of God in such a beautiful way.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our Chronological Bible readings at this link.
p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our Chronological Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.s. #3 - I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
