Day 192, July 11: Bible reading & prayer

Amos 1-5 (chronological); Psalms 4-6, Acts 16:16-40 (OT/NT)

Yesterday, we continued reading, “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” Since the visions and history told in Isaiah do not follow a chronological order, today we’ll go back in time (we read visions and history during the time of Ahaz yesterday) and read from the book of Amos.

Amos was a sheepherder, but shared visions the Lord gave him during the time of Uzziah, king of Judah, and the second Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, about the impending exile of the kingdom of Israel to Assyria. He also pronounced judgment against the kingdom of Judah and against Israel’s enemies. I found the book of Amos useful for reviewing the enemies of Israel, as explained in the attached document.

Yesterday we discussed meditating on the book of Isaiah historically, prophetically, and inspirationally (to provide conviction against sin and for obedience). We started reading in fifth chapter yesterday, which went along with the first four chapters, where God was calling Jerusalem and Judah into account for their sin of forsaking Him. We were introduced to the idea of God considering the people and land of Israel as His vineyard: “My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard. What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed….For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress….they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands. Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge….the common man will be humbled and the man of importance abased, The eyes of the proud also will be abased. But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness….Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes….Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil….Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!…they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. On this account the anger of the LORD has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them down….He will also lift up a standard to the distant nation….And carries it off with no one to deliver it.”

The sixth chapter of Isaiah is his famous vision of heaven: “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne….Then I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’” A seraphim flew to him with a burning coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s mouth, saying, “‘your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ He said, ‘Go, and tell this people: “Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.”…Then I said, ‘Lord, how long?’ And He answered, ‘Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people And the land is utterly desolate, The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. Yet there will be a tenth portion in it….The holy seed is its stump.’”

There is narrative in Isaiah, like in the seventh chapter: “in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah,…Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it [this started under Jotham in 2 Kings 15:37, on Day 189]….Then the LORD said to Isaiah, ‘Go out now to meet Ahaz…and say to him, “Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah….the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim [another name for the kingdom of Israel since Jeroboam son of Nebat was of the tribe of Ephraim] will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people), and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.”’”

Interesting that the prophecy of Jesus’ virgin birth occurred when “the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, ‘Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!’ Then he said, ‘Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.”

The LORD again revealed His short term plan to punish His people for their sin: “The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria.” Amos, which we’ll read today, talks about the invasion of Assyria as well.

In the eighth chapter, the LORD told Isaiah, “I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.’ He spoke again of the invasion of “the king of Assyria and all his glory….it will sweep on into Judah.” He instructed Isaiah, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary.” Isaiah wrote, “I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him….When they say to you, ‘Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn….they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward.”

Historical context for the tumultuous timing of these prophetic words: Jehoshaphat followed the LORD but aligned himself with the house of Ahab. His son Jehoram married Athaliah, daughter of Ahab. Jehoram’s son Ahaziah was killed by Jehu when he fulfilled the Lord’s judgment on the house of Ahab. His mother killed all his sons but one, and reigned in his place, until Jehoiada the priest restored Joash to the throne and killed Athaliah. Joash served the LORD until Jehoiada died, and then forsook Him to serve idols, even killing Jehoiada’s son Zechariah when he rebuked him. Joash was killed by his servants, and his son Amaziah reigned, but he chose to serve the gods of Edom, and he was killed. His son Uzziah, also known as Azariah, reigned 52 years and sought the LORD, so God prospered him. Then he became proud and tried to burn incense in the temple, something only the priests should do, so he was made a leper and his son Jotham served in his place until his death. The reign of kings of Israel was tumultuous during Uzziah’s long reign. The last of Jehu’s descendants, Zechariah, was killed by Shallum, who was killed by Menahem, who had to pay tribute to the king of Assyria. He was succeeded by his son Pekahiah, who was killed by Pekah, son of Remaliah. Jotham, son of Uzziah, became king during the days of Pekah, and both Pekah and Rezin, king of Aram, came against Judah. Meanwhile, Tiglath, king of Assyria, started capturing parts of Israel and carrying captives to Assyria.

You can imagine that the book of Isaiah is difficult to outline. I noted themes and events that repeat throughout the book as God is gracious to teach and re-teach, warn and re-warn. He is just and will punish iniquity, but His promises are good for those who are faithful to Him. What I learned about its themes in my reading of Isaiah is helpful for both introduction and review.

The era of the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel is recounted in 1 & 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles (I note the kings of Judah in bold and the kings of Israel in bold italics).

I include housekeeping details daily for those who have newly joined this study. I usually try to schedule the timing of each day’s post so there is consistency, but sometimes I fail due to my own schedule. If you are looking for the day’s reading earlier than the post is available, you can always search for the same day’s reading from last year.

An overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all edited summaries so far, can be found here. My appeal for the resolution to read your Bibles is here. My challenge for us to read in wonder, recognizing the Bible is true and has consequence for our lives is here.

I use blueletterBible.org (NASB95) as my Bible study tool.

I do find typos in my writing after the fact. I schedule these posts early, but always re-read and edit them on the morning they’re posted. So, if you notice a lot of typos in an email version, just check back on Substack for an edited version (you can tell the timing of my editing by when I post the day’s reading and prayer on X: @KDMilhoanMD. If you found this study this way, praise God, and…welcome!)

July 11 chronological reading: Amos 1-5

Amos 1

v1 “The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

v2 “He said,
‘The LORD roars from Zion
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn,
And the summit of Carmel dries up.’

v3-5 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of Damascus and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.
So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael
And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.
I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven,
And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir,’
Says the LORD.

v6-8 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of Gaza and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they deported an entire population
To deliver it up to Edom.
So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza
And it will consume her citadels.
I will also cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,
And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon;
I will even unleash My power upon Ekron,
And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,’
Says the Lord GOD.

v9-10 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of Tyre and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre
And it will consume her citadels.’

v11-12 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of Edom and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he pursued his brother with the sword,
While he stifled his compassion;
His anger also tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
So I will send fire upon Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.’

v13-15 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to enlarge their borders.
So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah
And it will consume her citadels
Amid war cries on the day of battle,
And a storm on the day of tempest.
Their king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,’ says the LORD.”

Amos 2

v1-3 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of Moab and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid tumult,
With war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
I will also cut off the judge from her midst
And slay all her princes with him,’ says the LORD.

v4-5 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of Judah and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they rejected the law of the LORD
And have not kept His statutes;
Their lies also have led them astray,
Those after which their fathers walked.
So I will send fire upon Judah
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.’

v6-8 “Thus says the LORD,
‘For three transgressions of Israel and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they sell the righteous for money
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless
Also turn aside the way of the humble;
And a man and his father resort to the same girl
In order to profane My holy name.
On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar,
And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

v9-16 ‘Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
Though his height was like the height of cedars
And he was strong as the oaks;
I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below.
It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And I led you in the wilderness forty years
That you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.
Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets
And some of your young men to be Nazirites.
Is this not so, O sons of Israel?’ declares the LORD.
‘But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
And you commanded the prophets saying, “You shall not prophesy!”
Behold, I am weighted down beneath you
As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves.
Flight will perish from the swift,
And the stalwart will not strengthen his power,
Nor the mighty man save his life.
He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground,
The swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will he who rides the horse save his life.
Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day,’ declares the LORD.”

Amos 3

v1 “Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt:

v2-8 ‘You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.’
Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?
Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing
Unless He reveals His secret counsel
To His servants the prophets.
A lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

v9-11 “Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, ‘Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst. But they do not know how to do what is right,’ declares the LORD, ‘these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels.’
Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD,
‘An enemy, even one surrounding the land,
Will pull down your strength from you
And your citadels will be looted.’

v12-15 “Thus says the LORD,
‘Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away—
With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch!
Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,’
Declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts.
‘For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,
I will also punish the altars of Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut off
And they will fall to the ground.
I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house;
The houses of ivory will also perish
And the great houses will come to an end,’
Declares the LORD.”

Amos 4

v1-3 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
Who say to your husbands, ‘Bring now, that we may drink!’
The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness,
‘Behold, the days are coming upon you
When they will take you away with meat hooks,
And the last of you with fish hooks.
You will go out through breaches in the walls,
Each one straight before her,
And you will be cast to Harmon,’ declares the LORD.

v4-5 ‘Enter Bethel and transgress;
In Gilgal multiply transgression!
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
Offer a thank offering also from that which is leavened,
And proclaim freewill offerings, make them known.
For so you love to do, you sons of Israel,’
Declares the Lord GOD.

v6-8 ‘But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities
And lack of bread in all your places,
Yet you have not returned to Me,’ declares the LORD.
‘Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city
And on another city I would not send rain;
One part would be rained on,
While the part not rained on would dry up.
So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water,
But would not be satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,’ declares the LORD.

v9-10 ‘I smote you with scorching wind and mildew;
And the caterpillar was devouring
Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees;
Yet you have not returned to Me,’ declares the LORD.
‘I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt;
I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses,
And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils;
Yet you have not returned to Me,’ declares the LORD.

v11 ‘I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze;
Yet you have not returned to Me,’ declares the LORD.

v12 ‘Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.’

v13 “For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind
And declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who makes dawn into darkness
And treads on the high places of the earth,
The LORD God of hosts is His name.”

Amos 5

v1-2 “Hear this word which I take up for you as a dirge, O house of Israel:
She has fallen, she will not rise again—
The virgin Israel.
She lies neglected on her land;
There is none to raise her up.

v3 “For thus says the Lord GOD,
‘The city which goes forth a thousand strong
Will have a hundred left,
And the one which goes forth a hundred strong
Will have ten left to the house of Israel.’

v4-7 “For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel,
‘Seek Me that you may live.
But do not resort to Bethel
And do not come to Gilgal,
Nor cross over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
And Bethel will come to trouble.
Seek the LORD that you may live,
Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph,
And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
For those who turn justice into wormwood
And cast righteousness down to the earth.’

v8-10 “He who made the Pleiades and Orion
And changes deep darkness into morning,
Who also darkens day into night,
Who calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the surface of the earth,
The LORD is His name.
It is He who flashes forth with destruction upon the strong,
So that destruction comes upon the fortress.

v10-13 “They hate him who reproves in the gate,
And they abhor him who speaks with integrity.
Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor
And exact a tribute of grain from them,
Though you have built houses of well-hewn stone,
Yet you will not live in them;
You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.
For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great,
You who distress the righteous and accept bribes
And turn aside the poor in the gate.
Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps silent, for it is an evil time.

v14-15 “Seek good and not evil, that you may live;
And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you,
Just as you have said!
Hate evil, love good,
And establish justice in the gate!
Perhaps the LORD God of hosts
May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

v16-17 “Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the Lord,
‘There is wailing in all the plazas,
And in all the streets they say, “Alas! Alas!”
They also call the farmer to mourning
And professional mourners to lamentation.
And in all the vineyards there is wailing,
Because I will pass through the midst of you,’ says the LORD.

v18-20 “Alas, you who are longing for the day of the LORD,
For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you?
It will be darkness and not light;
As when a man flees from a lion
And a bear meets him,
Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall
And a snake bites him.
Will not the day of the LORD be darkness instead of light,
Even gloom with no brightness in it?

v21-27 ‘I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,’ says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.”

July 11 OT/NT readings: Psalms 4-6, Acts 16:16-40

We started Psalms in this Old Testament reading plan yesterday. 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 4, appears as 89th/150 Psalms, authored by David, during his flight from Jerusalem because of the rebellion of Absalom (2 Samuel 13-15), Day 136

• Psalm 5, appears as 100th/150 Psalms, authored by David, after he was restored as king over Israel after the death of Absalom (2 Samuel 19-21), Day 140

• Psalm 6, appears as 27th/150 Psalms, authored by David, during the war between the house of David and the house of Saul (2 Samuel 1-4), Day 112

I’ve decided to edit this document as we go along. We’ve read the Psalms chronologically, so I originally organized the document chronologically, noting excerpts for each of the them, in the second half of the document. As we read through them in numerical order in the Old Testament plan, I’m going to change the order of the excerpts in the second half of the document to their numerical order, still with author and context of their writing noted. So, for yesterday, Psalms 1-3 looks like this:

1. delight in the law of the LORD, appears 55th, author unknown, after David brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11-6, 1 Chronicles 13-16), Day 125

   1. “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night….the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”

2. those who take refuge in the Son are blessed, appears 56th, author unknown, after David brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11-6, 1 Chronicles 13-16), Day 125:

   1. “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing?…He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them….I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain….Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

3. the Lord is a shield against enemies, appears 88th, David, “when he fled from Absalom his son” (2 Samuel 13-15), Day 136

   1. “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son”: “O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God.’ Selah. But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head….I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God!…You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.”

We are reading the book of Acts in the New Testament plan. This account by Luke began after Jesus’ resurrection and before His ascension into heaven. Luke summarized about his Gospel account, “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.” Remember Luke wrote about that first account to Theophilus, “having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, [I wrote] it out for you in consecutive order…so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”

Some review for context about Paul’s missionary journeys. He met Jesus on the road to Damascus. When he started to proclaim Jesus as Lord, Jews plotted to kill him in both Damascus and Jerusalem, so he went away to Tarsus, where he was from, for a time. When Gentiles came to faith in the gospel in Antioch, first being called Christians there, Barnabas went to encourage them and then went and brought Paul there so they could teach the church there together. Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem together to take a donation, meeting John Mark, and taking him back with them to Antioch. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, the three of them embarked on Paul’s first missionary journey together, sailing to Cyprus first, and then John Mark went back to Jerusalem. After returning to Antioch after completing the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas went back to Jerusalem for what we now call the Council at Jerusalem, about which we have just recently read. Silas went to Antioch with them after the Council, and stayed on. Paul then wanted to go back and re-visit the cities they went to on their first journey, but Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark and Paul did not, since he had left them in Cyprus. So Barnabas and John Mark sailed to Cyprus, and Paul and Silas embarked, by land, on what is now known as Paul’s second missionary journey.

We’ve read about the consequential meetings of Paul with Barnabas, John Mark, and Silas. Yesterday we read about his consequential meeting of Timothy, “well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem [at the Council at Jerusalem].” They traveled to Troas, the Spirit having constrained their travel and sharing of the gospel, but then Paul had a vision where “a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” They went “to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony.”

We don’t know how Paul met Luke, but he entered the story yesterday when he said, “on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us.”

A summary of the book of Acts, which is really a summary of the rest of the New Testament, including when all the letters of the apostles were written, is here.

Acts 16

v16-18 “It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, ‘These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.’ She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!’ And it came out at that very moment.

v19-21 “But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, ‘These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.’

v22-24 “The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

v25-30 “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!’ And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’

v31-34 “They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.

v35-40 “Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, ‘Release those men.’ And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ‘The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace.’ But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.’ The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.”

Dear Lord,

about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them

Grant us the capability, by Your Holy Spirit, to glorify You in all circumstances, because people are listening and watching who need to know You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.