Ezekiel 3:16-6:14, Hebrews 4:1-16, Psalms 104:24-35, Proverbs 26:27
Today is the 2nd day of November welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is fantastic to be here with you today as we get ourselves moved into this 11th month of the year. We’ve been transitioning through quite a bit of territory but we’re gonna camp out in the book of Ezekiel for a while in the Old Testament as well as the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament. So, today we’re reading from the English standard version. Ezekiel chapter 3 verse 16 through 6 verse 14.
Commentary:
Alright. So, in the book of Hebrews today we encounter a very very famous passage of Scripture – “for the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” So, that certainly gives us a bit of context for why we show up here around the Global Campfire every day and why we would try to set aside all of the distractions for a little while, so that the word of God could wash over us and into our lives so that we could actually be paying attention to it. It gives us a great amount of context for why we would do that. And let’s look at what it says it’s doing or that it is. The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. So, let’s just look at those two. This is a living document which doesn’t mean that your copy of the Scriptures snores at night, right, because it's…It has a beating heart and its human. It means that over the ages, it still does something to the souls of mankind, right? So, when we come here and immerse ourselves in the Scriptures sometimes it tells us exactly what the next step for us is. Sometimes we think it’s saying nothing to us, but it is within us, transforming things. And sometimes we can go through a passage of Scripture this year and then come by again next year and it speaks volumes in and different way - alive, living and active. And sharper than any two-edged sword, so we get the concept of a sword, a double-edged sword which means it’s sharp on both sides. So, no matter what direction you’re swinging in you have a powerful blade that can…that can cut through the crap in our lives. We just have to be cognizant that this is…as powerful as a double edge sword. And, so, you take the Bible or portions of the Scriptures, you start swinging them at people then…yeah…people get cut. What we need to understand is that that double edge sword is to cut through the clutter and the confusion and the gray in our own experience because, as the Scripture continues, it pierces to the division of soul and spirit, which…there isn’t a time that I encounter this Scripture, and certainly we encounter it every year when we pass by Hebrews, but this is a popular Scripture, so we hear it many many times through the course of a year. It’s quoted often. And when I hear it I think. Where is the division of soul and of spirit? Who can…who can even point to where that is? It’s…wherever that is however that is, it's…it’s at the depths of us. It’s at the essence of us. We don’t have any….there’s no x-ray to find where soul and spirit divide. We may be able to find where joints and marrow, divide, but not of soul and spirit. And the Scripture says that the word of God can pierce to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow. In other words, it can touch everything about us. In fact, the Scripture goes on to say it can discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And it does. Does it not? Has it…I mean if you’ve been around here for very long the Bible…the Bible isn’t afraid to speak the truth, it isn’t afraid to look us in the eye, it doesn’t look away, it doesn’t pander, it just is there speaking the truth. And often in someone else’s story from a very very long time ago we find our own thoughts and motivations. The intentions of our own hearts are exposed because of the Scripture. This is why we’re showing up every day. This is how powerful this is. And that’s the end of that very famous passage. But the verse following that…well…let me just read the whole thing in context. “But the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His site, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” So, in other words, God already knows, He can already see into our soul and spirit. He can already see the thoughts and intentions of the heart, but the word of God can reveal them to us. The word of God can bring to the surface the things we are trying to hide, even from ourselves or the things that we are trying to avoid, all of the disassociations, all of the stuff that we’re trying to stuff down and ignore, the stuff that gets shoved down into the basement of our hearts, the word of God can even go there.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You yet again for the Scriptures and for the ability to show up and meet around this Global Campfire every day, that the word of God might penetrate us, that it might expose what’s really going on and cut through so that we might see the truth that is being offered to us. So, often we’re trying to get our facts and truths from places like social media and what we’re doing is regurgitating opinions. But when we come here there is no pandering, there is no agenda, there is no how many likes can I get, there is no how good can this make me look. You’re just speaking the truth in a tangible way in a way that we can hold in our hands. And we thank You for that gift and we invite Your Holy Spirit to lead us deeper in our understanding of this gift. And as we grow in understanding may our very lives be transformed so that we are transformed by the power of Your word that can penetrate into the very depths of who we are. And we open ourselves and welcome that. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is home base, that is the website, it’s where you find out what’s happening around here. So, do indeed check it out as you can or as you will.
Check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop. There are a lot of resources there that are for the community here and have been developed for the community here for the journey that we’re on. Everything from the music that you hear in the background of the Daily Audio Bible to written resources that take the journey deeper or the Global Campfire department, little section of the…of the Shop with Global Campfire items or our Windfarm coffee and tea you can order and will be roasted and sent to you fresh or you can have it sent monthly. However many bags of coffee or however much tea you drink in a month, you can have that sent to you. So, check out the resources in the Daily Audio Bible Shop.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if this mission to bring the spoken word of God read fresh every day and offered freely to whoever will listen anywhere on this planet any time of day or night, and to build community around that rhythm so that we are not in a solitary endeavor, we are in this together, if that brings light and life and good news into your world than thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Good morning Daily Audio Bible this is Michael from Harrisburg PA. It’s the first time I’ve ever called in. I’ve been listening to Daily Audio Bible for five years on and off and this year especially it’s been my rock. In January both my mom and my dad passed. My Grandfather also passed in December. And then on my birthday August 28th my mentor my best friend drowned in the Swatara Creek. And I felt like I was…no one else could understand what I was going through and I listened to the community prayer this morning, the 20…I guess it would have been the 30th or the 29th I guess it would have been last week and I heard a woman’s voice I think it was either Tamberly or Kimberly and I heard that she both lost her mother and her father. And I just want to say sister that I love you, I’m wrapping my arms around you and praying that God continues to show peace past all understanding because that is…that is exactly what you will be experiencing. Just be strong, find those who you love and can talk with and just know that your…your request touched my heart and allowed me to call for the first time. Have a great day.
Good morning DAB family my name is Island Girl. I have been listening to this podcast on and off for probably about 2 ½ years now but it’s my first-time calling in. I’m calling in because I know the power of prayer. I’m calling in because I need the family to help me, please to pray. My mother is in the hospital. She has been battling the COVID-19 virus and she has some underlying issues such as diabetes and hypertension going along with it. I called because I know the power of prayer. I called because I know that where two or three are gathered touching anything then God is in the midst to bless, and God is in the midst to hear and deliver. So, I’m asking you please to help me to pray…
Hi DAB family it’s October 30th this is Child of God. I just heard Tamberly’s request for prayer after the loss of her parents and I can so relate. I still have both my parents. They’re living at home. My mom is 90 my dad’s 94 but it’s a struggle for them. And they are so dear to our family and I…my heart just goes out to you in your loss. I’m lifting you up.
Yes, my name is Rodney. I became paralyzed like six months ago not knowing, you know…I’m 38 years old, just new to me. I’m just gave my life back to the Lord two Sundays ago and about three weeks ago my wife left me. We were married 11 years. We have a daughter together. Things, you know, hit me real hard at one time and, you know, I’m still getting over the, you know, everything, you know, I just…I gave up and now I’ve got bed sores I’m back in the hospital again. But if you could just keep me on y'all’s prayers and just pray, you know, that my wife open her eyes and see that I need her or if not if the Lord don’t have that in his plan then, you know, to just let me have a peace of mind. I thank you all very much and I do. This audio bible has helped me tremendously. I listen to the proverbs every morning and I listen to the chron…chronicle thing every day and it's…it’s a blessing to me and I thank you very much and hope everybody has a blessed day.
Hey this is Andrew from Washington just calling in for the person who called October 25th asking for prayers for struggles in life feeling bad about trying glorify and praise God and then falling back into the same struggles. Just want to say my friend you’re not alone. I'm…I’m there with you as many of us are. There’s an army of prayer warriors behind you and with you praying for you such as God’s Smile, Tony truck driver, Lorinda from Florida, Radiant Rachel, Blind Tony, Victoria Soldier, the Hardin family, Aussie Bear from Australia, Kingdom Seeker Daniel, Immaculate Margaret, the list…the list goes the list goes on and on if there’s more time but we hear you and God hears you and you have Jesus who’s your defender. So, I encourage you to come boldly to the throne…to the throne of grace. Ask him every time…every single time you go through a struggle, and you’ll see victory. So, don’t give up. Keep pushing forward, keep fighting. God bless and may your day be full of grace today.
Thank you God for giving me everything that I’ve asked
you freed me from my demons and my true self is now unmasked
time is running short now as they say this too shall pass
I praise and thank you constantly there’s not much that I ask
the relationship I have with you I pray will always last
last is first and first his last a simple little verse
some men go from good to bad some from bad to worse
help me just be patient God and follow where you lead
help me not be selfish and consumed with lust, pride, and greed
where the two are gathered I know that you’ll be there
keep my mind’s eye simple God strip my ego bear
make me over in your image God I’m flesh but still I’m clay
fill me with your spirit God and renew my strength each day
one and one are usually two but you and I are one
finish God the work in me you clearly have begun
blindtony1016@gmail.com. I’d like to give a shout out to Just James who just got out of jail or out of prison after 32 years. You and the other brothers, I just want to say your testimonies powerful brother and God is faithful and true and your strength He will definitely renew. You know. Keep the faith. And once again Brian and the Hardin family thank you for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowing y'all. Alright. Bye-bye.