June 27th One Year Bible Readings

2 Kings 10:32-12:21 ~ Acts 18:1-22 ~ Psalm 145:1-21 ~ Proverbs 18:1
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Old Testament - Eventful readings today in 2 Kings 11 for the coming of a 7 year old king of Judah, Joash! Below are 2 images for 2 Kings 11 verses 13 & 14: "When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the guards and the people, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening. And she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The officers and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets."If God can work all things together for the good of the nation of Israel through a 7 year old boy turned King (Joash), do you trust God can work all things together for good in your life? (Roman 8:28) What is something recently in your life that seemed unlikely or small (like a 7 year old king) that God turned into a good in your life?

It is great to see that in 2 Kings 12 Joash is passionate for the repair of the Temple in Jerusalem.  2 Kings 12 verse today 9 tells us: "Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people's contributions into the chest."

New Testament - Today's readings in Acts 18 are important in that Paul is beginning his work of building the church in Corinth through his ministry!  We of course are very familiar now with Paul's letters of 1st and 2nd Corinthians - today we get a glimpse of how Paul's relationship with the city of Corinth began.  Verses 9 through 11 let us clearly know that the Lord was very involved in Paul's ministry in Corinth: "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, "Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me." So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God." How are you involved in helping to build or support the church today? What are some ways that God has called you to love and serve your local church? How about the global church?

Per Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion today: "Corinth was the political and commercial center of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance.  It had a reputation for great wickedness and immorality.  A temple to Aphrodite - goddess of love and war - had been built on the large hill behind the city."

Psalms - I love the imagery today in Psalm 145 verse 9! "The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation." Do you believe that God is good to everyone?  Do you feel God's compassion being showered upon you right this very moment?

Proverbs - Proverbs 18 verse 1 is a great reminder that God created us to be in community with others!  "A recluse is self-indulgent, snarling at every sound principle of conduct." Are you in community with others?  In what ways?  Are there some ways that God might be calling you to go deeper into community with others?  Are you part of a church community?  Think God would want you to be part of a church community?  Why or why not?

YouTube: Today's Psalm reminded me of Bebo Norman's song "Oh Great Light of the World:"

Do you know the Great Light of the World?  Click here for Light! 

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  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

Comments

[Ramona]

2 Kings 10:32-12:21

Random thoughts or things that make me go, “Hmmm.”

Jehu: One can carry out the will of God, operate in obedience to God’s directions and command and still turn their backs on God. Activity and movement without momentum does not that someone is righteous. WE must wait around for the fruit to appear and then inspect it.

Athaliah: Many a time I get this strong unction that, the devil does his best recruiting on the “church bench.” Yet here we see that the best place to hide the future king was in the Temple. Athaliah never thought to look there because no one every whet there to worship anymore or she just had this “thing” about going inside the House of the Lord.
I also see from her that we have the propensity to demand of others what we are unwilling to do ourselves. Athaliah cried, “Treason,” when she saw Josiah being crowned king, yet she had treasonously killed off ever heir to the thrown, except Josiah seven years before. We cannot demand from others what we are unwilling to do ourselves. We become hypocrites.

The clergy of yesteryear had as much trouble keeping their hands out of the cookie jar as they do today. It was the “working class/blue collar” man that dealt honestly with the monies given to them to repair the Temple. The priests in charge of the collection could not be trusted to “take some of the money to repair the temple,” (II Kings 12:5). No matter what we think the preacher is or is not doing with the collection box, we are suppose to do what God tells us to do, give and do the work of the ministry.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[John]

Acts 18:9-10

"Afraid" and "Speak" are in the "present imperative" - a command. Can be translated as below:

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; -NASB

Now the Lord appears to him at night again, with a threefold command attached to a threefold promise, all expressed in biblical language (Deut 31:6; Josh 1:5; Is 41:10; 43:5; Jer 1:7-9):

Do not be afraid (literally, "Stop being afraid")/I am with you

Keep on speaking/No one is going to attack and harm you

Do not be (literally, "become") silent/Because I have many people in this city

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/?action=getCommentaryText&cid=5&source=1&seq=i.51.18.1

Apparently Paul was afraid - maybe as Bob said because success in preaching to Gentiles may intensify opposition. Maybe because Corinth was "such a tough town". Regardless the Lord gave Paul assurance that he would not be physically harmed. At this time it must be that Paul needed this to be a fearless and tireless preacher of the "Word".

Neat to know that the field is "white" for harvest, that hearts were softened, and people would be receptive to Paul's message. Whatever one's belief in "election" is, the verb construct is "present indicative" saying, 'I have (ongoing)many people.'

As before time when God knows the very number of the hairs on our head, God knows His people - and provides for them. In Corinth at this time - Paul is that provision.
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Gallio sets Precedent

In approaching the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth are trying to stop Paul not only in Corinth, but also in the entire province (Achaia).

i. “If Gallio had accepted the Jewish charge and found Paul guilty of the alleged offense, provincial governors everywhere would have had a precedent, and Paul’s ministry would have been severely restricted. As it was, Gallio’s refusal to act in the matter was tantamount to the recognition of Christianity as a "religio licita” (Longenecker)

religio licita: Latin for "legal religion"

Julius Caser accorded this status (religio licita) to Judaism, and it is more than likely that Gallio - as other Romans (in government) thought - considered Christianity a branch of Judaism.

Around 60 A.D. this staus for Christianity changed as Rome realized it was a distinct religion from Judaism. Chrisitianity became an "illegal religion" and the persecutions started and grew in intensity.

Interesting how God works:

1) as a dispersed nation it was important For Judaism to have this protection - without it, it is doubtful the people or religion would have survived.

2) God took the church's biggest persecutor (Paul) and made him one of the early church's greatest evangelists. Avoiding elimination and ensuring growth.

3) Christianity's early status as a "legal religion" protected it from persecution (elimination) until a time where it had grown past "critical mass" (such a size that it would be impossible to eliminate).

Well, The "legal religion" status was a Roman thing. It did not keep the Jews from trying to stop growth or from persecuting Christians.

And if Rome got involved it would be because of alleged "civil unrest", rebellion or something of that ilk.

While incidents of that did occur with Roman officials getting invovled - they were sporadic. It was not until the persecutions of (around) 60 A.D. and on - that persecution became widespread.

[Julie]

Paul was "afraid". I must have let my eye slide over that word many times before. It makes him more human to me. It is wonderful to know that God can work through us even if we are afraid.

[Christin]

I just wanted to comment to say that I fell off reading the Bible in a Year back in March. I don't know what happened. It really makes no difference now, but I want to get back on for the second half and hope I can finish it out this time.

My husband has been doing well to keep up with his :)