Daily Bible Reading Podcast Phil Fields

1KINGS 1:
Like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles were originally each one book instead of two. The books of Kings and Chronicles have many similarities. One difference is that the books of Kings seem a bit more secular in their outlook, whereas Chronicles seems to have been written by a priest. Henrietta Mears says that both sets have these things in common: 1. They begin with King David and end with the king of Babylon. 2. They open with the building of the Temple and end with the burning of the Temple. 3. They open with David’s first successor to the throne, Solomon, and end with David’s last successor, Jehoiachin, released from captivity by the king of Babylon.
Mears also gives these three rather odd meta messages in these books. I think they might be interesting to look for as we go through:
God does not show favoritism. Acts 10:34 When our all is on the altar, God never keeps us waiting for the fire. The final captivity was because of disobedience to God. This was clearly prophesied long before. PSALM 119:33-48:
God is telling us how important His Word is! A favorite verse from yesterday’s reading is verse 18: “Open my eyes, so that I may see the wonderful truths in your law.”
JOHN 4b:
When I am in Indonesia and given opportunities to pray a blessing over people, I often have prayed John 4:14 for them. Jesus said, “those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
So I pray for the fresh bubbling spring to be within them. And John 7 says: “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
NLT Translation notes:
John 4:21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, [0//dear woman], the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
[I don’t think there is any good equivalent in English for the Greek here. One option runs the risk of sounding terribly rude, and this one runs the risk of misunderstanding the ‘dear’ness of the woman to Jesus.]
27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to [him//her]?”
45 Yet [, suprisingly,] the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
48 Jesus [said//asked], “Will you [people] never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
[It is important to show that the Greek is you-plural here, otherwise Jesus seems overly frustrated with just the one man.]
 
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2SAMUEL 24:
Yesterday we heard David’s final words and the listing of the 38 mighty warriors who loyally helped David in his victories. Note that Uriah the Hittite was so poignantly included at the end of the list. And this 24th chapter seems like a postscript.
PSALM 119:17-32:
Yesterday’s reading included two of the most famous verses from this psalm:
9 NLT How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
JOHN 4:
Yesterday in John 3 we heard the words of John the Baptist at what I consider his finest hour. That was where he said, “He (Jesus) must grow greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” This is a worthy goal for all of us.
NLT Translation notes:
2Sam. 24:16 But as the [death//0] angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented and said to the [0/death] angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
====
John 4:21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, [0//dear woman], the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
[I don’t think there is any good equivalent in English for the Greek here. One option runs the risk of sounding terribly rude, and this one runs the risk of misunderstanding the ‘dear’ness of the woman to Jesus.]
27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to [him//her]?”
45 Yet [, suprisingly,] the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
48 Jesus [said//asked], “Will you [people] never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
[It is important to show that the Greek is you-plural here, otherwise Jesus seems overly frustrated with just the one man.]
 
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2SAMUEL 23:
Yesterday we read David’s long poem of praise for God giving him victory and deliverance from his enemies.
PSALM 119a:
This psalm is famous for being the longest chapter in the Bible, and it is an acrostic psalm with a difference. In this psalm, every line of each stanza starts with the same letter of the alphabet, instead of every line with a different letter. The psalm has 22 stanzas, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And this psalm has a clear theme: God’s Word— or a synonym for it, is mentioned in almost every verse.
Re-reading JOHN 3:
One of the features of John's Gospel is that he breaks in with commentary without warning. Because of the lack of quote marks in ancient Greek, there were no overt signs marking the end of Jesus' speech and John's comment, or at the end of this chapter, John the Baptist's speech and John's comment. I personally don't think that John 3:16 is Jesus' words about himself, but is the start of John's explanation of Jesus' enigmatic words: “as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so [I,] the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in [Me/him] will have eternal life.” We have read that story in Numbers 21. Imagine that all one had to do to be healed of a snake bite was to look at the bronze snake which Moses had put up on a pole. Do you think any of the people who were bitten refused to look up at that bronze snake? (Don’t miss that the shape this cast would have been very much like the shape of a cross.)
NLT Translation notes:
John 3:11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you [refuse to//continue to//won’t] believe our testimony.
13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But [I,] the Son of Man[, have// has] come down from heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so [I,] the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 so that everyone who believes in [Me/him] will have eternal life.
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
[Exegetes and commentators disagree on where to stop Jesus’ quote. I believe that verse 16 and following is John’s narration. John suddenly breaking in with narration is a frequent feature of his Gospel. There is another example in this chapter. I think that John the Baptist’s quote ends at verse 30 not at the end of the chapter. So I differ with NLT’s quote marks for the last paragraph.]
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in [the Son//him]. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I [(like the best man)] am filled with joy at [Jesus’//his] success.
30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.   [end quote]
[Ancient Greek has no quote marks. I feel John the Baptist’s quote ends at verse 30, and 31-36 are the writer’s narration.]
34 For [Jesus, the One//he is] sent by God[, //. He] speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.
36 [0/And] anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
 
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2SAMUEL 22:
We near the end of David’s story. God gave him victory over Sheba and the house of Saul. The killing of seven of the descendants of Saul seems harsh and past the ‘statute of limitations’ to us. But God arranged that revenge in response to untold injustices that were wreaked by Saul against the Gibeonites. Note: God takes notice of covenants made and wants us to do what we promise in His name.
David’s song of praise in chapter 22 closely follows Psalm 18. Because of this long poetic section today, we skip a day reading from the Psalms.
JOHN 3:
John’s Gospel is unique in having the story of the wedding at Cana, which we heard yesterday in chapter 2. The coming to Galilee and working a miracle there seems to have been significant for John, as he later highlights when this happens a second time. John moved the story of the cleansing of the temple to the beginning of his Gospel. I think that a likely reason for this is because he wanted to highlight the conflicts between Jesus and ‘the Jews’, as John calls the religious leaders. Note that in verse 19, Jesus doesn't say, “I will destroy this temple …” but “Destroy” (imperative), as a challenge to the Jewish leaders. At the time the challenge was given, no one in the audience understood the figurative meaning, that the temple He intended was his own body.
NLT Translation notes:
2Sam.22:35 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm [enabling me] to draw a bronze bow.
42They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to [You,/the] LORD, but [You/he] refused to answer.
====
John 3:11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you [refuse to//continue to//won’t] believe our testimony.
13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But [I,] the Son of Man[, have// has] come down from heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so [I,] the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 so that everyone who believes in [Me/him] will have eternal life.
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
[Exegetes and commentators disagree on where to stop Jesus’ quote. I believe that verse 16 and following is John’s narration. John suddenly breaking in with narration is a frequent feature of his Gospel. There is another example in this chapter. I think that John the Baptist’s quote ends at verse 30 not at the end of the chapter. So I differ with NLT’s quote marks for the last paragraph.]
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in [the Son//him]. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I [(like the best man)] am filled with joy at [Jesus’//his] success.
30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.   [end quote]
[Ancient Greek has no quote marks. I feel John the Baptist’s quote ends at verse 30, and 31-36 are the writer’s narration.]
34 For [Jesus, the One//he is] sent by God[, //. He] speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.
36 [0/And] anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
 
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2SAMUEL 21:
The story of David being welcomed back ended poorly with arguments. Sheba attempted to mount a revolt. He died even though surrounded by his clan members because there was a wise woman in the town where he had taken refuge.
Before that, David had decided to promote national reconciliation by appointing Amasa as military commander. But Joab, who had grown too powerful, shamefully put an end to Amasa's career.
Re-reading PSALM 118:
This is an antiphonal psalm. Imagine a leader and a chorus of voices saying a series of refrains. Today we will hear verse 22, which is the Old Testament verse most frequently quoted about the Messiah in the New Testament. And I have quoted verse 23 at the beginning of a number of podcasts.
Re-reading John 2:
In chapters 1-2, John has already started to tell us what Jesus was like. He was able to enter in fully in a wedding feast, he was stern about not turning the temple into a marketplace, and he miraculously knew about people. In chapter 1 verse 24 in the NLT says that he knew “all about people.” The GNT is closer to the Greek with “He knew them all.” Jesus had a miraculous knowledge about people, like we have seen in chapter 1 with Nathanael.
NLT Translation note:
Ps. 118:7 Yes, the LORD is [on my side//for me]; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
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John 2:24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew [all people//human nature].
[I believe that John is telling us something miraculous about Jesus here. He wasn’t just a good student of ‘human nature’! He actually knew everyone, just like he knew the Samaritan woman whom we will hear about. ]
25 No one needed to tell him what [anyone was//mankind is] really like.
 
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2SAMUEL 20:
Yesterday we heard the story of how David sent out his army under three commanders, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He gave them orders to deal gently with Absalom. Joab— who was always pragmatic, didn't do this. Along with Absalom, 20,000 men died in the civil war. Joab stopped David’s mourning for his son and ordered him to go out to encourage his troops. And finally the people decided to bring David back as their king.
PSALM 118a:
This is one of the antiphonal psalms. Imagine a leader and all the congregation saying the refrain. One of the most often quoted verses about the Messiah is found in verse 22. And I have quoted verse 24 at the beginning of a number of podcasts.
JOHN 2:
John uses simple words, such as light, word, lamb, and door. But the concepts he deals with are anything but simple. The meaning goes deep— so deep that you could spend a lifetime studying the prologue in chapter one alone and never get to the bottom of it. Note also that John very artistically makes use of double meaning— using a word with two meanings simultaneously.
Note how Jesus (and the writer, John) artfully hint at the story of Jacob. Jesus calls Nathanael a true son of Israel. Israel is one of Jacob’s name, and Jacob’s name means ‘cheater’. And then Jesus paradoxically calls Nathanael a man of complete integrity. Finally Jesus didn’t need to make it obvious to his hearers and John didn’t need to explain to his readers that Jesus was quoting from the Jacob’s Ladder story. Just a few words and the previous hint were plenty to imply this: Jesus is claiming to be the Way/Ladder to the Father. The way, the truth, and the life.
NLT Translation note:
Ps. 118:7 Yes, the LORD is [on my side//for me]; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
====
John 2:24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew [all people//human nature].
[I believe that John is telling us something miraculous about Jesus here. He wasn’t just a good student of ‘human nature’! He actually knew everyone, just like he knew the Samaritan woman whom we will hear about. ]
25 No one needed to tell him what [anyone was//mankind is] really like.
 
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.