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08/24/2022 DAB Transcript

Job 12:1-15:35, 1 Corinthians 15:29-58, Psalms 39:1-13, Proverbs 21:30-31

Today is the 24th day of August welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian and it’s wonderful as it is always to be here with you today around the Global Campfire as we continue our journey forward. Our journey has led us all the way from Genesis now in the Old Testament to Job and we are working our way through the conversations that Job and his friends are having. It’s pretty clear at this point that Job’s friends are trying to convince Job of one thing. Job is trying to convince his friends of another thing. And that thing being Job’s innocence. And, so, we will pick up the story and Job has a few things to say. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Job 12, 13, 14, and 15 today.

Commentary:

Okay so in the book of Job today if we…if we didn’t see where things were going, we are in full kind of debate and argument mode between Job and his friends. And let’s remember Job is suffering and is incredibly depressed and his friends have just been trying to comfort him while kinda moving him in a direction of acceptance where he can acknowledge that things don’t happen randomly and there’s gotta be a reason for this. And that is really the dichotomy because Job is claiming there is no reason for this. I didn’t deserve this. I am not unrighteous. I am blameless before God. And what would be most comforting to Job is for his friends to at least at minimum, acknowledge that he truly feels that way. He just wants them to be fair. But how can they be fair when it’s between Job and God? And this human being, Job, is claiming innocence against God like he’s being judged unfairly, and his friends can’t get their mind around how to comfort him in that. And, so, they can’t and so they come against it, and it gets pretty agitated in today’s reading because Job’s friends believe that God can’t have done what Job is claiming. Like He could’ve done it. He’s powerful enough to have done it, but not indiscriminately. If He did it, if God has anything to do with this it’s because Job deserved it. And, so, his friends are trying to lovingly while aggressively tell Job, you need to look inside a buddy. You need to look at your own heart. Your mouth is saying incriminating things against you. You need to repent. But Job is sticking to his conviction that he truly is righteous and blameless before God, and that anything that his friends could tell him to bring comfort or counsel or wisdom or insight he already knows those things. He needs to hear it from God himself. Here’s the irony between the sufferer, which is Job and the comforters which are his friends. They all fundamentally believe the same thing. They all believe that God is good, that God is just, that He’s righteous, that He is all-powerful, that He is holy. They all believe that. And yet Job sincerely believes that he has not been unholy, that he has not been unrighteous before God ,that he hasn’t done anything anywhere near the kind of judgment that he feels like he is experiencing and he fully believes God is doing this to him. And, so, a huge problem is sitting in the middle of all of this between Job’s friends and Job. If God is righteous, all-powerful, good and just, and Job is totally innocent and righteous before God, then why is Job suffering? And that is precisely what Job wants to know. That is what he is trying to find out. But the wisdom of his friends is exhausted, and he knows all the wisdom that they already told him. He wants an audience with God but where do you find such an audience? And if he did find God, how would he be able to say anything that didn’t make him guilty? Because how can you be…how can you be sinless? How can you be righteous and holy before God on your own? How could Job go and stand before God and claim his innocence and in the end not say things that incriminate him and make him realize that he’s guilty? Because he’s talking to God. And, so, Job makes a statement to his friends that is really riveting to me and it’s basically that Job is going to seek and attempt to find God. And he says, God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with Him. In another translation this is translated, though He may smite me still I will hope in Him. So, even though there’s some back and forth arguing going on before Job’s friends, Job is being solidified. It is God that He seeks. It is God that can rescue Him. There is no other. And maybe God really is not mad at Job. But Job needs to go find out and even if God kills him, he will still hope in God. That just…that blows my mind. That posture is so rare. This is basically Job saying, even if he pursues God and in all his pursuits, he reaches dead ends that are hopeless he will still hope in God. And that is what we should carry forward with us today, just that picture of Job’s posture. And as we consider the kinds of things that we might be going through, and truly we’re not likely to be going through the kinds of things that Job is going through, but that doesn’t mean the things that were going through our hard or painful or debilitating or sap our strength or take away our hope. And we may in fact be looking for answers that can’t find or looking for something that we can’t have. And when we think about those things we need to look into our heart. Like, what is coming up? What does that do when we think about those things? Does it bring anxiety, or frustration? All those things are human but doesn’t draw us near to God or does it thrust us away from God in mistrust? Job determined he couldn’t find answers unless God gave him answers and so he would seek God and even if you found God, and it was hopeless, and God killed him he would still hope in God. May we consider that deeply today.

Prayer:

Father, right at the outset here we hope in You and confess what we know. You are the only hope, that the wilderness seasons of our lives invariably teach us the same lesson, we are utterly dependent upon You and completely hopeless without You. It’s just often that when we suffer in some sort of way we feel like we’ve messed up, or You’ve messed up and these thoughts can begin to swirl, especially when understanding doesn’t make itself apparent. And, so, we start to subtly distance ourselves from You and subtly start blaming You because we don’t understand. And we confess that we don’t understand, and we confess that there is a lot more swirling around then we’re aware of. And when it feels like we need more than intervention is to be aware that You are with us. And, so, often in times when we’re struggling we’re not aware of that and we ask questions like, where did You go when we have simply ceased to be aware that You are near. So, Holy Spirit come. Grant us grace even in the difficult times to be aware that You would never leave us, that You are with us. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Community Prayer and Praise:

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday August 24, 2022 (NIV)

Job 12-15

Job’s Fourth Speech: A Response to Zophar

12 Then Job spoke again:

2 “You people really know everything, don’t you?
And when you die, wisdom will die with you!
3 Well, I know a few things myself—
and you’re no better than I am.
Who doesn’t know these things you’ve been saying?
4 Yet my friends laugh at me,
for I call on God and expect an answer.
I am a just and blameless man,
yet they laugh at me.
5 People who are at ease mock those in trouble.
They give a push to people who are stumbling.
6 But robbers are left in peace,
and those who provoke God live in safety—
though God keeps them in his power.[a]

7 “Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
8 Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
Let the fish in the sea speak to you.
9 For they all know
that my disaster[b] has come from the hand of the Lord.
10 For the life of every living thing is in his hand,
and the breath of every human being.
11 The ear tests the words it hears
just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.
12 Wisdom belongs to the aged,
and understanding to the old.

13 “But true wisdom and power are found in God;
counsel and understanding are his.
14 What he destroys cannot be rebuilt.
When he puts someone in prison, there is no escape.
15 If he holds back the rain, the earth becomes a desert.
If he releases the waters, they flood the earth.
16 Yes, strength and wisdom are his;
deceivers and deceived are both in his power.
17 He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment;
wise judges become fools.
18 He removes the royal robe of kings.
They are led away with ropes around their waist.
19 He leads priests away, stripped of status;
he overthrows those with long years in power.
20 He silences the trusted adviser
and removes the insight of the elders.
21 He pours disgrace upon princes
and disarms the strong.

22 “He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness;
he brings light to the deepest gloom.
23 He builds up nations, and he destroys them.
He expands nations, and he abandons them.
24 He strips kings of understanding
and leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland.
25 They grope in the darkness without a light.
He makes them stagger like drunkards.

Job Wants to Argue His Case with God

13 “Look, I have seen all this with my own eyes
and heard it with my own ears, and now I understand.
2 I know as much as you do.
You are no better than I am.
3 As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty.
I want to argue my case with God himself.
4 As for you, you smear me with lies.
As physicians, you are worthless quacks.
5 If only you could be silent!
That’s the wisest thing you could do.
6 Listen to my charge;
pay attention to my arguments.

7 “Are you defending God with lies?
Do you make your dishonest arguments for his sake?
8 Will you slant your testimony in his favor?
Will you argue God’s case for him?
9 What will happen when he finds out what you are doing?
Can you fool him as easily as you fool people?
10 No, you will be in trouble with him
if you secretly slant your testimony in his favor.
11 Doesn’t his majesty terrify you?
Doesn’t your fear of him overwhelm you?
12 Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes.
Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot.

13 “Be silent now and leave me alone.
Let me speak, and I will face the consequences.
14 Why should I put myself in mortal danger[c]
and take my life in my own hands?
15 God might kill me, but I have no other hope.[d]
I am going to argue my case with him.
16 But this is what will save me—I am not godless.
If I were, I could not stand before him.

17 “Listen closely to what I am about to say.
Hear me out.
18 I have prepared my case;
I will be proved innocent.
19 Who can argue with me over this?
And if you prove me wrong, I will remain silent and die.

Job Asks How He Has Sinned

20 “O God, grant me these two things,
and then I will be able to face you.
21 Remove your heavy hand from me,
and don’t terrify me with your awesome presence.
22 Now summon me, and I will answer!
Or let me speak to you, and you reply.
23 Tell me, what have I done wrong?
Show me my rebellion and my sin.
24 Why do you turn away from me?
Why do you treat me as your enemy?
25 Would you terrify a leaf blown by the wind?
Would you chase dry straw?

26 “You write bitter accusations against me
and bring up all the sins of my youth.
27 You put my feet in stocks.
You examine all my paths.
You trace all my footprints.
28 I waste away like rotting wood,
like a moth-eaten coat.

14 “How frail is humanity!
How short is life, how full of trouble!
2 We blossom like a flower and then wither.
Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.
3 Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature
and demand an accounting from me?
4 Who can bring purity out of an impure person?
No one!
5 You have decided the length of our lives.
You know how many months we will live,
and we are not given a minute longer.
6 So leave us alone and let us rest!
We are like hired hands, so let us finish our work in peace.

7 “Even a tree has more hope!
If it is cut down, it will sprout again
and grow new branches.
8 Though its roots have grown old in the earth
and its stump decays,
9 at the scent of water it will bud
and sprout again like a new seedling.

10 “But when people die, their strength is gone.
They breathe their last, and then where are they?
11 As water evaporates from a lake
and a river disappears in drought,
12 people are laid to rest and do not rise again.
Until the heavens are no more, they will not wake up
nor be roused from their sleep.

13 “I wish you would hide me in the grave[e]
and forget me there until your anger has passed.
But mark your calendar to think of me again!
14 Can the dead live again?
If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle,
and I would eagerly await the release of death.
15 You would call and I would answer,
and you would yearn for me, your handiwork.
16 For then you would guard my steps,
instead of watching for my sins.
17 My sins would be sealed in a pouch,
and you would cover my guilt.

18 “But instead, as mountains fall and crumble
and as rocks fall from a cliff,
19 as water wears away the stones
and floods wash away the soil,
so you destroy people’s hope.
20 You always overpower them, and they pass from the scene.
You disfigure them in death and send them away.
21 They never know if their children grow up in honor
or sink to insignificance.
22 They suffer painfully;
their life is full of trouble.”

Eliphaz’s Second Response to Job

15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 “A wise man wouldn’t answer with such empty talk!
You are nothing but a windbag.
3 The wise don’t engage in empty chatter.
What good are such words?
4 Have you no fear of God,
no reverence for him?
5 Your sins are telling your mouth what to say.
Your words are based on clever deception.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I.
Your own lips testify against you.

7 “Were you the first person ever born?
Were you born before the hills were made?
8 Were you listening at God’s secret council?
Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?
9 What do you know that we don’t?
What do you understand that we do not?
10 On our side are aged, gray-haired men
much older than your father!

11 “Is God’s comfort too little for you?
Is his gentle word not enough?
12 What has taken away your reason?
What has weakened your vision,[f]
13 that you turn against God
and say all these evil things?
14 Can any mortal be pure?
Can anyone born of a woman be just?
15 Look, God does not even trust the angels.[g]
Even the heavens are not absolutely pure in his sight.
16 How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person
with a thirst for wickedness!

17 “If you will listen, I will show you.
I will answer you from my own experience.
18 And it is confirmed by the reports of wise men
who have heard the same thing from their fathers—
19 from those to whom the land was given
long before any foreigners arrived.

20 “The wicked writhe in pain throughout their lives.
Years of trouble are stored up for the ruthless.
21 The sound of terror rings in their ears,
and even on good days they fear the attack of the destroyer.
22 They dare not go out into the darkness
for fear they will be murdered.
23 They wander around, saying, ‘Where can I find bread?’[h]
They know their day of destruction is near.
24 That dark day terrifies them.
They live in distress and anguish,
like a king preparing for battle.
25 For they shake their fists at God,
defying the Almighty.
26 Holding their strong shields,
they defiantly charge against him.

27 “These wicked people are heavy and prosperous;
their waists bulge with fat.
28 But their cities will be ruined.
They will live in abandoned houses
that are ready to tumble down.
29 Their riches will not last,
and their wealth will not endure.
Their possessions will no longer spread across the horizon.

30 “They will not escape the darkness.
The burning sun will wither their shoots,
and the breath of God will destroy them.
31 Let them no longer fool themselves by trusting in empty riches,
for emptiness will be their only reward.
32 They will be cut down in the prime of life;
their branches will never again be green.
33 They will be like a vine whose grapes are harvested too early,
like an olive tree that loses its blossoms before the fruit can form.
34 For the godless are barren.
Their homes, enriched through bribery, will burn.
35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
Their womb produces deceit.”

Footnotes:

  1. 12:6 Or safety—those who try to manipulate God. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  2. 12:9 Hebrew that this.
  3. 13:14 Hebrew Why should I take my flesh in my teeth.
  4. 13:15 An alternate reading in the Masoretic Text reads God might kill me, but I hope in him.
  5. 14:13 Hebrew in Sheol.
  6. 15:12 Or Why do your eyes flash with anger; Hebrew reads Why do your eyes blink.
  7. 15:15 Hebrew the holy ones.
  8. 15:23 Greek version reads He is appointed to be food for a vulture.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 Corinthians 15:29-58

29 If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again?

30 And why should we ourselves risk our lives hour by hour? 31 For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, that I face death daily. This is as certain as my pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done in you. 32 And what value was there in fighting wild beasts—those people of Ephesus[a]—if there will be no resurrection from the dead? And if there is no resurrection, “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!”[b] 33 Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. 37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. 38 Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 39 Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.”[c] But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like[d] the heavenly man.

50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[e] this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.[f]
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?[g]”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Footnotes:

  1. 15:32a Greek fighting wild beasts in Ephesus.
  2. 15:32b Isa 22:13.
  3. 15:45 Gen 2:7.
  4. 15:49 Some manuscripts read let us be like.
  5. 15:54a Some manuscripts add and our mortal bodies have been transformed into immortal bodies.
  6. 15:54b Isa 25:8.
  7. 15:55 Hos 13:14 (Greek version).
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 39

Psalm 39

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I said to myself, “I will watch what I do
and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
when the ungodly are around me.”
2 But as I stood there in silence—
not even speaking of good things—
the turmoil within me grew worse.
3 The more I thought about it,
the hotter I got,
igniting a fire of words:
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude

6 We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion.
Do not let fools mock me.
9 I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
for my punishment is from you.
10 But please stop striking me!
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
11 When you discipline us for our sins,
you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
Each of us is but a breath. Interlude

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
Listen to my cries for help!
Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—
a traveler passing through,
as my ancestors were before me.
13 Leave me alone so I can smile again
before I am gone and exist no more.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 21:30-31

30 No human wisdom or understanding or plan
can stand against the Lord.

31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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8/23/2023 DAB Transcript

Job 8:1-11:20, 1 Corinthians 15:1-28, Psalm 38:1-22, Proverbs 21:28-29

Today, is the 23rd day of August, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today, as we gather around the Global Campfire together, find our place and with anticipation find out what the Scriptures have to speak into our lives today. It is wonderful to be here with you. And we are a couple of days in now, into the book of Job. We kind of understand the lay of the land. We understand what happened to Job, and the…the tragedy that’s really unspeakable and what he’s gone through. We’ve watched his posture be to stay loyal to God, to not speak against God. He has plenty of questions and I guess that’s something to really observe, he has plenty of questions. He’s not making a bunch of accusations. He will not speak against God. And so, we’ve watched him settle into grief, watched him truly be suffering and we’ve seen his friends come and sit Shabbat with him for a whole week before anybody says anything. And then Job starts talking and that’s the bulk of the book of Job, and so where we find ourselves now, we are in conversation, Job is speaking to his friends. His friends are counseling him back, we’re kind of just getting going. Eliphaz has basically told Job that everything happens for a reason and if you trust God, He will rescue you. Job has basically responded I need God. And as we are moving into today’s reading, we will hear from another one of Job’s friends, his name is Bildad and so, let’s dive in. Today, Job, chapter 8, 9, 10 and 11.

Commentary:

Okay, so as we’re reading through first Corinthians today, we are seeing Paul and his Pharisee glory. Not because of who he is anymore, but rather because of what he’s laying out. So, let’s just get our bearings. During the time of Jesus, during the time of Paul, there were essentially two leading camps of thought that led Judaism. So, on one side we have the Sadducees and they were definitely the ruling elite among the Jews. They also consider themselves to be the true ancestors among the priests and they were mostly centered in the capital city of Jerusalem, very, very powerful people, very entrenched people, very conservative people. In fact, some would’ve looked at the Sadducees as people who had kind of corrupted things because they were responsible for keeping the peace among the Hebrews so that the Hebrews could exist and so they were in collusion with the Romans a lot, including the crucifixion of Jesus. On the other side there are the Pharisees, who are devout like, we see Pharisees coming and questioning Jesus and trying to trick Jesus and so, in the Gospels we get this idea that they were the bad guys, they were devout. They very, very much wanted to obey God and they were spread out among the people, they weren’t centered in the capital city, they were out among the people, teaching the people to interpret the Torah. Paul was a Pharisee and one of the many distinctions but a key distinction that’s layed out even in the Scriptures between the Sadducees and the Pharisees where their thoughts on resurrection from the dead. Sadducees essentially believe that when you die your dead, you return to God. That’s it. End of the story. Pharisees, on the other hand, they hoped in the resurrection from the dead. So, we could say that even Jesus, during his ministry agreed with the Pharisees, in this respect. And so, that being a key backdrop in the experience of Paul is very important. The Jesus that Paul met, was the resurrected Christ. So not only did this change Paul fundamentally, it also affirmed what he had always thought was the truth that there is resurrection and he met someone who was resurrected from the dead, game changer for Paul. Life changer for Paul, actually a game changer for the whole world. And so, to put this in Paul’s words I quote from first Corinthians “tell me this since we preach, and Christ rose from the dead. Why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead or if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised then all our preaching is useless and your faith is useless and we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave, but that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you’re still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost in of our hope in Christ is only for this life we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” And that really is Paul’s worldview that Jesus is the first one to rise from the dead. But he won’t be the last. And everyone who believes in Jesus will also get to experience resurrection. Our belief in Jesus allows us to be reunited with God in Spirit in hope of resurrection. Paul explained like this just as death came into the world through a man. Now, the resurrection from the dead is begun through another man, just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection, Christ was raised as the first of the harvest, then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. As we’ve said earlier in our journey through the Bible, this faith in Jesus doesn’t work without resurrection. And so, this is where we are in first Corinthians and obviously will be continuing forward in seeing what Paul continues to unpack for us and talk about it then. But we’re here now with resurrection front and center. And we have to wonder, would we be Sadducees or would we be Pharisees in terms of the resurrection. How do we functionally live because how we feel about resurrection, will actually shape the way that we live. So, let’s commit it to thought today, let’s contemplate our own resurrection.

Prayer:

So, Father, we love You, we thank You, we worship You. There is none higher than You. There is no equal to You, there is no one like You and you are Father and we are grateful. Love you. So, as we’re contemplating the things that the apostle Paul had written in this letter to the church in Corinth about resurrection, we invite Your Holy Spirit to come and give us hope, that all things indeed will be made new again, including us. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

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And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible. If the mission that we have together to have a Global Campfire that we can come to each and every day and take the next step forward together, if that is life-giving and meaningful to you, then thank you, humbly and profoundly for your partnership. There is 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 P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

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And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements will be posted later this evening.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday August 23, 2022 (NIV)

Job 8-11

Bildad’s First Response to Job

8 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied to Job:

2 “How long will you go on like this?
You sound like a blustering wind.
3 Does God twist justice?
Does the Almighty twist what is right?
4 Your children must have sinned against him,
so their punishment was well deserved.
5 But if you pray to God
and seek the favor of the Almighty,
6 and if you are pure and live with integrity,
he will surely rise up and restore your happy home.
7 And though you started with little,
you will end with much.

8 “Just ask the previous generation.
Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.
9 For we were born but yesterday and know nothing.
Our days on earth are as fleeting as a shadow.
10 But those who came before us will teach you.
They will teach you the wisdom of old.

11 “Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh?
Can marsh grass flourish without water?
12 While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut,
they begin to wither more quickly than grass.
13 The same happens to all who forget God.
The hopes of the godless evaporate.
14 Their confidence hangs by a thread.
They are leaning on a spider’s web.
15 They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last.
They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure.
16 The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine,
its branches spreading across the garden.
17 Its roots grow down through a pile of stones;
it takes hold on a bed of rocks.
18 But when it is uprooted,
it’s as though it never existed!
19 That’s the end of its life,
and others spring up from the earth to replace it.

20 “But look, God will not reject a person of integrity,
nor will he lend a hand to the wicked.
21 He will once again fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
and the home of the wicked will be destroyed.”

Job’s Third Speech: A Response to Bildad

9 Then Job spoke again:

2 “Yes, I know all this is true in principle.
But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
3 If someone wanted to take God to court,[a]
would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
4 For God is so wise and so mighty.
Who has ever challenged him successfully?

5 “Without warning, he moves the mountains,
overturning them in his anger.
6 He shakes the earth from its place,
and its foundations tremble.
7 If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
and the stars won’t shine.
8 He alone has spread out the heavens
and marches on the waves of the sea.
9 He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
10 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.

11 “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.
When he moves by, I do not see him go.
12 If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?
Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
13 And God does not restrain his anger.
Even the monsters of the sea[b] are crushed beneath his feet.

14 “So who am I, that I should try to answer God
or even reason with him?
15 Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
I could only plead for mercy.
16 And even if I summoned him and he responded,
I’m not sure he would listen to me.
17 For he attacks me with a storm
and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
18 He will not let me catch my breath,
but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
19 If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one.
If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him[c] to court?
20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty.
Though I am blameless, it[d] would prove me wicked.

21 “I am innocent,
but it makes no difference to me—
I despise my life.
22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God.
That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
23 When a plague[e] sweeps through,
he laughs at the death of the innocent.
24 The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked,
and God blinds the eyes of the judges.
If he’s not the one who does it, who is?

25 “My life passes more swiftly than a runner.
It flees away without a glimpse of happiness.
26 It disappears like a swift papyrus boat,
like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
27 If I decided to forget my complaints,
to put away my sad face and be cheerful,
28 I would still dread all the pain,
for I know you will not find me innocent, O God.
29 Whatever happens, I will be found guilty.
So what’s the use of trying?
30 Even if I were to wash myself with soap
and clean my hands with lye,
31 you would plunge me into a muddy ditch,
and my own filthy clothing would hate me.

32 “God is not a mortal like me,
so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
33 If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
34 The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 Then I could speak to him without fear,
but I cannot do that in my own strength.

Job Frames His Plea to God

10 “I am disgusted with my life.
Let me complain freely.
My bitter soul must complain.
2 I will say to God, ‘Don’t simply condemn me—
tell me the charge you are bringing against me.
3 What do you gain by oppressing me?
Why do you reject me, the work of your own hands,
while smiling on the schemes of the wicked?
4 Are your eyes like those of a human?
Do you see things only as people see them?
5 Is your lifetime only as long as ours?
Is your life so short
6 that you must quickly probe for my guilt
and search for my sin?
7 Although you know I am not guilty,
no one can rescue me from your hands.

8 “‘You formed me with your hands; you made me,
yet now you completely destroy me.
9 Remember that you made me from dust—
will you turn me back to dust so soon?
10 You guided my conception
and formed me in the womb.[f]
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and you knit my bones and sinews together.
12 You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love.
My life was preserved by your care.

13 “‘Yet your real motive—
your true intent—
14 was to watch me, and if I sinned,
you would not forgive my guilt.
15 If I am guilty, too bad for me;
and even if I’m innocent, I can’t hold my head high,
because I am filled with shame and misery.
16 And if I hold my head high, you hunt me like a lion
and display your awesome power against me.
17 Again and again you witness against me.
You pour out your growing anger on me
and bring fresh armies against me.

18 “‘Why, then, did you deliver me from my mother’s womb?
Why didn’t you let me die at birth?
19 It would be as though I had never existed,
going directly from the womb to the grave.
20 I have only a few days left, so leave me alone,
that I may have a moment of comfort
21 before I leave—never to return—
for the land of darkness and utter gloom.
22 It is a land as dark as midnight,
a land of gloom and confusion,
where even the light is dark as midnight.’”

Zophar’s First Response to Job

11 Then Zophar the Naamathite replied to Job:

2 “Shouldn’t someone answer this torrent of words?
Is a person proved innocent just by a lot of talking?
3 Should I remain silent while you babble on?
When you mock God, shouldn’t someone make you ashamed?
4 You claim, ‘My beliefs are pure,’
and ‘I am clean in the sight of God.’
5 If only God would speak;
if only he would tell you what he thinks!
6 If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom,
for true wisdom is not a simple matter.
Listen! God is doubtless punishing you
far less than you deserve!

7 “Can you solve the mysteries of God?
Can you discover everything about the Almighty?
8 Such knowledge is higher than the heavens—
and who are you?
It is deeper than the underworld[g]—
what do you know?
9 It is broader than the earth
and wider than the sea.
10 If God comes and puts a person in prison
or calls the court to order, who can stop him?
11 For he knows those who are false,
and he takes note of all their sins.
12 An empty-headed person won’t become wise
any more than a wild donkey can bear a human child.[h]

13 “If only you would prepare your heart
and lift up your hands to him in prayer!
14 Get rid of your sins,
and leave all iniquity behind you.
15 Then your face will brighten with innocence.
You will be strong and free of fear.
16 You will forget your misery;
it will be like water flowing away.
17 Your life will be brighter than the noonday.
Even darkness will be as bright as morning.
18 Having hope will give you courage.
You will be protected and will rest in safety.
19 You will lie down unafraid,
and many will look to you for help.
20 But the wicked will be blinded.
They will have no escape.
Their only hope is death.”

Footnotes:

  1. 9:3 Or If God wanted to take someone to court.
  2. 9:13 Hebrew the helpers of Rahab, the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature.
  3. 9:19 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads me.
  4. 9:20 Or he.
  5. 9:23 Or disaster.
  6. 10:10 Hebrew You poured me out like milk / and curdled me like cheese.
  7. 11:8 Hebrew than Sheol.
  8. 11:12 Or than a wild male donkey can bear a tame colt.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 Corinthians 15:1-28

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters,[a] of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.[b]

3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter[c] and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers[d] at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12 But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.”[e] (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

Footnotes:

  1. 15:1 Greek brothers; also in 15:31, 50, 58.
  2. 15:2 Or unless you never believed it in the first place.
  3. 15:5 Greek Cephas.
  4. 15:6 Greek the brothers.
  5. 15:27 Ps 8:6.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 38

Psalm 38

A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.

1 O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage!
2 Your arrows have struck deep,
and your blows are crushing me.
3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;
my health is broken because of my sins.
4 My guilt overwhelms me—
it is a burden too heavy to bear.
5 My wounds fester and stink
because of my foolish sins.
6 I am bent over and racked with pain.
All day long I walk around filled with grief.
7 A raging fever burns within me,
and my health is broken.
8 I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.

9 You know what I long for, Lord;
you hear my every sigh.
10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,
and I am going blind.
11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.
Even my own family stands at a distance.
12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me.
Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me.
All day long they plan their treachery.

13 But I am deaf to all their threats.
I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.
14 I choose to hear nothing,
and I make no reply.
15 For I am waiting for you, O Lord.
You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
16 I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me
or rejoice at my downfall.”

17 I am on the verge of collapse,
facing constant pain.
18 But I confess my sins;
I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
19 I have many aggressive enemies;
they hate me without reason.
20 They repay me evil for good
and oppose me for pursuing good.
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord.
Do not stand at a distance, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my savior.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 21:28-29

28 A false witness will be cut off,
but a credible witness will be allowed to speak.

29 The wicked bluff their way through,
but the virtuous think before they act.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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08/22/2022 DAB Transcript

Job 1:1-3:26, 1 Corinthians 14:1-17, Psalms 37:12-29, Proverbs 21:25-26

Today is the 22nd day of August welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s great to be here with you. I’m here in the rolling hills of Tennessee and you are where you are, but we are still together around the Global Campfire as we take the next step forward. We have just begun yesterday the book of Job, which kinda laid out the context of the story. Job’s friends have come to his side. They have sat for a week in silence. Job has begun to speak about how he wishes he had never been born. And now today we will begin to hear from Job’s friends. And Job, of course, a conversation is beginning. Job chapters 4, 5, 6, and seven today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Job, we…as we were talking about the beginning, we’ve learned what happened to Job. We saw Job have the worst day that really I can even imagine. He literally lost everything, including his children in a day. In like wave after wave or blow-by-blow these disasters coming and before the days over Job is in a life that doesn’t look like his life at all, but we also began to understand who Job is by watching what he does once he receives blow after blow of tragedy. He greev. It’s terrible. He tears his clothes. He throws ashes on his head. He falls to the ground. We can imagine all that. But then he worships says essentially everything that I have was given to me. The Lord is given, the Lord has taken away. Blessed to be the name of the Lord, which is indeed a riveting way to begin a book. And then his wife, you know, he’s got all these sores and boils and his wife tells him to curse God and die. What a horrible thing to say to your spouse. And Job doesn’t call her names are curse her or any of the…or send her away or anything like that. He says, should we not receive the bad with the good? And then Job’s friends, they make their journey and they come and sit with Job and as we read yesterday they sat in silence for a week until Job spoke, which is what they were waiting for. This is the practice called Shiva, which is a way of being in grief with someone. It’s just a little different than the customs that we are accustomed to during grief. In Shiva, you come, and you do exactly what his friends did, you sit. You sit with the person who has been devastated and you sit, and there’s no pressure to say the right thing. You’re not really supposed to say anything. And there’s no pressure on the grieving person to then have to become the caretaker of those who are here to take care of them and make them feel okay and take care of their needs and…and speak and tell them that everything’s gonna be okay. Nobody’s expecting anything. And, so, we sit in silence and what you are offering is more potent and more powerful than anything you could say. You are offering your presence. You showed up. You’re there. You’re present in it. And when the grieving person wants to speak you speak and when they want to eat you eat. When they don’t want to talk, you don’t talk. When they want to sleep they sleep. And this is what we’re…it’s beautiful, really. And this wat we’re seeing playing out in the book of Job, as his friends come to be with him in his moment of absolute devastation. And then the conversation began. Job who spoke first. That’s what everyone was waiting for, and he said he wished he’d never been born. And we hear the first response from one of Job’s friends. His name is Eliphaz and he’s trying to comfort Job. And his message to Joe is basically that things happen for a reason and that if he would trust in God the Lord would certainly be merciful and rescue and restore him, which sounds like the kinds of things that we say when we’re trying to be the voice of comfort. And that’s a really interesting thing about Job. Job’s friends say the kinds of things that we say. It’s just in this case, Job isn't…it’s not that he’s not accepting what they’re saying, he just becomes more and more agitated about it because they can’t say anything that he’s actually looking for. They aren’t able to provide the answers that he seeks. He has been on the other side before. He has been the one offering words of comfort. In this case he knows what can be said and he knows what human wisdom can provide and if they’re not able to provide something beyond that, it’s not that he doesn’t care if they’re there it’s just they’re not helping him. Job wants God to personally explain exactly what it is that he did wrong because he feels like judgment is upon them from the hand of God, and he doesn’t know why. And, so, as we continue in these days in front of us in the book of Job let’s watch both sides of this. Let’s watch what his friends are telling Job and understand that there’d be some familiar things there. Let’s also watch Job and how he responds and how as they his friends lay out all of their wisdom, he is more and more clear that they don’t have what he is looking for. He wants an audience with God. He just doesn’t know where to find Him, but he will as we will see soon enough.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for all of the different complexions of it and all of the different nuances of it and…and the way that it speaks into our souls no matter what we are experiencing. And in this case now we are in a time where we are experiencing words about suffering, words about cosmic justice, things that we wonder about, things that we don’t understand, things that we wrestle and grapple with. And, so, Holy Spirit come and lead us forward. Give us insight, give us awareness, take us further and deeper we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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dailyaudiobible.com, that’s homebase, it is the website, it’s where you can find out what’s going on around here. The Daily Audio Bible app does the same thing. You just push the Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner and that pops open the drawer and then you can navigate from there. If you don’t have the Daily Audio Bible app, today is a good day, it’s a decent day anyway to check it out. Try it out. Just search for Daily Audio Bible in the app store that is associated with whatever device that you use, and you should be able to find it and download it for free from there.

Check out the different sections of the website or in the app like the Community section. There are links in the Community section to get connected on social media, which is not a bad idea, especially if we have announcements and stuff. If you’re kinda following along then those will probably show up in your feed. It’s quite an art to get things to show up in people’s feed, right? But if you’re following along than it probably will show up in yours and so you can daily be encouraged or just confining what’s going on around here. So, the links are there in the Community section of the app or the website. But also, in the Community section you’ll find the Prayer Wall. And the Prayer Wall is, as I have described it many times, always on, never off, always available to us. No matter where we are in life or on this earth, we can always go there and share what’s going on and ask our brothers and sisters no matter where they are to pray for us. But it’s also a place that we can go and hear the stories from our brothers and sisters and pray for them and let them know that they’re not alone and that we are praying for them. That is such an important distinctive of the community here around the Global Campfire. It’s such a unique thing actually. Been doing it long enough now to kinda know, like no, this is…this is rare, this is special. We’re moving through the Scriptures together in community. We are all human beings, and we all understand that we’re being challenged by the word of God every day and that we all have our struggles and for some reason we’re willing to love each other through them in community as we show up around the Global Campfire every day. The things that we have shared with each other are so transparent. Over the years it’s miraculous to me sometimes that we’ve found a place where we can actually open our hearts and know that our brothers and sisters actually care about us and are walking the journey with us. And, so, certainly check out the Prayer Wall.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you. Thank you humbly as we navigate another summer. Thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you are 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 the Hotline button in the app. That’s the little red button up at the top. Looks kinda…looks kinda like a hotline…only thing that looks like a hotline, so you probably can’t go wrong, little red button up at the top 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:

Coming soon…

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday August 22, 2022 (NIV)

Job 4-7

Eliphaz’s First Response to Job

4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job:

2 “Will you be patient and let me say a word?
For who could keep from speaking out?

3 “In the past you have encouraged many people;
you have strengthened those who were weak.
4 Your words have supported those who were falling;
you encouraged those with shaky knees.
5 But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart.
You are terrified when it touches you.
6 Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence?
Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope?

7 “Stop and think! Do the innocent die?
When have the upright been destroyed?
8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble
and cultivate evil will harvest the same.
9 A breath from God destroys them.
They vanish in a blast of his anger.
10 The lion roars and the wildcat snarls,
but the teeth of strong lions will be broken.
11 The fierce lion will starve for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered.

12 “This truth was given to me in secret,
as though whispered in my ear.
13 It came to me in a disturbing vision at night,
when people are in a deep sleep.
14 Fear gripped me,
and my bones trembled.
15 A spirit[a] swept past my face,
and my hair stood on end.[b]
16 The spirit stopped, but I couldn’t see its shape.
There was a form before my eyes.
In the silence I heard a voice say,
17 ‘Can a mortal be innocent before God?
Can anyone be pure before the Creator?’

18 “If God does not trust his own angels
and has charged his messengers with foolishness,
19 how much less will he trust people made of clay!
They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth.
20 They are alive in the morning but dead by evening,
gone forever without a trace.
21 Their tent-cords are pulled and the tent collapses,
and they die in ignorance.

Eliphaz’s Response Continues

5 “Cry for help, but will anyone answer you?
Which of the angels[c] will help you?
2 Surely resentment destroys the fool,
and jealousy kills the simple.
3 I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment,
but then comes sudden disaster.
4 Their children are abandoned far from help;
they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
5 The hungry devour their harvest,
even when it is guarded by brambles.[d]
The thirsty pant after their wealth.[e]
6 But evil does not spring from the soil,
and trouble does not sprout from the earth.
7 People are born for trouble
as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.

8 “If I were you, I would go to God
and present my case to him.
9 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
10 He gives rain for the earth
and water for the fields.
11 He gives prosperity to the poor
and protects those who suffer.
12 He frustrates the plans of schemers
so the work of their hands will not succeed.
13 He traps the wise in their own cleverness
so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
14 They find it is dark in the daytime,
and they grope at noon as if it were night.
15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong,
and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 And so at last the poor have hope,
and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut.

17 “But consider the joy of those corrected by God!
Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.
18 For though he wounds, he also bandages.
He strikes, but his hands also heal.
19 From six disasters he will rescue you;
even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil.
20 He will save you from death in time of famine,
from the power of the sword in time of war.
21 You will be safe from slander
and have no fear when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine;
wild animals will not terrify you.
23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field,
and its wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your home is safe.
When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing.
25 You will have many children;
your descendants will be as plentiful as grass!
26 You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,
like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!

27 “We have studied life and found all this to be true.
Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.”

Job’s Second Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

6 Then Job spoke again:

2 “If my misery could be weighed
and my troubles be put on the scales,
3 they would outweigh all the sands of the sea.
That is why I spoke impulsively.
4 For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows.
Their poison infects my spirit.
God’s terrors are lined up against me.
5 Don’t I have a right to complain?
Don’t wild donkeys bray when they find no grass,
and oxen bellow when they have no food?
6 Don’t people complain about unsalted food?
Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg?[f]
7 My appetite disappears when I look at it;
I gag at the thought of eating it!

8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant my desire.
9 I wish he would crush me.
I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me.
10 At least I can take comfort in this:
Despite the pain,
I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 But I don’t have the strength to endure.
I have nothing to live for.
12 Do I have the strength of a stone?
Is my body made of bronze?
13 No, I am utterly helpless,
without any chance of success.

14 “One should be kind to a fainting friend,
but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.[g]
15 My brothers, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook
that overflows its banks in the spring
16 when it is swollen with ice and melting snow.
17 But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears.
The brook vanishes in the heat.
18 The caravans turn aside to be refreshed,
but there is nothing to drink, so they die.
19 The caravans from Tema search for this water;
the travelers from Sheba hope to find it.
20 They count on it but are disappointed.
When they arrive, their hopes are dashed.
21 You, too, have given no help.
You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid.
22 But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift?
Have I begged for anything of yours for myself?
23 Have I asked you to rescue me from my enemies,
or to save me from ruthless people?
24 Teach me, and I will keep quiet.
Show me what I have done wrong.
25 Honest words can be painful,
but what do your criticisms amount to?
26 Do you think your words are convincing
when you disregard my cry of desperation?
27 You would even send an orphan into slavery[h]
or sell a friend.
28 Look at me!
Would I lie to your face?
29 Stop assuming my guilt,
for I have done no wrong.
30 Do you think I am lying?
Don’t I know the difference between right and wrong?

7 “Is not all human life a struggle?
Our lives are like that of a hired hand,
2 like a worker who longs for the shade,
like a servant waiting to be paid.
3 I, too, have been assigned months of futility,
long and weary nights of misery.
4 Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’
But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn.
5 My body is covered with maggots and scabs.
My skin breaks open, oozing with pus.

Job Cries Out to God

6 “My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle.
They end without hope.
7 O God, remember that my life is but a breath,
and I will never again feel happiness.
8 You see me now, but not for long.
You will look for me, but I will be gone.
9 Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes,
those who die[i] will not come back.
10 They are gone forever from their home—
never to be seen again.

11 “I cannot keep from speaking.
I must express my anguish.
My bitter soul must complain.
12 Am I a sea monster or a dragon
that you must place me under guard?
13 I think, ‘My bed will comfort me,
and sleep will ease my misery,’
14 but then you shatter me with dreams
and terrify me with visions.
15 I would rather be strangled—
rather die than suffer like this.
16 I hate my life and don’t want to go on living.
Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days.

17 “What are people, that you should make so much of us,
that you should think of us so often?
18 For you examine us every morning
and test us every moment.
19 Why won’t you leave me alone,
at least long enough for me to swallow!
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
O watcher of all humanity?
Why make me your target?
Am I a burden to you?[j]
21 Why not just forgive my sin
and take away my guilt?
For soon I will lie down in the dust and die.
When you look for me, I will be gone.”

Footnotes:

  1. 4:15a Or wind; also in 4:16.
  2. 4:15b Or its wind sent shivers up my spine.
  3. 5:1 Hebrew the holy ones.
  4. 5:5a The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  5. 5:5b As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads A snare snatches their wealth.
  6. 6:6 Or the tasteless juice of the mallow plant?
  7. 6:14 Or friend, / or he might lose his fear of the Almighty.
  8. 6:27 Hebrew even gamble over an orphan.
  9. 7:9 Hebrew who go down to Sheol.
  10. 7:20 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads target, so that I am a burden to myself?
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 Corinthians 14:18-40

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. 19 But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.

20 Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures[a]:

“I will speak to my own people
through strange languages
and through the lips of foreigners.
But even then, they will not listen to me,”[b]
says the Lord.

22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.”

A Call to Orderly Worship

26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.

27 No more than two or three should speak in tongues. They must speak one at a time, and someone must interpret what they say. 28 But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.

29 Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. 30 But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. 31 In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32 Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.[c]

34 Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. 35 If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.[d]

36 Or do you think God’s word originated with you Corinthians? Are you the only ones to whom it was given? 37 If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself. 38 But if you do not recognize this, you yourself will not be recognized.[e]

39 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

Footnotes:

  1. 14:21a Greek in the law.
  2. 14:21b Isa 28:11-12.
  3. 14:33 The phrase as in all the meetings of God’s holy people could instead be joined to the beginning of 14:34.
  4. 14:35 Some manuscripts place verses 34-35 after 14:40.
  5. 14:38 Some manuscripts read If you are ignorant of this, stay in your ignorance.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 37:30-40

30 The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
31 They have made God’s law their own,
so they will never slip from his path.

32 The wicked wait in ambush for the godly,
looking for an excuse to kill them.
33 But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

34 Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.

35 I have seen wicked and ruthless people
flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
36 But when I looked again, they were gone!
Though I searched for them, I could not find them!

37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.

39 The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 21:27

27 The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable,
especially when it is offered with wrong motives.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


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8/21/2022 DAB Transcript

Job 1:1-3:26, 1 Corinthians 14:1-17, Psalm 37:12-29, Proverbs 21:25-26

Today is the 21st day of August, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today, as we walk into a brand-new week together, throw open that threshold, step into it together and look out at the vista, it’s all waiting to be written, the story of this week, is all waiting to be told. And it’s exciting, to see what this week is going to shape up to be and it’s wise of us to allow the Scriptures to inform what this week is going…going to be like as we gather around the Global Campfire, each and every day for the next step forward. Our next step forward, leads us into some brand-new territory.

Introduction to the Book of Job:

We’ve finished the book of Esther yesterday, which brings us to the book of Job, which is truly one of the most beautiful pieces of literature in the Bible and a genuinely, honest wrestling with the problem of evil and why we suffer. It’s asking the questions that we either ask or that we’re too afraid to ask, which is basically, why is this happening to me? Why? And then wrestling with it and trying to find that answer. And this book that we’re moving into, it’s…it’s disputed, at least in terms of when it falls into the historical context. There’s not a lot of details in the book of Job that give clues to other events or other times, which leads to a lot of speculation, not just random speculation, the like scholarly attempts to truly sort this out, but it’s different people have different opinions. Some believe that it has archaic Hebrew words that are, that have fallen out of use and that maybe no one even really truly knows what they mean. There are Hebrew words in the book of Job that aren’t really used anywhere else in the Bible. So that leads some to believe maybe, Job was around the same time that Abraham was, or Jacob was, or maybe even before that. While other scholars believe this is written by a scribe coming out of exile so, making it much more recent. And so, the person that wrote this down, didn’t fully know Hebrew and so that would account for different kinds of usage of words. Others believe this is very ancient and collected probably through oral tradition by Moses. And the truth is we can take our pick of what our conviction is and what we think. The truth is that we just don’t fully know. What we do know is what is in the book of Job and what it is dealing with, which is unwarranted, undeserved, suffering. And in just a few minutes, as we begin the book of Job, we’re going to see why like, Job has the worst day of any human being, I can even fathom or imagine. And we will see that and then what we need to do is begin to watch Job, watch what Job does and we can imagine that if Job loses a lot, which he does, like everything in a day, that he would be grief stricken, maybe angry, maybe a lot of things, not the least being in shock, but we need to watch him and how he conducts himself because he is suffering tremendously and he truly believes it’s for no reason. There’s no reason that he should receive the kind of judgment that he is receiving, and he believes that the judgment is coming from God. So, that leaves him with a bunch of questions, he believes he is a righteous and upright man before the Lord. And so, it doesn’t make sense why the Lord would strike him down. What Job wants, is a conversation with God so that, he might understand, so that he might bring his case, as we’ll hear him say, bring his case before the Lord and explain like, I don’t understand why you’re doing this to me. I have been faithful and loyal to you. And as Job is contemplating these things and suffering through these things, his friends show up and they sit with him and it’s beautiful because they don’t say anything for like a week, just like sitting with Job in his grief, but eventually they do start talking, which is really the rest of the book of Job. Job wants God, his friends are trying to help him sort out why these things have happened to him, they’re giving him the kind of advice that we give each, other all the time. Like when we hear the different things that Job’s friends say, we can just dismiss them because we know that Job wants God and that God’s gonna show up, but if we’re just listening to them, they are trying to help Job understand, through their own idea of God is, and Job essentially has to tell them, there isn’t anything that you know, that I don’t know. So, I know all of the things that you’re saying. I’ve said all these things before, but things have changed for me, and I need an actual audience with the Almighty. I actually need to hear what God has to say and not what other people have to say because I already know that human wisdom. And before it’s over, Job will get what he wants, it just won’t be anything like he thinks. What we end up learning is, there is a lot more going on than we are ever aware of, that God is all powerful and good and so let’s begin. We’ll read from the New Living translation this week, Job chapters 1, 2 and 3 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for this brand-new week that we are entering into, and we ask Your blessing over it. We ask Your wisdom, to hover around us and that we would be aware of it, that every step may be a correct step, that every conversation would be a good life-giving one, that the things that we have to do, the obligations and responsibilities would be carried out as acts of worship to You. And we thank You for this brand-new book that we are entering into, completely changing the complexion of so many of the things that we have talked about so far. But in so many ways, tying them all together, as we move through the book of Job come, Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth. And may we consider the posture of Job after finding out that life, as he knew it was…was over, had vanished in one day. He grieved, he cried, he tore his robes, he fell to the ground and worshiped. May this picture stick with us as we move through the coming days. May we consider this posture deeply we ask. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Song played today “Blessed Be The Name” Brent Bourgeois

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday August 21, 2022 (NIV)

Job 1-3

Prologue

1 There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.

4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

Job’s First Test

6 One day the members of the heavenly court[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan,[b] came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

17 While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

18 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. 19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job’s Second Test

2 One day the members of the heavenly court[c] came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan,[d] came with them. 2 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”

4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” 7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.

8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

Job’s Three Friends Share His Anguish

11 When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. 12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Job’s First Speech

3 At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:

3 “Let the day of my birth be erased,
and the night I was conceived.
4 Let that day be turned to darkness.
Let it be lost even to God on high,
and let no light shine on it.
5 Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own.
Let a black cloud overshadow it,
and let the darkness terrify it.
6 Let that night be blotted off the calendar,
never again to be counted among the days of the year,
never again to appear among the months.
7 Let that night be childless.
Let it have no joy.
8 Let those who are experts at cursing—
whose cursing could rouse Leviathan[e]—
curse that day.
9 Let its morning stars remain dark.
Let it hope for light, but in vain;
may it never see the morning light.
10 Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb,
for letting me be born to see all this trouble.

11 “Why wasn’t I born dead?
Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb?
12 Why was I laid on my mother’s lap?
Why did she nurse me at her breasts?
13 Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace.
I would be asleep and at rest.
14 I would rest with the world’s kings and prime ministers,
whose great buildings now lie in ruins.
15 I would rest with princes, rich in gold,
whose palaces were filled with silver.
16 Why wasn’t I buried like a stillborn child,
like a baby who never lives to see the light?
17 For in death the wicked cause no trouble,
and the weary are at rest.
18 Even captives are at ease in death,
with no guards to curse them.
19 Rich and poor are both there,
and the slave is free from his master.

20 “Oh, why give light to those in misery,
and life to those who are bitter?
21 They long for death, and it won’t come.
They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure.
22 They’re filled with joy when they finally die,
and rejoice when they find the grave.
23 Why is life given to those with no future,
those God has surrounded with difficulties?
24 I cannot eat for sighing;
my groans pour out like water.
25 What I always feared has happened to me.
What I dreaded has come true.
26 I have no peace, no quietness.
I have no rest; only trouble comes.”

Footnotes:

  1. 1:6a Hebrew the sons of God.
  2. 1:6b Hebrew and the satan; similarly throughout this chapter.
  3. 2:1a Hebrew the sons of God.
  4. 2:1b Hebrew and the satan; similarly throughout this chapter.
  5. 3:8 The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 Corinthians 14:1-17

Tongues and Prophecy

14 Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. 2 For if you have the ability to speak in tongues,[a] you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit,[b] but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

5 I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.

6 Dear brothers and sisters,[c] if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language,[d] how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. 7 Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. 8 And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?

9 It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.

10 There are many different languages in the world, and every language has meaning. 11 But if I don’t understand a language, I will be a foreigner to someone who speaks it, and the one who speaks it will be a foreigner to me. 12 And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.

13 So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said. 14 For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.

15 Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit,[e] and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand. 16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don’t understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don’t understand what you are saying? 17 You will be giving thanks very well, but it won’t strengthen the people who hear you.

Footnotes:

  1. 14:2a Or in unknown languages; also in 14:4, 5, 13, 14, 18, 22, 26, 27, 28, 39.
  2. 14:2b Or speaking in your spirit.
  3. 14:6a Greek brothers; also in 14:20, 26, 39.
  4. 14:6b Or in tongues; also in 14:19, 23.
  5. 14:15 Or in the Spirit; also in 14:15b, 16.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 37:12-29

12 The wicked plot against the godly;
they snarl at them in defiance.
13 But the Lord just laughs,
for he sees their day of judgment coming.

14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to kill the poor and the oppressed,
to slaughter those who do right.
15 But their swords will stab their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 It is better to be godly and have little
than to be evil and rich.
17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,
but the Lord takes care of the godly.

18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.

20 But the wicked will die.
The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field—
they will disappear like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and never repay,
but the godly are generous givers.
22 Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.

23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

25 Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
26 The godly always give generous loans to others,
and their children are a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.

He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die.
29 The godly will possess the land
and will live there forever.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 21:25-26

25 Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin,
for their hands refuse to work.

26 Some people are always greedy for more,
but the godly love to give!

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

8/19/2022 DAB Transcript

Esther 4:1-7:10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-26, Psalm 36:1-12, Proverbs 21:21-22

Today is the 19th day of August, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you around the Global Campfire today, together, as we settle in and move forward together. We began the book of Esther yesterday, very dramatic book but a beautiful story that we are in, and we will continue that journey through the book of Esther today and then conclude Esther tomorrow, it’s not that long of the book. But if we remember from yesterday, we met Hadassa, we met Esther, we saw how she became the queen of Persia. We also met a man named Haman, who hated the Jews because of Esther’s uncle Mordecai wanted to exterminate the Jews. And the king, not understanding that his queen is a Jewiss, has gone along with it. And given the people, the Hebrew people, into Haman’s hand. And in the king’s name, he has sent out orders, throughout the entire empire. And on a specific day, in the 12 month of the year, everyone was to be prepared to kill all of the Jews that are within their vicinity and to plunder them. So, as we pick up the story today, that news is just arriving to Haman actually, that news is just landing everywhere. So, let’s pick up the story. Today, we will read Esther chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Commentary:

Okay, we’re not finished with the book of Esther yet, but we can certainly see that the arc of the narrative, we have reached a point where Haman the enemy of the Jews, is no longer an enemy of the Jews because he’s no longer on the earth. He had planned to hang the queen’s uncle Mordecai, Esther’s uncle. But instead, Haman was humiliated, needing to actually honor Mordecai and then when payment finally does get to the banquet with Queen Esther and the king, Esther outs him and it’s pretty clear that his intention was to destroy her people, and that doesn’t go so well. And so, we can clearly see that Esther was born for such a time as this and we will conclude the book of Esther tomorrow.

And then, as we’re reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians today, Paul’s talking about spiritual gifts, what their purpose is, and how it’s all connected. And one thing that we should have gotten from our reading in first Corinthians today is that, we all have a place, we all belong and it’s more than just having a place or belonging, it’s that we’re all irreplaceable in this story. And so, Paul is answering another question that was sent to him by the Corinthians and he describes these spiritual gifts that people do and are granted spiritual gifts from God. Everybody is given a gift from God. But it is all from the same Spirit of God. So, there not a bunch of Spirits, offering competing gifting, it is all from the same Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the source of all the gifting’s and the gifting’s are all bestowed upon people to serve the greater whole, otherwise known as the body. And so, we should stop there for a second and just understand that the gifting’s that we may have been given, are not to set us apart over other people, they are given so that we might serve other people. Our gifting’s are not to bring us worship, that would be idolatry. Our gifting’s are to be used to serve the whole body. And Paul talks about different gifts that are given from God, like the gift of wisdom or special knowledge or great faith or the ability for healing to take place, or the miraculous to take place or prophecy to take place, or the gift of discernment, or the gift of speaking in unknown languages and the gift of interpreting those unknown languages. Paul is saying that the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that gives all the gifts, gives gifts as he desires. But the reason for the gifts are, to serve the whole body. Or to just put it right back in the Paul’s own words, “just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free people, and we were all cause to drink one Spirits Furthermore, the body is not one member but many.” And this is a concept that we should be able to understand enough right, if we’re a human being. We have a beating heart. We have a brain, we have eyes, we have a nose, we have mouth, we have senses, we have fingers, we have toes, we have knees, we have all of the different parts of our body, and they are individual parts. Like, I can point my finger and say my finger is pointing, but my figure is connected to my hand, which is connected to my arm, right. The body is all interconnected. It’s one body. Paul is saying, that is how it is spiritually, we are all part of the same body, many members, doing many functions, same body and all of the functions are bestowed upon us by the same Spirit of God. Paul goes on to say like, look, the foot can’t say I’m not a hand, and so, I’m not a part of the body. It doesn’t work that way. The ear can’t say because I’m not and eye, I’m not really part of the body, that’s not how it works. Paul says, if the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be. If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be. But now God has arranged the members in the body, each and every one of them as he desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need for you or again the head to the feet, I have no need for you. This isn’t true. And this isn’t how it works. And so, we should get an immediate sense of being a part, an irreplaceable part. We belong and no other member of the body can look at us and say, I don’t need you, or can look at our gifting and say I wish I was you or I wish I had what you have. That would also be misguided. We all belong, and we are here to serve one another, in the same way a body does right, your finger doesn’t just rebel. Your foot doesn’t just rebel and send a note up to your brain saying I’m not going to be a part of the body anymore. All of the parts of our body serve a function that sustains life, we are all part of the body of Christ. We do the same thing in service to one another. So, let’s remember this as we move through this day. We belong, we’re irreplaceable. No one can say to us, they don’t need to us, that’s not true. We all function together as a body, we all need one another. And the gifts that God bestows upon the members of his body, are to serve the body.

Prayer:

And so, Father, we thank You for this picture, one that we can truly understand. We thank You for this example, that tells us that we do have purpose and place, we belong. Thank You, we know that we don’t deserve to belong, we don’t deserve to be grafted into Your family and yet we are. And so, with humble gratitude, we thank You for your kindness towards us and ask forgiveness for the ways that we’ve been unwilling to be a part, while criticizing other parts of the body or lusting after other gifting’s. Come, Holy Spirit, calm us down, we belong, we’re where we need to be. Lead us into all truth, we pray, in the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

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And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you, and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.