Month: January 2017

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday January 27, 2017 (NIV)

Exodus 4:1-5:21

Moses Argues with God

4 Then Moses answered, “Look, they won’t believe me and they won’t listen to me.[a] Instead, they’ll say, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you.’”

2 “What’s that in your hand?” the Lord asked him.

Moses[b] answered, “A staff.”[c]

3 Then God[d] said, “Throw it to the ground.” He threw it to the ground and it became a snake. Moses ran away from it.

4 Then God told Moses, “Reach out[e] and grab its tail.” So he reached out, grabbed it, and it became a staff[f] in his hand. 5 God said, “I’ve done this[g] so that they may believe that the Lord God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

6 Again the Lord told him, “Put your hand into your bosom.”[h] He put his hand into his bosom and as soon as he brought it out it was leprous, like snow.[i] 7 Then God[j] said, “Put your hand back into your bosom.” He returned it[k] to his bosom and as soon as he brought it out,[l] it was restored like the rest of[m] his skin.[n]

8 “Then if they don’t believe you and respond to the first sign, they may respond to the second[o] sign. 9 But if they don’t believe even these two signs, and won’t listen to you, then take some water out of the Nile River[p] and pour it on the dry ground. The water you took from the Nile River[q] will turn into blood on the dry ground.”

10 Then Moses told the Lord, “Please, Lord, I’m not eloquent.[r] I never was in the past[s] nor am I now since you spoke to your servant. In fact, I talk too slowly[t] and I have a speech impediment.”[u]

11 Then God asked him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now, go! I myself will help you with your speech,[v] and I’ll teach you what you are to say.”

13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send somebody else.”[w]

14 Then the Lord was angry with Moses and said, “There’s your brother Aaron, a descendant of Levi, isn’t there? I know that he certainly is eloquent.[x] Right now he’s coming to meet you and he will be pleased to see you. 15 You’re to speak to him and tell him what to say.[y] I’ll help both you and him with your speech,[z] and I’ll teach both of you what you are to do. 16 He is to speak to the people for you as your spokesman[aa] and you are to act in the role of[ab] God for him. 17 Now pick up that staff with your hand. You’ll use it to perform the signs.”

Moses Decides to Return to Egypt

18 Moses left and returned to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses[ac] told him, “Please let me go and return to my own people[ad] in Egypt so I can see whether they’re still alive.”

Jethro told Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 The Lord told Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21 Then the Lord told Moses, “When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind[ae] all the wonders that I’ve put in your power,[af] so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I’ll harden his heart so that he won’t let the people go. 22 You are to say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Israel is my firstborn son. 23 And I say to you, ‘Let my son go so he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your firstborn son.’”’”

Zipporah Circumcises Moses’ Son

24 But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the Lord met Moses[ag] and was about to kill him. 25 Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’[ah] feet with it, saying while doing so,[ai] “…because you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 Then the Lord[aj] withdrew from him, and she said, “…a bridegroom of blood because of circumcision.”

Moses and Aaron Meet and Return to Egypt

27 The Lord told Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the desert.” So Aaron[ak] went, found[al] him at the mountain of God, and embraced[am] him. 28 Moses told Aaron all of the Lord’s messages that he had sent with Moses, and all of the signs that he commanded him to do.[an] 29 Later, Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke everything that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Moses[ao] performed the miracles[ap] before the very eyes of the people. 31 The people believed and understood[aq] that the Lord had paid attention to the Israelis and had seen their affliction. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves in worship.

Pharaoh Refuses to Let the People Go

5 After Moses and Aaron arrived, they told Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert.’”

2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should listen to[ar] him and let Israel go? I don’t know about[as] the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!”

3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword.”[at]

4 The king of Egypt replied to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!”[au] 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”[av]

Pharaoh Increases the Israelis’ Work

6 That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials, 7 “You’re no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past.[aw] They must gather straw for themselves. 8 But you’re to impose the previous quota[ax] of bricks that they’re making. You’re not to reduce it! It is because they’re lazy that they’re crying out, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9 So increase the work load on the people,[ay] and let them do it so they don’t pay attention to deceptive speeches.”

10 Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, “This is Pharaoh’s response: ‘I’ll no longer give you any[az] straw. 11 Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won’t be reduced at all.’”[ba] 12 So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble[bb] for straw.

13 The taskmasters pressured them by saying, “Finish your work—each day’s quota[bc]—just as when you were given straw.”[bd]

14 The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told,[be] “Why didn’t you, both yesterday and today, fulfill[bf] your quota[bg] for making bricks as before?”

The Israelis’ Appeal Rejected by Pharaoh

15 The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you doing this to us?[bh] 16 No straw is being given to us, yet they’re saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, we are being beaten. It’s wrong how you are treating your people!”

17 Then Pharaoh[bi] said, “You are lazy, lazy! That’s why[bj] you’re saying, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ 18 Now, go! Get to work! And straw won’t be given to you, but you are to deliver the same[bk] number of bricks!” 19 The Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said,[bl] “You won’t reduce each day’s quota of bricks!”[bm]

The Israelis Blame Moses and Moses Complains to God

20 As they left Pharaoh’s presence,[bn] they met Moses and Aaron standing there.[bo] 21 The supervisors[bp] told them, “May the Lord look on you and judge you![bq] You have made us repulsive to[br] Pharaoh and his servants. You have put[bs] a sword in their hands to kill us.”

Footnotes:

  1. Exodus 4:1 Lit. to my voice. And so through the passage
  2. Exodus 4:2 Lit. he
  3. Exodus 4:2 Or rod
  4. Exodus 4:3 Lit. he
  5. Exodus 4:4 Lit. Stretch out your hand
  6. Exodus 4:4 Or rod
  7. Exodus 4:5 The Heb. lacks God said, “I have done this
  8. Exodus 4:6 I.e. under the folds of the garment at the chest
  9. Exodus 4:6 I.e. his hand was white
  10. Exodus 4:7 Lit. He
  11. Exodus 4:7 Lit. his hand
  12. Exodus 4:7 Lit. out from his bosom
  13. Exodus 4:7 The Heb. lacks the rest of
  14. Exodus 4:7 Lit. flesh
  15. Exodus 4:8 Lit. latter
  16. Exodus 4:9 The Heb. lacks River
  17. Exodus 4:9 The Heb. lacks River
  18. Exodus 4:10 Lit. a man of words
  19. Exodus 4:10 Lit. either yesterday or the day before
  20. Exodus 4:10 Lit. heavy of mouth
  21. Exodus 4:10 Lit. heavy
  22. Exodus 4:12 Lit. will be with your mouth
  23. Exodus 4:13 Lit. by a hand send; i.e. by someone else’s hand send
  24. Exodus 4:14 Lit. he certainly speaks
  25. Exodus 4:15 Lit. put the words in his mouth
  26. Exodus 4:15 Lit. I’ll be with your mouth and with his mouth
  27. Exodus 4:16 Lit. be your mouth
  28. Exodus 4:16 Lit. be
  29. Exodus 4:18 Lit. he
  30. Exodus 4:18 Lit. my brothers
  31. Exodus 4:21 Lit. see, watch
  32. Exodus 4:21 Lit. hand
  33. Exodus 4:24 Lit. him
  34. Exodus 4:25 Lit. his
  35. Exodus 4:25 Lit. touched to his feet
  36. Exodus 4:26 Lit. Then he
  37. Exodus 4:27 Lit. he
  38. Exodus 4:27 Lit. encountered
  39. Exodus 4:27 Lit. kissed
  40. Exodus 4:28 The Heb. lacks to do
  41. Exodus 4:30 Lit. he
  42. Exodus 4:30 Lit. signs
  43. Exodus 4:31 Or they heard
  44. Exodus 5:2 Or obey
  45. Exodus 5:2 The Heb. lacks about
  46. Exodus 5:3 I.e. invasions by foreign armies
  47. Exodus 5:4 Lit. burdens
  48. Exodus 5:5 Lit. from their burdens
  49. Exodus 5:7 Lit. like yesterday and the day before
  50. Exodus 5:8 Lit. as yesterday and the day before
  51. Exodus 5:9 Or men
  52. Exodus 5:10 The Heb. lacks any
  53. Exodus 5:11 Lit. from your labor
  54. Exodus 5:12 I.e. the stalks left in the field after grain is harvested
  55. Exodus 5:13 Lit. matter
  56. Exodus 5:13 Lit. when there was straw
  57. Exodus 5:14 Lit. saying
  58. Exodus 5:14 Lit. complete
  59. Exodus 5:14 Lit. prescribed amount
  60. Exodus 5:15 Lit. your servants; and so throughout the book
  61. Exodus 5:17 Lit. he
  62. Exodus 5:17 Lit. therefore
  63. Exodus 5:18 The Heb. lacks same
  64. Exodus 5:19 Lit. saying
  65. Exodus 5:19 Lit. your bricks
  66. Exodus 5:20 Lit. from with
  67. Exodus 5:20 The Heb. lacks there
  68. Exodus 5:21 Lit. they
  69. Exodus 5:21 The Heb. lacks you
  70. Exodus 5:21 Lit. made our odor stink in the eyes of
  71. Exodus 5:21 Lit. servants to give
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Matthew 18:1-20

True Greatness(A)

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom from[a] heaven?”

2 Calling a little child forward, he had him stand among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell all of you[b] with certainty, unless you change[c] and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom from[d] heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom from[e] heaven, 5 and whoever receives a little child like this in my name receives me.”

Causing Others to Sin(B)

6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea. 7 How terrible it will be for the world due to its temptations to sin! Temptations to sin are bound to happen, but how terrible it will be for that person who causes someone to sin!

8 “So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life injured or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell[f] fire.

10 “See to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, because I tell you, their angels in heaven always have access to my Father in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man came to save the lost.”[g]

The Parable about the Faithful Shepherd(C)

12 “What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one of them strays, he leaves the 99 in the hills and goes to look for the one that has strayed, doesn’t he? 13 If he finds it, I tell all of you[h] with certainty that he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that haven’t strayed. 14 In the same way, it is not the will of your[i] Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”

Dealing with a Brother who Sins(D)

15 “If your brother sins against you,[j] go and confront him while the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two others with you so that ‘every word may be confirmed by the testimony[k] of two or three witnesses.’[l] 17 If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation.[m] If he also ignores the congregation,[n] regard him as an unbeliever[o] and a tax collector.

18 “I tell all of you[p] with certainty, whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited[q] in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted[r] in heaven. 19 Furthermore, I tell all of you[s] with certainty that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven, 20 because where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 18:1 Lit. of
  2. Matthew 18:3 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  3. Matthew 18:3 Lit. turn
  4. Matthew 18:3 Lit. of
  5. Matthew 18:4 Lit. of
  6. Matthew 18:9 Lit. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom
  7. Matthew 18:11 Other mss. lack this verse.
  8. Matthew 18:13 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  9. Matthew 18:14 Other mss. read our; still other mss. read my
  10. Matthew 18:15 Other mss. lack against you
  11. Matthew 18:16 Lit. mouth
  12. Matthew 18:16 Cf. Deut 19:15
  13. Matthew 18:17 Or church
  14. Matthew 18:17 Or church
  15. Matthew 18:17 Lit. gentile; i.e. an unbelieving non-Jew
  16. Matthew 18:18 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  17. Matthew 18:18 Or will be prohibited
  18. Matthew 18:18 Or will be permitted
  19. Matthew 18:19 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.

Cross references:

  1. Matthew 18:1 : Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48
  2. Matthew 18:6 : Mark 9:42-48; Luke 17:1-2
  3. Matthew 18:12 : Luke 15:1-7
  4. Matthew 18:15 : Luke 17:3
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Psalm 22:19-31

19 But as for you, Lord, do not be far away from me;
My Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword;
my precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Deliver me from the mouth of the lion,
from the horns of the wild oxen.

You have answered me.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation, I will praise you, saying,[a]
23 “All who fear the Lord, praise him!
All the seed of Jacob, glorify him!
All the seed of Israel, fear him!
24 For he does not despise nor detest the afflicted person;
he does not hide his face from him,
but he hears him when he cries out to him.”

25 My praise in the great congregation is because of you;
I will pay my vows before those who fear you.[b]
26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him,
“May you[c] live forever!”

27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord;
all the families of the nations will bow in submission to the Lord.
28 Indeed, the kingdom belongs to the Lord;
he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous people will eat and bow down in submission.
All those who are about to go down to the grave[d]
will bow down in submission,
along with the one who can no longer keep himself alive.
30 Our[e] descendants will serve him,
and that generation will be told about the Lord.
31 They will come and declare his righteousness
to a people yet to be born;
indeed, he has accomplished it!

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 22:22 The Heb. lacks saying
  2. Psalm 22:25 Lit. him
  3. Psalm 22:26 Lit. your heart
  4. Psalm 22:29 Lit. dust
  5. Psalm 22:30 The Heb. lacks our
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Proverbs 5:15-21

The Delights of Marital Faithfulness

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
and fresh[a] water from your own well.
16 Should your springs flow outside,
or streams of water in the street?
17 They should be for you alone
and not for strangers who are with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed
and enjoy the wife of your youth.
19 Like a loving deer, a beautiful doe,
let her breasts satisfy you all the time.
Be constantly intoxicated by her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated by an adulteress, my son,
and embrace the bosom of a foreign woman?

21 Indeed, what a man does is[b] always in the Lord’s presence,[c]
and he weighs all his paths.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 5:15 Lit. flowing
  2. Proverbs 5:21 Lit. Indeed, a man’s ways are
  3. Proverbs 5:21 Lit. in front of the Lord’s eyes
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

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01/26/2017 DAB Transcript

Exodus 2:11-3:22 ~ Matthew 17:10-27 ~ Psalm 22:1-18 ~ Proverbs 5:7-14

Today is January 26th.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian and it is my pleasure and a joy to be here with you today around the global campfire, taking the next step forward in our adventure through the scriptures this year.  So we’re just getting going in the second book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, and we’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week.  Exodus chapter 2, verse 11 through 3, verse 22 today.  

Commentary

In the book of Matthew today, Jesus is exasperated, almost like his patience has run out for a second.  “How much longer must I be with you?  Why do I have to put up with you?  You people are too stubborn to have any faith.”  So what’s that all about?  Where is that coming from?  

What sparked this is a boy keeps falling into fire and water.  He has epilepsy.  He has seizures and, according to the scriptures, there is demonic activity. The boy’s father has brought this boy to Jesus’ disciples who have attempted to heal him but have been unsuccessful.  That is what brings this exasperation up in Jesus, this frustration.  But why?  

The boy in question here was brought to Jesus and was made whole again, was made well again.  It wasn’t until later that Jesus unpacked his frustration.  Privately the disciples asked, “Why couldn’t we do that?”  And Jesus’ answer was, “It’s because you don’t have enough faith.”  “But I can promise you this.  If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there and it would.  Everything would be possible for you.”  This is fascinating because it is not the only time Jesus will behave this way.

So what is the plot behind the story here?  Is it that if we had more faith we could be superhuman?  Is that what Jesus was being, superhuman?  We look at him that way a lot, but the Bible doesn’t say anything about superhuman.  It says fully human which would mean that when we look at Jesus, we’re looking at how things were always supposed to be for us.  

The echoes of Eden are all over this.  Just a few short weeks ago we began this journey, and we began the journey in the beginning and we watched the whole story unfold.  There was a perfect person, Adam, and a perfect woman, Eve, which is why theologically Jesus is often called the second Adam, which is a little bit of a weird theological term.  The point of the term is that Jesus was sinless like the first person ever created was.  In other words, how it was supposed to be, fully human.  And Jesus came to redeem people who had fallen and devolved into inhumanity but had gotten so used to it, that it was normal.  The limitations of the fall had become normal.  So now when we make colossal mistakes, an affirmation might be ‘you’re only human.’  But is that true?  Have we’ve fallen to the point that we are not fully human, because if we were fully human we would look like Adam.  We would look like Jesus.  

Jesus came to call us back to ourselves again, creatures that are made in the image of God and intertwined with God inseparably.  In the fall in the Garden of Eden that we read just a few weeks ago in Genesis chapter 3, that was blown to bits and mankind was separated from God.  But Jesus wasn’t separated from God.  He was fully human while being fully divine.

So these moments of exasperation start to make sense when we realize the frustration of God being here in person, as one of us, saying, “It’s upside down what you’ve done.  I’ve come to turn it right side up if you would just see what is happening here. If you would just believe.  If you would allow your faith to engage, a faith that doesn’t know the word impossible, then if your faith was just the size of a mustard seed you could move a mountain.”  

Faith is a force beyond anything we have ever created to get things done in this world.  Jesus said, “You could tell this mountain to move from here to there and it would. Everything would be possible for you.” And isn’t Jesus just describing his own reality?  And isn’t he plainly saying we can have that too?  Or is this just a theological concept?  We like to pour things into theological concepts so that we can explain them away sometimes or defer them or not have to deal with them.  I don’t think Jesus is talking theologically here. I think he is just describing reality and it is frustrating.  You can understand why.  Beings created in the image of the creator, built and made to be intertwined with God and have authority on this earth to make it whole, to make it like it is supposed to be, have simply put limitations on what they think can be done.

As always, God does not usurp a person’s will.  He does not override.  Love isn’t love, relationship isn’t true if there is no way out of it, if it is all forced.  So it is a collaboration that we’re invited into where impossible isn’t something that really exists.  I know that is pretty idealistic.  It just wasn’t idealism to Jesus.  It was reality and he was frustrated that we could not open our eyes and see it.  

There is so much more for us all if we would open our eyes.  And if we could just work hard enough to have the faith of a mustard seed, if we could just walk with God like Jesus did, like a fully human person did and that Jesus made possible for us all, then there is no telling what could be done in this world.  Maybe we’re still settling for far, far less than the gospel offers us – full humanity, restored, regenerated, made new, renewed, new creatures.  This is all over the New Testament.  Maybe the door is open wide and we’re still settling for far less.  And maybe that is frustrating to God because it certainly was to Jesus.  

Prayer

Jesus, as we do many days, we invite you into this, into what you’ve spoken through your word today and even untangling that, even just beginning to peel the onion of ourselves and see all the limitations that we’ve placed on you because we’ve placed them on ourselves and all of the ways that we’ve just kind of fabricated a reality of impossibility that doesn’t exist.  How are we going to pull that apart in the different areas of our lives?  We could never really do it.  All we can do is walk with you and invite your Holy Spirit.  So come, Holy Spirit, and lead us away from this impossibility and show us what is possible, what it is you’re sending us into, what is our mission right now, today and in the next season, how it is that we’re supposed to walk into impossible situations and then they become possible because we are there and you are there and we are collaborating, because nothing is impossible. Help us, Jesus, because this is too big for us.  It always was too big for us.  What we have is what is not too big for us, but what you are saying is there is so much more.  You have only scratched the surface of what life can be when it is whole and intertwined with the Spirit of God within.  So come Holy Spirit.  Our focus is just getting our almost nonexistent faith to simply be the size of a mustard seed.  Help us God. As we see you stretching us, as we see ourselves reaching precipices in our lives where we have to step out in faith, may we understand what you are doing is stretching us into who we were created to be.  So often we get to those places where we have to step out in faith and we shrink back and pray against it.  We can see why that would be frustrating because you invited us into so much more. Out of fear and lack of faith we have shrunk back.  We have said no.  We can’t go out beyond what we think we can manage and protect ourselves in.  We don’t really believe.  We don’t really trust.  We don’t really have faith.  In everything may we have faith.  In the places where we don’t have faith, we invite your Holy Spirit into those things. May we understand that you are not trying to make us uncomfortable for your own pleasure, because you like to see us squirm.  May we see that you are fathering us, you are maturing us, you are inviting us deeper into wholeness where nothing is impossible.  Come Jesus, we ask in your mighty name, amen.  

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And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you and I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hi, this is Lisa, the Encourager.  I just listened to January 20th and I was very moved by the message that Jesus, the parable that he had for us in the weeds and the wheat. I never really…you know, that kind of got brushed over in other parts of the story that Jesus talked about.  I never really focused in on that, the weeds and the wheat.  So I just want to encourage everybody, wherever you are right now, that we all, including myself, become strong, sturdy wheat in everything that we do and everything that we say and all of the ways that we interact with people and all the Dabbers out there will be strong wheat and that we won’t be weeds and we’ll think about that and envision that because that was Jesus’ word to all of us. Remember to be the wheat.  We long to be the wheat, not the weeds.  So I’m going to pray for all of you Dabbers out there tonight.  I’m going to encourage all of you in this prayer, you running by a road, you laying down in bed.  Yes, you laying down in bed.  You sitting down at a table getting ready to eat something as you listen to your Dabbers, everybody out there, this is for you, this prayer, and myself as well. Dear Heavenly Father, I pray, dear Lord, for all the Dabbers out there that want to be wheat.  We want to be wheat for you.  We want to be part of your Kingdom.  We want you to be part of our lives.  We thank you for that story that was so clear and so evident of what you want us to do.  You don’t want us to be the weeds of this world.  You want us to be strong.  You want us to grow in the word, grow in the Holy Spirit, grow in our relationships, grow in our prayers.  You want that for all of us, God.  And I thank you so much.  

Hi DAB family.  This is Will from beautiful Bozeman, MT.  It is 2-something in the morning of the 21st of January and I just got done listening to the January 19th podcast and Brian, your commentary hit me right where I’m sitting.  I just so appreciate that.  I’m one of those people who is stuck in the loop and earlier tonight before I listened to the podcast I was just sitting in my seat and I just said, “God, help me. Just be in my heart.”  You know, I found myself kind of flaming and complaining. Here I know God has a ministry for me but other things are going on in my life with my home and family.  My kids’ vehicles are breaking down and yet I’m in this loop.  And it’s my fault.  I need to just trust God completely, be sold out.  So even with margin, you know, making room for God in my life has been a challenge and a struggle as I set my heart and mind to do the things that I need to do and not follow through because either I’m worn out or oversleep or something.  This is my first prayer request for this year.  I wanted to just pray for the DAB, but I need to just confess this.  So Father, I just lift my own soul and heart up to you and those other DAB family members who are in this loop, that God, you would help us to be faithful so that we could __________ so that you could trust us with what is so precious to you.  Give us the strength we need to glorify you.  Fill our hearts and…  

Hi family.  I love you guys so much and I pray for every one of you.  This is my first year with you, as I used to just read the Bible myself. However, because of the seizures, I can’t read easily anymore so Daily Audio Bible is such an immense blessing. And to hear from every one of you is super wonderful.  I’m pretty bedbound so I haven’t been able to leave the house since last Spring and I didn’t realize how much I was missing and I really do love to hear from each of you. I hurt when you hurt.  I rejoice with you when your prayers are answered and I pray with you, for you.  Both of my parents, they are long time listeners.  My mom, Verna, has called in before.  Please continue to pray for my sister battling with Lyme disease.  She is also trying to get her nursing degree. I pray that she would be able to go to God every day and rely solely on him for her strength, that she would receive God’s complete healing on every level.  For myself, I am going to see a new doctor on the 27th and I’m really hopeful about it.  I’m also nervous.  I believe that she will help, but like the father of the boy that had seizures in the Bible said to Jesus, “I believe but help my unbelief.”  It’s just so many times before they haven’t been able to help, but I believe this time is different.  I really do.  This time they’ll find out why I have seizures, so many.  Please, please pray with me that the doctor will have wisdom in this situation.  I’m so thankful that…

Hi, I just called.  I realized that I forgot to say my name.  I’m Gigi from Gainesville and I had to hang-up earlier because I was starting to have a seizure.  I’m really thankful to God for giving me the strength to call in.  That was a prayer of mine that I’ve had for some time.  I know that you will hear from me soon with another praise report and I hope to call in more.  

This message is for Salvation is Mine in California.  I just heard your plea for prayer today as you’ve been diagnosed with cancer.  My name is Bob.  I’m from Michigan.  I too am sitting here with a diagnosis of cancer, but your plea made me realize that I need to be praying for you and not just for myself.  My world has been centered around my cancer and my needs lately, but now I cry out to the Lord on your behalf.  I don’t know what your local community is doing for you, but I can tell you that I am walking and breathing in the prayers of my local community from the Daily Audio Bible and all of the prayers just being lifted. May you be blessed and cling to Proverbs 3:5-6:  Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  I’m praying for you today.  May your spirits be lifted and all your anxiety be given to him. God bless you.  

Hi family.  This is Francine from Tennessee.  My heart has been broken for Brian in the loss of his mother and I’ve been praying for you, Brian.  I am caring for my 81-year-old mother-in-law and my brother and sister and I pray that now that you have had the chance, that you could get some soul rest because caregiving is so emotional, taxing, tiring, hard, humbling, and beautiful at so many times.  I’m going to read a quote from Beecher and I changed it to a lady.  When the sun goes beyond the horizon, she is not set.  The heavens glow for a full hour after her departure.  And when a great and good woman sets, the sky of this world is luminous long after she is out of sight.  Such a woman cannot die out of this world.  When she goes she leaves behind so much of herself.  Being dead, she speaks.  You’re in my prayers.  I love you family.  Thank you for your prayers for my own mom.  

Hi everyone.  My name is Aretha from South Carolina.  I’ve only been listening to the Daily Audio Bible since the beginning of this year and I have truly been blessed by it.  It so encourages me.  Brian, you’re awesome.  I love the reading.  I love just the understanding that I’m getting.  And also I want to say Biola, I think I’m saying her name right, you, my lady, are so encouraging.  I love how you are praying constantly for people and just your energy that you have for Christ.  I love it. And I love the way that everyone is just coming on here and just being honest and open and just looking for help because you don’t find too many people who want to kind of put their business out there.  I am just so thankful for this program and this family because you can’t find people that are right here with you that can give you the encouragement that you give here. I just thank the Lord for you guys. I’m just looking forward to continue listening, continue for the Lord to bless my life, and continue for the Lord to just bless you guys.  I write down your prayer requests and pray for you guys.  I want all you guys to pray for me and my family.  My husband and I in church been filling our home and it has been a little aggravating, but I ask you guys to pray for that.  And just pray for me, that I will grow mightily in the Lord.  And I really thank you guys again just for your encouragement and your honesty.  

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday January 26, 2017 (NIV)

Exodus 2:11-3:22

Moses Kills an Egyptian

11 Years later, after[a] Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people,[b] and took notice of their heavy burdens. He saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew, one of his own people.[c] 12 Looking around and seeing no one else, he killed[d] the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 Going out the next day, Moses noticed[e] two Hebrew men fighting right in front of him. He told the one who was at fault, “Why did you strike your companion?”

14 The man[f] replied, “Who appointed you to be an official judge over us? Are you planning[g] to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?”

Then Moses became terrified and told himself,[h] “Certainly this event has become known!”

Moses Flees to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh, settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. 16 Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father’s sheep. 17 Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep. 18 When they returned to their father Reuel,[i] he asked, “Why have you returned so quickly today?”

19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,”[j] they replied, “and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep!”

20 “Then where is he?” He asked his daughters. “Why did you leave the man behind? Go invite him to have something to eat.”[k]

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.[l] 22 Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses[m] named him Gershom,[n] because he used to say, “I became an alien in a foreign land.”

The Israelis Cry Out to God

23 The king of Egypt eventually[o] died, and the Israelis groaned because of the bondage. They cried out, and their cry for deliverance from slavery ascended to God. 24 God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God watched the Israelis and took notice of them.

God Calls Moses

3 Meanwhile, Moses continued tending the sheep that belonged to his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the sheep to the western[p] desert and came to Horeb,[q] God’s mountain, where[r] 2 the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire from the center of a bush. As Moses[s] continued to watch, amazingly the bush kept on burning, but was not consumed. 3 Then Moses told himself,[t] “I’ll go over and see this remarkable[u] sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from the center of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

He said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God[v] said. “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry caused by their slave masters. I really do understand their pain, 8 so I have come down to deliver them from their domination by[w] the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the territory[x] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now, listen carefully! The cry of the Israelis has come to my attention about how severely the Egyptians have been oppressing them. 10 So go! I am sending you to Pharaoh. Bring my people the Israelis out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses told God, “Who am I? How can I go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelis out of Egypt?”

12 Then God[y] said, “I certainly will be with you. And this will be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will serve God on this mountain.”

13 Moses told God, “Look! When I go to the Israelis and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me to you,’ they’ll say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I say to them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,”[z] and then said, “Tell the Israelis: ‘I AM sent me to you.’”

15 God also told Moses, “Tell the Israelis, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

16 “Go and gather the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God of your ancestors, appeared to me—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and he said, “I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I have said that I will bring you out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

18 “The elders of Israel[aa] will listen to you,[ab] and then you and they[ac] are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now, let us take a three-day journey into the desert to sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt won’t allow you to go unless compelled to do so by force,[ad] 20 so I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that he will release you. 21 I will grant this people public favor with the Egyptians, and as a result, when you leave you won’t go empty-handed. 22 Each woman is to ask her neighbor or any foreign[ae] woman in her house for articles of gold and for clothing, and use them to clothe your sons and daughters. You will plunder the Egyptians.”

Footnotes:

  1. Exodus 2:11 Lit. It happened in those days that
  2. Exodus 2:11 Lit. brothers
  3. Exodus 2:11 Lit. brothers
  4. Exodus 2:12 Lit. struck
  5. Exodus 2:13 The Heb. lacks noticed
  6. Exodus 2:14 Lit. He
  7. Exodus 2:14 Lit. saying
  8. Exodus 2:14 The Heb. lacks to himself
  9. Exodus 2:18 I.e. another name for Jethro
  10. Exodus 2:19 Lit. the hand of the shepherds
  11. Exodus 2:20 Lit. to eat bread
  12. Exodus 2:21 The Heb. lacks in marriage
  13. Exodus 2:22 Lit. he
  14. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like Heb. for alien
  15. Exodus 2:23 Lit. It happened after those many days that the king of Egypt
  16. Exodus 3:1 Or the back part of the
  17. Exodus 3:1 I.e. Mt. Sinai, and so throughout the book
  18. Exodus 3:1 The Heb. lacks where
  19. Exodus 3:2 Lit. He
  20. Exodus 3:3 The Heb. lacks to himself
  21. Exodus 3:3 Or great
  22. Exodus 3:5 Lit. he
  23. Exodus 3:8 Lit. from the hand of
  24. Exodus 3:8 Lit. place
  25. Exodus 3:12 Lit. he
  26. Exodus 3:14 Or I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE or I AM THE ONE WHO IS
  27. Exodus 3:18 Lit. They
  28. Exodus 3:18 Lit. to your voice
  29. Exodus 3:18 Lit. and the elders of Israel
  30. Exodus 3:19 Lit. with a strong hand
  31. Exodus 3:22 Lit. resident alien
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Matthew 17:10-27

10 So the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 He answered them, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, yet people[a] did not recognize him and treated him just as they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he had been speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon(A)

14 As they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus,[b] knelt down in front of him, 15 and said, “Sir,[c] have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. Often he falls into fire and often into water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

17 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed that very hour.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He told them, “Because of your lack of faith.[d] I tell all of you[e] with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”[f]

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection(B)

22 While they were gathering together[g] in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands. 23 They will kill him, but he will be raised on the third day.” Then they were filled with grief.

Questions about the Temple Tax

24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax[h] came up to Peter and asked, “Your teacher pays the temple tax,[i] doesn’t he?”

25 He answered, “Yes.”

When Peter[j] went home,[k] Jesus spoke to him first and asked him, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings on the earth collect tolls or tributes? From their own subjects,[l] or from foreigners?”

26 “From foreigners,” he replied.

So Jesus told him, “In that case, the subjects[m] are exempt. 27 However, so that we don’t offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, open its mouth, and you will find a coin.[n] Take it and give it to them for me and you.”

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 17:12 Lit. they
  2. Matthew 17:14 Lit. him
  3. Matthew 17:15 Or Lord
  4. Matthew 17:20 Other mss. read your little faith
  5. Matthew 17:20 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  6. Matthew 17:21 Other mss. lack this verse
  7. Matthew 17:22 Other mss. read were staying
  8. Matthew 17:24 Lit. didrachma
  9. Matthew 17:24 Lit. didrachma
  10. Matthew 17:25 Lit. he
  11. Matthew 17:25 Or went into the house
  12. Matthew 17:25 Lit. sons
  13. Matthew 17:26 Lit. sons
  14. Matthew 17:27 Lit. stater, a coin worth two didrachmas

Cross references:

  1. Matthew 17:14 : Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-42
  2. Matthew 17:22 : Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:43-45
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Psalm 22:1-18

To the Director: To the tune of[a] “Doe of the Dawn”.

A Davidic Psalm.

God Delivers His Suffering Servant

22 My God! My God!
Why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far from delivering me—
from my groaning words?
2 My God, I cry out to you throughout the day,
but you do not answer;
and throughout the night,
but I have no rest.[b]

3 You are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors trusted in you;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried out to you and escaped;
they trusted in you and were not put to shame.

6 But as for me,
I am only a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by people.
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me;
they gape at me with open mouths
and shake their heads at me.
8 They say,[c] “Commit yourself to the Lord;
perhaps the Lord[d] will deliver him,
perhaps he will cause him to escape,
since he delights in him.”

9 Yet, you are the one who took me from the womb,
and kept me safe on my mother’s breasts.
10 I was dependent on you from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be so distant from me,
for trouble is at hand;
indeed, there is no deliverer.

12 Many bulls have surrounded me;
the vicious bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 Their mouths are opened wide toward me,
like roaring and attacking lions.

14 I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax, melting within me.
15 My strength is dried up like broken pottery;
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth,[e]
and you have brought me down to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded me;
a gang of those who practice evil has encircled me.
They gouged[f] my hands and my[g] feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
They look at me;
they stare at me.
18 They divide my clothing among themselves;
they cast lots for my clothing!

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 22:1 Lit. According to
  2. Psalm 22:2 Lit. but there is no silence for me
  3. Psalm 22:8 The Heb. lacks They say
  4. Psalm 22:8 Lit. he
  5. Psalm 22:15 Lit. to my jaws
  6. Psalm 22:16 So LXX Syr DSS 5/6 HevPS XHev/Se4; MT reads Like a lion
  7. Psalm 22:16 So MT; LXX lacks my
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Proverbs 5:7-14

7 Now, children,[a] listen to me.
Don’t turn away from what I am saying.[b]
8 Keep[c] far away from her,
and don’t go near the entrance to her house,
9 so that you don’t give your honor to others,
and waste your best years;[d]
10 so that strangers don’t enrich themselves at your expense,[e]
and your work won’t end up the possession of foreigners.[f]
11 You will cry out in anguish when your end comes,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you will say, “How I hated instruction,[g]
and my heart rejected correction!
13 I did not obey my teachers
and did not listen[h] to my instructors.
14 Now I am at the point of utter disaster
in[i] the assembly and in the congregation.”

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 5:7 Or sons
  2. Proverbs 5:7 Lit. from the words of my mouth
  3. Proverbs 5:8 Lit. Keep your path
  4. Proverbs 5:9 Lit. and your years to the cruel
  5. Proverbs 5:10 Lit. don’t satisfy themselves with your strength
  6. Proverbs 5:10 Lit. won’t go into a foreigner’s house
  7. Proverbs 5:12 Or discipline
  8. Proverbs 5:13 Lit. incline my ear
  9. Proverbs 5:14 Lit. in the midst of
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

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01/25/2017 DAB Transcript

Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10 ~ Matthew 16:13-17:9 ~ Psalm 21:1-13 ~ Proverbs 5:1-6

Today is the 25th day of January.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian and it’s great to be here with you today.  I’m thrilled that we have another day to take another step together through the Bible this year.  This week we’ve been reading from the Contemporary English Version and following in the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis.  His father Jacob has died and we’ll get a peek into the customs of the time.  Then we’ll be kind of moving into the next chapter of this family, the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who is Israel and their children.  So congratulations because today we will conclude the book of Genesis and move into what comes next in the book of Exodus.  So today, Genesis 50, verse 1 through Exodus 2, verse 10 and we’ll do a little flyover of the book of Exodus when we get there to understand the territory that we are moving into in our journey this year, but first, let’s finish up the book of Genesis.  

Introduction of a New Book (Old Testament)

The book of Exodus, which is where we’re headed now, is the second book in a collection of books known as the Pentateuch, which is the first five books of the Bible as we know it now.  Most scholars will attribute in some way these writings to Moses. Obviously, Moses couldn’t have written all of this down.  Some of it happened before he was ever around, so he is collecting together the story in a way that preserves the story.  

Exodus in its original language means departure.  True to its name, the book is the epic retelling of God’s deliverance of his people from slavery and it is in this book that we’ll meet this guy Moses. He becomes an actual part of the story.

So as we completed Genesis, we read about Joseph and how his being sold into slavery was ultimately used by God to save his family and the land of Egypt from famine and starvation.  Joseph’s family was ultimately brought to Egypt where they began to prosper and multiply rapidly.  And as we move into Exodus, we’re fast forwarding now over 400 years and Joseph, obviously we read in the last paragraphs in the book of Genesis, has died at the age of 110, but this family who came into Egypt, under 100 people who came into Egypt to be protected by Joseph, over the course of 400 years, they have multiplied  dramatically.

So Jacob, or Israel’s family line remains in the land of the Egypt over these centuries and they’ve become enslaved to the Egyptians.  The story of the children of Israel enslaved, Moses becoming their leader, and the dramatic way in which God humbles Egypt and sets his people free covers the first third of the book of Exodus.  Then the central portion of Exodus chronicles the drama in the desert as the children of Israel learn to trust God the hard way.  And then the final portion of the book describes the Tabernacle and its many utensils as well as the modes of sacrifice in the offering of worship to God.  So what we’ll be seeing is the formation of a cultural norm that has begun and we’ll have a front row seat to God’s remaking of these people and it’s a front row seat to the way God remakes our identity.  

And so we begin with Exodus chapter 1.  

Commentary

So we have this fascinating story that just pops up out of the book of Matthew today.  Jesus starts telling his disciples what is going to happen to him in Jerusalem.  And then six days later he takes Peter and James and John up a mountain where the strangest thing happens.  He’s changed.  And Moses, who we’re just getting to know in the book of Exodus, who we just met today as an infant, is there.  And the prophet Elijah, who we haven’t met yet in this revolution through the Bible this year, is also there.  So theologically this is known as the transfiguration.  Now, if you put yourself in the position of Peter, James, or John, it’s a disruptive moment.  So Simon Peter speaks up.  He is often the first to speak.  And he speaks up.  And he is like, “This is awesome.  It is good that we’re here.”  And then he thinks about what he is supposed to do, what they are supposed to do. They are supposed to make three tents to commemorate the moment, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

It is so interesting how God can move into our lives, we can feel him speaking, we can feel his presence, we can feel his leading and it can be overpowering at times or dramatic at times or it can be still and small at times, but we know it is the Lord.  So we’re immediately thinking ‘who do I tell about this?  What do I need to do with this?’  That is kind of what Peter is doing, but he hadn’t noticed this cloud that was hovering and moving in on them and from the cloud there is this voice. “This is my own son and I’m pleased with him.  Listen to what he says.”  So when the disciples hear the voice out of the cloud, it is like too much and they fall flat on the ground out of fear.  And I read that story and I’m like, yeah, I get that.  I can see fight of flight reactions moving in during an encounter like this.  And Jesus comes to them and touches them and says, “Get up, get up.  You don’t have to be afraid.”  So when they get up off the ground they only see Jesus.  

What is interesting is the instructions of God from the cloud.  The Father is certainly affirming Jesus, saying “I’m well pleased with my son,” but that is not all he says.  He also gives direct instructions to the disciples. “This is my own beloved son in whom I am well pleased.  Listen to what he says.”  So God doesn’t say, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and, yes, you should make the tents.  We need to build something here.  We just had a magic moment and we need to commemorate this.”  He simply says, “Listen to what he says.”

This is a really good reminder in our lives because we go thrashing about all the time about all kinds of things, and even when God moves in and brings margin and balance and shalom and direction and clarity, we’re usually thinking about what we’re supposed to do next.  What we’re supposed to do next is to continue to listen to what Jesus says.

This is how we get ourselves into all kinds of problems.  We feel the leading of the Lord and we’re like right into action rather than walking with God.  It is about being and not so much about doing.  Although there is plenty of doing, we are offered this margin.  We are offered this bubble that we get to walk in with God.  There is plenty to do, but often when we have an encounter with God, we just move into the doing and leave him behind.  Like, he just spoke to us, he’s done speaking to us, so we’ve got to go move into doing something to commemorate the moment rather than just understanding that life is a rhythm of walking with God in all things, at all times, in all places. That includes plenty of things to do as he guides our steps, but the primary important thing is to listen to what he says and not go doing things without the full picture and full clarity.

So lots of times we go running off doing things that we think are part of whatever God is leading us to do without just walking with him.  And we remove all of the margin in our lives by going into things half-cocked or half-baked so there is so much cleanup that has to happen that never had to happen.  Sometimes we get into those kinds of stories and we look back and it’s like, this is not working out how it was supposed to work out, and then we get mad at God.  It’s like, you told me to do this.  Slow down. Slow down.  Just like the example we see here in the story of the transfiguration.  “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.  Listen to what he says.”  

Prayer

Father, that is what we want.  Yeah, we’re guilty of all these things.  We’ve walked with you and we’ve been led by you, but we’ve rushed into activity when maybe you weren’t done talking about it.  We come to you often for instructions rather than for relationship, we’re looking for the next step rather than falling deeply in love, to the point that we are willing to waste time just to be with you, which of course is not wasting time.  Help us to slow down.  Help us to not be so frantic.  Help us to learn the lesson that we just learned by reading the story of Joseph. There is more going on here and we need to be in lockstep fellowship with you.  This is what we were created for.  This is all you want, too.  This is not about doing as much as it is about being with you.  So come Holy Spirit, we pray.  Give us margin in this, we ask.  In Jesus’ name, amen.    

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And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you.  And I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hello Daily Audio Bible.  My name is McKenzie.  I’m 13 and I live in California.  I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible for three years and I just really want to say that it has blessed me in so many ways.  I’m actually calling after having a night-long anxiety attack which was wonderful.  It will be great at school today.  I get those quite often and they are just terrible.  I’ve been struggling with anxiety for as long as I can remember and I just want it to be over.  I pray all the time that it will be over and the Bible says that if two or more people pray for something, that it will eventually happen as long as it’s, you know, within reason.  So I could just ask you guys to pray for me.  Also a shout-out to Autumn, the 11-year-old girl who called from Arizona. I’m basically you two years in the future.  My grandmother actually passed away when I was 11 and I just want to tell you that no matter how negative the situation seems right now, positive will come out of it. So many positive things came out of that terrible situation, especially my relationship with God has become a lot closer.  I just want to say you inspired me to call.  I’m praying for you.  You don’t have to go through this alone.  Alright, thank you guys.  Bye.  

Hi, this is Lisa, the Encourager.  I was calling tonight to encourage Jessica.  She called in about her husband and his church that he is attending and looking at going through some transition and was needing his leadership and they were having some real struggles with what was going on.  So I just want to pray for you tonight, Jessica, and your husband and the leadership team and all the decisions they are going to have to make and also to encourage your husband through those decisions and that the Lord will give you peace.  Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for allowing me to pray for Jessica tonight.  I pray, Lord Jesus, that you will help her husband who is pastoring a church and he is dealing with some real confrontational issues regarding the leadership in the church.  I pray, God, that you will give him wisdom, give him guidance, and give him discernment to know what to do.  Help Jessica to just pray through every bit of it, pray without ceasing and just continue to give her husband all the support he needs through a very difficult situation.  I pray that you will help her to be able to also have wisdom in making some of the right decisions for their family and what they need to do and whether they need to stay or go or whatever it is, Lord Jesus.  I also pray that the leadership in that church will be led by you and that their hearts will be softened to the realization of the stress that this is…

Hi, this is Troy from Flint, MI.  I’ve been on the Daily Audio Bible now for about three weeks.  I travel on the road and I see a lot of different things. I just want to say how blessed I am. A friend of mine, who actually married Brian and Jill, I’ve known since my early days of church back in Flint, MI. But anyways, I am so, so blessed to be listening every day when I’m on the road and listening to God’s word. Brian, I appreciate you, Brother. Yeah, I’ve __________ but I was given it again by a few of my friends, but you’re a true blessing.  I love the way you speak.  I feel like you’re next to me like we’re talking __________.  A little prayer request.  I had a little problem though with my boss.  __________, but he tends to micromanage me and sometimes I wonder where his actions are and what his beliefs are sometimes towards other people.  I pray for him daily.  I know he’s praying for me daily, but we’re trying to work it out but we can’t seem to find our balance head to head.  I’m just looking for balance and looking for, like you guys say, the rhythm.  Just wanted to __________, you know.  I’m a believer in God and I’ve __________ all my life and I just want to say thanks guys.  I hope we talk.  By the way, I like __________.  It’s awesome. __________ that way because I have a twin brother, but hey, you all have a great day.  God bless and we’ll talk again soon.  Bye-bye.  

His everyone.  My name is Karen and I’m a first-time caller to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’ve been listening for about four months now and it was recommended by a friend of mine who is here in St. Louis.  I’m really grateful for your ministry, Brian.  I find that your commentary has great wisdom. I’m also very sorry about the loss of your mom.  I have numerous friends who have lost their parents and spouses in the last month. I’m so moved and encouraged by the fellowship of the saints who share in the grief and are mobilized to comfort. So I just pray that you’re sensing that, Brian, and that you would live in that hope that you will see her once again. I was moved to call because I was listening to the Joseph story and, gosh, you know how God uses it all for his redemptive purposes.  I have an urgent prayer request for my nephew Todd who is now in a mental health wing in a hospital here.  He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years ago after being taken to a drug rehab mental health facility here because he had been smoking dope and having delusional episodes, but he was also led to read the Koran.  He had been introduced to Islam from a foreign exchange student that stayed with my brother and his family four years ago, but this behavior really was coming to a head a couple years ago.  He had these episodes right after the holidays.  Some of them have been violent.  He actually was very antagonistic towards me and my sister and brother and a friend who went over for Christmas, just going after certain verses in the Bible. I feel that he is being coached, but again, I’m having tons of people praying for him and praying for my brother and his family and I’m just wanting to ask my brothers and sisters in Christ here at the Daily Audio Bible to storm the gates of heaven and contend for Todd’s soul and also for healing for his mental health issues.  But I’m also praying that my brother and sister-in-law and Todd’s brother would also come to know…

Good afternoon family.  This is Kimberly K. from Albany, NY calling again.  Been calling quite a bit lately.  I think this is addictive.  The reason I’m calling this time is because I heard the message from Bob from Michigan who was recently diagnosed with throat cancer.  Bob, your message truly humbled me because despite the diagnosis, what you’re asking for is that you could be a great ambassador for God throughout your illness and your treatment and this trial.  I have a feeling, God, that Bob has been an ambassador on your team for many, many years, that his witness is bold and I ask, God, that you would continue to allow Bob’s focus to be on you and that his future is known to be safely in your care.  I ask, God, that you would heal Bob’s illness and as his illness is healed, that miraculous occurrence will simply illuminate the bold witness that Bob brings to everyone who has been involved in his care so that, as Blind Tony says, even when walking by, a light can be seen and those are drawn to Bob and Bob has the opportunity to give blessings and thanks to God, the Father of all creation, the Father of our healing, of our heart, of our soul.  Bob, bless you as you go through your treatment. I pray that you will be a bold witness and that we hear from you again and let us know how you are.  

Hey DAB family.  I just wanted to ask for your prayers.  This is Tim out of New Mexico.  My wife and I, Carissa, we found out yesterday that we lost our baby.  We would just love some words of encouragement if you guys get a chance and just lift us up in prayer.  It is our first pregnancy and it has just been really hard the last couple days.  Thank you guys for all that you do.  We love you guys and we just appreciate all of you from all over the world.  I know you guys are great prayer warriors.  So thank you so much.  Again, it’s Tim and Carissa out of New Mexico.  Bye.  

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday January 25, 2017 (NIV)

Genesis 50:1 - Exodus 2:10

Joseph Mourns for His Father

50 Then Joseph embraced his father,[a] cried over him, and kissed him. 2 After this, he issued orders to his physician servants to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. 3 It took 40 days to complete the process, the normal period required for embalming. Meanwhile, the Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days. 4 At the conclusion of the mourning period, Joseph addressed Pharaoh’s household. “If you’re satisfied with me, would you please take this message to Pharaoh for me? Tell him, 5 ‘My father told me, “Look! I’m about to die. Bury me in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” So please let me travel to bury my father. I’ll be right back.’”

6 “Please go,” Pharaoh replied. “Bury your father, as he asked you to do.”

Joseph Mourns in Canaan

7 So Joseph got up and went to bury his father, accompanied by all of Pharaoh’s servants, all of the elders of Egypt, 8 all of Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. They left behind in the territory of Goshen only their youngest children, their flocks, and their herds. 9 Chariots and horsemen also accompanied Joseph,[b] so there were a lot of people. 10 When they arrived at Atad’s threshing floor, which is located beyond the Jordan River,[c] they held a great and mournful memorial service, during which Joseph[d] spent seven days mourning for his father. 11 As soon as the Canaanites who lived in the land observed the mourning going on at Atad’s threshing floor, they commented “This is a significant time of mourning for the Egyptians.” That’s why the place, which is located beyond the Jordan River,[e] became known as Abel-mizraim.[f]

The Burial at Machpelah

12 And so Israel’s[g] sons did what he had instructed them to do: 13 they carried him to the territory of Canaan and buried him in the cave in Machpelah field near Mamre that Abraham had purchased[h] as a cemetery from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph and his brothers returned to Egypt, along with everyone who had gone with him to attend the burial.

15 Later, after Joseph’s brothers faced the reality of their father’s death, they asked themselves, “What happens if Joseph decides to hold a grudge against us? What if he pays us back in full for all the wrong things we did to him?”

16 So they sent this message to Joseph: 17 “Before he died, your father left some instructions. He told us, ‘Tell Joseph, “Please forgive your brothers’ offenses. I beg you, forgive their sins, because they wronged you.”’ So please forgive the transgression of the servants of your father’s God.”

Joseph wept when they talked to him. 18 So Joseph’s[i] brothers went to visit him, fell prostrate in front of him, and declared, “Look! We’re your servants.”

19 “Don’t be afraid,” Joseph responded. “Am I sitting in God’s place? 20 As far as you’re concerned, you were planning evil against me, but God intended it for good, planning to bring about the present result so that many people would be preserved alive. 21 So don’t be afraid! I’ll take care of you and your little ones.” So Joseph[j] kept on comforting them, speaking to the needs of[k] their hearts.

Joseph’s Death and Burial

22 Joseph continued to live in Egypt, along with his father’s household, until he was 110 years old. 23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children, as well as the children who had been born to Manasseh’s son Machir, whom he adopted as his own.[l] 24 Later, Joseph told his brothers, “I’m going to die soon, but God will certainly provide for you and bring you up from this land to the land that he promised with an oath to give[m] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 So Joseph made all of Israel’s other[n] children make this promise: “Because God is certainly going to take care of you, you are to carry my bones up from here.”

26 Some time later, Joseph died at the age of 110 years, and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

The Israelis Prosper in Egypt

1 These are the names of the Israelis[o] who entered Egypt with Jacob, each one having come with his family:[p] 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 3 Issacar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 All those who descended from[q] Jacob totaled 75 persons.[r] Now Joseph was already[s] in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. 7 But the Israelis were fruitful and increased abundantly.[t] They multiplied in numbers and became very, very strong. As a result, the land was filled with them.

The Israelis Become Slaves

8 Eventually a new king who was unacquainted with Joseph came to power in[u] Egypt. 9 He told his people, “Look, the Israeli people are more numerous and more powerful than we are. 10 Come on, let’s be careful how we treat them, so that when they grow numerous, if a war breaks out they won’t join our enemies, fight against us, and leave our land.” 11 So the Egyptians[v] placed supervisors over them, oppressing them with heavy burdens. The Israelis[w] built the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. 12 But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelis,[x] the more they multiplied and flourished, so that the Egyptians[y] became terrified of[z] the Israelis. 13 The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them, 14 making their lives bitter through hard labor with mortar, bricks, and all kinds of outdoor labor. They ruthlessly imposed all this[aa] work on them.

Pharaoh Orders Male Children Killed

15 Later, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth,” he said, “watch them as they deliver.[ab] If it’s a son, kill him; but if it’s a daughter, let her live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and didn’t do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead,[ac] they let the boys live.

18 When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, “Why have you done this[ad] and allowed the boys to live?”

19 “Hebrew women aren’t like Egyptian women,” the midwives replied to Pharaoh. “They’re so healthy that they give birth before the midwives arrive to help[ae] them.”

20 God was pleased with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 Because the midwives feared God, he provided families[af] for them. 22 Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, “You’re to throw every Hebrew[ag] son who is born into the Nile River,[ah] but you’re to allow every Hebrew[ai] daughter to live.”

Moses is Born

2 A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi. 2 Later, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a beautiful[aj] child, and hid him for three months. 3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus container, coated it with asphalt and pitch, placed the child in it, and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 Then his sister positioned herself some distance away in order to find out what would happen to him.

Pharaoh’s Daughter Adopts Moses

5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile River[ak] to bathe while her maids walked along the river bank. She saw the container among the reeds and sent a servant girl to get it. 6 When she opened it and saw the child, the little boy suddenly began crying. Filled with compassion for him, she exclaimed, “This is one of the Hebrew children!”

7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the nursing Hebrew women so she can nurse the child for you?”

8 Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Go,” so the young girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter instructed her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I’ll pay you a salary.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 After the child had grown older,[al] she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,[am] because she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

Footnotes:

  1. Genesis 50:1 Lit. Joseph fell on his father’s face
  2. Genesis 50:9 Lit. him
  3. Genesis 50:10 The Heb. lacks River
  4. Genesis 50:10 Lit. he
  5. Genesis 50:11 The Heb. lacks River
  6. Genesis 50:11 The Heb. name Abel-mizraim means Mourning of the Egyptians
  7. Genesis 50:12 Lit. so his
  8. Genesis 50:13 Lit. purchased along with the field
  9. Genesis 50:18 Lit. his
  10. Genesis 50:21 Lit. he
  11. Genesis 50:21 The Heb. lacks the needs of
  12. Genesis 50:23 Lit. Machir, who were born on Joseph’s knees; i.e. they were placed in a special position of inheritance rights
  13. Genesis 50:24 The Heb. lacks to give
  14. Genesis 50:25 The Heb. lacks other
  15. Exodus 1:1 Lit. the sons of Israel and so throughout the book
  16. Exodus 1:1 Or household
  17. Exodus 1:5 Lit. came out of the loins of
  18. Exodus 1:5 So with DSS and LXX. MT reads 70
  19. Exodus 1:5 The Heb. lacks already
  20. Exodus 1:7 Lit. swarmed
  21. Exodus 1:8 Lit. arose over
  22. Exodus 1:11 Lit. they
  23. Exodus 1:11 Lit. They
  24. Exodus 1:12 Lit. them
  25. Exodus 1:12 Lit. they
  26. Exodus 1:12 Or came to loathe
  27. Exodus 1:14 Lit. their
  28. Exodus 1:16 Lit. them on the birth stool
  29. Exodus 1:17 The Heb. lacks Instead
  30. Exodus 1:18 Lit. this thing
  31. Exodus 1:19 The Heb. lacks to help
  32. Exodus 1:21 Or households; lit. houses
  33. Exodus 1:22 The Heb. lacks Hebrew
  34. Exodus 1:22 The Heb. lacks River
  35. Exodus 1:22 The Heb. lacks Hebrew
  36. Exodus 2:2 Or good
  37. Exodus 2:5 The Heb. lacks River
  38. Exodus 2:10 The Heb. lacks older
  39. Exodus 2:10 The Heb. name Moses sounds like the Heb. verb draw out
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Matthew 16:13-17:9

Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus(A)

13 When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They said, “Some say[a] John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[b] the Son of the living God!”

17 Then Jesus told him, “How blessed you are, Simon son of Jonah,[c] since flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, though my Father in heaven has. 18 I tell you that you are Peter,[d] and it is on this rock[e] that I will build my congregation,[f] and the powers of hell[g] will not conquer it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom from[h] heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited[i] in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted[j] in heaven.”

20 Then he strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.[k]

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(B)

21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer a great deal because of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God be merciful to you, Lord! This must never happen to you!”

23 But Jesus[l] turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense[m] to me, because you are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts!”

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continuously. 25 Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it, 26 because what profit will a person have if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life? 27 The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to what he has done. 28 I tell all of you[n] with certainty, some people standing here will not experience[o] death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Jesus’ Appearance is Changed(C)

17 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 His appearance was changed in front of them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.[p]

4 Then Peter told Jesus, “Lord, it’s good that we’re here! If you want, I’ll set up three shelters[q]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when a bright cloud suddenly overshadowed them.

A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him. Keep on listening to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

7 But Jesus came up to them and touched them, saying, “Get up, and stop being afraid.” 8 When they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus all by himself.

9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don’t tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 16:14 The Gk. lacks say
  2. Matthew 16:16 Or Christ
  3. Matthew 16:17 Or Simon son of John; Lit. Simon bar Jonah; cf. John 1:42
  4. Matthew 16:18 Lit. Petros
  5. Matthew 16:18 Lit. petra
  6. Matthew 16:18 Or church
  7. Matthew 16:18 Lit. the gates of Hades, a reference to the realm of the dead
  8. Matthew 16:19 Lit. of
  9. Matthew 16:19 Or will be prohibited
  10. Matthew 16:19 Or will be permitted
  11. Matthew 16:20 Or Christ
  12. Matthew 16:23 Lit. he
  13. Matthew 16:23 Or a hindrance
  14. Matthew 16:28 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
  15. Matthew 16:28 Lit. taste
  16. Matthew 17:3 Lit. him
  17. Matthew 17:4 Or tents

Cross references:

  1. Matthew 16:13 : Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21
  2. Matthew 16:21 : Mark 8:31-9:1; Luke 9:21-27
  3. Matthew 17:1 : Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Psalm 21

To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.

Praise for the Lord’s Deliverance

21 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.
How greatly he rejoices in your deliverance.
2 You have granted him the desire of his heart,
and have not withheld what his lips requested.
Interlude

3 You go before him with wonderful blessings,
and put a crown of fine gold on his head.
4 He asked life from you, and you gave it to him—
a long life for ever and ever.
5 His glory is great because of your deliverance,
you have given him honor and majesty.
6 Indeed, you have given him eternal blessings;
you will make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 The king trusts in the Lord;
because of the gracious love of the Most High,
he will stand firm.[a]

8 Your hand will find all your enemies,
your right hand will find those who hate you.
9 When you appear,
you will set them ablaze like a fire furnace.
In his wrath, the Lord will consume them,
and the fire will devour them.
10 You will destroy their descendants[b] from the earth,
even their offspring from the ranks[c] of mankind.
11 Though they plot evil against you and devise schemes,
they will not succeed.
12 Indeed, you will make them retreat,[d]
when you aim your bow[e] at their faces.

13 Rise up, Lord, because you are strong;
we will sing and praise your power.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 21:7 Lit. will not be shaken
  2. Psalm 21:10 Lit. his fruit
  3. Psalm 21:10 Lit. children
  4. Psalm 21:12 Lit. will turn the shoulder
  5. Psalm 21:12 Lit. when your bow string is ready
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

Proverbs 5:1-6

Warning against Sexual Immorality

5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
and listen closely to my insight,
2 so you may carefully practice[a] discretion
and your lips preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,
and her speech[b] is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,[c]
and as sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead to Sheol.[d]
6 You aren’t thinking about[e] where her life is headed;
her steps wander, but you do not realize[f] it.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 5:2 Lit. guard
  2. Proverbs 5:3 Lit. palate
  3. Proverbs 5:4 Wormwood is a plant with an extremely bitter taste.
  4. Proverbs 5:5 I.e. the realm of the dead
  5. Proverbs 5:6 Or She does not consider
  6. Proverbs 5:6 Or she does not realize
International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

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01/24/2017 DAB Transcript

Genesis 48:1-49:33 ~ Matthew 15:29-16:12 ~ Psalm 20:1-19 ~ Proverbs 4:20-27

Today is January 24th.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian. It is good to be together with you around the global campfire that we share that is the Daily Audio Bible, and glad to be here with you, warming ourselves in the word of God.  We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week to do that, and we’re nearing the end of the third generations’ lives after Abraham, after this promise of this land that we’ve been chasing. So there was Abraham, then Isaac, and then his son Jacob whose name is now Israel, and they are all in Egypt and Jacob, Israel’s life is nearing its end.  Genesis chapter 48, verse 1, through 49, verse 33.    

Commentary

Jacob, whose name is Israel, dies today.  In a real way the page is turned and we’re moving into another season in this development of this people.  The story of Joseph that we’ve read over the last several days is pivotal in the development story of the children of Israel.  The complete story of Joseph gives us an amazing picture of how things are larger than we know, more is going on than we understand, and without walking with God through it, we will never find our place in the story or even really understand the vital impact of our lives on this world.  

Joseph was trafficked into slavery by his own family, his own brothers, and this was certainly not fair.  All of the way to Egypt as Joseph is tied up as human cargo to be sold in a land far away, he had plenty of time to grow bitter, plenty of time to consider what was out in front of him.  He could have ended up in Egypt deeply, deeply wounded and bitter at God, alone and isolated and animal-like because of the injustice, but he did not.  He trusted in God.  

He was sold to Potiphar.   He quickly became the head of Potiphar’s household.  He was shrewd.  He was smart. He was good looking.  He had all of the right qualities and the right mix for a leader.  It was Potiphar’s wife who noticed some of these attributes and wanted to take advantage of them.  Joseph, just a teenage boy, somehow had the character instilled in him from his youth that this was not right and he fled from Potiphar’s wife and a lie was told about Joseph.  A very important lie with very big consequences.  Joseph ended up in a dungeon.  So he went from a slave to a prisoner in a dungeon in Egypt and all he did was the right thing.  He was in that dungeon a long time.  He had plenty of time to get brooding and depressed and bitter at God for letting this happen, but he didn’t.  

It wasn’t long before he became in charge of the prison.  Joseph becomes a leader wherever he goes, but had he not had a forward view that there has to be more to this story, then he probably would have rotted away in that dungeon for the rest of his life and died, completely unknown by anyone.  But you know how the story goes.  A baker, a cupbearer end up in the dungeon, dreams are had, Joseph interprets them correctly, but it is a couple more years and Joseph is in the dungeon for years not understanding what he ever did wrong because he didn’t do anything wrong.  But the king does have a dream and the cupbearer does remember Joseph eventually and Joseph is brought before the king and interprets a dream and is hastily put in charge of all of Egypt.  Joseph becomes in charge of all kinds of things that would have never happened had he remained a shepherd.  And in the end he is reunited with his family in a pretty dramatic way.  And in the end Joseph is able to say, “Don’t grieve what you’ve done to me.  You’re released from that.  Don’t fight each other about it.  Don’t hold onto it anymore.  God sent me ahead to save your lives and the lives of many others and has put me in charge, second only to the king in all of Egypt.”  And Joseph was able to accumulate all of the land, all of the wealth, all of the animals in the land of Egypt and all of the people because of his correct interpretation of the king’s dream.  

Sometimes things happen that are devastating to us.  They can be loss, that kind of pain and suffering.  Or they can be the betrayal of a relationship or something like that.  Something that we consider unjust.  It is what we do in those moments that is really going to matter.  Those are the times, anytime we enter into suffering or hardship or loss, that we become estranged from God, that somehow we get it in our minds that he’s not trustworthy, that he is not paying attention, maybe that he is not even there.  So we get estranged because we reason if he was there, certainly he would not have let this or that happen to us.  Joseph had every reason to think those things but did not and we see where the pathway led. There is more to the story and if we are not really walking with God, then when we find ourselves estranged from him, we need to own it.  We need to own the fact that these things have happened, but before we get mad at God for letting them happen and just blame God, make him the cosmic trash heap of all of humankind’s suffering, we need to let look at our own roles in this story.  We also need to understand that there is more going on and we will not get the God’s eye view, we will not be able to zoom out and see that there is more going on if we do not walk in the counsel of the Holy Spirit in our lives every single day of our lives.  Then we can see that there is more going on.

That does not mean that the suffering or hardship or loss are not hard. I imagine it was pretty hard for Joseph. You remember the plea of Joseph in the dungeon when he talked to the cupbearer?  He said, “When you are restored, please remember me down here. I don’t deserve to be here.  I haven’t done anything wrong.  Please remember me.”  So it wasn’t like he was like, oh, I’m in a dungeon now. Awesome.  Anybody got a broom?  Let’s make this a nice apartment.  I’m going to just hang out here the rest of my life.  No, he wanted to be free.  None of this was supposed to happen to him, but in the end he sees the hand of God redeeming much.

May we follow that example.  May we heed fully the words of the proverb today:  My child, listen carefully to everything I say.  Don’t forget a single word but think about it all.  Knowing these teachings will mean true life and good health for you.  Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.  Never tell lies or be deceitful in what you say. Keep looking straight ahead without turning aside.  Know where you are headed and you will stay on solid ground.  Don’t make a mistake by turning to the right or the left.  

That is the counsel of the Bible, the wisdom of the ages in the book of Proverbs and we saw that lived out in the life of Joseph.  We have a clear picture of where that road will lead.  May we follow that narrow path.  

Prayer

We invite you, Holy Spirit, to come and show us the ways in which we are not walking on that path.  Because this path leads to life and good health, true life and good health.  That is what we were born for.  That is what we are made for.  That is the road we want to be on and so often we take these small detours and then we can’t find our way back to the narrow path.  We’re on all kinds of other roads, maybe parallel to the path that leads to life but winding their way through forests and valleys and we get lost.  Then we cry out and you come as a shepherd and bring us back.  We just want to stay on the narrow path.  We want to move in a straight line for a long time toward wholeness. So come Holy Spirit, show us what that looks like in our own lives.  Show us what we need to own and own up to and be honest about inside of ourselves and before you and move forward.  Come Jesus, we pray.  In your mighty name, amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is home base and it is where you find out what is going on around here, so be sure to check that out.  Check out the resources that are available in all kinds of different forms and fashions and shapes.  Yeah, check out the events like the More Gathering for Women that is coming up.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, the website is also the place to go.  There is a link on the home page.  If you’re using the DAB App, you can press the More button in the lower right-hand corner or if you prefer the mailing address, it’s P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, there are a number of numbers you can call depending on where you are in the world.  If you’re in the Americas:  (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.  If you are in the UK or Europe:  44, 20-3608-8078 is the number to dial.  And then if you are in Australia or the lands down under:  61, 3-8820-5459 is the number to dial.  

And that is it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you.  And I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hello Dabbers.  This is EZ in Georgia again and I was calling in response to Dorcas from New York and also to ask for a prayer request for myself.  First of all, I want to thank Nicky from Florida.  It was my full intention to call and offer my help as a blind person who is an educator and so has to be up on all the technology and what-not as well, but life and work and the ups and downs and then the excitement of what I’m about to ask for prayer for came along and I confess that I lost track, so I was very happy to hear this evening’s podcast, I listen to it in the evenings before bed, when Nicky made the offer to Dorcas.  I wanted to offer the same thing.  I can help.  I can do what I can to support, to help with the technology training, whatever you might need.  My email address, and this goes for everyone in the community including Becky from Philadelphia that called when I originally made my first call.  It’s EZCleg@icloud.com.  I believe Becky is her name.  My prayer request.  Brian, some of you know, was a record producer for a long time and I’ve been singing since I was 2 years old and we actually have quite a few of the same friends up in Nashville.  And I got an offer the other day from a really amazing, wonderful, very reputable guy to do some recording and do some work.  He is going to come to me first and play some music and then I’ll go up and hopefully lay some stuff down and see what we like.  And this is why I feel like I was left here.  I feel like the Lord left me here to make music for him. I was a pound and a half at birth. I was four months premature.  I had no skin.  I had pneumonia, __________ seizures, meningitis…

Hello Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Angela from North Carolina.  I’ve been listening with you all for about three months and I have been so blessed already to be in such a wonderful community of God.  I am calling today just in terms of margin because it is so important. And right now I am watching on my laptop the eagle’s nest.  Many of you may be watching as well intermittently, but the live eagle cam over You Tube or Google, however you get it, and I’m looking at the baby eaglets and observing the eaglet in the nest.  The mother or father bird, the parents take turns.  One is sitting a little higher up in a branch.  But the baby eaglet, the middle of it is carved out, it is like a soft spot and the baby eaglet sleeps and wakes and does his eagle thing which I love to watch, but around the margins of the nest there are larger branches which go out in increasing circles and those I was thinking are like the margins of our life.  So often what we see as maybe being an obstacle is actually a boundary.  As we know, the boundaries have fallen for us in very pleasant places.  And this baby eaglet might be thinking, “Wow, this branch is a little stiff here,” but it keeps him in the nest because he’s not ready to fly yet.  So the margins of our lives, let us be grateful for those and let us just operate within the margins that God has given us as we are hemmed in according to his perfect plan for us.  And when the time is right, we shall all fly.  

Hello Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Carol from Oklahoma City.  First I want to say Brian, I’m so sorry about the loss of your mother.  I’m praying that God will comfort you and your family.  Today, January 18th is the fifth anniversary of the death of my husband by suicide and I want to start out by reading Proverbs 24:11.  Rescue those being taken off to death and save those stumbling towards fodder.  I feel like God has called me to speak to anyone contemplating taking their own life.  I don’t know what Randy was thinking that led to his suicide, but I do believe that Satan, our enemy, was whispering lies to him, lies such as no one loves you, you’re not good enough, your family would be better off without you, no one will even miss you.  None of that is true about anyone.  Each person ever born is much loved by God.  He created you and he has a purpose for you.  He loves you so much that he sent his Son to die in your place.  So dear one, hold onto Jesus.  He will help you through the dark places.  Call out to him.  He will rescue you.  Don’t be afraid to seek help from a doctor or pastor or friend.  God, I pray for anyone who is entertaining the thought of taking their own life.  Father, shine light into their darkness and rescue them.  I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus.  Let it be.  

Hi, my name is Lanea and I’m from the LA area.  I’m a long time listener, I don’t know, nine years or something.  This is my first call.  I’m having foot surgery today, pretty bad foot surgery, and I just want prayers.  I know that our Lord’s time and when I call is completely different and so I just really would covet the prayers of the people.  Thank you for everything from this DAB family of mine.  I just have always felt such a part of it.  Just thank you much.  Bye.  

Hello, this is Mark calling from Florida.  This is my seventh year with DAB.  This is my first time calling.  I have a call for prayer.  I just got engaged to somebody.  I actually just call it getting engaged just because I’m looking at stuff in my life that many are dealing with – employment, my company is about to lay-off about 30% of the workforce, so yeah, __________ but my job is threatened and all this type of stuff around me, and yet the Lord brought this wonderful woman into my life and I just knew I had to ask her to marry me, but the enemy is definitely playing with my thoughts, doubts about whether that was a smart decision to get engaged right when you are facing a potential job cut.  I’ve been with this company for 17 years and I know the Lord wants to be my supply and source in all situations including this.  It is just difficult mentally on me.  So pray for me, that I will have faith and courage to go through with this and that God’s presence and his guidance will be on me throughout this process.  My wedding date is set for March 25th, so I’m excited about that, just nervous about everything else.  But I give Jesus all the praise and glory and thank the DAB family for all their support.  

Hello.  I’m Lisa from Texas.  I’ve been listening for about six years now and this is my first call in.  Brian, I just want to tell you and your family that I am praying for you all and that I am grieving with you.  I love you and appreciate you all.  The second thing I would like to say is to a lady whose name I did not get who called in support of another blind person and the power and love that went out as she spoke loving, kind words to the lady who has recently gone blind, I want you to know that touched me deeply.  The third thing I would like to say is to the lady in Louisiana whose house flooded, I want you to know you’re in for a miraculous turnaround in your circumstances. I believe it.  Connect your faith with all of ours and we’re going to be able to hear you call back in with a report glorifying God.  Thank you Jesus.  Bless every listener, Lord.  Bless them, God.  

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01/23/2017 DAB Transcript

Genesis 46:1-47:31 ~ Matthew 15:1-28 ~ Psalm 19:1-14 ~ Proverbs 4:14-19

Today is the 23rd of January.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian and it is a pleasure and a joy, really an honor to be here with you today to take the next step in the scriptures this year.  We’re kind of coming to this conclusion of Joseph’s story.  Of course, this story has been full of drama and twists and turns and today we find out if Joseph’s father, whose name is Jacob, whose name has been changed to Israel, gets the word of his son’s life, that he’s still alive from the other children, the sons of Jacob, the first children of Israel.  Genesis chapter 46, verse 1 through 47:31.  We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week.  

Commentary

Okay, so King David writes a psalm, a song and then later his son Solomon writes a proverb and they both just lay out a beautiful picture of what life can and should look like if we have a life of balance and margin.  David starts out saying the heavens keep telling the wonders of God.  He is saying look around you.  The evidence is everywhere.  There is nowhere to look that you cannot see the wonder of God.  Without speaking a word they say more than can possibly be said about the wonders of the Lord.  

And then he talks about the instructions and law of the Lord as being perfect, something that gives us new life, teachings that will last forever and give wisdom to ordinary people like us.  God’s instructions make our hearts glad.  His commands give us light.  Trusting in God’s will, his decisions, his judgments is a good thing.  They are right.  They are correct.  They are fair.  They are worth more than gold.  They are worth more than money and they are worth more than the best of foods.  God’s teachings warn us and by obeying them we are greatly rewarded.

And then Solomon says the lifestyle of good people is like a sunrise. It grows in brightness and gets brighter and brighter and more beautiful until it is full noon and it is full light. Whereas the lifestyle of the wicked is like total darkness and they don’t even know what makes them fall down.

So we’ve been given a roadmap and all we have to do is ask ourselves what the shape of our lives is.  Is it murky? Is it dark?  Are you tripping up?  Don’t know where you’re going?  Or is life like a sunrise, like it is getting brighter and brighter and brighter and brighter?  And as we contemplate that, well then we realize the road we are walking.  

And here we are once again at a crossroads.  The Bible continues to constantly bring us to the fork in the road and gives us a clear choice.  It’s a clear a path to what is right and it is a clear path to what is not in all of our choices.  It’s a matter of what do we want most?  If we want the things that have kind of brought us darkness and have tripped us up but they have a lot of pleasure in them or for whatever reason, well then we can’t turn around and blame God for putting us in the dark because we came to a crossroads and we chose the dark, not God.  He’s not doing it.  He didn’t do it.  He’s back at the crossroads saying, ‘You can come back.  You can return to this point and choose a different road.’  But most of the time choosing correctly, because we get to these crossroads and we’re like, ‘I don’t know’ and we just kind of go with it, not necessarily choosing darkness on purpose, but this is life. This requires vigilance.  This requires awareness.  It actually requires participation.  We have to be actively involved in our lives, choosing carefully the way that we’re going, knowing that everything that we do is a choice that goes somewhere and choosing wisely rather than trying to make the choice after we’ve already made the choice by the actions of our lives.  

Prayer

Father, we need you.  We need you in this.  Well up within us, Holy Spirit, and show us where we are and where we’re going.  We in our own hearts at this time echo the words that were spoken in song so long ago by King David.  Let the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our hearts be pleasing to you, Lord because you are the rock, the mighty rock, and our protector. Come Holy Spirit, we pray.  In the name of Jesus, amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is home base.  It’s the website for Daily Audio Bible and it is where you find out what is going on around here, resources that are available in the Shop, events like the More Gathering for Women that is coming up here in April that you can check out, the Prayer Wall is there where people are posting and responding all the time, so be sure to check that out.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in the mission that we share to build community around the rhythm of the scriptures every day, then thank you for your partnership.  There is a link on the home page.  You can find it also in the app if you push the More button that is on the home page of the app, or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.

And, of course, if you have a prayer request or comment, we are a community here.  (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you.  And I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Good morning DAB family.  This is Shirley in Southeastern Washington.  Just finished listening to the DAB.  This is January 17th.  Brian and Jill, once again just want to say to Brian and his family, I’m praying for you at this time as you mourn the loss of your mom.  I know exactly what you’re feeling so I’m praying for you.  Also wanted to say welcome to the family, Amanda. Just became our sister in the family of Christ December 27, 2016.  Amanda, just know that we’re praying for you and just know that you don’t have to carry this by yourself.  We are here. We are listening.  God is listening and he helps us through each and every struggle that we go through because he knows exactly what we’re going through.  So just know we’re praying for you and we’re so happy that you’ve become one of us in the family of God.  Just know that we love you and we’re praying for you.  God bless everybody.  Have a good day.  Bye.  

Hi, this is Sonya from Ontario, Canada.  I just wanted to send a message to Brian.  Dear Brian, I’m a six year listener and I’ve never called in before, but today I’m calling in to you because you have become a friend and inspiration to my life.  You’ve encouraged me to strengthen my relationship with God.  I’m so sorry to hear that your mother has passed and my prayers are with you and your family. Please remember that you are a product of every laugh she shared with you, every tear she shed for you, and every piece of wisdom that she passed on to you.  That has made you the beautiful child of God that you are.  You are sharing the word of the Lord to all who have ears.  You have created a community of people who love and support each other in God’s name.  Her love made you who you are.  Your mother is free of suffering and is smiling with pride and joy and dwells in the warm embrace of Jesus.  Brian, to you and your family, I pray that God keeps you and blesses you for always and eternity because you have touched millions of people’s lives. Millions.  And I love the DAB.  Thank you.

This is Judy from Florida.  I have a message for Amanda who is dealing with unforgiveness.  Honey, you can’t forgive out of feeling.  It has to be an act of your will.  In other words, no matter what you are feeling, you act nice and keep your mind on positive things.  This is very hard in the beginning, but if you will continue, one day life will be a whole new ballgame.  When I went through this, I used to have so much trouble thinking of positive things that one day I sat down and made a list of positive things to think about, songs to sing or scriptures to quote.  When my mind was giving me a fit about unforgiveness, I would get my list and on purpose begin to get my mind off the negative and on to the positive. Eventually the unforgiving feelings began to leave and life was good again.  I’m praying for all of you, especially Brian and his family during this time of grief. Goodbye.

Hi, I’m __________ Flower, __________.  I’ve been listening for about over a year now.  __________ the Hardin family __________ the death of his mother.  I call on behalf of my husband.  He has chronic pain.  He has been in pain for at least six years now.  He’s always also had problems with insomnia and it’s getting worse and he’s getting depressed.  And yet he still goes to work to support us.  He really needs help.  He is not a believer yet, so __________ for God to save him.  Won’t you please?  I don’t know what God’s will is.  He is good and I trust him but it is hard to see my husband suffer.  Please pray for him.  Thank you so much.  

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Dorothy from Destin and I wanted to thank Lisa and Christy for praying for me. I still have the shingles, but I’ve had a lot of time to think and pray while I’ve been laid up with this.  Brian, I am so sorry to hear about your mother’s passing.  I got to speak to my mom today and she is a nursing home and she really doesn’t remember very much, but I did get to speak to her and she asked me if she could live with me again.  I know that is impossible, but one thing I was able to do was just tell her about my back porch and that I have a special place for her here and I told her how lovely it would be and explained to her about the flowers in my backyard and the roses and hydrangeas and I just knew from that moment it made my mom feel so much better. So I just thank God for that.  And I thank God for all of you because every time I listen to you all, it makes me feel so much better.  So God bless you all and have a wonderful day.  Thank you again.  Love you all. Bye-bye.  

Hello family.  My name is Kimberly.  I live in Albany, NY and I’ve been a member of the Daily Audio Bible since 2011.  I’ve called twice only and both times for my brother, both times for issues with his lungs.  He has emphysema and he had a scare for two months and both times you guys prayed and both times he’s doing okay.  But today I’m calling for myself.  Today I had a CAT scan as well on my lungs and it came back abnormal.  Now I’m not really positive what that means, but I have to go see a pulmonologist and in my family, my mother, my father, my brother, both my grandparents have passed away from lung cancers which is why I get regular CT scans every year, and so I’m just a tad nervous.  I really don’t want to carry this myself.  I would like for you guys please to pray for me for my lungs and for health.  I just appreciate you all so much.  Thank you.

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01/22/2017 DAB Transcript

Genesis 44:1-45:28 ~ Matthew 14:13-36 ~ Psalm 18:37-50 ~ Proverbs 4:11-13

Today is the 22nd day of January.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian.  It’s great to be here with you.  Oh, it’s great to greet a new week and know that every new week is a new start. Every day is a new beginning.  And the Lord’s mercies are new every morning which means now.  So we’ll pick up with the same story that we’ve been following since the beginning of this year.  Right now we’re learning of the story of Joseph.  We’ll read from the Contemporary English Version this week.  Genesis chapter 44, verse 1 through 45, verse 28 today.

Prayer

Father, we take to heart, not just to mind, to heart what you have said to us in the Proverbs today.  “I have shown you the way that makes sense.  I have guided you along the right path.  Your road won’t be blocked and you won’t stumble when you run.  Hold firmly to my teaching and never let go.  It will mean life for you.”  So we receive that.  Father, that is why we are here every day, to hold firmly to your teaching. So we invite your Holy Spirit, once again, and this won’t be the last time, I’m sure, because we are in constant need of your Holy Spirit’s guidance and counsel.  We need wisdom, wisdom that is beyond what we think we know. Certainly you have given us minds and wills and certainly we have life stories and experiences that have given us a measure of wisdom, but we need more than that.  We need more than whatever we can conjure up through our life stories.  We need you. We need your wisdom to guide our steps along this narrow path so that these things will be absolutely true, that we have followed your guide, that we have walked the right path, that we have walked the way, and that you have cleared the way because we have held firm to your teachings, we have applied them to our lives and operated out of that wisdom as we make decisions and choices that all compile together to make the story of our lives.  So help us, Jesus.  Even the small choices we make, they go somewhere, and if they were made without wisdom, then we kind of know where they go.  But if they were made with wisdom then we also know where that leads.  So help us, Jesus, to not take anything for granted, any choice that we make, any word that we say, any action in this world that we participate in.  Come Jesus, help us slow down, find the balance in the margin by listening to you before we do anything.  Come Holy Spirit, we pray in the mighty name of Jesus, the Risen One, the Victorious One, amen.  

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  It’s home base.  It’s how and where you find out what is going on around here so be sure to check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at www.DailyAudioBible.com.  There is a link and it just lives on the home page, so thank you for finding that. Those of you who have clicked it, thank you for your partnership in allowing the Daily Audio Bible to be here and exist and move forward another day.  If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible App, you can press the More button in the lower right-hand corner.  Or if you prefer the mail, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.  

And that’s it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you.  And I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Good morning DAB family.  This is Paula calling from Albuquerque.  Brian, I wept when I read the news on Facebook and then when I heard all of the calls begin to come in.  I understand where you are and I guess all of us that our parents have gone before us or we’ve experienced someone we love going before us, we have that.  I was reminded of the scripture that everyone refers to, that Jesus wept.  It’s the shortest scripture in the Bible.  It is evidence that he too grieved and I think we can all take comfort in that.  I will be praying for you.  I know how hard it is also to lose someone so close to the holidays.  Although she is not really lost, because we know where she is and you know where she is, more importantly, and that is what we take hope in. So I will continue to pray for wisdom, for peace, and for comfort for you all.  And then also for Jacqueline, Salvation is Mine, continuing to pray for you for healing, for peace through your journey.  I’m so grateful that the Lord has allowed us to connect.  Please know that I’m here for you.  For everyone else that is going through something, as we all are, I just lift that up to the Lord and I just ask for you all to continue to pray, which is what we do.  Intercession is one of the most important and valuable things we can do for each other. I love you all.  Have a blessed week.  

Please pray with me.  O Lord, we lift up our sister Patricia, dear, sweet Patricia in New Orleans.  We ask for your provision for her.  We ask for you to put a shield of your protection around her, from those who seek to harm her.  Lord, we just want to, with you, lift her in our arms, hold her.  Lord, please watch over Patricia.  Please fill her with your love.  Protect her and provide for her.  It is in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.  

Hi, this is Candace from Oregon.  Tricia from Nevada, I just want to highly recommend to you that you pray The Daily Prayer.  I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but The Daily Prayer, apparently you can listen to Brian speak it on the DAB website.  I know you can also get a printout of it from Ransomed Heart Ministries. It’s just called The Daily Prayer. It was so effective over several years breaking the darkness and the strongholds that were over my household. Let’s bring Tricia to God in prayer, please, family.  Come around her with me.  Lord, we bring to you Tricia from Nevada and we thank you that she has cried out to you. All of us join in prayer before you on behalf of her family.  We pray, Lord, for piercing light, the light of your love to miraculously break the strongholds over that household, that your holy presence will soften hard hearts and bring a whole new perspective and new life.  Also want to pray for Jordan.  Thank you, God, for his poems.  Thank you for the power that is there and the beauty of it.  Thank you for his students that he doesn’t get to see anymore. Bless them and continue to bless those seeds that he planted there in Detroit and now in Dearborn.  Bless him, Lord.  May he become truly and deeply blessed by you day by day in this endeavor. In Jesus’ name.  

Hi, this is Alicia from Kansas.  I am listening to the weekly prayer line and I got to the third or fourth call.  I’ve listened to it probably four or five times trying to get it all.  I think it is Patricia from Indiana, and I am so sorry if I’m incorrect, but it is obviously very hard to understand what you’re saying.  I know that you’re struggling and you’re trying to speak so that we can understand you. I do not know what the physical anomaly is, but anyways, my heart was so touched by your call out, to your begging for prayer.  Please know that you are being prayed for. I’ve heard you call before and I’ve continued to pray.  You’re so desperate for prayers and you’re asking for the Lord’s love.  You’re asking for prayer.  You’re asking for being protected, for wisdom, understanding for your current situation and whatever horrible things are happening. Just know, precious one, that I am lifting you up.  I am praying for the angels to protect you.  I am praying for Father God to wrap his loving arms around you so that you feel them, so that you feel the power of the prayers going out from your brothers and sisters all over the world.  Please do not give up.  Please feel only his peace.  I will continue to pray for you on a daily basis and my heart is just so broken over what some of us go through and that some of us don’t recognize the blessings that we have.  Thank you for your call.  Thank you for having the power to call in and ask.  I love you so very much.  God bless you.  Everybody take care.  

Hey Daily Audio Bible family.  This is Becky in Orlando.  Hey Brian, I am so sorry to hear about your mom.  My heart goes out to you and your family.  I’m praying that the Holy Spirit comforts all of you and I know that your mom is with Jesus along with your father and the rest of your family that has already gone before you.  So I’m praying for your hearts all to be comforted.  Salvation is Mine, I’m praying for your mammogram.  And also for the other woman’s abnormal mammogram.  That is actually how I became a Christian, because I was not a Christian until about seven years ago.  That is a different story for another call and I’ll call back and tell you guys that later.  Becky from Pennsylvania, I am sending you a great big hug, one Becky to another.  I wish I had known that you were in Orlando for your birthday.  I love you so much.  Yeah, I was so sad to hear that you were so sad on your birthday.  Next time you’re in Orlando, call me.  And Becky from Des Moines, I love you and I’m praying for you. And Kristy from Kentucky, I’m praying for your family.  You’re always so sweet and so peppy.  And Jacqueline from Atlanta, thank you so much for your shout-out to me and I’m praying for you and your family also.  So I love you guys lots.  I will talk to you soon.  Alright, bye-bye.

Hi family.  This is Salvation is Mine in San Leandro, CA.  First, let me say thank you to all of you who have reached out to me by text message, the DAB Friends page and my Facebook page.  I am especially humbled by my dear new friend, Jordan from Michigan, that posted such a wonderful prayer request to the DAB on my behalf.  I also wanted to send a thank you and an I love you to my Canadian friends, Francis and Drew, for checking on me and being there for me even during their times of trouble as many of you from the DAB have done.  I want to thank you so very much because it has been a long time in my life where I have felt that anyone has actually genuinely cared for me, that there has been a pure love for me with no expectations of anything, just to be loved.  It is wonderful.  So thank you so very much.  Today wasn’t a good day for a lot of reasons.  A lot of tears.  A lot of crying.  A lot of headaches.  But on the upside, as Jordan says, my praise for the day, my good thing for the day is I’m still above ground.  I want to thank every part of the DAB family, friends, the staff, Brian, Jill, anyone who has anything to do with this podcast for being true messengers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  So thank you for being an anchor in quicksand.  Talk to you later family.  Bye-bye.  

Hi, this is Bill B.  I am in the Veteran’s emergency room right now, being transferred to the hospital.  I have breathing problems.  I’ll probably be there a couple days or so, so please put me on your prayer list.  I love you all and I do pray for you.  Bye-bye.

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01/21/2017 DAB Transcript

Genesis 42:18-43:34 ~ Matthew 13:47-14:12 ~ Psalm 18:16-36 ~ Proverbs 4:7-10

Today is January 21st.  Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.  I’m Brian and it is great to be here with you today.  This is day 21 of our journey through the Bible this year, three weeks in. Well done.  It is said that it takes 30 days to create a new habit in your life.  Seven more days and we will have made a habit of this for the new year.  So well done.  We are on our way.  

We’ve been reading from the New International Version, which is what we’ll do today and then we’ll go back to Egypt and Joseph and his brothers and the great famine.  Genesis chapter 42, verse 18 through 43, verse 34 today.  

Prayer

Father, we thank you for another week in your word and as we finish this third week, we feel the rhythm.  We feel the things that are breaking free inside of our hearts.  We see the way that you have already begun to reshape and reform us.  It is beginning to come out.  Things are coming back to us as we face situations.  And one of the things you have told us from the get-go of this year is that wisdom is very vital to our survival in navigating in this life and to fear you is the beginning of that journey and that you use wisdom.  You created this world by wisdom and you have offered it to us.  But it is not something that will just happen to us.  It is something we have to get.  It is something we have to pursue.  As you said in the Proverbs today, get understanding even if it costs you everything that you have and cherish it, embrace it.  So in the spirit of King Solomon, we ask you for wisdom.  We ask you for this.  Give us wisdom in our lives.  Compile all of the experiences of our story and, Holy Spirit, distill it down into the wisdom.  From our mistakes, create wisdom for the future.  From our victories, create wisdom for the future.  We walk with you, Holy Spirit, and ask this of you.  Pour wisdom into our lives and show us where the road goes. Help us to make wise, collaborative decisions with you.  Come Jesus, we ask.  In your name we pray.  Amen.

Announcements

Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website.  Of course, that is home base and that is where you find out what is going on around here.  Speaking of wisdom, you might want to check out some of the other channels that are on the Daily Audio Bible player or app, especially I think today of Daily Audio Proverb.  

So this is the Daily Audio Bible and we’re going through this rhythm of the entire Bible in a year and that is an epic journey, amazing.  If we just look back over the first three weeks, we see it is a very rich and amazing journey to take.  But if you really want to pursue wisdom, then so much of the wisdom of the ages is contained in the book of Proverbs.  So the Daily Audio Proverb is there.  It is about five minutes a day.  It is like a vitamin.  Daily Audio Bible at the beginning of the day and take your vitamin at night or at lunch or switch it up.  Whatever works for your life.  But maybe incorporating the Daily Audio Proverb as just this little vitamin would be very helpful.  It goes through an entire chapter of Proverbs each day and moves through the entire book of Proverbs every month.  So you can go through the whole book of Proverbs and really pour wisdom into your life. This is unfiltered wisdom.  It is practical advice for how to live your life and how to have a posture that gives context to life.  You can go through it 12 times in a year.  It is surprising how that stuff bubbles back up, how wisdom actually does take hold.  You begin to face certain sets of circumstances and all of a sudden you remember the proverb and it speaks to exactly what you’re facing and you know what to do.  All of a sudden you’re like ‘I’m not confused about this.  I know what is right.’  Then we have that choice to do what wisdom dictates and what is right or to avoid it and be foolish.  We get to make that choice.  So you might want to check that out.  

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you.  All of this stuff doesn’t just happen.  It happens because we do it together.  Now that we’re in our 12th year, we’ve done a lot together.  Thank you for your partnership in helping it to go forward next week.  Thank you for supporting the community that is the Daily Audio Bible.  There is a link on the home page of www.DailyAudioBible.com.  If you’re using the app, you can push the More button in the lower right-hand corner. Or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, TN 37174.

As always, if you have a prayer request or comment, (877) 942-4253 is the number to dial.  

And that is it for today.  I’m Brian. I love you.  And I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.  

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Hi everybody.  This is Alicia from Kansas.  It’s Friday the 12th.  I have to humble myself because I know I’ve called a few times already this year, but I’m really looking for widening the margin within my life and not having such high expectations of myself, getting rid of perfectionism, and humbling myself is a part of that process.  I’m calling. Brian at the first of the week talked about letting go of our dreams and giving up.  It’s been almost 18 years, but I’ve been divorced from my husband who I left, him and my children, in my alcoholism and I quit believing.  I believed for five years and waited for his forgiveness for me and maybe he will never forgive me, but you know, Brian, I’m grateful for that.  It has reestablished and reignited within me having dreams again and trusting in what I’ve heard the Lord say to me and not thinking I’m just crazy or did I really hear that.  So I hope for everybody else and my prayer will be that those of you, whatever your dreams and desires, that you will trust that the Lord will fulfill those. They may not look the way that we think that they should look, but that he is listening and he will fill the desires of your heart.  I am going to come before him today, just as Brian said, and just be me and talk to him and not be concerned about being perfect or trying to be what I think he wants me to be.  Everybody have a blessed weekend and I love you all.  Take care.  Bye-bye.

Hello my Daily Audio Bible.  I’ve missed you so much.  This is Erica, Erica M., aka what my momma calls me, Sunshine, so that is what I’m going to go off of.  I am from New Hampshire but living in Arizona currently and I just thought I’ve been listening the last couple of days and God has given me time, the time to be him and the time to be with you guys.  I just have to say it has been so wonderful.  So wonderful.  I’m going to be calling more.  I have not called in a long time, at least a couple of months, more than a couple of months. But I’ve been through so much and one of the reasons I am doing so amazingly is it is the prayers of this family. It has been the prayers of you guys reaching out and praying for me and listening to your prayers praying for each other, so I’m just grateful.  I went through a major surgery last year and that was hard.  That was really hard.  And I’m going to get another one, but I know that God is going to be there. That is what I want to impress upon you. If you guys need me, I am willing to pray with you.  I am willing to be your friend.  I’ve met so many amazing people now because of the DAB and because I was willing to reach out.  You know, Satan, I think was keeping me in my tiny little box.  That is where he wants to keep us.  So reach out.  I’m about out of time.  I love you all.  I’m going to be calling more.  Don’t let Satan keep you in your little box.  Reach out.  Love on people.  This is Erica signing out.  Let sunshine rule over your life.  Bye, you guys.  

Hi, this is Denise from Cincinnati.  Brian, my heart was breaking for you as soon as I heard your voice. It is January 14th.  I knew something was wrong and my biggest fear that your mom had passed had indeed happened.  I am so sorry.  My heart is breaking.  So I am praying for you today and for Jill and for your family.  Brian, I thank God for you.  I had an accident three weeks ago and in the hospital for surgery.  All I did was listen to Daily Audio Bible over and over and over and over again, every single day.  Thank you for that gift.  Thank you for being a lifesaver for me.  We are all here for you.  We’re praying for you and praying that the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart in Christ Jesus and praying for joy and love and the outpouring of love and encouragement from this family to you.  We love you, Brian.  Take care.  God bless.

Good morning DAB family.  This is Dawn from Los Angeles.  It is January 14th and my heart is just with Brian this morning, with Brian, Jill, and the entire Hardin family.  I am just covering you all because you have covered us.  You have supported and nurtured and built up and taught and equipped and trained us and it is our turn to as a community send all our united love and our strong force your way to wrap you up and to pick you up. So we just want you to know that your DAB family loves you and that we have you.  I pray this morning that the heart that Brian shared with us after and before he read today’s word would inspire all of us to make that call, to make that connection, to give that grace and that mercy and that forgiveness to your mom, your dad, your brother, sister, friend, son or daughter.  There is someone in your life that tomorrow they literally could be gone.  They are but a vapor, a mist.  So I pray that all of us in turn would use the heart connection we have from Brian, through Brian today, to say I hear God and God is asking me to have a better relationship with my mom.  Value her life.  Value her role  Value her existence and value her relationship.  I love you DAB family.  Ten years strong now.  Loving you and keeping you lifted in prayer.  Be well and be in love with Jesus as always.  

Hello Daily Audio Bible family.  This is William and Beatrix S. from Vienna, Austria.  I’m calling today for a prayer request for a lady who has an 11-year-old daughter.  The daughter’s name is Zoey and the mother’s name is Sunshine.  They live in Florida.  Sunshine, it appears, has been diagnosed with cancer and we don’t know the severity of it, but she is due for a CAT scan today.  This daughter found out unexpectedly and by accident and is having a very difficult time right now, so please pray for Sunshine and Zoey B. Thank you so much, Daily Audio Bible family.  Greetings from Vienna, Austria.  Have a good day.  Be blessed. Bye-bye.  

Yeah, hello Brian.  DAB family, my name is Derek from Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, also aka Christophilus.  It is my first time calling.  I’ve been listening to DAB for the last year and I have procrastinated so much.  It is Sunday, January the 15th, and Brian, I just want to pour out my heart to you, brother.  I heard of your loss and I just want to say I am weeping with you.  I thank you for being so faithful, even at this time and I want to thank you for all my brothers and my sisters in the DAB family.  I have not called before.  This is my first time and I pray, Father, I just pray for the entire DAB family.  I pray for Brian and Jill and the family. I pray you keep your hand upon them. Lord, I thank you for this ministry. I thank you for their faithfulness. I thank you that you have great rewards for them, Father, and great blessings in the future.  We give you the praise and glory for all you are doing in our lives.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Hey DAB brothers and sisters.  This is Byron out in Florida.  I set aside a day this week to fast and pray for the situation in Aleppo because I was stirred by Sam in Western Australia’s challenge to us to do just that.  But the thing is I don’t watch the news.  The only way I really know that is something is going on is when people around me start talking about it.  So when I took that time to pray, my first order was to figure out what I was praying for. I was stirred to pray for something I really didn’t know what it was about.  So I started to do some research in the situation in Syria and then to Aleppo and what I came across reminded me as to why I don’t watch the news.  The situation is tragic, obviously, and a humanitarian disaster, but what is even more striking and scary is that why this is the case.  It seems that Aleppo and Syria have become the center of a geopolitical conflict between situations that are much larger than that country itself.  As the day went on, I just got more distressed thinking about what is the prayer for this place?  And I couldn’t think of what it would be.  I don’t really have time to go into how the Lord showed me, because it was really quite coincidental and funny, but when it came to me, it struck me that there is no political resolution for the problems in Syria. There is no situation that is going to keep from there being long term issues.  What Aleppo needs and what Syria needs is the gospel.  They need people to go there, go to preach.  The harvest is ripe there.  For me, at least, that is going to be the prayer.  So thank you, Sam, for challenging me to pray.  Love you guys.  

Hey family, this is Salvation is Mine in San Leandro, CA.  Today is January 13th, 2017, and the news I didn’t want to receive I received today.  I do have breast cancer.  There will probably be surgery involved.  I don’t know when, but it is coming.  But even with all that being said, I know that by his stripes I am healed and by his word I am made strong and I will have the comfort of the Holy Spirit with me. Jesus is always praying for us to his Father, God.  He is keeping us in his heart, in his prayers, in his mind, in his spirit.  I know it says that he does not give us more than we can handle, so obviously this is something I can handle even though it is something I don’t want to handle.  But I’m going to have to find some peace in it one way or another and I’m determined to do that.  This is a season in my life and it will be a short season no matter what I think.  So family, right now I am just asking for your prayers, prayers, prayers, and prayers over me, over my spiritual need, over my mental need, over my body, that this will be eradicated and will never return.  I don’t know how this is going to affect things because I do have lupus as well, so I definitely have to figure out that with my rheumatologist.  Anyways, God bless you.  God love you.  God keep you in perfect peace in your life no matter what storm you are going through. Know that he is there and he will get us through everything in our lives.  Love you family.  Take care. Bye-bye.  

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday January 22, 2017 (NIV)

Genesis 44-45

Joseph Tests His Brothers

44 Then he commanded (A)the steward of his house, (B)“Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack, 2 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.

3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his (C)steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?[a] 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and (D)by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”

6 When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! 8 Behold, (E)the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? 9 (F)Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be (G)my lord's servants.” 10 He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” 11 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 Then they (H)tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They (I)fell before him to the ground. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me (J)can indeed practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out (K)the guilt of your servants; behold, we are (L)my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

18 Then Judah went up to him and said, (M)“Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and (N)let not your anger burn against your servant, for (O)you are like Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, (P)and a young brother, (Q)the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, (R)‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, (S)his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, (T)‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’

24 “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when (U)our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me (V)two sons. 28 One left me, and I said, (W)“Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29 If you (X)take this one also from me, (Y)and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

30 “Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life, 31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, (Z)‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

Joseph Provides for His Brothers and Family

45 Then Joseph could not (AA)control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, (AB)“I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, (AC)whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, (AD)for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are (AE)yet five years in which there will be neither (AF)plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and (AG)ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 (AH)You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 (AI)There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is (AJ)my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and (AK)bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and (AL)I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take (AM)wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for[b] your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them (AN)wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave (AO)a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[c] of silver and (AP)five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, (AQ)“Do not quarrel on the way.”

25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw (AR)the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Footnotes:

  1. Genesis 44:4 Septuagint (compare Vulgate) adds Why have you stolen my silver cup?
  2. Genesis 45:20 Hebrew Let your eye not pity
  3. Genesis 45:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

Cross references:

  1. Genesis 44:1 : ver. 4; See ch. 43:16
  2. Genesis 44:1 : ch. 42:25
  3. Genesis 44:4 : ver. 1
  4. Genesis 44:5 : ver. 15; ch. 30:27; [2 Kgs. 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6]
  5. Genesis 44:8 : ch. 43:21
  6. Genesis 44:9 : [ch. 31:32]
  7. Genesis 44:9 : ver. 16
  8. Genesis 44:13 : ch. 37:29
  9. Genesis 44:14 : ch. 37:7, 9, 10; 42:6; 43:26, 28
  10. Genesis 44:15 : ver. 5
  11. Genesis 44:16 : ch. 37:18; [Num. 32:23]
  12. Genesis 44:16 : ver. 9
  13. Genesis 44:18 : ch. 43:20
  14. Genesis 44:18 : Ex. 32:22
  15. Genesis 44:18 : ch. 41:40
  16. Genesis 44:20 : ver. 30; [ch. 43:8]
  17. Genesis 44:20 : [ch. 37:3]
  18. Genesis 44:21 : ch. 42:15, 20; 43:3, 5
  19. Genesis 44:22 : [ver. 31]
  20. Genesis 44:23 : ch. 43:3
  21. Genesis 44:25 : ch. 43:2
  22. Genesis 44:27 : ch. 46:19
  23. Genesis 44:28 : ch. 37:33
  24. Genesis 44:29 : ch. 42:36, 38
  25. Genesis 44:29 : ch. 42:4, 38
  26. Genesis 44:32 : ch. 43:9
  27. Genesis 45:1 : ch. 43:31; [Esth. 5:10]
  28. Genesis 45:3 : Acts 7:13
  29. Genesis 45:4 : ch. 37:28
  30. Genesis 45:5 : ch. 50:20; Ps. 105:16, 17
  31. Genesis 45:6 : ch. 41:30
  32. Genesis 45:6 : Ex. 34:21; Deut. 21:4; 1 Sam. 8:12; [Isa. 30:24]
  33. Genesis 45:8 : ver. 26; ch. 41:43
  34. Genesis 45:10 : ch. 46:34; 47:1, 4, 6, 27; 50:8; Ex. 8:22; [ch. 47:11; Josh. 10:41]
  35. Genesis 45:11 : ch. 47:12; 50:21
  36. Genesis 45:12 : [ch. 42:23]
  37. Genesis 45:13 : Acts 7:14
  38. Genesis 45:18 : ch. 47:6
  39. Genesis 45:19 : ch. 46:5
  40. Genesis 45:21 : [See ver. 19 above]; ch. 46:5
  41. Genesis 45:22 : [2 Kgs. 5:5, 22, 23]
  42. Genesis 45:22 : [ch. 43:34]
  43. Genesis 45:24 : [ch. 42:22]
  44. Genesis 45:27 : ver. 19, 21; ch. 46:5
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Matthew 14:13-36

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

13 Now when Jesus heard this, (A)he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he (B)saw a great crowd, and (C)he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; (D)send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; (E)you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, (F)he looked up to heaven and (G)said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

22 (H)Immediately he (I)made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, (J)he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When (K)evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way[a] from the land,[b] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And (L)in the fourth watch of the night[c] he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, (M)they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, (N)“Take heart; it is I. (O)Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and (P)walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, (Q)“Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, (R)“O you of little faith, why did you (S)doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, (T)the wind ceased. 33 And (U)those in the boat (V)worshiped him, saying, (W)“Truly you are (X)the Son of God.”

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

34 (Y)And when they had crossed over, they came to land at (Z)Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and (AA)brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch (AB)the fringe of his garment. And (AC)as many as touched it were made well.

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 14:24 Greek many stadia, a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
  2. Matthew 14:24 Some manuscripts was out on the sea
  3. Matthew 14:25 That is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
  4. Matthew 14:30 Some manuscripts strong wind

Cross references:

  1. Matthew 14:13 : For ver. 13-21, see Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13; [ch. 15:32-38; 16:9; Mark 8:2-9]
  2. Matthew 14:14 : [ch. 9:36]
  3. Matthew 14:14 : [ch. 9:36]
  4. Matthew 14:15 : ver. 22; [ch. 15:23]
  5. Matthew 14:16 : [2 Kgs. 4:42-44]
  6. Matthew 14:19 : Mark 7:34; John 11:41; 17:1
  7. Matthew 14:19 : ch. 26:26; 1 Sam. 9:13; Mark 8:7; 14:22; Luke 24:30; [1 Cor. 14:16]
  8. Matthew 14:22 : For ver. 22-33, see Mark 6:45-51; John 6:15-21
  9. Matthew 14:22 : [ch. 8:18]
  10. Matthew 14:23 : Luke 6:12; 9:28; [Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16]
  11. Matthew 14:23 : [Mark 13:35]
  12. Matthew 14:25 : [See ver. 22 above]; For ver. 22-33, see Mark 6:45-51; John 6:15-21
  13. Matthew 14:26 : [Luke 24:37]
  14. Matthew 14:27 : ch. 17:7; [Deut. 31:6; Isa. 41:13; 43:1, 2; John 16:33]
  15. Matthew 14:27 : ch. 17:7; [Deut. 31:6; Isa. 41:13; 43:1, 2; John 16:33]
  16. Matthew 14:29 : [John 21:7]
  17. Matthew 14:30 : [ch. 8:25, 26]
  18. Matthew 14:31 : See ch. 6:30
  19. Matthew 14:31 : [James 1:6]
  20. Matthew 14:32 : [See ver. 30 above]; [ch. 8:25, 26]
  21. Matthew 14:33 : ver. 22
  22. Matthew 14:33 : See ch. 8:2
  23. Matthew 14:33 : [John 6:14]
  24. Matthew 14:33 : ch. 16:16; 26:63; Ps. 2:7; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; 4:41; John 1:49; 10:36; 11:27; 20:31; [ch. 3:17]
  25. Matthew 14:34 : For ver. 34-36, see Mark 6:53-56; [John 6:24, 25]
  26. Matthew 14:34 : Luke 5:1
  27. Matthew 14:35 : ch. 4:24
  28. Matthew 14:36 : See ch. 9:20
  29. Matthew 14:36 : Mark 3:10; Luke 6:19; [Acts 5:15]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 18:35-50

35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand (A)supported me,
and your (B)gentleness made me great.
36 You (C)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies (D)turn their backs to me,[a]
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 (E)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as (F)dust before the wind;
I cast them out like (G)the mire of the streets.

43 You delivered me from (H)strife with the people;
you made me (I)the head of the nations;
(J)people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
(K)foreigners (L)came cringing to me.
45 (M)Foreigners lost heart
and (N)came trembling out of their fortresses.

46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
and (O)subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies;
yes, you (P)exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from (Q)the man of violence.

49 (R)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and (S)sing to your name.
50 Great (T)salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his (U)anointed,
to (V)David and his offspring forever.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 18:40 Or You gave me my enemies' necks

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 18:35 : Ps. 20:2
  2. Psalm 18:35 : [Isa. 63:9]
  3. Psalm 18:36 : Ps. 31:8; Prov. 4:12; [ver. 19]
  4. Psalm 18:40 : Ex. 23:27; [Ps. 21:12]
  5. Psalm 18:41 : See Job 27:9
  6. Psalm 18:42 : 2 Kgs. 13:7
  7. Psalm 18:42 : Isa. 10:6; Mic. 7:10; Zech. 10:5
  8. Psalm 18:43 : [2 Sam. 3:1; 19:9, 43; 20:1]
  9. Psalm 18:43 : [Ps. 2:8]; See 2 Sam. 8:1-14
  10. Psalm 18:43 : Isa. 55:5; [Ps. 22:27]
  11. Psalm 18:44 : Ps. 144:7
  12. Psalm 18:44 : Ps. 66:3; 81:15; Deut. 33:29
  13. Psalm 18:45 : [See ver. 44 above]; Ps. 144:7
  14. Psalm 18:45 : Mic. 7:17
  15. Psalm 18:47 : Ps. 47:3; 144:2; [Isa. 45:1]
  16. Psalm 18:48 : Ps. 59:1
  17. Psalm 18:48 : Ps. 140:1
  18. Psalm 18:49 : Cited Rom. 15:9
  19. Psalm 18:49 : Ps. 66:4
  20. Psalm 18:50 : Ps. 144:10
  21. Psalm 18:50 : See Ps. 2:2
  22. Psalm 18:50 : [Ps. 89:29; 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 29]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 4:11-13

11 I have (A)taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, (B)your step will not be hampered,
and (C)if you run, you will not stumble.
13 (D)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your (E)life.

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 4:11 : See 1 Sam. 12:23
  2. Proverbs 4:12 : [Job 18:7; Ps. 18:36; 119:45]
  3. Proverbs 4:12 : ch. 3:23
  4. Proverbs 4:13 : ch. 3:18
  5. Proverbs 4:13 : ver. 22; [John 1:4; 1 John 5:12]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.