Day 113, April 23: Bible reading & prayer
1 Chronicles 1-2 (chronological); 2 Samuel 7-9, Luke 19:1-28 (OT/NT)
In our chronological reading today, we start 2 Chronicles, which begins with genealogies from Adam to David. My eyes used to glaze over at Biblical genealogies, but I’ve come to love mining them for their treasure of information and insight. Today’s genealogies, some of which are straightforward and some of which are very confusing, are summarized in my outline of the reign of King David.
The reign of King David, the man after God’s own heart, finally began after King Saul died and is recounted in 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Chronicles, and more of the Psalms of David. I will edit my outline of the reign of King David as we go along.
I am summarizing the order of the Psalms, their authors, and their Scriptural context, as we go along, here.
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.
April 23 chronological reading: 1 Chronicles 1-2
1 Chronicles 1
v1-4 “Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth.
v5-7 “The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Rodanim.
v8-16 “The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth. Mizraim became the father of the people of Lud, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, Pathrus, Casluh, from which the Philistines came, and Caphtor. Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites and the Hamathites.
v17-23 “The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. Arpaschad became the father of Shelah and Shelah became the father of Eber. Two sons were born to Eber, the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph,Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.
v24-27 “Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram, that is Abraham.
v28-33 “The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah; these were the sons of Ishmael. The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, whom she bore, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.
v34-42 “Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna and Amalek. The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. The sons of Shobal were Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. The son of Anah was Dishon. And the sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran. The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.
v43-51a “Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king of the sons of Israel reigned. Bela was the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. When Samlah died, Shaul of Rehoboth by the River became king in his place. When Shaul died, Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. When Baal-hanan died, Hadad became king in his place; and the name of his city was Pai, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. Then Hadad died.
v51b-53 “Now the chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.”
1 Chronicles 2
v1-2 “These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
v3-4 “The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death. Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.
v5-8 “The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara; five of them in all. The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who violated the ban. The son of Ethan was Azariah.
v9-17 “Now the sons of Hezron, who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai. Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah; Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz, Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse; and Jesse became the father of Eliab his firstborn, then Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh; and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab and Asahel. Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.
v18-20 “Now Caleb the son of Hezron had sons by Azubah his wife, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri became the father of Bezalel.
v21-24 “Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub. Segub became the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. But Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath and its villages, even sixty cities. All these were the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead. After the death of Hezron in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
v25-41 “Now the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were Ram the firstborn, then Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin and Eker. The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. And the sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur. The name of Abishur’s wife was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim, and Seled died without sons. The son of Appaim was Ishi. And the son of Ishi was Sheshan. And the son of Sheshan was Ahlai. The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai were Jether and Jonathan, and Jether died without sons. The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant in marriage, and she bore him Attai. Attai became the father of Nathan, and Nathan became the father of Zabad, and Zabad became the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jehu, and Jehu became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Helez, and Helez became the father of Eleasah, and Eleasah became the father of Sismai, and Sismai became the father of Shallum, and Shallum became the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah became the father of Elishama.
v42-50a “Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, were Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph; and his son was Mareshah, the father of Hebron. The sons of Hebron were Korah and Tappuah and Rekem and Shema. Shema became the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem became the father of Shammai. The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Bethzur. Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza and Gazez; and Haran became the father of Gazez. The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbena and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. These were the sons of Caleb.
v50b-55 “The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, Salma the father of Bethlehem and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had sons: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, and the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. The sons of Salma were Bethlehem and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. The families of scribes who lived at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. Those are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.”
April 23 OT/NT readings: 2 Samuel 7-9, Luke 19:1-28
The text of 2 Samuel 7-9 will be available when we get there in the chronological plan.
Luke “investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order” (Luke 1:3), so his Gospel account is long and detailed. He not only shared the events of Jesus’ life, but also focused much effort on sharing the content of His teaching as well.
I am more and more convicted that we get more understanding out of reading Jesus’ teaching in context. We get insight into a phrase that may seem out of place if we consider what Jesus talks about before and after that phrase. I don’t include all of what the Lord convicts me about in my prayers, but I do record them in “What I Am Learning” from Luke as we go along. It may be more helpful, and less cumbersome, to look at this document for each day’s reading, if you are interested, rather than waiting until we are done with this book.
So far in the Gospel of Luke: the angel Gabriel appears to the priest Zacharias, telling him about the impending birth of his son John, and then to Mary, telling her she will conceive Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit; Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem due to a census decree and Jesus is born there; Mary and Joseph then go up to Jerusalem to dedicate Him to the Lord as the Law required; Jesus and his parents return to Nazareth; during his family’s annual visit to Jerusalem for the Passover when he is twelve, Jesus stays behind at the temple for three days; John begins preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, admonishing people to bear fruit in keeping with repentance; John baptizes Jesus; genealogy of Jesus via Mary from Adam, the son of God; Jesus is tempted by Satan during 40 days in the wilderness; Jesus returns to Galilee, begins preaching in synagogues, and news about Him spreads; Jesus reads from Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, claiming Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing, and they drive Him out of the city; Jesus comes to Capernaum and people are amazed at His teaching with authority; a demon possessing a man in the synagogue recognizes Jesus and Jesus casts it out; Jesus heals Simon’ mother-in-law; Jesus heals many, so crowds begin searching for Him, but He moves on to other cities in order to preach the kingdom of God; Jesus teaches from a fishing boat, and has Simon put out for a catch that is so big it requires two boats to haul in; Jesus heals a leper and news about Him continues to spread; Jesus heals a paralyzed man to demonstrate He has the authority to forgive sins; Jesus calls Levi (Matthew); Levi has a reception for Jesus, and the Pharisees criticize him for eating with tax collectors and sinners; Jesus answers the Pharisees on why His disciples don’t fast, including the parable of the wineskins; the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples for picking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath, but Jesus explains He is Lord of the Sabbath; Jesus heals a man with a withered hand in a synagogue on the Sabbath, and the enraged scribes and Pharisees begin to plot against Him; Jesus spends a night in prayer and then appoints twelve of His disciples as apostles, and then teaches them (content very similar to the Sermon on the Mount); Jesus heals the centurion’s slave; Jesus raises a widow’s son from the dead in Nain; John sends His disciples to verify Jesus is the Expected One, and Jesus uses Scripture to verify that He is, and then explains John is a prophet and he fulfilled Malachi 3:1; Jesus points out the inconsistent critiques of Himself and John; a woman anoints Jesus with alabaster vial of perfume at dinner at home of Simon the Pharisee and Jesus explains that those who are forgiven much love much; Jesus tells the parable of the sower of seed; Jesus’ mother and brothers come to Him and Jesus declares that His mother and brothers are those that hear the word of God and do it; Jesus calms the sea; Jesus heals the demon-possessed man in the land of the Gerasenes; Jesus heals the woman with a hemorrhage and brings Jairus’ daughter back to life after she dies; Jesus sends out His disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God and perform healing; Jesus feeds 5000; Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ of God; Jesus explains to His disciples His upcoming death and resurrection; Jesus’ transfiguration; Jesus’ disciples cannot heal a demon-possessed boy, so Jesus rebukes the spirit and heals the boy; Jesus again explains His upcoming death but His disciples are prevented from understanding; Jesus’ disciples argue over who is the greatest, but Jesus teaches the least is the greatest; Jesus explains those who are not against you are for you; a Samaritan village does not receive Jesus and His disciples because they are traveling toward Jerusalem, but Jesus advocates compassion and not vengeance; Jesus confronts potential followers with the cost and sacrifice required to follow Him; Jesus sends out the seventy in pairs to preach that the kingdom of God has come near; Jesus explains that it will be more tolerable for non-repentant cities in the judgment than for those cities that did not repent after seeing His miracles; a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal life and Jesus prompts him to repeat the greatest two commandments; Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan to explain what loving one’s enemies looks like; Martha complains about her sister Mary not helping serve, but Jesus says only one thing is necessary, which is listening to His word; Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray; Jesus talks about persistence in prayer, promising the Holy Spirit to those who ask; Jesus addresses the accusation that He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons; Jesus teaches that those who hear the word of God and observe it are blessed; Jesus has lunch with a Pharisee who is surprised that He did not participate in ceremonial cleansing; Jesus criticizes the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy, neglecting justice and the love of God; the Pharisees become hostile and plot against Him; Jesus teaches not to fear men but the One who can send to hell, and about having hearts that are rich toward God and not anxious about worldly provision; Jesus teaches in parables to explain readiness for His return, serving Him while waiting; Jesus explains the victims of recent disasters were not greater sinners than others, and all need to repent or perish; Jesus tells a parable demonstrating the need to bear fruit or eventually be cut down; Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath, angering a synagogue official; Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and to leaven hidden in flour; Jesus admonishes to enter through the narrow gate, being known by the Lord, and not as an evildoer; the Pharisees warn that Herod wants to kill Jesus and Jesus says a prophet cannot perish outside Jerusalem and laments Jerusalem’s rejection of Him; Jesus eats in a Pharisee’s home on the Sabbath, healing a man with dropsy, and the lawyers and Pharisees cannot answer whether it is right to heal on the Sabbath; Jesus tells a parable about taking the lower place at an invited feast and about being generous in whom you invite to a feast; He also tells a parable about many being invited to the feast of the kingdom of heaven who will fail to taste of that dinner; Jesus explains the need to deny ourselves to follow Him; when Jesus is criticized by the Pharisees and scribes for receiving and eating with sinners, He explains the joy in heaven when even one sinner repents; Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son, the unrighteous steward, and the rich man and Lazarus; Jesus talks about not stumbling others and then admonishes our mercy for others; Jesus is asked about increasing faith and He tells His apostles to perform actions requiring faith; Jesus explains simple obedience is that which is required and not deserving of more reward; Jesus heals ten lepers but only one thanks Him, and Jesus pronounces him well because of His faith; Jesus tells the parable of the unrighteous judge; Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee, who thinks he is righteous and views others with contempt, and the tax collector, who humbly recognized his sin; Jesus tells His disciples to allow children to come to Him; the rich young ruler went away from Jesus sad because he had many possessions he did not want to give up to follow Jesus; Jesus reassures there will be both earthly and eternal rewards for those who have given up all to follow Him; Jesus heals a blind man in Jericho, who then follows Him, glorifying God
I have written an outline for Luke that I will edit as we go along. I also wrote “What I Learned” as an introduction to Luke, informed by my reading of Eugenia Constantinou’s book, “The Crucifixion of the King of Glory.”
If you desire to read the four Gospel accounts chronologically, with more commentary than these daily readings/prayers (generated by my leadership of my church’s women’s Bible study), you can subscribe for that content here.
Luke 19
v1-10 “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’”
v11-27 “While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, ‘A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, “Do business with this until I come back.” But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, “We do not want this man to reign over us.” When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. The first appeared, saying, “Master, your mina has made ten minas more.” And he said to him, “Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.” The second came, saying, “Your mina, master, has made five minas.” And he said to him also, “And you are to be over five cities.” Another came, saying, “Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.” He said to him, “By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?” Then he said to the bystanders, “Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.” And they said to him, “Master, he has ten minas already.” I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.’
v28 “After He had said these things, He was going on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.”
Dear Lord,
Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram, that is Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.
These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah…Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
Now the sons of Hezron, who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai. Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah; Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz, Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse; and Jesse became the father of Eliab his firstborn, then Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh; and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab and Asahel.
Thank You, Lord, for giving us this genealogy of David all the way back to Adam.
“they all began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’”
What do we grumble about, not understanding You, Your motivations, and Your actions? Thank You for Your mercy to seek and save the lost. May our meeting You cause us to repent, bringing us salvation.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"What do we grumble about, not understanding You, Your motivations, and Your actions? Thank You for Your mercy to seek and save the lost. May our meeting You cause us to repent, bringing us salvation." Amen. Thank you Dr. Milhoan. Peace.