1CHRONICLES 6:Yesterday we heard details about the leaders of three tribes, Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. PROVERBS 16a:Today’s collection of proverbs contains a famous one: Pro. 16:3 NLT Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed. Re-reading EPHESIANS 5:Although today’s chapter does not contain an instance of the th…

1CHRONICLES 5:In yesterday’s reading, we heard of important ancestors of the tribes of Judah and Simeon. In Ezra’s time, I can imagine that it was important to figure out who was who and what their relationship was, as this would determine the redistribution of land to the exiles who were returning. PROVERBS 15b:I wish I was more like this proverb:…

1CHRONICLES 4:In yesterday’s reading we started with David’s sons, then for the descendants of King Solomon, only the kings were listed. So we jumped up to the period of the exile to Babylon. PROVERBS 15a:Here is a favorite verse from today’s group of proverbs: Pro. 15 NLT 17 A bowl of vegetables with someone you loveis better than steak with someo…

1CHRONICLES 3:So far we have traced Jakob/Israel’s descendants into the time of David, and today’s reading picks up with David himself. PROVERBS 14b:Here is a quote from today’s group of proverbs: Pro. 3:20 NLT The poor are despised even by their neighbors,while the rich have many “friends.” EPHESIANS 4:Paul’s letters are usually divided into two p…

1CHRONICLES 2:Yesterday we traced from Adam to Noah, and the genealogy to Abraham. Then we heard of Abraham’s two other families, those descending from Keturah and the sons and rulers descended from Esau. So now we take up Jacob’s descendants, but in this book he is frequently called by his other name, Israel. (GNT has used ‘Jacob’ instead in this …

1 CHRONICLES 1:Jewish and Christian traditions hold that Jeremiah was the author of 1&2 Kings, which were originally one book. And that Ezra, the priest, wrote 1&2 Chronicles, which are also one book in the Hebrew. It may be that Ezra wrote these books after his return to Jerusalem. The Greek Septuagint names this book Paraleipomena, which means ‘t…

LAMENTATIONS 4-5: In yesterday's reading, the sun pierced the dark clouds with this glorious section: Lam. 3:22 NLT The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” 25 The Lord is go…

The stories that made the Ancient Egypt headlines over the second week of August. Madbouli Inspects Giza Plateau GEM Ticket Prices Museo Egizio Opens Nefertatri Exhibit New Ticket Machine at VoK Roman Era Discovery at Marsa Matruh On Top Of The Pyramid Exhibition in China New Digital Guide for Special Needs Visitors These news stories are taken fro…

LAMENTATIONS 3:A warning for the modern times is here in chapter 2: Lam. 2:14 NLT Your prophets have saidso many foolish things, false to the core.They did not save you from exileby pointing out your sins.Instead, they painted false pictures,filling you with false hope. The last so poignant line from yesterday’s reading was, 22 … “The enemy has kil…

LAMENTATIONS 1-2:In the early chapters of his book, Jeremiah spoke several times of his tears. Lamentations will help us to understand how this ‘weeping prophet’ felt, and how God mourned also. This book has been a comfort to many who mourn. Light breaks through in the middle— in chapter 3, with words that are used in one of our greatest hymns. The…

JEREMIAH 52:We come to the addendum to Jeremiah— seemingly written by someone else, perhaps Baruch. I commented yesterday how chapter 51 foreshadows Revelation 18. Jeremiah was prophesying the downfall of the real city of Babylon.What he foretold happened around 70 years later. His prophecy includes details about the enemies being from Media, about…

JEREMIAH 51:Today the Lord continues the long prophecy against Babylon. This chapter foreshadows what will happen to the figurative Babylon in Revelation 18. PROVERBS 11a:An important thing I didn’t mention before is that these proverbs represent principles, not promises. This particularly needs to be remembered for verses that talk about prosperit…

JEREMIAH 50:Finally after hearing messages prophesying against so many nations, always telling or implying that the Babylonians would be God’s instrument to punish them, now this long chapter tells how Babylon will finally be judged as well, and God will return to take pity on Israel. PROVERBS 10b:Here is an example of Hebrew parallelism from today…

JEREMIAH 49:Having heard bad news about Egypt, Philistia, and Moab, we now hear the bad news for the nations of Ammon and Edom, the city of Damascus, and the nations of Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. PROVERBS 10a:From here on in Proverbs we’ll go a bit slower, by half chapters, because each verse is a separate gem of wisdom. Almost all of these verses are…

JEREMIAH 48:In yesterday’s reading, the Lord began giving oracles about different nations, with one chapter concerning Egypt and the next one about Philistia. Today we’ll hear about Moab. PROVERBS 9:Today’s chapter is the last of the thematic chapters at the beginning of this book. Lady Wisdom speaks, and we find that she is opposed by Lady [Folly/…

The stories that made the Ancient Egypt headlines over the first week of August. Child Sacrifice by Tomb Robbers Coffin of Ankhpakhered in Wales Seminar on NK Architecture in Luxor These news stories are taken from various public internet sources including: http://english.ahram.org.eg/Portal/9/Heritage.aspx https://egyptianstreets.com/tag/cairo/ ht…

By Phil Fields

JEREMIAH 44-45:After all Jeremiah's messages of doom, he was able to give a comforting message to the Judeans who had been through so much. He might have thought, “At last I get to preach good news.” The Lord said through him, “I feel sorry for all you have had to suffer. Stay here. I will make the king of Babylon take pity on you. Don't fear the B…

JEREMIAH 42-43:I have always found it fascinating what Jeremiah experienced in the aftermath of the fall of Judah's kingdom to the king of Babylon. It is interesting to me that he was led away in chains along with everyone else captured. But the king of Babylon had heard of him and left instructions about him. And it is a shame what happened to Ged…

JEREMIAH 40-41:Yesterday we heard of Jeremiah being put in a dry but muddy well, and being rescued by the faithful official, Ebed-melech. And we heard the terrible and painful result of Zedekiah's cowardly failure to do as repeatedly instructed by the Lord. Ezekiel— who was about 20 years younger than Jeremiah, prophesied about Zedekiah: Ezek 12:12…

Day 4 THEME: Buckle up the belt of truth about RESISTING SATAN. All of the Buckling the belt episodes are scattered throughout the Bible reading calendar. This episode will be folded in at episode 219. You can find this and all the other Buckling the belt episodes by searching for the word ‘buckling’ at dailybiblereading.info. Searching for that wo…

JEREMIAH 38-39:Yesterday we heard of persecution against Jeremiah, his being imprisoned so that he had his secretary, Baruch convey his messages, and then his being imprisoned in the dungeon at Jonathan’s house. And today he is put in a muddy cistern. PROVERBS 5:Today’s chapter of Proverbs has a clear theme. Here is a verse from the middle that typ…

JEREMIAH 36-37:In yesterday's reading in Jeremiah, he gave more specific warnings to King Zedekiah. And then we heard of the inspiring example of the Recabites. PROVERBS 4b:Yesterday in the first half of chapter 4, we heard again about Lady Wisdom. I highlight these important words: Prov. 4:7 GNT Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can d…

JEREMIAH 34-35:In yesterday’s reading, Jeremiah bought a field according to the Lord’s instructions. Under the circumstances, that seemed a futile thing to do. He prayed, and the Lord used the situation as a backdrop for wonderful promises to the nation of Israel. In chapter 33:3 we heard a frequently quoted verse which says, Jer. 33:3 NLT Ask me a…

The stories that made the Ancient Egypt headlines over the beginning of August. Cat Night at Shanghai Museum Crocodile Mummy Gives Up Its Secrets Augmented Reality Museum Displays Tutankhamun in Bolton UK These news stories are taken from various public internet sources including: http://english.ahram.org.eg/Portal/9/Heritage.aspx https://egyptians…

JEREMIAH 32-33:In yesterday’s reading we heard some of Jeremiah’s most important words: Jer. 31:33-34 NLT … this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD.“I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … I will forgive …

JEREMIAH 30-31:Yesterday we heard more of Jeremiah’s struggle against false prophets. And now so many centuries later, in our day, the false message is what people desire to hear, even though the truth is actually better for us and much better for our preparation. There is an often quoted verse from yesterday’s reading. I think it is good to bear i…

JEREMIAH 28-29:In yesterday's reading we moved from more poetic content to the story of Jeremiah being opposed by priests, other prophets, and royal officials. Remember that God has promised that he will protect Jeremiah in the face of opposition, and this certainly was put to the test. At the end of yesterday's reading, we heard how Jeremiah proph…

JEREMIAH 26-27:In yesterday’s reading, some important points were revealed: The people the Lord was about to send into exile to the North would return to Him wholeheartedly and God would bring them back to their land. God would put it into their hearts to return to him! Those remaining in the land at the point of exile and their king would be scatt…

JEREMIAH 24-25:A stunning prophecy was given in yesterday's reading: Jer. 23:5-6 NLT “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant* from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. 6 And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousnes…

JEREMIAH 23:In yesterday's reading, we heard how king Zedekiah sent two men to Jeremiah to ask him for help to pray for a miracle. And God made it ever so clear that no miracle of deliverance would be given. Jeremiah repeatedly tells the king what he needs to do, but Zedekiah just couldn’t bring himself to do it. The area of giving justice was espe…

JEREMIAH 21-22:These verses from Jeremiah 20 have been often quoted as a reason for memorizing Scripture: Jer. 20:9 NLT But if I say I’ll never mention the LORDor speak in his name,his word burns in my heart like a fire.It’s like a fire in my bones!I am worn out trying to hold it in!I can’t do it! Remember the priest Pashur who put Jeremiah in stoc…

The stories that made the Ancient Egypt headlines over the fourth week of July. Cairo Ring Road Banners 63 Tombs Found in Damietta Bibliotheca Alexandrina 50 Short Documentaries Hydraulic Theory About The Step Pyramid These news stories are taken from various public internet sources including: http://english.ahram.org.eg/Portal/9/Heritage.aspx http…

By Phil Fields

JEREMIAH 17-18:One catches so clearly how trapped Jeremiah was in the time of God’s judgment, and how hot God’s anger was against Judah. Jeremiah’s audience would not have appreciated him telling them where the Lord said they could ‘go’! No wonder he so often weeps and cries out in despair. God’s verdict in 15:2, which shows his sovereign choices, …

JEREMIAH 15-16:Yesterday the dialog between the Lord and Jeremiah continued. We heard of the drought. And the Lord forbid Jeremiah to pray for the people of Judah. PSALM 145:This is an acrostic psalm in Hebrew, and it gives us a great place to start when praising God. 1CORINTHIANS 1:18—2:Let’s not allow the chapter division here to interrupt what P…

JEREMIAH 13-14:In yesterday’s reading, Jeremiah complained to the Lord, 12:1 “Lord, if I argued my case with you,you would [be shown//prove] to be right.Yet I must question you about matters of justice.Why are the wicked so prosperous?Why do dishonest people succeed? And the Lord replied in an answer that bears reading in context and needs some thi…

JEREMIAH 11-12:Yesterday we heard important verses in chapter 9:23-24, verses that Paul quotes more than once: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,or the powerful boast in their power,or the rich boast in their riches.But those who wish to boastshould boast in this alone:that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD … PSALM 143:It…

JEREMIAH 9-10:Being a prophet is not exactly an easy job. In 7:27 God told him, “Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.” We’ll find that God told the same thing to more than one prophet around this same time. PSALM 142:When you are discouraged, here is a psalm to pray! JOHN …

JEREMIAH 7-8:In this and several other prophetic books, it is important to observe where quotes begin and end, and who is speaking. The section headings are also very helpful to our understanding. Modern translators and editors use the heading to help modern readers understand such things as ancient poetic imagery. Yesterday's reading had this iron…

The stories that made the Ancient Egypt headlines over the third week of July. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs Opens in Germany Top of the Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Civilisation Opens in China Underwater Discoveries in Aswan Anubis in London These news stories are taken from various public internet sources including: http://english.ahram.org.eg/…

JEREMIAH 5-6:God, speaking through the prophets, frequently says how he feels about idolatry. He considers it just like the faithlessness of a wayward wife. It is moving that Jeremiah could so clearly see what would happen— the anguish of the people when his prophecies are fulfilled and they will be attacked by armies from the north. PSALM 140:This…

JEREMIAH 3-4:In yesterday’s reading there was a play on words in Jer. 1:11-12, where the Hebrew word for ‘almond tree’ sounds like the word for ‘watching’: 11 Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.” 12 And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching,* and I …

JEREMIAH 1-2:The book of Jeremiah was written between 627 and 580 BC. Counting the number of verses, Jeremiah is longer than all other books of the Old Testament except Genesis and Psalms. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet, and his other book is Lamentations. It is possible that he is the son of the high priest Hilkiah who brought the bo…

JONAH 3-4:Running from God didn’t work for Jonah. When saved from the ocean, Jonah grudgingly obeys God. For most of my life I have been fooled by Jonah's prayer in chapter 2, and I am not alone, because others have called it, “One of the great prayers in the Bible.” For most of the prayer, Jonah simply borrowed verses from the Psalms. And there is…

JONAH 1-2:For quite a few years when I was just reading the Bible without a set reading plan, I enjoyed a break from reading the books of history after Second Kings, moving to the prophets. And our first is Jonah, who was mentioned back in 2 Kings 14. Note that the little story of Jonah is masterfully written. Little details poke out everywhere. Jo…

2KINGS 24-25:In yesterday’s reading, we heard of Josiah’s reforms, leading the people to renew the covenant with God. That chapter had this telling comment about the Passover: 2Kings 23:22 There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah…

2KINGS 23:Hilkiah found the book of the Law in the temple while repairs were being carried out as ordered by king Josiah. When Josiah heard the book of the Law, he instituted reforms. And God again is glorified in fulfilling a prophecy we heard in 1 Kings. PSALM 134:I would like to have been one of the Levitical temple musicians who had the duty of…

The stories that made the Ancient Egypt headlines over the second week of July. The Zahi Hawass Foundation Al-Wafd Illegal Antiquities Smuggling Donald Redford Retires These news stories are taken from various public internet sources including: http://english.ahram.org.eg/Portal/9/Heritage.aspx https://egyptianstreets.com/tag/cairo/ http://www.egyp…

2KINGS 21-22:The Assyrian king mocked the God of Israel at the end of chapter 18. We heard God's answer yesterday in chapter 19, and we were introduced to the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah asked to live for a longer time, and his request was granted. I have heard that there is actually scientific proof of the long day miracle that was given to Hezekiah.…