Day 228, August 16: Bible reading & prayer
Jeremiah 32-34 (chronological); Psalms 105-106, Romans 15:1-20 (OT/NT)
We are in the era of the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel, as recounted in 1 & 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. We are reading the book of Jeremiah, who prophesied starting in the thirteenth year of Josiah, king of Judah, through the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, sons of Josiah, until the exile of Jerusalem and Judah to Babylon. At the time of Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel had already been exiled to Assyria (2 Kings 18:9-12, Day 209) and the kingdom of Judah had already been prophesied, during the reign of Hezekiah, great-grandfather of Josiah, to be exiled to Babylon (Isaiah 39:6-7, Day 206 & 2 Kings 20:17-18, Day 214).
Our reading yesterday was very significant for the future of Israel. The LORD told Jeremiah to write all the words He had spoken to Him in a book, promising to restore the fortunes of His people Israel and Judah. He explained that He will punish their iniquity and sin, but He will bring them back to the land, and they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom He will raise up. He said, “In the latter days you will understand this.”
The LORD also revealed His New Covenant that He will make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah: “‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more’” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Reminder of historical background: as a consequence for Solomon’s disobedience, ten tribes were torn from the Kingdom of Judah, under Solomon’s son Rehoboam, and given to Jeroboam, to form the Kingdom of Israel. Judah’s kings, influenced by the legacy of faithful David, vary between good and evil. Israel’s kings, influenced by the legacy of rebellious Jeroboam, go from bad to worse, and, during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, the kingdom of Israel was exiled to Assyria as a consequence for their idolatrous sin under the reign of their last King Hoshea. The books of the Kings cover both kingdoms, while the Chronicles tend to focus on the kingdom of Judah. I’ve attempted to summarize relevant details in the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel.
An overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all summaries so far, can be found here. My appeal for the resolution to read your Bibles is here.
August 16 chronological reading: Jeremiah 32-34
Jeremiah 32
v1-5 “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah, because Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, ‘Why do you prophesy, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,’ declares the LORD. ‘If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’”
v6-8 “And Jeremiah said, ‘The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, ‘Buy for yourself my field which is at Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’” Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the LORD and said to me, “Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
v9-15 ‘I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the open copy; and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, before all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time.’ For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’”
v16-25 ‘After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the LORD, saying, “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day. You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them. Behold, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has come to pass; and behold, You see it. You have said to me, O Lord GOD, ‘Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses’—although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”’
v26-35 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, ‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands,’ declares the LORD. ‘Indeed this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face, because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
v36-44 ‘Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, ”It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.” Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. For thus says the LORD, “Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the Negev; for I will restore their fortunes,” declares the LORD.’”
Jeremiah 33
v1-9 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” For thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which are broken down to make a defense against the siege ramps and against the sword, “While they are coming to fight with the Chaldeans and to fill them with the corpses of men whom I have slain in My anger and in My wrath, and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness: Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. It will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.”
v10-11 ‘Thus says the LORD, “Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, ‘It is a waste, without man and without beast,’ that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,
‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
For the LORD is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting’;
and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,” says the LORD.
v12-13 ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or beast, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds who rest their flocks. In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,” says the LORD.
v14-18 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.” For thus says the LORD, “David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.”’
v19-22 “The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.”’
v23-26 “And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, ‘Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, “The two families which the LORD chose, He has rejected them”? Thus they despise My people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight. Thus says the LORD, “If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”’”
Jeremiah 34
v1-5 “The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. You will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be captured and delivered into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.”’” Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you, “You will not die by the sword. You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, ‘Alas, lord!’” For I have spoken the word,’ declares the LORD.
v6-7 “Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah.
v8-11 “The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them: that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage. And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free. But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.
v12-16 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying, ‘At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me. Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants.’”
v17-22 ‘Therefore thus says the LORD, “You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,” declares the LORD, “to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts— the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you. Behold, I am going to command,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.”’”
August 16 OT/NT readings: Psalms 105-106, Romans 15:1-20
We are reading Psalms in the Old Testament reading plan. In this document, I list the Psalms in order of appearance, followed by author (if known), context of the Psalm’s writing (description of context that appear in the Biblical text before some Psalms are quoted), and the Old Testament reading it appears after. Here is that information for today’s Psalms:
Psalm 105, appears as 67th/150 Psalms, author unknown, after David brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11-6, 1 Chronicles 13-16), Day 125
Psalm 106, appears as 53rd/150 Psalms, author unknown, after David was made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12), Day 123
We are reading the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, which he wrote at the end of his third missionary journey, before his arrest in Jerusalem (see timeline of the book of Acts here). Romans is rich in deep theological teaching, which I attempt to summarize here.
Romans 1 taught that creation gives evidence for God so that those who don’t believe have no excuse. Since these unbelievers fail to acknowledge, honor, or give thanks to God, who has made Himself evident, God gives them over to their lusts, which leaves them vulnerable to His wrath. Romans 2 taught that when we judge others, we agree with the Law of God which is written on our hearts and revealed by our conscience. We ourselves will not be judged by our outer actions but by our inner heart to comply with this Law. Romans 3 taught that the revelation of God’s Law to the Jews was to bring about, for everyone, a knowledge of sin, demonstrating “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and need the righteousness God offers through faith in Christ Jesus. In Romans 4, we learned that Abraham was deemed righteous by his faith in God, demonstrating that all of us attain righteousness only by faith in God who offered Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. We learned in Romans 5 that since we are justified by faith before God by the blood of Jesus, we have peace with Him and know that we have been saved from His wrath and, through His Holy Spirit, have hope for whatever we go through in this life and for all eternity. In Romans 6, we learned that we have been freed from death, but we have also been freed from sin’s mastery over us, so, by grace, we present ourselves as slaves to righteousness, resulting in our sanctification. In Romans 7, we learned that the Law came so that we would have knowledge of sin, but we have now been joined “to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God….we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” Romans 8 taught us that the Law of the Spirit of Christ has set us free from the Law of sin and death. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. The Spirit also confirms we are in Christ, especially if we suffer with Him. These sufferings do not compare to the glory to be revealed in Him. We and all of creation groan and persevere, eagerly waiting for it, while the Spirit intercedes for us, and we know all things work together for our good and nothing will separate us from Him. In Romans 9, Paul expressed his grief over his Israelite kinsmen who are lost, but clarified that it is belief in Christ that determines our salvation, not whether we were born Jew or Gentile. In Romans 10, Paul reassured that the Jews have heard this message of salvation, but not all Jews have heeded it. Though they have a zeal for God, they have pursued a righteousness of their own through the Law, but “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,” for “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation….For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’” In chapter 11, Paul reassured that God has not rejected His people Israel. He has always left a remnant of the faithful. Their transgression of faithlessness has meant salvation for the Gentiles, and Paul hoped to move some of them to jealousy by his ministry to the Gentiles so that they too may be saved. The LORD’s willingness to cut off members of His own people Israel for their faithlessness should motivate us to fear Him and stand by our faith. We can be cut off if we do not continue in His kindness, but the Jews can be grafted in again if they do not continue in their unbelief. God has hardened the Jews for a time, but they will be saved according to His covenant with them. In Romans 12, we learned that if we are to continue in the kindness of the LORD, we should not conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, not thinking of ourselves too highly, practicing the gifts we’ve been given as necessary and unique parts of the body with different functions, and heeding quite a number of admonitions in how we treat one another. In Romans 13, we learned we should be in subjection to authorities, as they are established by God. We should love, and not do wrong to, our neighbor, since this fulfills the Law. Our behavior should be proper as in the day, including putting aside strife and jealousy (see my perspective here).
Yesterday, in Romans 14, Paul taught that we should resolve not to judge one another’s differing opinions, not put stumbling blocks in front of each other, and to pursue the things that make for peace, walking in love, knowing each one of us is individually accountable to God (see my perspective here).
Romans 15
v1-6 “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.’ For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v7-12 “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
‘THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,
AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.’
Again he says,
‘REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.’
And again,
‘PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,
AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.’
Again Isaiah says,
‘THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE,
AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES,
IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.’
v13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
v14-20 “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation.”
Dear Lord,
“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
You are our Creator and the Source of all wisdom. Thank You that You are faithful when we call out to You!
whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
I am astounded at the richness of Your word. Thank You for the gift it is. Thank You for how much You teach us through it. Thank You that it teaches us to hope in You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"I am astounded at the richness of Your word. Thank You for the gift it is. Thank You for how much You teach us through it. Thank You that it teaches us to hope in You." Amen. Thank you Dr. Milhoan. Peace.