Exodus 10:1-12:13, Matthew 20:1-28, Psalm 25:1-15, Proverbs 6:6-11
Today is January 30th, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you today as we greet a brand-new shiny sparkly week and remind ourselves yet again that this is a fresh start, this week is before us, it’s in the future. It hasn’t happened yet. And the way that this week shapes out will have everything to do with our thoughts, our words and our deeds and we are out in front of it and can choose wisely right from the get-go and so let’s choose wisely and one of those wise decisions is the rhythm that we are establishing together, showing up every day around the Global Campfire and taking the next step forward in the Scriptures together and so let’s dive into that. We are in the midst of the show down into Egypt between God and Pharaoh. So, we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday, which is what we will always do, Exodus chapter 10 verse 1 through 12 verse 13 and we will read from the Common English Bible this week.
Commentary:
Okay, let’s take a minute here as we begin this week in the book of Matthew today, because Jesus now has announced to his disciples that they are headed to Jerusalem, He’s been to Jerusalem before of course, and for that matter, was born just miles away from Jerusalem. But most of his ministry has been 90 miles-ish so, let’s just round it to 100 miles away to the north in the Galilee. This particular trip to Jerusalem is different than any other trips to Jerusalem because you won’t be getting out alive or a more accurate way to say it would be He won’t be getting out of there before He dies and is resurrected. So, let’s remember that for a second but now let’s try to put ourselves into the time. So, we’re in the first century, the land that had been the ancestral homeland of the Israelites is now under Roman rule. It’s a province in the Roman Empire, the province of Syria. For a very long time, for centuries the Hebrew people had been longing for a Savior, a rescuer, a Messiah, they had even looked into the Hebrew Scriptures and seen that this is a foretold thing, they were looking for this because it looked like a good time for the Messiah to come, somebody to set them free from the oppression of their oppressors. To them, the Romans were an occupying entity, they needed to be pushed out of the land, the land needed to be purified and restored to God and a Messiah would come to do this, so this is bubbling under in their culture. It’s just what they know and what they expect and what’s being told to them in their synagogues and they’ve been waiting a long time and there’s been a lot of tragedy. So, Jesus comes along and He pretty much looks like what they’re looking for. He can communicate well, He can draw and inspire a crowd, He is speaking of the kingdom of heaven and saying that it is at hand. He’s saying things like seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added to you and they’re thinking the kingdom of heaven that’s being described is the same one that they’ve been thinking about, a purified Israel with all of their enemies pushed out and the place restored to God. And so, they’re not completely comprehending this invisible spiritual realm and spiritual kingdom that Jesus is describing, one that is from within and spills outward into the world. They just, Jesus fits the bill, they just don’t know whether He’s a militant like, can He get an army together, but we see these thought patterns and the way that these assumptions are being made even in our reading today from book of Matthew, even among Jesus 12 disciples. So, Jesus tells his disciples while they’re going to Jerusalem what’s can happen, that He will be condemned to death, that He will be ridiculed, tortured and crucified. In other words, He will be killed and will be raised on the third day, the very next thing that happens on this journey, after He gives this explanation is that the mother of Zebedee’s sons, and we’re told in the Gospels that the sons of Zebedee are James and John and as a little aside and not to make this more confusing Jesus has a half-brother named James as well, who we will hear from later in the year. But James and John’s mom comes to Jesus as they’re walking along the path toward Jerusalem, where Jesus will be ridiculed, tortured and crucified, as He has told them, their mom comes to Jesus and says they need a favor and Jesus say’s what’s the favor basically and she says I’m asking that my two sons will be on your left hand and on your right hand when you come into your kingdom. And so, regardless of what Jesus has told them, there is this overwhelming expectation and they want to be on the ground floor of this new thing that’s going to be established in Jerusalem. They are obviously in for a tremendous surprise, but it gives us the opportunity to consider why we would follow Jesus. Is it because we think He’s going to beat up the bad guys and make us powerful, is because of what He can do for us because the disciples, they missed it, and thankfully it’s preserved in the Gospels and we can see the twists and turns of the story because they help us realize that so often, we’re…we’re expecting the same kinds of things? Even now, even with the understanding of the story and the Gospels preserved for us to read and pour over and study we still end up with the same kinds of expectations. We believe that Christ will return and beat up the bad guy’s right, which means that all we’re here to do is wait for that to happen, when that is not all we are here to do. The kingdom that Jesus is describing and He will be very explicit with this as we continue to talk about this and encounter it in the Gospels, the kingdom He’s describing is one from within, one that exists, one that is underway, one that is happening and we participate and reveal that kingdom through a transformed life that looks difference than the rest of the world. So, let’s consider that as we move into this shiny sparkly new week.
Prayer:
And Jesus we love You, we love You. We need You more than anything and we need You more than ever. And so we humble ourselves and invite your Holy Spirit to begin to reveal the ways in which we’re kind of assuming what that looks like instead of humbling ourselves in absolute trust for where ever You are leading. Help us to realize the expectations that we’ve placed on You and how similar they are to the people that You ministered to in the first century and then help us to see clearly what the truth is, that You have rescued us and made a distinction between us and the world just, as you made a distinction between Israel and Egypt. We are set apart, but it’s not because we’re so awesome because somehow, we landed as superior humans. Rather, it is that we chose to die to what we were without You and to only live into what we are with You. Your humble servants available at Your command, completely trusting where You are leading. Come Holy Spirit into this we pray, in the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Good morning Daily Audio Bible family, good morning Brian, God bless you and your family, love you so much, so appreciative. I am rather new, this is Michael Relow by the way, The Intercessor. By the way, I just wanted to…to say I am approaching the Campfire with so much gratitude in my heart, today, so much gratefulness for this family, for the transparency, for the courage to be transparent and open up and share with the community. It’s such a blessing to be a part of it and it’s such a blessing to stand in the gap for all of you and I just want to lift up right now, today is the 24th of January, I joined on the 14th of January, and today I heard a wonderful sister, she called herself The Farmer’s Wife from upstate New York. Her and her husband are having a baby and I just wanted to pray. Father in the name of Jesus, You are the God of all comfort and I just pray Father for Your supernatural comfort to fall upon this beautiful couple. Lord, I just, spiritually, Holy Spirit is telling me that there is so much blessings wrapped up in this little baby that’s about to be born and Father, I just pray in the name of Jesus that You would extend strength to this couple. Strength, not just to handle the baby that’s coming but strength to trust in Your perfect will. You know what You’re doing, Father. This baby is not a surprise to You, nothing is a surprise to You Father. You’re ordaining their steps and something miraculous and amazing is gonna happen.
Hi DAB family. I’m gonna keep my identity to myself this time because I might be sharing some things that are sensitive and I don’t know if some of the people I have encountered in this pass might be DAB listeners and if they are that would be wonderful. They might be. Anyway, I attended a lot of people and I kind of burned every bridge that I had when it came to getting ministry opportunities. I went to Bible college and graduated a couple years ago and I realized that over the last few years, I sewed some pretty bad seed and I reaped an awful harvest this last year. A lot of that didn’t come back to surface until I started, you know, inquiring for ministry opportunities and I just kept getting no and we don’t trust you, kind of responses from the various organizations that I was with and it’s unfortunate, it’s me. I damaged my own reputation. I mishandled information, I was immature, I did all kinds of things that I shouldn’t of done and I think all this is kind of a huge lesson from God to see if I would be willing to forsake and give up, you know, this big shiny Bible degree that I got from a Bible college and be willing to have him take me in an completely different direction that I wouldn’t expect and I’m terrified of what that might be but I’m looking for Him to reveal to me the true spiritual gifts He has. And instead of the ones I assumed that I had, that I’ve realized I don’t. So, I been in a dry spell, but I also been, have had my vision renewed and I’m grateful for what He’s done and I’m excited to see what comes in the future.
Hello, my DAB family. I’m calling regarding the last caller I just heard on the 24th from Farmers Wife from New York. Let me start by saying a huge congratulations on that news. Your expression is massive within God. And you mentioned you’ve had a history of depression and you haven’t had a job and ya’ll are anxious and you don’t know how, it’s all uncertainty. My dear, focus on God. He has given you that child and He will provide for that child. You shouldn’t allow that worry you. We don’t have control of our tomorrow. We can barely control the next second. Alright so, focus on being heathy, staying well, taking care of you, taking care of that baby and focus on just making yourself available to be a channel for God’s blessings. Because that’s what we are, we’re channels through which He provides for our generation. So, focus on that. And my people will say that God does not bless us with children by looking at what we have in our hands. He blesses us with children because He knows He is able and capable of providing for them. So, do not worry, do not fret about “am I gonna be a good parent” or “will I be able to do this” or “will I not be able to do that” “will I be able to provide” “are we gonna”, no, no do not let the enemy take your joy. This is a joyous moment, enjoy it, be happy. Live in the moment, you are going to be a mom and you will be good one. So, do not let anyone or anything put anything otherwise in your head. God bless you my dear.
Hi, this message is for Jane Ruth from Nebraska. Jane Ruth, this is Reba a nurse from Nebraska. Hey, first I have to say the one thing that causes those worst of us Nebraskans. The weather in January and February. Oh, it’s horrible hun. If you’re like me, the highs and lows and the winds, and the wind, I dare I say the wind, just really reck havoc on our emotional, mental and spiritual health. The sunsets may be beautiful, the sunrises may be beautiful but man, everything in between with that wind and the wind and the snow and the fog just the ups and downs of the weather, just really can make you feel like, I don’t know who I am. And then you’re stuck inside. So, let’s just start there Ms. Jane Ruth. Remember Spring will come. Also, I just want to pray for you for your emptiness. Heavenly Father, I just lift up my sister Jane, Ms. Jane Ruth. I ask for her and as well as everybody else of the Daily Audio Bible, can sometimes feel like, uh, I just want to crawl back in bed and cover my head with a pillow. Father, I ask that You would stir us to go sit in front of a window and let the sun just hit our face to remind us of the beauty of Your creation and to take in as Ecclesiastes 3 says, every time there is a season, you have to have the highs you have to have the lows and everything in between to be truly grateful for everything that You have done for us. Dear Ms. Jane Ruth, I just pray for you in the aspect of if you feel it’s a medical thing or if you feel it’s just a season thing or if it’s loneliness or if it is financial, whatever it is Father, I just pray that You would be with Jane Ruth.
Hi, DAB family, this is Redemption Wings. It’s my first-time calling in. And I’m from Virginia. I’m calling in tonight well, I said I was gonna call for myself but I’m actually calling in tonight to ask the Global Campfire to band together for prayer for my brother Bryant. He’s been making tremendous strides in piecing his life together and I’ve been seeing so much positive transition. And I’ve always had his back throughout our life. But now I’m seeing that he’s doing a lot for himself. So, currently, he and his girlfriend are homeless but he just came into information that there is a hotel close to me, I got him close to me, that has a program that if he’s able to get in, and he do it, that they would cover his hotel costs for 12 weeks, which would be beneficial for him and his lady to get on their feet. And they’ve escaped a lot of things from being in a drug infested area to many demons that exist in the area that they were. And his will power has led, not only him, but he’s also gotten his lady out of that environment by the power of God and the mercy and grace of God. So, if we can band together, please to pray that this is successful for them, I would really appreciate it. And this is my first-time but I don’t believe it would be my last time. And so, thank you everyone, I love you all and I enjoy this platform. In Jesus name, I pray that it all works.