Exodus 39:1-40:38 ~ Mark 1:1-28 ~ Psalm 35:1-16 ~ Proverbs 9:11-12
Today is the 15th day of February. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you at the middle of the second month of this year, which I guess means we’re about six weeks into the year. Can you believe that it was just New Year’s six weeks ago, Christmas seven weeks ago? We have traveled some miles together in the Bible. It’s been amazing. And so we’ll take the next step forward, reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible this week, Exodus chapter 39, verse 1 through 40:38.
Introduction of a New Book (New Testament)
Okay, so we finished the first gospel yesterday, the gospel of Matthew, which brings us to the second gospel in the scriptures, the gospel of Mark. Right at the outset we should acknowledge that Mark was not a disciple. He was not one of the 12 disciples of Jesus and he wasn’t an apostle either. He was really a long-term disciple of Peter. So we first see him show up in the book of Acts. He’s Mark, aka John Mark, and he lived in Jerusalem and came from a fairly wealthy family. His mother’s name was Mary and she had a big house and a servant named Rhoda, according to the Bible. Mary was an earlier believer and opened her home to early believers, so one of the early church gatherings. Church tradition holds that her home may have been the place of the Upper Room where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early believers after Jesus’ ascension. So Mark was all around this all his life, even as a boy.
The apostle Peter was capture by Herod. We’ll read about this story later in the New Testament. He is going to be executed by Herod who would put some of the other Christians to death and it was pleasing to the people, so he planned to execute Peter, but an angel came and sprung Peter from jail and it was to John Mark’s house, to Mary’s large home that Peter first came. All the believers were there praying earnestly for Peter and that prayer was answered by God sending an angel to spring Peter from jail. So Peter comes to John Mark’s house and Rhoda, the servant girl, comes to the door and sees him and slams the door in his face basically because she can’t believe it’s him. That’s a story we’ll come to later, but it shows us a little bit about who Mark is.
So John Mark has been around the gospel his whole life. His cousin’s name is Barnabas who was a dear friend of the apostle Paul and Mark goes with Barnabas and Paul on Paul’s first missionary journey. So there is a pedigree, and rather than going into a long historical thing about John Mark, church tradition holds that he later becomes a servant or a disciple of the apostle Peter and travels all over with him and is serving even as an interpreter in Italy and especially in Rome. Everywhere that they go, Peter shares the gospel of Jesus Christ, so John Mark has heard this over and over and over everywhere that they go as Peter is evangelizing. He recalls and remembers all this and at some point he is even asked to write this down so people can remember all the history that Peter is giving everywhere that he goes. So Mark eventually does.
In a real way, what Mark is recording is really the gospel as told by Peter and most agree that Mark himself was the writer of Mark. There is some speculation as to the time of his writing, but most scholars believe that the late 50s to early, maybe mid-60s AD was when this book was written and it was written in Rome. Peter was martyred historically under Emperor Nero, crucified upside down actually in AD 64. Many scholars believe really that this, what we’re about to read, was the first account of Jesus Christ ever written, that this is actually the first of the synoptic gospels, the synoptics being Matthew, Mark and Luke. So with that, we begin the beautiful gospel of Mark chapter 1, verse 1 through verse 28.
Commentary
After all this time out in the desert so far with the children of Israel, the tabernacle, the centerpiece of the culture, the place that God would meet with them is constructed. We got all of the details about that. As the scripture says, the people made it just as the Lord told Moses, so they were very intentional when it came to doing exactly what they were told to do. So we see this move from a concept into a reality today. Then, of course, we began and moved into the gospel of Mark today, but often it is these one or two sentences that we find at the very end of our daily reading that ties it all together or speaks so directly that we can’t ignore, because this is how the Proverbs operate. We’re given direct unfiltered wisdom, wisdom that has stood the test of time over millennia and it speaks: For by wisdom your days will be many and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit. If you mock, you alone will bear the consequences. If you mock wisdom, you will bear the consequences.
So there it is. Almost ‘here is life, here is death, choose your path’ right in front of us and we are counseled every day and encouraged every day to do whatever it takes to get wisdom. So our wisdom is basically our experience and knowledge and sound judgment that we put into action in our lives. So I guess the older we get, theoretically the wiser that we become, but what about intimately knowing one who knows everything? Wouldn’t the one who created the world have the most wisdom about the world? Wouldn’t the one who fashioned and dreamed up and made mankind in his own image have the most wisdom about mankind? That wisdom is not like on a shelf somewhere unattainable. That wisdom is within us by the power of the Holy Spirit if we just will listen, slow down enough to consult. If you’re walking around in an intimate friendship with the wisest being in existence, it’s going to rub off. You’re going to get wiser and wiser because of it.
This is the invitation. Wisdom can add years to your life. We’re told in Proverbs that it was there in the beginning, that God used it to create the world, that it is more valuable than any monetary possession or any possession for that matter, that it is worth giving up everything else to have it because it will add everything from good life, long life to knowing how to navigate in this world and knowing how to navigate between other people. It is all here, the wisdom of the ages in the book of Proverbs and the wisdom of all things by the power of God’s spirit in and among us.
Prayer
Father, our prayer is for wisdom because to have margin, we’re going to have to have wisdom. Yet, we need wisdom more than we need any other item that we could pick in this world. So Holy Spirit, come, fill us with your wisdom, the wisdom that we need to get through this day and all the interactions that we might have and all the decisions that we need to make and all of the things that we’re contemplating short and long term and the way that we’re dealing and relating to our spouses and the way that we’re relating to our children or our parents. In all things give us wisdom. Our ears are tuned to your voice and we choose to slow things down enough to listen to you. Come Holy Spirit, we pray. In the name of Jesus we ask, amen.
Announcements
Www.DailyAudioBible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what is going on around here. So the More Gathering for Women that we’ve been talking about is going on around here. That is coming up pretty quick – April 6-9, a beautiful time in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia just outside of Atlanta about an hour where the new life will be springing forth after the wintertime. It’s a beautiful setting. It’s a beautiful place. It’s a beautiful time. Everything you could want to know, ladies, is at www.DailyAudioBible.com in the Events section or Initiatives. You won’t have any problem finding it. Come. Come. It will do your heart good, no question about it. You will leave with a sisterhood of friends that you didn’t know and that will carry on in the journey with you. I’ve seen it every single year, women who are brave enough to come alone not knowing anyone but just knowing the rhythm of this community and that we’re in this together and immediately, immediately the connections are made. The friendships are there. It’s a beautiful thing to see. And I’ve watched people come in groups and I’ve watched mothers and daughters come and I’ve watched best friends come. It’s amazing. So you are invited to the More Gathering for Women this April. Check it out at www.DailyAudioBible.com.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in the collective mission that we share here together to bring God’s spoken word to whoever will listen, anywhere on this planet, any time of day or night and to continue to build community around that rhythm so that no one has to feel alone ever again, if that is life-giving to you, then thank you for being life-giving in allowing it to continue forward every single day. There is a link on the home page of www.DailyAudioBible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible App, you can push the More button in the lower right-hand corner. And, of course, if you prefer, 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
Hey everyone. It’s Christy from Kentucky. I wanted to give you a call and share something that was just so cool that happened to me last night. I had a hard time falling asleep. I finally fell asleep and about an hour after I had fallen asleep, I woke up and I had heartburn and the Lord just immediately laid Jacqueline from California on my heart because she was supposed to have an endoscopy and they were going to stretch her esophagus and it was going to be on the 10th. And the Lord had brought all this back to mind and I started thinking about her and praying for her and I thought I am going to send her a text right this minute so she knows that she is on my heart. Well, I picked up the phone and guess who had sent me a message, a private message just like five minutes before? It was Jacqueline and I just was like really? Thank you Jesus. His timing is so amazing. It is so perfect. I just wanted to share that with you. Anyway, Jacqueline, we’re praying for you. I’m praying you feel better, Sweetheart, and I’m glad we’re friends. Alright everyone, I love you. I hope you’re having a most blessed and lovely day.
Hey DAB family. This is Cory from Newhaven, WV calling in. It is February 11th and I just finished the podcast and Salvation is Mine, I am Alone in His Presence. I literally… My mouth just fell wide open and I got cold chills because that is me right now. I have for weeks now been dealing with a very, very rough time in my marriage with my wife and it has been this way for a couple of years. But I have pressed in and I have decided that I am going to walk with God through this. I’m not going to go off the deep end. That is totally… I feel alone, but when you said “alone in his presence,” that is me. That’s me right now. I’ve started going back to church Wednesday evening. I’m going to go in the morning. I’m going to invite my wife and daughters and if they don’t go, I’m going to go by myself. But I will be with God and he will be with me and I thank you so much for being obedient and listening to the Holy Spirit and speaking that, because as soon as you said that, it is for a man, yes, that’s me. That is confirmation, Sister. So I appreciate that. I love all of you guys. Praying for everyone and pray that you would lift us up because we need it. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.
Hey DAB brothers and sisters. This is Byron out in Florida. I need your guys’ prayers over something. Tonight I was privileged to be able to participate in a ministry that goes to local fairs and hands out gospel tracts and gives the gospel to people who are willing to hear it. The Lord enabled me to be a part of the soul-winning of eight people tonight. God is so good. And I just wanted to ask for your guys’ prayer for these individuals, that God will start in their hearts to really help them understand what has happened. I’ll leave their names, just their first names and I just ask you guys to pray as the Lord leads. Over Carlton, Marcus, Ansel, Antonio, Rachel, Elizabeth, Tianna, and Shondra. Please keep them uplifted and just thank the Lord for his goodness. I can’t believe He would allow me to be a part of the transformation of somebody’s life, but I know he did it for me and what a privilege to be able to talk with other people about it. If you guys have any kind of ministry like that, whether going out to fairs or public places, I encourage you to get involved. It’s a great place to get started telling people about the Lord. Anyway, I love you guys. I’m so glad I can share this news with my family, and just continue to be in prayer for these people and for myself and what God will have us do. Alright, love you. Bye.
Hi, this is Bill B. in San Antonio, TX. I was the one that was at Audie Murphy Hospital. In fact, twice in two weeks. First time was for breathing problems and the second time was for pneumonia, but you know what? I have a mighty God. He has brought me through __________ these 86 years and I pray, Lord, that you bless everyone that prays to you. Lord, bless those that bless you. I pray that you help me now. Pray for me, I should say. I was in the hospital, Audie Murphy, four days last week and four days this week, but things seems to be a lot better now. I ask you to pray for me, in the name of Jesus. Thank you.
This is Charles from Brandon, FL. Not to be confused with Pastor Gene in Bradenton, FL. We are nearby, but not exactly in the same part of the world. Why I’m calling is that on December 23, 2016, my family and I lost the matriarch of our family. That would be my wife, the mother of my children, and the grandmother of the grandchildren. We had been married almost 44 years. You don’t hear too many people able to say that anymore and I think that is kind of sad, but we were closing in on that and we have just been trying our best to move on, crying when we needed to, praying when we needed to and reaching out to one another the rest of the time. I would really like it if you could pray for us as we begin this new chapter. Thank you. Again, this is Charles in Brandon, FL. Goodbye.
Hi everybody. This is Lisa, the Encourager. I’m just calling tonight. I wanted to pray for some people. I wanted to pray for Reggie in Nairobi, Kenya. And also wanted to pray for…or actually, I just wanted to encourage Janice from the UK. She is so sweet to call us all the way from the UK and encourage us. I just join you, Janice, as a sister from the United States, and just encouraging you for you encouraging us. And also, Amia, I just wanted to encourage you in your prayers. They are really beautiful and I always enjoy hearing you pray, so I just wanted to tell you that. So I’ll pray tonight for Reggie and his family. Dear Lord, I just pray, God, for Reggie as he has been struggling now for 10 months trying to find a job and trying to support his family. He’s got kids and a wife and it’s been very difficult as he transitions from Iraq to Kenya. I just pray, God, that you will open up the doors of opportunity for him. I pray that people will recognize his skill set, they will gravitate to him and they will find opportunities for him. They will just open the doors and he will be able to find and meet people that can help him find a job, Lord. And I pray for those businesses in Kenya right now that are going to be blessed. I pray now that that blessing will turn around and go Reggie’s way and that he will be able to get a job so he can put food on the table and clothes on his children’s backs and shoes on their feet and some perfume for his wife.