Leviticus 13:1-59, Mark 6:1-29, Psalms 39:1-13, Proverbs 10:10
Today is the 22nd day of February. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it’s great to be here with you from the land of the Bible and, specifically, from the city of Eilat, which is as far south as you can go in Israel, because to go any further south you have to just go out into the Red Sea or into the country of Egypt. So, from the bottom of the land of Israel, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. We had a wonderful day yesterday, which I’ll tell you about in a little bit. And I look forward to another great day as we move forward in our journey. But before we get to any of that. Let’s center ourselves and do what we come together each day in community to do and immerse ourselves in the Scriptures. Today, from the God’s Word translation, that’s what we’re reading this week, Leviticus chapter 13.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for the rhythm of the Scriptures in our lives each day that we share in community. We thank You that each day is a step forward, not only in our year, not only through the Bible, but in our lives, and You are transforming us through Your word each day. Father, even as we’re here, we’re here in the land of the Bible right now, and we’re in the desert, very similar to the desert where You began to give the laws that we find in the book of Leviticus. And we see the starkness. And we seen that it is indeed the wilderness. And we see the utter dependence that it would require on You to survive. We can see that starkly, because we’re in the wilderness. We can see that and yet, our utter dependence on You for survival is always and constant, but we just often mask it. We have all kinds of products and services offered to us that we can buy, make our life better, make it seem as if we can navigate on our own, and You are still the only hope. And, so, we place our hope in You and invite You. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Announcements:
Okay. What a day 1 that we had together as a little community here in Israel. And long day. So, I think we’re all a little on the tired side, but doing good. Just an amazing day. So, we started on the Mediterranean coast in the modern city of Ashdod, which is also the ancient city of Ashdod, which happened to be one of the five main cities of the Philistines. So, that’s where we all congregated as we were coming in on many, many flights from different parts of the world and had an opening dinner and I just got to be together for a little while, start things. And, so, then we got up and off we went. And our first stop was in the southernmost border city of the Promise Land, Beersheba. So, from Dan to Beersheba. We’ve talked plenty about Beersheba in the Scriptures so far this year, especially in the book of Genesis. Beersheba goes all the way back to before Abraham’s time. And Abraham spent time in Beersheba, as did Isaac, his son of promise, as did Jacob and Esau. That’s kind of where the whole birthright thing went down. So, we visited the site, talked about it, and just looked at the ingenuity of how of a people living in the desert arid zone would provide water for themselves. There’s quite a cistern in Beersheba. It’s just hard to imagine digging all that out. Then we left Beersheba and headed out into the wilderness proper, like, the bona fide full-blown wilderness, also known as the Negev desert. And, so, we wound our way down, I guess, about an hour, hour and a half, until we got into the wilderness of Zinn and spent some time there just looking at it. It’s absolutely breathtaking in its stark beauty. It doesn’t exactly look like the place that you’d want to wander around for your whole life. Right? For like 40 years? But it’s beautiful in its own way. And that’s exactly what happened, from the wilderness of Zinn, 12 spies were sent into the Promise Land. And, of course, it hasn’t been that long since we read that story. So, were all familiar with how that went down. And the children of Israel had to head back out into the desert for an entire generation to, kind of, move out of the way and an emerging generation to rise up. And, so, we contemplated the wilderness because we spent the day in the wilderness. And the wilderness is a part of all of our stories. And usually what we do in the wilderness is thrash around and yell and scream and run in all kinds of directions and blame God for bringing us into the wilderness and, in very real ways, become like the children of Israel, just long for the days that we understood, even though it was bondage and slavery for us. Just get me out of here. And we contemplated that God lead the children of Israel into the wilderness. And the wilderness wasn’t the quickest route to the Promise Land, but there was an identity shift that needed to take place that only the wilderness could provide because the children of Israel could only depend upon God. They did plenty of grumbling. We’re watching all that as we read through the stories in the Old Testament. But we do the same thing. And the children of Israel, you know, they spent 40 years in the wilderness that they didn’t have to spend. When the 12 spies went into the land it was go time. Like, they were supposed to come back with intel, and everyone was supposed to move out, and the Promise Land was supposed to be taken, but instead, they had to spend 40 more years in the wilderness. And, so, it just begs the question, how long do we spend in the wilderness that we don’t need to spend in the wilderness? And when we finally get it through our heads that there is no hope but God? But God is capable and loves us deeply. So, we spent some time in the wilderness of Zinn, took lots of pictures, and considered these things and then moved on to lunch. We were able to have lunch in a tent with the Bedouin people of the desert, which is an incredibly unique experience in and of itself, to just kind of sit down and recline and eat and enjoy each other’s fellowship and kind of regroup. And then we got back on the bus and just headed deeper and deeper and deeper into the desert as we continued further and further south. Of course, we had to make an ice cream stop. I mean, because what else do you do in the desert besides eat ice cream? Nah… There’s a great little place that we found on a kibbutz that are dairy farmers. And, so, some fresh ice cream, a little refreshment, and then on down to the Red Sea, and Eliat. And the sun was setting. And we made a U-turn at the border of Egypt and then parked near the Red Sea and went down to the shore and just opened the Scriptures for what happened there because the children of Israel were in a pretty tight spot at the Red Sea. The Egyptian army bearing down upon them. Terror running throughout the camp. The Red Sea in front of them. There’s nowhere to go. And, so, we read a little bit of that from the book of Exodus, where the children of Israel are screaming at Moses, why didn’t you…didn’t we tell you to just leave us alone? Didn’t we just tell you to let us serve the Egyptians and leave us alone? Weren’t there enough graves in Egypt that we had to come out here to die? And Moses response is so beautiful, but also so direct into our own lives. He tells them, you’ve got to stand firm and you’ve got to watch. You don’t have to do anything. These Egyptians, like, this enemy that is bearing down upon you that you think is going to bring you death, you don’t understand. They aren’t going to do anything to you. God is going to fight and all you have to do is be silent. And isn’t that the last thing we do when we feel like we’re like cornered? Isn’t being silent and watching God come through the last thing that we do? And, so, we make so many more problems for ourselves that we don’t need to have. And that’s what we contemplated as we ended our day.
We had received word a couple of hours before that, and I’m sure by now all of you have heard that Billy Graham had passed away. And, so, we mentioned him and remembered him. He, Billy Graham, wow, like, he’s, he’s just…he’s an icon. Right? I mean no one else in this generation is like…is like Billy Graham. I remember seeing Billy Graham in a stadium when I was little and then I remember seeing him later in his life, kind of as he did his last stadium run, in Nashville. And he’s someone that I can look to in ministry and say, he stayed true. He was solid. He wasn’t scandal ridden. He was who he said he was. And that’s always mattered a lot to me just in ministry. So, you know, it’s hard to say goodbye to anyone in this kind of situation, but…man…what rejoicing…what rejoicing…and well done.
So, the sun had set and it was getting dark and we all boarded the buses and came back into the city of Eliat for dinner and for some rest. And today we’ll be heading north. Where else can we go? We’re as far south as you can go. So, we’ll be heading north and I’ll be posting pictures of where we’re going and what we’re seeing, pictures and videos on Facebook and Instagram. All the places that we visited today are posted up there, little videos and pictures. So, you can check that all out, facebook.com/dailyaudiobible or Daily Audio Bible on Instagram. And we’re posting stuff as it happens.
Reminding you, this Saturday, which is the 24th, which is just a couple of days from now, we’ll be doing a Facebook Live from the Galilee area. That’ll take place at 8 PM Israel time, which is noon central time in the rolling hills of Tennessee where I live. So, 1 PM, like, say, in New York, Eastern time zone. You can work it out from there. 6 PM London. Just Google the difference in time between where you are in Tel Aviv and you’ll have it locked and loaded and we’ll be doing Facebook Live from the Sea of Galilee. So, hope you can be there. Hope you can just hear what we’re thinking, what we’re feeling, and ask your questions, and it’s just always a great time. So, plan for that.
If you’re interested in coming to the land of the Bible with the Daily Audio Bible and doing one of these pilgrimages yourself and smelling the smells and walking the earth and seeing the sights and enjoying the culture and the food. You can do that. We’ll be coming back next year, about a year from now. And you can get the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section. Just look for Israel 2019.
Also, reminding you ladies back on the other side of the ocean, in several weeks, in April, early April, when the seasons begin to change in the South, the More Gathering for women will be taking place. You can get all the details for that at moregathering.com. Hope to see you there as well.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link. And that lives right on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 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 thank you for your prayers as we travel here and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hello DAB family and Happy New year. This is Victorious Vanessa from Maryland. It’s been a while but I’m always lifting everyone up and keeping me in you in my prayer. This is the year I’m expecting great things to happen. And I heard Jim call about his wife, Kim. And I thank God for you Jim for being the covering that you are. I stand in agreement with you for the wisdom that you have asked God to have to give you two while you’re going to this challenge on this journey. If I could just put a nugget there to find one healing Scripture and you and your wife stand together on that Scripture, memorize it, meditate on it, let it get your Spirit about the challenges that she’s going through and that you would also not to refer to that cancer as hers. It’s not hers. It is something evil. And just remember that God is the God that healtith the. I also want to lift up my sister Jacqueline, Salvation is Mine. The struggle is over my sister. Say it, believe it, and receive it. I’m lifting up Miss Peggy. I heard your prayer as well. And I’m just standing in agreement for you and your prayer, that God will grant you the desires of your heart as you have delighted yourself and Him. For all of the DAB family, be blessed, have a great and prosperous year, and remember we win in all things. What God died for, we have been delivered. We are always winners. Be blessed.
Hello, my name is Suzanne from Arkansas. I’m a first-time caller, a seven-year listener. I’ve intended to call many times, but you know how things go. You just kind of put it in the back of your mind and never end up calling. Today I am praying for AJ and her family. Her grandfather called in and this grandchild is now adoptive teen. And she was born with a condition called CDH or congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have even known what that was, but because my grandson was born with this condition I’ve read extensively on it and experienced, firsthand, the trauma and anguish that goes on with it. Years ago, these were called blue babies. They only have about a 50% chance of living, generally, but because AJ was born with a 10% chance she must’ve had a larger hole. And that’s what I diaphragmatic hernia is. The diaphragm separates the upper organs from the lower organs. And if you’re born with CDH, you have a hernia or a hole so that your organs travel up past where they should go. Your liver and your stomach and your intestines go up where your heart and lungs are. And nowadays they are able to operate and fix these babies so that they don’t die quite as often. I hated to hear that AJ’s hernia is now not holding with her growth and that she’s having the same problems again in her teen years. My heart broke when I heard this because I know firsthand how it feels and that her survival was a miracle. And, so I felt compelled, and a song came to my mind. And I’m not going to sing it but the song is, he did not lead us out this far to take us back again…
Hey DAB, this is Curtis from Calli. It’s been a long time since I’ve called in. I’m a long-time listener. I just don’t know…I just have been calling that much. I’m sorry but I do want to see if you guys could send up some prayers for my son. His name is Kingston. And recently he’s been going through…he’s only eight…and it looks like he’s showing some signs of depression, anxiety. And he’s been having like little panic attacks. He tells me that he’s got thoughts of fears, of thoughts of death for himself and his family and how it’s just kind of crippling him to where he just ends up bawling in tears. And it’s super sad…super sad to see a little eight-year-old dealing with that. You know, he should be thinking about other things like Legos or Star Wars shows, you know, whatever it may be. But, you know, I’ve gone through the same thing he has with the thoughts and all that in my life. And depression…and it’s one that you never want to go through yourself but then seeing your child go through it is just something else, especially when they’re only 8. So, yeah, if you guys can, please with my boy Kingston up. And, yeah. Thank you guys. love you DAB.
Good morning DAB family this is Joyful Noise from Southern California. I just really listened to the Valentine’s Day message. And thank you so much Brian for reviewing what Lent is all about and that lamenting is one thing that we don’t do very well as Christians. We ask for grace and we ask for mercy but we do not lament what Jesus had to go through so that we could walk this Christian walk and have a personal relationship with God and have the Holy Spirit in our lives 24 seven. My gosh. What a gift. And I so appreciate you walking us through that. I didn’t grow up in a Christian environment. And, so, a lot of this, although I’ve been….I would say…walking it…I would say 20 years…I still learn something new every day. So, thank you Brian for walking us through that tradition. I want to also thank His little Sharie for praying for prodigal’s. Thank you so much. I so appreciate those prayers and I know your praying for prodigal’s everywhere. And weren’t we all prodigal at one time in our lives? You know, if you’re wondering, if you need a little bit of encouragement, are a parent of a prodigal child, just look at your own walk. I mean, I look at mine, and my parents didn’t even know I was a prodigal because it was all default living to them. But thank God He reached down and touched my life in a powerful way so that I can see the difference between righteous and right. And I look at my own children and I pray mightily over them. So, thank you His little Sharie for joining me and so many others in this community and committing to that. I so appreciate you. Thank you for all of the wonderful DABbers who are praying for marriages. And, just in general, marriage that God…first…is the most powerful covenant for us. Marriage is being lifted up by people being on this…
He DAB family it’s Keith from New Hampshire, the granite state, calling in. I want to ask for prayer for your little boy, and my little boy, who’s now a big boy. Some time ago, when my 21-year-old, Asher, was about 15 years old…and anybody who’s been the parent of a 15-year-old will be able to relate to this…where I was at my wits end…I didn’t know what to do. I thought that all of my efforts bringing up a godly child were for not. He was making really bad choices, hanging around really bad people, and doing really bad things. And I called up you guys and I asked for prayer. And I…you know…I said he was a good kid at heart but he was headed for a typical teenager and you guys went to…you went to the throne of God for me and I remember someone called up and rebuked me for calling him and typical teenager and claimed Joshua for him. And that’s why I say he’s your little boy, because he’s a 21-year-old man of God now. And I really think it’s because this community went to prayer for him. He’s going to go to Moody’s Bible Institute. That’s his vision. And he wants to become a pastor. And he’s on fire, rebuking his father, and correcting me or am wrong, and loving God, and loving Jesus, and he’s getting married to a godly woman in May. And I want you guys to pray for him and Annie, who is my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, that they’ll have all the stress and family dysfunction that comes in around weddings. You know, there’s people that don’t think they should get married and people that do think they should get married but they’ve got the blessings of their parents on both sides. And it’s really, you know, some of the sisters and distant relatives that are…oh you guys are too young…and I just want you guys to lift them up and pray Job’s hedge of protection around them…