Judges 07:1-18:31, John 3:1-21, Psalms 104:1-23, Proverbs 14:20-21
Today is May 3rd. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s good to be here with you today as we kind of move ourselves into the back half of the week. And we have been reading from the Names of God Bible this week. We’ll pick up, of course, as is our custom every single day, we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday and we’re working our way through the book of Judges. And we have couple more days to go before we will complete the book of Judges. So, today, Judges chapter 17 and 18.
Commentary:
Alright. So, in the book of Judges, you know, we were told twice in our reading today alone, Israel had no king, everybody did what they thought was right in their own eyes. And we see that pretty clearly on display with this Levite and Micha’s idols. We see just how and enmeshed and kind of convoluted the entire system of believing and walking with God has become. And all of that is just prologue to how the tribe of Dan conquered some territory. So, they go to Lachish, attack an unsuspecting people and take over and rename the city of Lachish the city of Dan, which incidentally exists. Pretty profound ruins of Dan still exist in the land until today. And the evidence of the idolatry that were talking about now and all of the idolatry that follows it are still there in Dan. And this story may not have look immediate importance right this minute, but the trajectory of what we’re seeing in the book of Judges certainly does. This isn’t the last time we’ll visit the area of, the region of Dan, and all of the northern country of Israel. They’re setting a course. Way back, and we’re just several generations after Joshua, so, we’re more in the beginning of the story, but will continue generation after generation for the next centuries as we continue through the Bible. And we’ll see that the implications of the seeds that are being planted, they are gonna come home to roost, they’re gonna crow, a crop is coming up. And this mixture and idolatry is not going to yield something bountiful. It’s not going to end well, but we’ll get to that soon enough. But Dan, the founding of the city of Dan that we read about today and Judges, the ruins of that town are still standing.
And then we get into the book of John and we encounter, probably, the most well-known passage of Scripture, at least in the New Testament - John 3:16, right? For God so loved the world… So, we crossed through that territory today and read through that verse and we begin to realize that verse comes from Jesus lips. It’s not something it was said about Jesus, it’s something that He said and He said it is a part of the conversation that He was having with a very well educated religious scholar named Nicodemus. And we can think of Nicodemus as just sympathetic to Jesus cause, observant, watching, aware of what Jesus is doing and realizing that God is doing something through Jesus. And those things are all true, but Nicodemus was a ranking, highly educated, devout Pharisee, high-ranking enough that he was a member of the Jewish Council. So, this is a man who carries some weight and he’s coming to Jesus simply to talk this whole thing through, understand what it is that Jesus is teaching, and understand how it is that Jesus is performing miracles, which are obviously from God. That’s the context of John 3:16. Jesus is unpacking for Nicodemus that the spiritual realm is a real thing. And a person has to wake up to that fact if they ever want to know God. Like, you’re not to be able to know God by simply obeying rituals and being a good little boy or girl. There’s something very real going on in the Spirit. And you can’t know God if you can’t know God in Spirit. So, if you don’t even believe there’s a spiritual realm, then you can’t know God, which is in effect what Jesus is telling Nicodemus - God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son. I mean, I know I’m quoting this not in the translational we’re reading from this week but this is the one we know - that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. And then He goes on because that’s the famous verse, but He’s not done. Like, that wasn’t the one and only thing He was saying. So, He said that and then He said, God sent His son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. Those who believe this won’t be condemned. Those who don’t believe this are already condemned because they don’t believe this. It’s kind of like saying, okay, red lights have been established pretty much throughout the world for the driving public to indicate that you should stop. So, when you encounter a red light, if you do stop because you believe that the red light is telling you to stop because it’s directing traffic to avoid accidents then you’re not condemned to getting into a traffic accident because you didn’t stop. However, if you know what the red light means and you habitually run the red lights, you never stop because you don’t believe the red light, then you’re already condemned to getting into an accident. So, Jesus, completing his thought, says, this is why people are condemned - the light came into the world and the people love the dark more than the light because they didn’t want to be exposed, right? So, they didn’t want to beleive red lights mean stop or that they have to obey the red lights. So, fundamentally, what Jesus is saying is, I’m here, God in the flesh in person to tell you, humanity, that you have lost the plot. You can’t know me, you can’t be in the kingdom, you can’t even see the kingdom if you are not awake and aware to the fact that you are a spiritual being wrapped in flesh and physicality. All you are doing now is believing that your physicality and your humanness is all there is. But there is a God out there and if you will simply jump through the hoops into the rituals then somehow He’s gonna pay attention to you when the truth is you have to know God in Spirit. And if you’re confused about that and you’re already condemned to not know God because you don’t even believe; however, God loved the world so much that He would not allow that to be the end of the story. So, He came to illuminate this. The light came into the world. What does the light do? It illuminates. So, the light came into the world to illuminate this, yet everyone ran for the dark. And they’re condemning themselves to not know God. But in the words of Jesus, but people who do what is true come to the light so that the things they do for God are out in open and clearly seen.
Prayer:
Father, we confess. We confess that we run for the dark all of the time for the same reason. We don’t want to be exposed. And, in a very real way, that action is saying that we don’t believe. And it leaves us incredibly frustrated because were trapped. We’re trapped in what our bodies can detect alone. And we get lost believing this is all there is and we’re frustrated and we doubt and we thrash and we make matters worse when You were here saying, I’ve come to show you the way, I’ve brought light. And, so, we want to heed what You’ve said. When we do what is true and run to the light then things can be clearly seen. And this is what we’ve been looking for, clarity, that things can be clearly seen. And yet, they will never be clearly seen in the dark. So, we’re turning around and running toward You, running into the light. And yes, this may expose some things within us, things that we need to see clearly because they don’t belong in our lives. And we can’t know You, we can’t walk intimately with You in the light while being in the dark at the same time. And yet, we’re very clear that You loved us enough to come to bring the light. So, we see the dichotomy, that we’re running to the dark so that we won’t be exposed while simultaneously longing from the center of our soul to be in the light where things can clearly be seen. And part of this is just culture. Part of this is our unbelief and doubt. And we will never overcome these things by brute force, by force of our own will. We will only overcome these things by walking into the light and believing. And, so, we do. We believe fully that You would not let us be trapped and that You would not leave us abandoned in the dark where there is no way out. You came and we believe and we step into the light and invite Your Holy Spirit to shine the light of truth inside of us, within us, around us, in everything we do and say and think. Everything about us, may Your Holy Spirit expose it to the light of truth, that we might see things clearly as they really are and all the sudden we can see the things that are harming us, the things that You came to show us. So, come, Holy Spirit. We want to know You. And we will only know You in Spirit and in truth. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Community Prayer and Praise:
Hi this is Victoria S. Just calling tonight to want to pray for some of the DABbers. I was listening to the broadcast tonight and I heard about my sister Shell in Victoria and I felt like she was giving up. And I wanted to tell her a secret about us Victorious. People even without the name victorious, that God, when we feel like it’s time to give up with we’ve got to remember that God is holding us up. He’s already picked us up. Don’t… Don’t. Let Him carry you and let Him take you where He wants you to be my sister. I just want to let you know that. I wanted to pray for Lisa and Jeff’s father-in-law. I’m sorry to hear about the passing of your father-in-law and I wanted to pray for those who are going through marriages. I’ve been hearing about marriages that have been over 20 and over 25 years that the enemy is trying to attack. And I know what it feels like because he’s been trying to attack mine but I’ve been fighting with the good fight of faith and praying. The fervent effectual prayers of the righteous avail him much. Although I’ve been through it a time when I’ve prayed and it didn’t work the way I wanted because the unbeliever chooses to believe. But God, let me tell you, there is glory after this. He said your last days will be greater than the first. Hold on and see what He has for you. We don’t know what it is but we know that is going to be good. And I just want to trust you and give your hope in your heart for the good things. He says all things work together for the good. For them that love the Lord let them uphold according to His purpose. I want to pray also for Brian and Jill and thank God for the seminar down in Georgia, that it went beautifully. And just the people of God. My friend Sharron who is going through with her mother. I’m still praying for. And I’m still trying to catch hold of what’s going on and just continue to pray for all the DABbers that…
__ Rose from the Midwest. A caller called in. She was the first one explained on 29th and I think she said her name was Sophie. I couldn’t quite catch it. Abba Father, I pray for this woman Lord, she’s going through disappointment and just feeling stuck and has been for a period of time Father and it’s affecting her actions at this point. Holy God, she is Your child, she is Your daughter Father God and she truly seeks You and knows You Abba Father. Holy God, strengthen her heart, strengthen her heart. Hold her close to You, so close Father that she can feel Your heart beat Lord. Encourage her Father, give her peace Father and direction Lord. She feels directionless. Maybe she’s just overwhelmed with too much out there. Sometimes when we’re overwhelmed it’s not that were going in all different directions, we just don’t know where to go at all Father. Father I pray for this woman, that You would be her light Father, that You would be her comfort Father, even if it’s not anything in particular Father. Comfort her. Give her Your strong comfort Father. Give Her the hiding place, that You would be her hiding place as long as she needs it Father. You are our hiding place and our strong tower. Your holy God and I know how much You love us. Such an incredible amount that we can even begin to really know it Father. Let her feel that love. Let her feel that love for all that it is, that perfect love Father and that it will guide her Father. Thank You Father God for who You are. Thank You for Your love and Your power and the authority of Your word. Amen.
Hi my beautiful family this is Pastor Gene from Bradenton Florida. Please join me in prayer. Father, we thank You so much for Your love and kindness, expressed in many ways; through Your son Jesus, through Your word, through our brothers and sisters, this podcast, the people that love us, and that we love, our friendship and relationship with You. Lord Jesus. we lift up our sister Sally from Massachusetts. Her son has been suspended from school for a few years. We pray for a new school, a new program, a new diagnosis so that he can get the appropriate help. We refuse the fears in Sally’s life. We believe that You are going to guide her and speak love into her. We believe that You are going to bring all things into the right order. Father, we thank You for our sister Lisa the Encourager, her husband’s dad Jerry, and wife Joan. We pray for his healing, for the manifestation of God’s power in this situation and for family. We believe that You are more than able to do beyond what we can ask for. We also lift up our sister Diana O. B. We pray for order in her house and her finances but most importantly in her soul, in her spirit, her body. You know our sister. You know what’s in her heart. You know her desires. She desires a good thing. Bring everything under submission to You Lord and to Your Holy Spirit in our sister’s life. Father we pray again for our sister Karen who’s almost 60. I am praying that her husband…for a husband or for joy in single that she cannot explain. Oh God bless our sister with peace and joy that defies all explanation. And finally Father we pray for our sister Katie in California. She’s been without a job for a long time. We pray that You open the flood and the gates of heaven and that You will provide for her. We pray for all of these things in Jesus’ mighty name. Thank you family. Pastor Gene.
He family. Thanks everyone for being there. Thank you for those that pray. Thank you Brian and Jill for this forum. I have some horrible news. This is Terry from Chicago. Praise God…you know…every day. I have some horrible news though. Where I used to work, I worked for this school __, I lost my job before and I mentioned that the past but a former coworker of mine, you know, I called a month ago for a friend whose son killed himself. And now the former coworker of mine did murder / suicide, shot his wife and killed himself. I just wanted prayers for family and all those people that are affected by this. Prayers for them and their souls, you know. He was just…he was such a sweet guy. And that he felt compelled, had nowhere else to turn, to do this. And, you know, I just, again family, it’s just, nothing could be that bad. Can it? You know, so horrible, suicide is such a horrible thought. Anyway, and this was a marriage that was running afoul and just, again, tend to that garden of your romance of your marriage and of your people, you know, then after you find a group, find an accountability partner. We have to be sexually pure. Man, the Lord has charged us with these things. You know, the world is a vampire. And we can’t be of the world. We should where the world is a lose fitting garment and know that we all have hope in Christ Jesus. Thank you, family. Thanks for all this. And thank all you people. You inspire me and help me to go on every day. Peace.
Hello Daily Audio Bible listeners. This is Michael from North Georgia. I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible for about two years now. I’ve never actually took the time to call in because I never really felt like everything that I had on my heart was as important. And I kind of wanted God to go over me and bless everyone else first. But this is a vote for God. He never leaves me alone. He never leaves me out. But the reason I’m calling is because I have five daughters in all ranging from 22, the oldest, second one down is 20 and that I have to that are 15 and one that is 12. They are wonderful, wonderful children. The two oldest ones have a relationship with Christ like I have. They have both moved out. I lost my 20-year-old to living in our home just recently, she’s in college. They’re both doing really, really good in life. I’m so proud of them. But I miss those spiritual talks that I used to have with them because their believers. My wife is a believer also but not someone that I can have spiritual talks with. And I miss that. And sometimes I feel like…I guess you could say I feel spiritually alone. I know God is always there with me and hears my prayers. I talk to Him every day but I need more than that. I need some other people to talk to that are on the same level as me. And I am spiritually lonely and I need your prayer. Thanks for listening and God bless every one of you guys. And I will pray for every one of you. You guys are my new family.