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04/27/2023 DAB Transcript

Judges 7:1-8:17, Luke 23:13-43, Psalms 97:1-98:9, Proverbs 14:7-8

Today is the 27th day of April welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you today and it is great to have a place to be together today and it’s wonderful that we can gather and take the next step forward together in our week and month and year in the Bible. And our steps have led us to where we are both in the Bible and in our lives, but as it relates to the steps that we’ve taken in the Bible together we have reached our way into the book of Judges now, from Genesis to Judges, and we are learning about the judges of Israel, and in particular, we are learning about the judge Gideon and we began Gideon’s story yesterday and we will continue. Today Judges chapter 7 verse one through eight verse 17.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Judges today and in the story of Gideon we begin to see just how counterintuitive this story is. Gideon had summoned the people together to go to battle against Midian and 32,000 people came. And maybe that was enough to give a good fight. I mean the way that the Bible describes the Midianites, they’re like a plague of locusts all over the…all over the valley floor. So, maybe 32,000 is formidable enough, but it was too many. It was too many for God. So, Gideon was told to tell everybody, like, look if you’re afraid…if you’re afraid of this…this battle that’s about to happen then go home and 22,000 people left. That…that’s a third of the people. And, so, Gideon’s left with his army of 10,000 people and now that’s not really…I mean if it was ever fair to begin with it’s not now. But 10,000 was still too many for the plan that the Lord was leading Gideon into. And we watched that army dwindled down to 300 people against a plague, a horde of people. And as we saw the story unfold, we found out that really to get things going nobody…nobody did a bunch of fighting. The 300 people came and positioned themselves around the camp and at the command they made a bunch of noise and shined their torches and shouted and screamed and it seemed like the camp was surrounded. And, so, the enemy army wakes up, gets up and they just start attacking. They feel like they’re being attacked, like they’re being overrun by the armies of Gideon, the armies of the Lord when there’s only 300 people making a bunch of noise. But they don’t know that. And, so, they start swinging their swords and they…they annihilate each other. And it’s at this point that the other tribes are invited to come into pursuit. Once again 300 people against this horde. They were in an impossible situation. And once again, we saw God do the work for them. And that broke the bonds of the Midianites over the Israelites, freed them from oppression and gave them freedom again. God simply isn’t afraid of impossible looking situations because nothing is impossible with the Lord.

And if we’re talking about impossible situations then we flip over into the gospel of Luke and we are at…we are at the portion in the passion narrative where Jesus is condemned to be executed by crucifixion. And then He is crucified. Jesus hanging there on this cross between heaven and earth in what looks like absolute and complete defeat when counterintuitively He is saving the world. God’s wisdom confounds the wisdom of man. It’s often counterintuitive to the ways of men. In fact, it’s often backward to the ways of men, which should let the ways of men know that they are bad. Those ways are backward. If we’re not following in the ways of the Lord then were going in the wrong direction and the ways of the Lord typically invite us to trust Him through faith, beyond what we can control.

Prayer:

Father once again, we invite You into that and we invite Holy Spirit that You would come and lead us into all truth. This is a very regular request because it is always necessary. And even in our readings today the faith necessary in Gideon’s story and…and the trust necessary in the passion story, we see counterintuitive ways and we see absolute faith and trust and utter dependence on You. That is what was modeled for us in what we read today. May we remember it as we go through this day and live it out in our own lives we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you. We’re a community because we show up every day. We’re a community because we’re in this together. And, so, thank you humbly 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 PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can at the Hotline button in the app. That’s the little red button up at the top or there are number of numbers that you can call. In the Americas 877-942-4253 is the number to dial. If you are in the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078 is the number to dial. And if you are in Australia or that part of the world 61-3-8820-5459 is a number to call.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Coming soon…

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday April 27, 2023 (NIV)

Judges 7:1-8:17

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

7 One day Gideon and all his men got up early and camped beside Harod Spring. The Midianite camp was in the valley to the north of them by Moreh Hill.

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The men you have are too many for me to give them victory over the Midianites. They might think that they had won by themselves, and so give me no credit. 3 (A)Announce to the people, ‘Anyone who is afraid should go back home, and we will stay here at Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand went back, but ten thousand stayed.

4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “You still have too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will separate them for you there. If I tell you a man should go with you, he will go. If I tell you a man should not go with you, he will not go.” 5 Gideon took the men down to the water, and the Lord told him, “Separate everyone who laps up the water with his tongue like a dog, from everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 There were three hundred men who scooped up water in their hands and lapped it; all the others got down on their knees to drink. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites with the three hundred men who lapped the water. Tell everyone else to go home.” 8 So Gideon sent all the Israelites home, except the three hundred, who kept all the supplies and trumpets. The Midianite camp was below them in the valley.

9 That night the Lord commanded Gideon, “Get up and attack the camp; I am giving you victory over it. 10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. 11 You will hear what they are saying, and then you will have the courage to attack.” So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the enemy camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites, and the desert tribesmen were spread out in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and they had as many camels as there are grains of sand on the seashore.

13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling a friend about a dream. He was saying, “I dreamed that a loaf of barley bread rolled into our camp and hit a tent. The tent collapsed and lay flat on the ground.”

14 His friend replied, “It's the sword of the Israelite, Gideon son of Joash! It can't mean anything else! God has given him victory over Midian and our whole army!”

15 When Gideon heard about the man's dream and what it meant, he fell to his knees and worshiped the Lord. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up! The Lord is giving you victory over the Midianite army!” 16 He divided his three hundred men into three groups and gave each man a trumpet and a jar with a torch inside it. 17 He told them, “When I get to the edge of the camp, watch me, and do what I do. 18 When my group and I blow our trumpets, then you blow yours all around the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

19 Gideon and his one hundred men came to the edge of the camp a while before midnight, just after the guard had been changed. Then they blew the trumpets and broke the jars they were holding, 20 and the other two groups did the same. They all held the torches in their left hands, the trumpets in their right, and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and the whole enemy army ran away yelling. 22 While Gideon's men were blowing their trumpets, the Lord made the enemy troops attack each other with their swords. They ran toward Zarethan as far as Beth Shittah, as far as the town of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

23 Then men from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and both parts of Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down and fight the Midianites. Hold the Jordan River and the streams as far as Bethbarah, to keep the Midianites from crossing them.” The men of Ephraim were called together, and they held the Jordan River and the streams as far as Bethbarah. 25 They captured the two Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb; they killed Oreb at Oreb Rock, and Zeeb at the Winepress of Zeeb. They continued to pursue the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now east of the Jordan.

The Final Defeat of the Midianites

8 Then the people of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why didn't you call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this?” They complained bitterly about it.

2 But he told them, “What I was able to do is nothing compared with what you have done. Even the little that you people of Ephraim did is worth more than what my whole clan has done. 3 (B)After all, through the power of God you killed the two Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done to compare with that?” When he said this, they were no longer so angry.

4 By this time Gideon and his three hundred men had come to the Jordan River and had crossed it. They were exhausted, but were still pursuing the enemy. 5 When they arrived at Sukkoth, he said to the men of the town, “Please give my men some loaves of bread. They are exhausted, and I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.”

6 But the leaders of Sukkoth said, “Why should we give your army any food? You haven't captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet.”

7 So Gideon said, “All right! When the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will beat you with thorns and briers from the desert!” 8 Gideon went on to Penuel and made the same request of the people there, but the men of Penuel gave the same answer as the men of Sukkoth. 9 So he said to them, “I am going to come back safe and sound, and when I do, I will tear this tower down!”

10 Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor with their army. Of the whole army of desert tribesmen, only about 15,000 were left; 120,000 soldiers had been killed. 11 Gideon went on the road along the edge of the desert, east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the army by surprise. 12 The two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, ran away, but he pursued them and captured them, and caused their whole army to panic.

13 When Gideon was returning from the battle by way of Heres Pass, 14 he captured a young man from Sukkoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down for Gideon the names of the seventy-seven leading men of Sukkoth. 15 Then Gideon went to the men of Sukkoth and said, “Remember when you refused to help me? You said that you couldn't give any food to my exhausted army because I hadn't captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, here they are!” 16 He then took thorns and briers from the desert and used them to punish the leaders of Sukkoth. 17 He also tore down the tower at Penuel and killed the men of that city.

Cross references:

  1. Judges 7:3 : Deut 20:8
  2. Judges 8:3 : Ps 83:11
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Luke 23:13-43

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death(A)

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. 15 Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. 16 So I will have him whipped and let him go.” 17 [a]

18 The whole crowd cried out, “Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!” (19 Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

20 Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. 21 But they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22 Pilate said to them the third time, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free.”

23 But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. 24 So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. 25 He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.

Jesus Is Crucified(B)

26 The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.

27 A large crowd of people followed him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for him. 28 Jesus turned to them and said, “Women of Jerusalem! Don't cry for me, but for yourselves and your children. 29 For the days are coming when people will say, ‘How lucky are the women who never had children, who never bore babies, who never nursed them!’ 30 (C)That will be the time when people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Hide us!’ 31 For if such things as these are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus. 33 When they came to the place called “The Skull,” they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. 34 (D)Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing.”[b]

They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice. 35 (E)The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders made fun of him: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen!”

36 (F)The soldiers also made fun of him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine, 37 and said, “Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews!”

38 Above him were written these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: “Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don't you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. 41 Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong.” 42 And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!”

43 Jesus said to him, “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”

Footnotes:

  1. Luke 23:17 Some manuscripts add verse 17: At every Passover Festival Pilate had to set free one prisoner for them (see Mk 15.6).
  2. Luke 23:34 Some manuscripts do not have Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing.”

Cross references:

  1. Luke 23:13 : Matt 27:15-Matt 27:26; Mark 15:6-Mark 15:15; John 18:39-John 19:16
  2. Luke 23:26 : Matt 27:32-Matt 27:44; Mark 15:21-Mark 15:32; John 19:17-John 19:27
  3. Luke 23:30 : Hos 10:8; Rev 6:16
  4. Luke 23:34 : Ps 22:18
  5. Luke 23:35 : Ps 22:7
  6. Luke 23:36 : Ps 69:21
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Psalm 97-98

God the Supreme Ruler

97 The Lord is king! Earth, be glad!
Rejoice, you islands of the seas!
2 Clouds and darkness surround him;
he rules with righteousness and justice.
3 Fire goes in front of him
and burns up his enemies around him.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees it and trembles.
5 The hills melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the nations see his glory.

7 Everyone who worships idols is put to shame;
all the gods bow down[a] before the Lord.
8 The people of Zion are glad,
and the cities of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 Lord Almighty, you are ruler of all the earth;
you are much greater than all the gods.

10 The Lord loves those who hate evil;[b]
he protects the lives of his people;
he rescues them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light shines on the righteous,
and gladness on the good.
12 All you that are righteous be glad
because of what the Lord has done!
Remember what the holy God has done,
and give thanks to him.

God the Ruler of the World[c]

98 Sing a new song to the Lord;
he has done wonderful things!
By his own power and holy strength
he has won the victory.
2 The Lord announced his victory;
he made his saving power known to the nations.
3 He kept his promise to the people of Israel
with loyalty and constant love for them.
All people everywhere have seen the victory of our God.

4 Sing for joy to the Lord, all the earth;
praise him with songs and shouts of joy!
5 Sing praises to the Lord!
Play music on the harps!
6 Blow trumpets and horns,
and shout for joy to the Lord, our king.

7 Roar, sea, and every creature in you;
sing, earth, and all who live on you!
8 Clap your hands, you rivers;
you hills, sing together with joy before the Lord,
9 because he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the peoples of the world
with justice and fairness.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 97:7 all the gods bow down; or bow down, all gods.
  2. Psalm 97:10 Probable text The Lord loves those who hate evil; Hebrew Hate evil, you who love the Lord.
  3. Psalm 98:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Proverbs 14:7-8

7 Stay away from foolish people; they have nothing to teach you.

8 Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

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4/26/2023 DAB Transcript

Judges 6:1-40, Luke 22:54-23:12, Psalm 95:1-96:13, Proverbs 14:5-6

Today is the 26th day of April, welcome to the Daily audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you as we launch ourselves into another day together, and the next step forward together, which will lead us back into the Book of Judges. We talked about the Judge Deborah yesterday and Jael, a couple of valiant women in the story of ancient Israel. And we’ll just keep moving forward because as we move through the Book of Judges, we are not only seeing the back-and-forth seesaw thing that’s happening in Israel where they return to God when they’re in trouble and then God sets them free, raises up a judge and sets them free and they have peace, and then they wander away again. It’s like this back and forth and back and forth. But as we’re watching that, we’re also meeting all of these judges who led Israel between the time of Joshua and the time of Israel’s first king. Today, we will meet another one of Israel’s judges. We’ll spend more time on this one. This story kind of unfolds. This is a judge named Gideon, and today we will read Judges chapter 6.

Commentary:

Okay, so, in the book of Judges we met Gideon today and what is beginning to unfold is one of the most counterintuitive stories that we will encounter in the Old Testament, which has a number of counterintuitive stories in it. The way God is going to deliver Israel from Midian is, it shouldn’t work but it does. But as we met Gideon, we saw that once again the children of Israel had strayed away. Once again, things have gotten really difficult for the children of Israel. They had come under the power of another nation. They’re abandoning of God had given them to into the hands of the Midianites who were oppressing them severely, very severely. So, the children of Israel would go out into their fertile land and sew their crops to sustain their lives and the Midianites, and the Amalekites would come like, in caravans like a horde, like a plague, like a locust, like a plague of locusts. They would descend upon the land and set up their tents and pillage the crops and feast, and destroy what was left, leaving the children of Israel, starving and in extreme poverty. And the way that Judges tells it to us, they were like hiding. They had to hide to eat, they had to hide in caves. They had to hide in wine presses. They had a hide just to kind of thresh the wheat that they could harvest. They would just try and get enough to survive, when they cried out to God. And that is how we met Gideon. He’s doing exactly that, threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to stay hidden from the enemy, who are pillaging the land, and that is when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him that God was with him. It’s kind of at this point that we can begin to enter ourselves into this story and begin to watch our own lives as the story unfolds, because the angel of the Lord comes to Gideon and says the Lord is with you. And Gideon says like, this is an old story, this is thousands of years ago, but what Gideon responds, it sounds like it could be said today. “If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are the miracles we were told about by our ancestors?” So often we do find ourselves in that kind of position. Why is this happening? Why is this happening to me? And once again, we see that, even though this is a very, very ancient story, the heart of the human, the heart of humanity and what it, what it longs for, and what it lusts for, and what it submits to, it’s the same thing. Like, we just have different technology and different clothing. So, Gideon asks what to him seems to be an obvious question, it seems to be something that he was thinking about. Why is this happening, where is God? Where is the God we were told about? Hasn’t the Lord abandoned us? The Lord responds to Gideon and what doesn’t happen to Gideon is a lightning bolt doesn’t come out of the sky and blast him for saying what’s in his heart to God. God responds to Gideon and says, go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian. I am sending you. And Gideon responds again, as we often do, with all of the excuses about why it’s not going to work. And any response that God gives to that, all the excuses is, I will be with you. And what else is there to say. If that is true, if God will be with us, than what cannot get accomplished? So let’s remember this when we feel like we are walking a path and trusting and it’s not working out the way that we expected, and we get exasperated and then we get frustrated and then we can bitter and then we’re like where is God? Why is this happening to me? I’m trying to be obedient. I’m trying to live out my calling. Let’s remember Gideon in those moments, and in particular, let’s remember God’s response to Gideon, go in the strength you have. I am sending you. I will be with you.

Prayer:

Father, we enter into that, it is so comforting and yet it can get so bleak that we can’t see what’s going on, and so we thank You for these examples in the Scriptures that allow us to realize we’re not the only ones facing any kind of difficulty that we have to endure. And as we will see in the story of Gideon, a victory was brought about delivering Your people in a way that could have only been You. May we trust in You and may that trust be our anchor. We don’t know what to do and what’s going on. Come, Holy Spirit, into this. Today, we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base and that is where you can find out what’s happening around here. And so, indeed do that. You can download the Daily Audio Bible app from the App Store that works with your device and put that in the palm of your hand. So, check it out. Check out different sections like the Community Section. This is where different links to social media outlets that we participate in are, it’s also the home of the Prayer Wall which is a resource for us here at the Daily Audio Bible where we can come and ask for prayer, tell our story, share our lives and receive comfort and encouragement from our brothers and sisters around the world. And so, that’s the Prayer Wall and that can be found in the Community Section as well.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, humbly. We wouldn’t be able to be here, if we weren’t in this together. So, thank you, from…from the bottom of my heart for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage, 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.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

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

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hey guys, it’s Sparky. Libby, I wanted to, from Australia, I wanted to go ahead and pray for you and all of the people that thing, that thing in their life that they can’t get rid of, you know. So, let’s all go ahead and pray for everybody that has that thing. Father, we ask You to relieve Libby. We ask that You take the memory of the problem and let her know that she is enough for You. Father, whatever is happened, whatever came upon that has beaten this lady down, Father, we ask You to remove that. Father, You said we are enough. You love us, You care for us. Father, we know that You hated to see her have to go through that. You hate to see us suffer, God. Father, we just ask for a complete forgiveness of the soul, that if somebody caused that to happen, Father, we just ask that You help Libby to forgive. Father, You just ask us to forgive. Father, You…You wanted the tax collector to be treated like a king, even though he was hated. Father, we just ask that You grant this permission to release this in her life and from it. In Christ name I pray. Amen. Love you guys, I pray for all of you all.

Hello, Daily Audio Bible listeners. This is Litta Lilly, formerly known as God’s Girl. I was calling to pray for Libby from Australia. Gosh, sweet girl, woo, how do I get through this? Your request for prayer just pierced my soul today. We are very much alike in what’s happened to us. As children, as a young infant, as a young adult, and even as a teenager, nothing good ever happened to me as well. And so, I totally understand how you feel, just the guilt of it all, and just Satan always wanting to get into your mind and make you feel like you’re less than. And the only moments that I have sometimes, as I’ve gotten older, are happy moments like my marriage, my children and now my children having their children. But at nighttime, it gets really horribly sad and hard for me. So, I was just going to encourage you to listen to Christian music all the time. Remember God’s promises. You are loved and adored by Him. So, when you listen to God’s love songs and music that really helps. And so, I thought I was hoping that I could just impart that to you and I’ll be praying for you. I just love you and I want you to know how much you are loved and adored by God and by all of us here in this community. So, I will keep praying for you and keep, just remember how much you are loved. You’re loved by all of us and God and we are His children. We are His great promise, so, never forget that.

Good morning, this is Elizabeth from Kentucky and I just finished listening to April 19’s prayer requests. And first of all, I would like to say thank you to Brian. Your commentary on today’s reading and how the Lord cried over Jerusalem was just amazing. And I know that’s a word that’s very overused but that’s, it just was spectacular. I’d also like to lift up and thank, not sure of her name but she said she’s from Georgia and California right now taking care of her 100-year-old mother, and that the wisdom that she had to pass on about not being in such a rush that you pass up an opportunity to be with a loved one. And I’d like to pray for Libby and Queensland, Australia and just let her know that I am praying for you and I can hear your heart break and I just want you to know that you are loved and cared for by all of us. And I’m running out of time so, dear Lord, Heavenly Father, I pray that You would help all these people who have requested prayer today and I…I consider it a great joy to be able to pray for you and love you all, my dear family. In Jesus name I pray.

Hello DABers, this is Rob, currently in Florida, just call me The Dude. Yeah, Becca’s message on the 20th of April today caused me to think about something that I hadn’t actually asked for help with. My mom passed two months ago, thereabouts and feels like I haven’t really had a chance to grieve. Just been dealing with the fallout from taking care of her affairs and then dealing with my siblings who are not people that I want to know outside of you know, my family. But I’m also entering retirement here and it’s been anything but relief of stress, trying to navigate my way through this, trying to figure things out moving forward. And I also have a big trip ahead of me to Nova Scotia from Florida here and I’ll be spending some time up there and so that’s another source of stress. So, I would appreciate your help in lifting me up in prayer. Thanks, bye.

Good morning, DAB family. It’s Abba’s Daughter, Saddie M. Today is Thursday, April 20th. And I want to call in and pray for a few folks. I’m very sorry I don’t remember usernames very well. But I wanted to pray for Prodigal and Becca. I know Becca, you just lost your mother, last week and that’s just so hard. And then Prodigal, I’m so happy you’re getting back with your relationship with God and back into the DAB family. We love you; we want you here. God wants you here. You have a place on this earth until God calls you home. He has not called you home yet so please stay with DAB, reach out, post on the Prayer Wall. Do whatever you need to do bud, we want you here. So, let's…let’s go to God with these dear DABers. Abba Father, we come before You today, humbly before Your throne. We come asking for Your protection, Your comfort, Your presence among both Becca and Prodigal, Lord. One lost a loved one, one is trying not to lose himself. And Abba Father, we…we just know that until You sound the trump to call us home, we are meant to be here. And so, God, I just ask that You remind Prodigal of that. And for Becca, just send Your presence. Same, send Your comforting angels, Abba. She needs You, her whole family needs You. We just pray for Your presence among that family. You are a God of comfort. You wipe every tear. So, please Abba, do that for them. In your matchless…

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4/24/2023 DAB Transcript

Judges 4:1-5:31, Luke 22:35-53, Psalm 94:1-23, Proverbs 14:3-4

Today is the 24th day of a April, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today as we gather around the Global Campfire and move forward together into the week, through the month, through the year together. And yesterday, we began the Book of Judges, we talked a little bit about that. And we’ll be continuing our journey through the several centuries that are involved in the Book of Judges. Today, Judges chapter 2 verse 10 through 3 verse 31.

Commentary:

Okay so, we have gotten ourselves into the Book of Judges now, and we began to meet some judges today. So, we heard of Othniel and Shamgar, and a bunch of time passed; Othneil 40 years after his leadership, Ehud eighty years after…after conquering and pushing back Moab. But we’re also seeing how quickly we have this back and forth pattern of falling away and returning, falling away and repenting, that…that really is, that really affects the entire story of the ancient Hebrew, the biblical Hebrew people. This isn’t the, we’ll see this going on the whole way, because as the generations emerge and live their lives and then give way to another emerging generation, that, we see that the culture is shifting away from what they learned in the wilderness, that they were utterly dependent upon God, and instead they did what was right in their own eyes, and according to the Bible, prostituted themselves with other gods, which invariably brings bad things and destructive things. And then they return to God, and God will not give up. And so, He raises up another leader for them. And we’ll watch this as we continue through the Book of Judges.

Now in Luke’s Gospel, we come to the point again, and I mentioned from the get-go, right, at the Book of Matthew, walking alongside Jesus and we’re now in the third of four Gospels. And so, we have come again to the passion of Jesus, His last days, and today, the last supper. And we watched Jesus, once again, break the bread and pass the cup and institute what we now know as the Eucharist, or…or the Lord’s communion, or the Lord’s Table. But let’s not miss again what’s going on here, because Jesus is telling His friends what’s going to happen. He breaks the bread, He passes the cup, He says this is my body given for you. And he tells that one of them will be a betrayer and will betray Him. And of course, that causes a discussion, because everybody wants know who it is. Is it me? Can’t be me. Is it them? And it can’t be, who is it? And that…that, that discussion that is essentially about who is the lowest one among us, who is the worst of us, turns into who is the greatest of us? This is happening at the Last Supper. This is happening around the Passover feast, the last meal Jesus will have. This is just a very, very short time before Jesus loses His freedom, which will happen later that night. And the discussion around the table is about who is the greatest of them all. Here Jesus had invested Himself, God had invested personally in the lives of these people and in the culture all around Him, revealing a totally different way of being in the world, but all the assumptions are on the Messiah and the cultural pressures. It blinded people, even Jesus closest friends. It’s just that this is still with us today, who gets to be the greatest? Who gets to jump up and down and be seen the most? Who gets the platform, who gets to be lifted up? And this is a big enough deal that Jesus, in His compassion, teaches His disciples, even in the moment where He knows like just mere hours and His freedom will be taken and they will all run away. But in response to being the greatest, Jesus revealed again that it’s an upside down world. It’s a backwards world that we’re living in. The way to be the greatest is not the way that the culture is telling us to be the greatest, and if this could just sink in. And so, Jesus tells His disciples, the kings of the Gentiles, Lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called benefactors. It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest and whoever leads, like the one serving. For who is greater? The one at the table are the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. That is so different than the way the culture is set up. That is so different than even the Christian culture is set up. And yet, this is Christ, this is the Christ speaking these words, and we are Christian, followers of Jesus, but are we following Jesus in this. It might seem like not that big of a deal, but in humbling ourselves, in serving and loving in the face of evil, we are revealing God’s kingdom, that God’s kingdom has come to us, revealing what God has done for us. And if we’re all revealing that then we’re revealing God all over the world. So even though Jesus, I mean, I have no idea what would have been going through His mind. We get clues when He gets to the Garden of Gethsemane and starts to pray. We can see that He’s carrying incredible stress, incredible amounts of like, carrying the world on His shoulders. And yet, this was the important thing that He had to teach them, as they’re having their last meal together. And so, maybe we could let that sink in a little bit. We’re not gonna find meaning and fulfillment but just continually jumping up and down trying to be seen in this constant reaching for affirmation in our own greatness. Our own greatness, so that we can reflect and give glory to God, is how we think. But Jesus is saying, you want to show your greatness and reflect my glory, then be like me. Let’s give it some thought today.

Prayer:

And Jesus, and as we’re thinking about it now, we want this to linger. We want to be able to observe ourselves and see all these little worn pathways that we continually go down into the ruts of our lives and react to certain ways, in certain circumstances, never really thinking I’m here to bring the good news. I’m here to reveal God’s kingdom. I’m here to serve. And there really is no other, there is no more dramatic of a scene then you serving all the way to death and trusting and redeeming your people, of which we are one. Holy Spirit, come and help us to see these patterns in our lives that are not following the pathway of the Savior. We need you. We need to be transformed and we’re learning this lesson that we are utterly dependent upon You, and that is the safest place to be. So may we make You proud today, instead of spending this entire day and all of our energy trying to get affirmation and the pride of others. Come, Jesus, into this we ask, in Your precious name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com that is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you can find out what’s happening around here, and so do that. The Daily Audio Bible app will do that in the palm of your hand or on the nice display of your tablet, just search for Daily Audio Bible in the App Store that is connected to your device. And yeah, check out the different sections like the Community Section, there are links there to get connected on social media and the different channels that we participate in. So that’s a good place to kinda get announcements and stuff like that. Just keep tracking and there are number of groups to get connected in. And you can check all that out, all the different links for social media, that’s there in the Community Section. But also in the Community Section is the Prayer Wall, and the Prayer Wall lives there and it’s always there. And it’s always on, and so, no matter what’s happening, good or bad, like no matter what we’re facing, whether it’s just like the wind is that are back and were sailing or were really facing challenging times, this is a place we can go and share story and invite our brothers and sisters to come alongside and pray for us. It’s also a place that we can go and hear other people stories and give words of encouragement and prayers of encouragement to them, because I don’t know if you’ve noticed but life has its challenges and step-by-step day-by-day, we encounter those challenges. And it’s very encouraging to know we’re not alone. So be familiar with the Prayer Wall there in the Community Section.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if the mission that we share to bring the spoken word of God read fresh, every day, and offered freely to anyone who will listen, anywhere on this planet, any time of day or night, and to build community around that rhythm so that we know we’re not alone. If that brings life and good news and hope into your life then thank you deeply for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage a 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.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that’s 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.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hello DAB family, this is Dian from Florida and I want to pray for Susan in Colorado who requested prayer for and orphan child from Haiti, called John Love, who has been taken to a hospital in Port-au-Prince, due to severe condition and has been having seizures, was recently approved to be incubated and is at risk for cardiac arrest. Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You and I lift up John Love into Your hands, Lord Jesus. Father God, this child has suffered long. He suffered many, many years first because he didn’t have his family to come home to and has been an orphan. And then because he’s been through so much throughout his upbringing, up until this point. And now is battling this sickness that is causing him to have seizures and it may even bring him to a place of cardiac arrest. Lord God, we come against that in the name of Jesus. We pray Lord God, that You will have mercy, that You would have mercy on this child. Dear little John love, that You would bless him and heal him of his infirmities. Right now, in the name of Jesus, we cry out to You God, for John love. Lord, have mercy on this child. I pray that You have mercy on the region as well, that has gone through so much unrest and strife for so many years. I pray that there will be here in the land of Haiti also. In Jesus name we pray.

Hey DAB, this is Christie from Ohio. I have a prayer request for my best friends nephew Rafael or Raf for short. He’s only 22 years old, but he’s had such a hard life battling severe schizophrenia and bipolar. He is a believer but he’s really wrestling with his faith and is feeling resentful to God and his parents because his violent outbursts often get him sent to rehab. My friend and her family just visited him last night in rehab and he was at the worst state they’ve ever seen him. He threatened suicide if he had to stay there and admitted himself out and decided he’ll stay with other relatives, as he doesn’t want to see his immediate family. Please pray for him. He feels so broken and betrayed. And also, please pray for is broken hearted parents, they’re both godly Christians who would do anything for their son. And also, please pray for my friend. Her name is Sam. All of this is bringing up trauma because she lost a friend to suicide, although gone through different but similar things and she doesn’t want that to happen to her nephew. So, just please be with the Raf and his whole family during this really hard time. And please pray for healing too with…with him and all the things that he’s going through.

Hello my DAB family this Unwavering from North Carolina. I wanted to call in a prayer for those who are battling addiction, whether it’s alcoholism or drugs, pornography, too many Amazon boxes, whatever it is, is taking your eyes off the Lord. I just want to lift those things up right now. Oh, most Gracious Father, we thank You for Your grace, Your love, Your mercy and Your favor. We thank You, Father God, that You are the God of the breakthrough. You are the God of miracles. Father, there are those who are in bondage right now, who are seeking for a way out. Father, I lift them up to You right now, knowing that I have been there myself, where it looks so dark and bleak, where all I could turn to was the bottle, but thank You Jesus for sobriety. Thank You Jesus for a life of recovery. Thank You Jesus, that there are those who have walked these paths and know the way out through You. So, Father, I ask that You help those that are in bondage, to seek out or be sought out for help and intervention. Father, I look at those families and those children who are affected by this disease of addiction. Father, they don’t know what person they will receive at any given point. But Father, we know that Lord, that You are able to change hearts, transfer minds, turn crooked paths straight. So, Father, I lift those up to You right now in the bondage of addiction. Believing You for their recovery, their restoration back to You, that they will know a life where they will not need to depend on anyone or anything outside of You, God. We thank You, we honor You, we praise You, Father. Amen.

Good morning DABers. This is Mommies Little Rock from Arkansas. I just want to ask for prayer for our youth, our generation Z. I am, I work with a University. So, I work with college students and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I just see the struggles that they are dealing with the 18, 19, 20-year-olds. I really feel that a lot of them are being just so spiritually attacked. That generation, they’re just so filled with anxiety and doubt and just so many things that we didn’t experience, when I was their age. And I just want us to really just pray for this generation, the generation Z’s, the 18, 19, 20-year-olds that are trying to find their way and many are turning away from God. Many don’t believe in the Lord. You know, they’re so smart and gifted and talented and I just feel that the enemy is trying to ruin their lives early, the suicide rate with those age groups are so enormously high. And I just ask that we all just pray for them because they are our future and I just feel like God has something great for that generation and the enemy is trying to attack it. And I see it every day and we just need to pray more for our youth, because they really are struggling and they are the ones that could possibly lead our country, our society back to God. So, I just ask that you join me in prayer as we continue on. I hope you guys are doing well. I’m doing fine just making my way through and I just love you all and I love the DAB family. Take care everyone. Till next time. Bye.

To Brian and all the Hardin Family, all the DABer Family. This is Libby from Texas and it’s April 17th.  I’m just calling to let you know that my son-in-law, Mark Bernstein, passed away Wednesday of last week. I thank you for your prayers as I pray for all of you, even those who don’t call in. I just ask that you pray with me. Lord Jesus, lift my daughter, Katie, and my grandson Duncan, into Your loving arms, close to Your heart and give them peace and strength and fortitude to endure the path of dealing with the death of Mark. I love you all so much and I thank you for your prayers. And Brian, I want to say, I listen to the Friday podcast when the song was played, Were You There. I wept. It touched my heart. I wish I could have been there with Jesus but I’m here with Him now. And I thank you, so much. Thank you all for your precious love and I love you all. Okay, thank you, until later. Bye.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday April 26, 2023 (NIV)

Judges 6

Gideon

6 Once again the people of Israel sinned against the Lord, so he let the people of Midian rule them for seven years. 2 The Midianites were stronger than Israel, and the people of Israel hid from them in caves and other safe places in the hills. 3 Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites would come with the Amalekites and the desert tribes and attack them. 4 They would camp on the land and destroy the crops as far south as the area around Gaza. They would take all the sheep, cattle, and donkeys, and leave nothing for the Israelites to live on. 5 They would come with their livestock and tents, as thick as locusts. They and their camels were too many to count. They came and devastated the land, 6 and Israel was helpless against them.

7 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help against the Midianites, 8 and he sent them a prophet who brought them this message from the Lord, the God of Israel: “I brought you out of slavery in Egypt. 9 I rescued you from the Egyptians and from the people who fought you here in this land. I drove them out as you advanced, and I gave you their land. 10 I told you that I am the Lord your God and that you should not worship the gods of the Amorites, whose land you are now living in. But you have not listened to me.”

11 Then the Lord's angel came to the village of Ophrah and sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was threshing some wheat secretly in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him. 12 The Lord's angel appeared to him there and said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man!”

13 Gideon said to him, “If I may ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us? What happened to all the wonderful things that our fathers told us the Lord used to do—how he brought them out of Egypt? The Lord has abandoned us and left us to the mercy of the Midianites.”

14 Then the Lord ordered him, “Go with all your great strength and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I myself am sending you.”

15 Gideon replied, “But Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.”

16 The Lord answered, “You can do it because I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.”

17 Gideon replied, “If you are pleased with me, give me some proof that you are really the Lord. 18 Please do not leave until I bring you an offering of food.”

He said, “I will stay until you come back.”

19 So Gideon went into his house and cooked a young goat and used a bushel of flour to make bread without any yeast. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, brought them to the Lord's angel under the oak tree, and gave them to him. 20 The angel told him, “Put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did so. 21 Then the Lord's angel reached out and touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick he was holding. Fire came out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel disappeared.

22 Gideon then realized that it was the Lord's angel he had seen, and he said in terror, “Sovereign Lord! I have seen your angel face-to-face!”

23 But the Lord told him, “Peace. Don't be afraid. You will not die.” 24 Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it “The Lord is Peace.” (It is still standing at Ophrah, which belongs to the clan of Abiezer.)

25 That night the Lord told Gideon, “Take your father's bull and another bull seven years old,[a] tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, which is beside it. 26 Build a well-constructed altar to the Lord your God on top of this mound. Then take the second bull[b] and burn it whole as an offering, using for firewood the symbol of Asherah you have cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his family and the people in town to do it by day, so he did it at night.

28 When the people in town got up early the next morning, they found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down, and that the second bull had been burned on the altar that had been built there. 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” They investigated and found out that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 30 Then they said to Joash, “Bring your son out here, so that we can kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah beside it.”

31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, “Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down.” 32 From then on Gideon was known as Jerubbaal,[c] because Joash said, “Let Baal defend himself; it is his altar that was torn down.”

33 Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the desert tribes assembled, crossed the Jordan River, and camped in Jezreel Valley. 34 The spirit of the Lord took control of Gideon, and he blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout the territory of both parts of Manasseh to call them to follow him. He sent messengers to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they also came to join him.

36 Then Gideon said to God, “You say that you have decided to use me to rescue Israel. 37 Well, I am putting some wool on the ground where we thresh the wheat. If in the morning there is dew only on the wool but not on the ground, then I will know that you are going to use me to rescue Israel.” 38 That is exactly what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the wool and wrung enough dew out of it to fill a bowl with water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Don't be angry with me; let me speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground be wet.” 40 That night God did that very thing. The next morning the wool was dry, but the ground was wet with dew.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 6:25 bull and another bull seven years old; or bull, the seven-year-old one.
  2. Judges 6:26 the second bull; or the bull.
  3. Judges 6:32 This name in Hebrew means “Let Baal defend himself.”
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Luke 22:54-23:12

Peter Denies Jesus(A)

54 They arrested Jesus and took him away into the house of the High Priest; and Peter followed at a distance. 55 A fire had been lit in the center of the courtyard, and Peter joined those who were sitting around it. 56 When one of the servant women saw him sitting there at the fire, she looked straight at him and said, “This man too was with Jesus!”

57 But Peter denied it, “Woman, I don't even know him!”

58 After a little while a man noticed Peter and said, “You are one of them, too!”

But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!”

59 And about an hour later another man insisted strongly, “There isn't any doubt that this man was with Jesus, because he also is a Galilean!”

60 But Peter answered, “Man, I don't know what you are talking about!”

At once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, “Before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.” 62 Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked and Beaten(B)

63 The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him. 64 They blindfolded him and asked him, “Who hit you? Guess!” 65 And they said many other insulting things to him.

Jesus before the Council(C)

66 When day came, the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law met together, and Jesus was brought before the Council. 67 “Tell us,” they said, “are you the Messiah?”

He answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me; 68 and if I ask you a question, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of Almighty God.”

70 They all said, “Are you, then, the Son of God?”

He answered them, “You say that I am.”

71 And they said, “We don't need any witnesses! We ourselves have heard what he said!”

Jesus before Pilate(D)

23 The whole group rose up and took Jesus before Pilate, 2 where they began to accuse him: “We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”

3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“So you say,” answered Jesus.

4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no reason to condemn this man.”

5 But they insisted even more strongly, “With his teaching he is starting a riot among the people all through Judea. He began in Galilee and now has come here.”

Jesus before Herod

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked, “Is this man a Galilean?” 7 When he learned that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8 Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle. 9 So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. 11 Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.

Cross references:

  1. Luke 22:54 : Matt 26:57; Matt 26:58; Matt 26:69-Matt 26:75; Mark 14:53; Mark 14:54; Mark 14:66-Mark 14:72; John 18:12-John 18:18; John 18:25-John 18:27
  2. Luke 22:63 : Matt 26:67; Matt 26:68; Mark 14:65
  3. Luke 22:66 : Matt 26:59-Matt 26:66; Mark 14:55-Mark 14:64; John 18:19-John 18:24
  4. Luke 23:1 : Matt 27:1; Matt 27:2; Matt 27:11-Matt 27:14; Mark 15:1-Mark 15:5; John 18:28-John 18:38
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Psalm 95-96

A Song of Praise

95 Come, let us praise the Lord!
Let us sing for joy to God, who protects us!
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs of praise.
3 For the Lord is a mighty God,
a mighty king over all the gods.
4 He rules over the whole earth,
from the deepest caves to the highest hills.
5 He rules over the sea, which he made;
the land also, which he himself formed.

6 Come, let us bow down and worship him;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 (A)He is our God;
we are the people he cares for,
the flock for which he provides.

Listen today to what he says:
8 (B)“Don't be stubborn, as your ancestors were at Meribah,
as they were that day in the desert at Massah.
9 There they put me to the test and tried me,
although they had seen what I did for them.
10 For forty years I was disgusted with those people.
I said, ‘How disloyal they are!
They refuse to obey my commands.’
11 (C)I was angry and made a solemn promise:
‘You will never enter the land
where I would have given you rest.’”

God the Supreme King(D)

96 Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord, all the world!
2 Sing to the Lord, and praise him!
Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us.
3 Proclaim his glory to the nations,
his mighty deeds to all peoples.

4 The Lord is great and is to be highly praised;
he is to be honored more than all the gods.
5 The gods of all other nations are only idols,
but the Lord created the heavens.
6 Glory and majesty surround him;
power and beauty fill his Temple.

7 (E)Praise the Lord, all people on earth;
praise his glory and might.
8 Praise the Lord's glorious name;
bring an offering and come into his Temple.
9 Bow down before the Holy One when he appears;[a]
tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say to all the nations, “The Lord is king!
The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with justice.”
11 Be glad, earth and sky!
Roar, sea, and every creature in you;
12 be glad, fields, and everything in you!
The trees in the woods will shout for joy
13 when the Lord comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the peoples of the world
with justice and fairness.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 96:9 when he appears; or in garments of worship.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 95:7 : Heb 3:7-Heb 3:11; Ps 95:7; Heb 3:15; Ps 4:7
  2. Psalm 95:8 : Exod 17:1-Exod 17:7; Num 20:2-Num 20:13
  3. Psalm 95:11 : Num 14:20-Num 14:23; Deut 1:34-Deut 1:36; Heb 4:3; Heb 4:5; Ps 95:11; Deut 12:9; Deut 12:10
  4. Psalm 96:1 : 1Chr 16:23-1Chr 16:33
  5. Psalm 96:7 : Ps 29:1; Ps 29:2
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Proverbs 14:5-6

5 A reliable witness always tells the truth, but an unreliable one tells nothing but lies.

6 Conceited people can never become wise, but intelligent people learn easily.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday April 25, 2023 (NIV)

Judges 4-5

Deborah and Barak

4 After Ehud died, the people of Israel sinned against the Lord again. 2 So the Lord let them be conquered by Jabin, a Canaanite king who ruled in the city of Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived at Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles. 3 Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, and he ruled the people of Israel with cruelty and violence for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.

4 Now Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet, and she was serving as a judge for the Israelites at that time. 5 She would sit under a certain palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel would go there for her decisions. 6 One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam from the city of Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given you this command: ‘Take ten thousand men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them to Mount Tabor. 7 I will bring Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, to fight you at the Kishon River. He will have his chariots and soldiers, but I will give you victory over him.’”

8 Then Barak replied, “I will go if you go with me, but if you don't go with me, I won't go either.”

9 She answered, “All right, I will go with you, but you won't get any credit for the victory, because the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah set off for Kedesh with Barak. 10 Barak called the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and ten thousand men followed him. Deborah went with him.

11 In the meantime Heber the Kenite had set up his tent close to Kedesh near the oak tree at Zaanannim. He had moved away from the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, the brother-in-law of Moses.

12 When Sisera learned that Barak had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 he called out his nine hundred iron chariots and all his men, and sent them from Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles to the Kishon River.

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! The Lord is leading you! Today he has given you victory over Sisera.” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with his ten thousand men. 15 When Barak attacked with his army, the Lord threw Sisera into confusion together with all his chariots and men. Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot. 16 Barak pursued the chariots and the army to Harosheth-of-the-Gentiles, and Sisera's whole army was killed. Not a man was left.

17 Sisera ran away to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because King Jabin of Hazor was at peace with Heber's family. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, sir; come into my tent. Don't be afraid.” So he went in, and she hid him behind a curtain.[a] 19 He said to her, “Please give me a drink of water; I'm thirsty.” She opened a leather bag of milk, gave him a drink, and hid him again. 20 Then he told her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if anyone comes and asks you if anyone is here, say no.”

21 Sisera was so tired that he fell sound asleep. Then Jael took a hammer and a tent peg, quietly went up to him, and killed him by driving the peg right through the side of his head and into the ground. 22 When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come here! I'll show you the man you're looking for.” So he went in with her, and there was Sisera on the ground, dead, with the tent peg through his head.

23 That day God gave the Israelites victory over Jabin, the Canaanite king. 24 They pressed harder and harder against him until they destroyed him.

The Song of Deborah and Barak

5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

2 Praise the Lord!
The Israelites were determined to fight;
the people gladly volunteered.
3 Listen, you kings!
Pay attention, you rulers!
I will sing and play music
to Israel's God, the Lord.
4 Lord, when you left the mountains of Seir,
when you came out of the region of Edom,
the earth shook, and rain fell from the sky.
Yes, water poured down from the clouds.
5 (A)The mountains quaked before the Lord of Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel.

6 In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael,
caravans no longer went through the land,
and travelers used the back roads.
7 The towns of Israel stood abandoned, Deborah;
they stood empty until you came,[b]
came like a mother for Israel.
8 Then there was war in the land
when the Israelites chose new gods.
Of the forty thousand men in Israel,
did anyone carry shield or spear?
9 My heart is with the commanders of Israel,
with the people who gladly volunteered.
Praise the Lord!
10 Tell of[c] it, you that ride on white donkeys,
sitting on saddles,
and you that must walk wherever you go.
11 Listen! The noisy crowds around the wells
are telling of the Lord's victories,
the victories of Israel's people!

Then the Lord's people marched down from their cities.[d]
12 Lead on, Deborah, lead on!
Lead on! Sing a song! Lead on!
Forward, Barak son of Abinoam,
lead your captives away!
13 Then the faithful ones came down to their leaders;
the Lord's people came to him[e] ready to fight.
14 They came[f] from Ephraim into the valley,[g]
behind the tribe of Benjamin and its people.
The commanders came down from Machir,
the officers down from Zebulun.
15 The leaders of Issachar came with Deborah;
yes, Issachar came and Barak too,
and they followed him into the valley.
But the tribe of Reuben was divided;
they could not decide to come.
16 Why did they stay behind with the sheep?
To listen to shepherds calling the flocks?
Yes, the tribe of Reuben was divided;
they could not decide to come.
17 The tribe of Gad stayed east of the Jordan,
and the tribe of Dan remained by the ships.
The tribe of Asher stayed by the seacoast;
they remained along the shore.
18 But the people of Zebulun and Naphtali
risked their lives on the battlefield.

19 At Taanach, by the stream of Megiddo,
the kings came and fought;
the kings of Canaan fought,
but they took no silver away.
20 The stars fought from the sky;
as they moved across the sky,
they fought against Sisera.
21 A flood in the Kishon swept them away—
the onrushing Kishon River.
I shall march, march on, with strength!
22 Then the horses came galloping on,
stamping the ground with their hoofs.

23 “Put a curse on Meroz,” says the angel of the Lord,
“a curse, a curse on those who live there.
They did not come to help the Lord,
come as soldiers to fight for him.”

24 The most fortunate of women is Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite—
the most fortunate of women who live in tents.
25 Sisera asked for water, but she gave him milk;
she brought him cream in a beautiful bowl.
26 She took a tent peg in one hand,
a worker's hammer in the other;
she struck Sisera and crushed his skull;
she pierced him through the head.
27 He sank to his knees,
fell down and lay still at her feet.
At her feet he sank to his knees and fell;
he fell to the ground, dead.

28 Sisera's mother looked out of the window;
she gazed[h] from behind the lattice.
“Why is his chariot so late in coming?” she asked.
“Why are his horses so slow to return?”
29 Her wisest friends answered her,
and she told herself over and over,
30 “They are only finding things to capture and divide,
a woman or two for every soldier,
rich cloth for Sisera,
embroidered pieces for the neck of the queen.”[i]

31 So may all your enemies die like that, O Lord,
but may your friends shine like the rising sun!

And there was peace in the land for forty years.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 4:18 hid him behind a curtain; or covered him with a rug.
  2. Judges 5:7 abandoned, Deborah … you came; or abandoned; they stood empty until I, Deborah, came.
  3. Judges 5:10 Tell of; or Think about.
  4. Judges 5:11 from their cities; or to their gates.
  5. Judges 5:13 One ancient translation him; Hebrew me.
  6. Judges 5:14 Probable text They came; Hebrew Their root.
  7. Judges 5:14 One ancient translation into the valley; Hebrew in Amalek.
  8. Judges 5:28 Some ancient translations gazed; Hebrew cried out.
  9. Judges 5:30 Probable text queen; Hebrew plunder.

Cross references:

  1. Judges 5:5 : Exod 19:18
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Luke 22:35-53

Purse, Bag, and Sword

35 (A)Then Jesus asked his disciples, “When I sent you out that time without purse, bag, or shoes, did you lack anything?”

“Not a thing,” they answered.

36 “But now,” Jesus said, “whoever has a purse or a bag must take it; and whoever does not have a sword must sell his coat and buy one. 37 (B)For I tell you that the scripture which says, ‘He shared the fate of criminals,’ must come true about me, because what was written about me is coming true.”

38 The disciples said, “Look! Here are two swords, Lord!”

“That is enough!”[a] he replied.

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives(C)

39 Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with him. 40 When he arrived at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

41 Then he went off from them about the distance of a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed. 42 “Father,” he said, “if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[b]

45 Rising from his prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

The Arrest of Jesus(D)

47 Jesus was still speaking when a crowd arrived, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”

49 When the disciples who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Shall we use our swords, Lord?” 50 And one of them struck the High Priest's slave and cut off his right ear.

51 But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” He touched the man's ear and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders who had come there to get him, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw? 53 (E)I was with you in the Temple every day, and you did not try to arrest me. But this is your hour to act, when the power of darkness rules.”

Footnotes:

  1. Luke 22:38 That is enough; or Enough of this.
  2. Luke 22:44 Some manuscripts do not have verses 43-44.

Cross references:

  1. Luke 22:35 : Matt 10:9; Matt 10:10; Mark 6:8; Mark 6:9; Luke 9:3; Luke 10:4
  2. Luke 22:37 : Isa 53:12
  3. Luke 22:39 : Matt 26:36-Matt 26:46; Mark 14:32-Mark 14:42
  4. Luke 22:47 : Matt 26:47-Matt 26:56; Mark 14:43-Mark 14:50; John 18:3-John 18:11
  5. Luke 22:53 : Luke 19:47; Luke 21:37
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Psalm 94

God the Judge of All

94 Lord, you are a God who punishes;
reveal your anger!
2 You are the judge of us all;
rise and give the proud what they deserve!
3 How much longer will the wicked be glad?
How much longer, Lord?
4 How much longer will criminals be proud
and boast about their crimes?

5 They crush your people, Lord;
they oppress those who belong to you.
6 They kill widows and orphans,
and murder the strangers who live in our land.
7 They say, “The Lord does not see us;
the God of Israel does not notice.”

8 My people, how can you be such stupid fools?
When will you ever learn?
9 God made our ears—can't he hear?
He made our eyes—can't he see?
10 He scolds the nations—won't he punish them?[a]
He is the teacher of us all—hasn't he any knowledge?
11 (A)The Lord knows what we think;
he knows how senseless our reasoning is.

12 Lord, how happy are those you instruct,
the ones to whom you teach your law!
13 You give them rest from days of trouble
until a pit is dug to trap the wicked.
14 The Lord will not abandon his people;
he will not desert those who belong to him.
15 Justice will again be found in the courts,
and all righteous people will support it.

16 Who stood up for me against the wicked?
Who took my side against the evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would have gone quickly to the land of silence.[b]
18 I said, “I am falling”;
but your constant love, O Lord, held me up.
19 Whenever I am anxious and worried,
you comfort me and make me glad.

20 You have nothing to do with corrupt judges,
who make injustice legal,
21 who plot against good people
and sentence the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord defends me;
my God protects me.
23 He will punish them for their wickedness
and destroy them for their sins;
the Lord our God will destroy them.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 94:10 them?; or our wicked leaders?
  2. Psalm 94:17 The world of the dead (see 6.5).

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 94:11 : 1Cor 3:20
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Proverbs 14:3-4

3 Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them.

4 Without any oxen to pull the plow your barn will be empty, but with them it will be full of grain.[a]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 14:4 your barn will be … grain; or you may grow a little grain, but with them you can grow much more.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

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04/25/2023 DAB Transcript

Judges 4:1-5:31, Luke 22:35-53, Psalms 94:1-23, Proverbs 14:3-4

Today is the 25th day of April welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we gather again around the Global Campfire and move forward on our journey through the year and through the Bible together. We have just recently gotten ourselves moved into the book of Judges. We’ve talk about that plenty, that…that there are several centuries passing in the book of Judges and the judges, the story isn’t about judgment per se. It’s about the judges that led Israel between the time of Joshua and the time that they established their first king. So, they didn’t have kings. They had judges that would just rise up as the Lord answered the cries of the people and lead them out of trouble, which they would just walk right back into. Nevertheless, today we are going to learn something interesting. Israel had a female judge. Her name was Deborah, and we’ll learn about her today. So, we’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Judges, chapters 4 and 5.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Judges today we met the only female judge during the time of the judges. Her name was Deborah and we learned of her leadership. We even learned of her prophetic words to Barak about being set free from their oppressors. And Barak is like, yeah, I will go if you will go. If you don’t go I won’t go. And she’s like, okay. And then the battle is coming to a woman. And that is what happens. And we also met another woman named Jael who finished off Sisera the general of king Jabin of a…a Canaanite king, who reigned in Hazor. Hazor, the ruins of Hazor still exist today, at least in part, and the entire cities kind of been identified even though it’s below the ground. And it was a big dominant city. So anyway, Sisera’s army was defeated. Sisera goes on the run and he runs to Jael and to her tent and she covers them over like she’s going to give them shelter and then she drives a tent peg through his head. Wow! Let’s just say that. Wow! That and the battle. Israel was victorious and had peace for 40 years. That is quite a bold act for Jael. Had she been unsuccessful she would’ve been dead. She risked her life. We see valiant women in this story today.

Then we flip over into the gospel of Luke, and we have entered the time of Jesus passion. So, we saw Jesus arrested today. And as we embrace the story, a place for us to consider and meditate upon and allow the Scriptures to penetrate into our lives would be the scene when the mob came, right? So, Jesus is in anguish. And that’s what the Bible tells us. He’s in anguish and he’s crying out to the Father asking if the cup could pass but yet surrendering His will to the will of God regardless. And He’s sweating as…like big drops of sweat like drops of blood fall…like this is a person under a lot of stress. So, let's…let’s center ourselves there. Jesus is about to take a step that there is no stepping back away from. Once He’s captured then there’s no going back. And there’s a mob coming with His friend leading them. And he comes to Jesus to kiss Him. A kiss is an intimate thing. You don’t just kiss anybody. I mean if you try that you’re probably gonna get a slap in the face, maybe even arrested like Jesus. We give a kiss to somebody with whom we have an intimate relationship. And it doesn’t have to be like a passionate romantic kiss. We just…we kiss people that we love and that…that love us, like that we have an intimate relationship with. Not necessarily a sexual relationship, an intimate relationship with. We are known and known by that person and are close enough that we can give each other a kiss. Judas knows Jesus that well and he’s using that intimacy to betray Him. God was betrayed by humanity by a kiss, an intimate act. And it’s so easy to just look at this devil Judas, this awful person who would betray the Son of the living God, this awful person. And we know that he ends up in grief and…and…and hanging himself once the gravity and the weight of what had happened descends upon him. It’s easy to just…just make Judas the villain, but we have to think about our own lives and the ways that we betray the intimacy that God has bestowed upon us, that He has come to rescue us and make us whole and we take advantage and betray that, which is so much of the story that we are reading in the Bible. If we’re looking into the Old Testament we see that the children of Israel are continually betraying the intimacy that they have, the covenant, the covenantal intimacy that they have with God by giving themselves to other gods, to other things, letting their hearts leap in worship toward other things. For Judas there was an exchange of money, a blood price of 30 pieces of silver. That was the value of God. But we also can betray this covenantal intimacy offered to us by God, that we have accepted and entered into a covenantal relationship with God. We can betray that in the same ways that we see depicted in the Bible for a lot less than 30 pieces of silver. Something for us to think about today, meditate upon, invite the Holy Spirit into.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, come. We invite You into this. We realize that it can become cheap to us. So, we’re trying to pay close attention, immerse ourselves in the story of our salvation and this sacrifice of love on our behalf. May we not betray that for anything. And we invite Your Holy Spirit to lead us to the places where…where we do. Come. Guide us into repentance, 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.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello DAB family. Good morning. Today’s April 18th. I am calling to pray for the couple who tried IVF and it did not take. I ask Yahweh, that You in Your infinite wisdom and power would wrap Your loving arms around them. I ask O dear Lord God almighty for comfort for them. I ask O dear Lord God that Your Holy Spirit will lead them in the path in which they ought to take, and I ask O dear Lord God that where Your spirit is there is freedom there is liberty. I ask O God almighty that Your spirit would abide with them, that they would not feel alone, they would not feel lost, that in this…in this loss they would cling to You, the author and finisher of their faith. Help them O dear Lord God. I also want to pray for the lady who called regarding a friend who committed suicide, the lady who helps take care of cats. Adonai, I ask O dear Lord God for comfort for every single person this individual left behind. I pray O dear Lord God almighty that You would surround them in Your embrace, You will breathe Your name over them, You will speak peace into them. And I pray that the void that she has left will be filled by Your Holy Spirit, that You will give them strength we are needed O God and You would reassure them in every way possible. Thank You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Love you, DABbers.

Hello Chichi from Colorado this is God’s Smile here and I just listened to your call in for your young John who’s 14 years old an orphan in Haiti where you’re working with these orphans, and he’s been taken to hospital with seizures. And you’ve spoken to the doctors about intubation. And then there’s the war that’s taking over beheading people and trying to get access to the food and your food supplies are not coming in by boat. And Father God, this just stopped me, Lord. First of all, I would just like to ask for protection by Your Holy Spirit in every area of this orphanage in Haiti Lord. Protect the people Father from these evil men. Father, I felt stuck. I didn’t know what else to pray and all this week I’ve been thinking about the Lord’s prayer and Your will, what Your heart beats Lord for this Young lad and for Carol Lord in her heart, I pray Your kingdom come and Your will be done on this earth as it is in heaven Lord Jesus. Holy Spirit would You do something beautiful here, something mighty? Bring us Your love through him and protect this orphanage Lord and the people. O Father God silence these evil men. Bind them up in Jesus’ mighty name. Carol, our hearts are with you, and we love you and we’re praying for you and holding you and time is ticking away. Kiss kiss Carol. Love God’s Smile.

Hi, blessed family I just want to say thank you so much Brian for everything and specifically the reading on the 17th of April where in the gospel we looked at blind Bartimaeus who wanted to receive sight and he was crying out, “Son of David have mercy on me”. The way you emphasize that in your exposition really touched me because I think that I’ve been in this season where I just felt like I’d drawn away from God and I couldn’t see Him really anymore. I couldn’t see where He was in my day-to-day life and outside of, you know, just intense devotional moments and really really trying to press in and even still struggling and only just barely catching a glimpse of that light. I was just so guided in what to pray by that scripture, to actually pray God have mercy on me because I knew that I was the one that had pulled away, had drawn away through irreverence, disinterest, and sin. So, thank you so much because since I prayed that prayer, I just feel like I’ve been encouraged. I’ve come back and the Lord is as present as He was before and…but I just didn’t realize. So, I thank you so much and I just encourage anybody else who is kind of in a similar position where they feel like they’ve fallen away just to pray that prayer, have mercy on me. God bless you all.

Hi, my name is Darlene and I…my husband and I listen to Daily Bible every…every day we sit together, and we pray and we’re so thankful. So, thank you first of all for this platform that we’re able to enjoy every day. And today I’ve been…we’ve been listening for a couple of years and I've…I wanted to call in but I’m a little shy and even now I had to google how…how to call because I just couldn't…well I’m very distressed right now. So, that’s why I called. I just got a phone call from my daughter, and she said my granddaughter’s in the hospital with anorexia and that her heart rate is low. And we knew she had a problem. We didn’t know what. She’s 14 years old and she just moved from Virginia to California. So, we know there’s some adjustments there. But she’s a very bright girl, wonderful granddaughter. And, so, I am just reaching out for prayer for her because I don’t know what to do. I’m not even near the hospital where…where she’s at. So…so, I’m praying and I’m reaching out to you my family to join me in prayer for not only for Sophia who is my granddaughter but for all these young girls that have so much potential. And God’s hand is on them and yet they get thwarted by the enemy. And I’m so distressed by that because these girls, these young people who have so much potential are being sideswiped so to speak by the enemy. And, so, lord we lift up not only Sophia but all the young…young ladies that are struggling with anorexia, that you will come into their lives and you will tear away all the…

This is Doctor John from Illinois. This is a message for Libby of Queensland. Sister, I just heard your cry, and you said something’s preventing you from crying out, something’s preventing you from asking for help. Well, we just heard you ask for help and there are millions of DAB family right now listening to you and praying for you. And most important we have a Redeemer that listens, and we have a Redeemer that’s faithful and He’s listening right now and He’s beckoning you to seek His face. The word says that if you seek Me…you will find Me if you seek Me with all your heart. Christ said if you hunger and thirst for righteousness you will be filled. He said ask and you receive, seek and you’ll find, knock and the door will be opened. Over and over and over He repeated those things, and He constantly wants the love and attention of His believers. And I know sister there’s been a lot of times that I thought I could handle a situation in my own life, and I have friends and patients and brothers and sisters that rallied around me but not until I asked for help. So, I’m saying to you now, we hear you and post important you have a Redeemer, you have a Savior that hears you. And the enemy is coming to get you. Those dreams that you’re getting, that’s probably what that is more than anything else. It’s just an attack. But he knows that you have help and you have strength in your Redeemer. So, where with your sister. God bless you. We’re gonna pray for complete healing for you for your mind and your heart in Jesus’ name.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday April 24, 2023 (NIV)

Judges 2:10-3:31

Israel Disobeys the Lord

10 After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.

11 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. 12 They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. 13 They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth. 14 This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them. 15 Every time Israel went out to battle, the Lord fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress.

The Lord Rescues His People

16 Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers. 17 Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.

18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They went after other gods, serving and worshiping them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

20 So the Lord burned with anger against Israel. He said, “Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their ancestors, and have ignored my commands, 21 I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. 22 I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the Lord as their ancestors did.” 23 That is why the Lord left those nations in place. He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all.

The Nations Left in Canaan

3 These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. 2 He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle. 3 These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. 4 These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the Lord had given to their ancestors through Moses.

5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, 6 and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods.

Othniel Becomes Israel’s Judge

7 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles. 8 Then the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim.[a] And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him. 11 So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud Becomes Israel’s Judge

12 Once again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil. 13 Eglon enlisted the Ammonites and Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Israel, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms. 14 And the Israelites served Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

15 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab. 16 So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot[b] long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing. 17 He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat.

18 After delivering the payment, Ehud started home with those who had helped carry the tribute. 19 But when Ehud reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He came to Eglon and said, “I have a secret message for you.”

So the king commanded his servants, “Be quiet!” and he sent them all out of the room.

20 Ehud walked over to Eglon, who was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you!” As King Eglon rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped to his right thigh, and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 The dagger went so deep that the handle disappeared beneath the king’s fat. So Ehud did not pull out the dagger, and the king’s bowels emptied.[c] 23 Then Ehud closed and locked the doors of the room and escaped down the latrine.[d]

24 After Ehud was gone, the king’s servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room, 25 so they waited. But when the king didn’t come out after a long delay, they became concerned and got a key. And when they opened the doors, they found their master dead on the floor.

26 While the servants were waiting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols on his way to Seirah. 27 When he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he led a band of Israelites down from the hills.

28 “Follow me,” he said, “for the Lord has given you victory over Moab your enemy.” So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing.

29 They attacked the Moabites and killed about 10,000 of their strongest and most able-bodied warriors. Not one of them escaped. 30 So Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.

Shamgar Becomes Israel’s Judge

31 After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.

Footnotes:

  1. 3:8 Aram-naharaim means “Aram of the two rivers,” thought to have been located between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia.
  2. 3:16 Hebrew gomed, the length of which is uncertain.
  3. 3:22 Or and it came out behind.
  4. 3:23 Or and went out through the porch; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
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.


Luke 22:14-34

14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.[a] 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.[b]

21 “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. 22 For it has been determined that the Son of Man[c] must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” 23 The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.

24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

28 “You have stayed with me in my time of trial. 29 And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right 30 to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”

34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Footnotes:

  1. 22:14 Or reclined together.
  2. 22:19-20 Some manuscripts do not include 22:19b-20, which is given for you . . . which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
  3. 22:22 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
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 92-93

Psalm 92

A psalm. A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day.

1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to the Most High.
2 It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the evening,
3 accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, a harp,
and the melody of a lyre.

4 You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
5 O Lord, what great works you do!
And how deep are your thoughts.
6 Only a simpleton would not know,
and only a fool would not understand this:
7 Though the wicked sprout like weeds
and evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.

8 But you, O Lord, will be exalted forever.
9 Your enemies, Lord, will surely perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.
You have anointed me with the finest oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
15 They will declare, “The Lord is just!
He is my rock!
There is no evil in him!”

Psalm 93

1 The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.
Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.
The world stands firm
and cannot be shaken.

2 Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.
You yourself are from the everlasting past.
3 The floods have risen up, O Lord.
The floods have roared like thunder;
the floods have lifted their pounding waves.
4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
mightier than the breakers on the shore—
the Lord above is mightier than these!
5 Your royal laws cannot be changed.
Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.

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 14:1-2

14 A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

2 Those who follow the right path fear the Lord;
those who take the wrong path despise 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.


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04/23/2023 DAB Transcript

Judges 1:1-2:9, Luke 21:29-22:13, Psalms 90:1-91:16, Proverbs 13:24-25

Today is the 23rd day of April welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we greet a brand-new shiny week out in front of us. And as we begin this week we’re moving into some new territory, some brand-new shiny sparkly territory as we navigate into the book of Judges.

Introduction to the book of Judges:

When we hear that name (judges), we can easily think this is a book of judgment but that’s not the purpose of the book of Judges. Let’s just look back for a second. We know that the children of Israel…that that whole story began with Abraham and Isaac, and then Jacob. And we know Jacob’s name was eventually changed to be Israel. And then his children became known as what they were, the children of Israel. And we know that those children grew up and proliferated and became the tribes of Israel while they were in slavery in Egypt. We know that they were freed from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses. And we spent an entire generation in the wilderness with the children of Israel before we were able to finally cross the Jordan River. Like, it took from Genesis to Joshua to get there but we finally crossed the Jordan River into the promised land, and it was Joshua who led the people across the Jordan. Yesterday, as we enter the book of Joshua, Joshua died. So, now as we turn the page the land is settled. Not every single corner of the land is settled, but the tribes have been granted their land as an inheritance. And, so, they have their boundaries and they’ve moved in. And Judges is the story of what happens next, and we’ll watch. Without this…this dominant leader the tribes will begin, as we will be told in Judges quite a few times, that they begin to do whatever seems right in their own eyes. It’s like Judges is very, very much trying to make that point. The people are doing whatever seems right in their own eyes and that will bring challenges. And we get to begin to observe patterns that…that mark ancient Israel’s existence. Judges will take us through the next several centuries, beyond Joshua and we’ll find the story of Israel’s slow and steady abandonment of God. And over time they begin to suffer the repercussions of their choices as they had been warned by Moses and Joshua both. And then we’ll see that in their misery they will remember. In their suffering they will remember in their wilderness again. They will remember and turn to God and cry out in repentance and we’ll see that God is relentless in coming for them and He answers them by sending a leader which is called a judge to lead the people forward. Hence the name Judges. But Judges is also kind of a bridge between two different ways of doing things. And, so, we’re moving from this period of Joshua. The children of Israel had been led by Moses and Joshua a certain way. Like, they were prophetic voices. They heard from God. And we will move through this time of the judges which will take several centuries and we will and Judges with the children of Israel wanting a king, which escorts us into that the time of the monarchy when Israel had a king. And we’ll get to know some of those kings. We’ll get to know all of them briefly but some of them we’ll get to know very well as we continue our journey forward. So, what we’re about to read as we embark on the journey of Judges, it will be a bit different than what we’ve been reading. It’s not gonna be all pretty but it will give us plenty to consider in our own lives because we’ll see it’s these little things that pull Israel in little…little bits of directions, moving in certain sorts of directions that they keep moving in that are unhealthy. And we still do that today. And since Judges is going to take us through several centuries, so really fast through time, we get to look at where the pathways lead. And, so, with that we begin. We’ll read from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Judges chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 9.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for bringing us safely and successfully into a brand-new week and that this brand-new week has brought us brand-new territory in the Scriptures as we’ve begun the book of Judges. And we ask Holy Spirit that You will lead and guide us as we take steps forward every day, that we might hear from Your word and apply it to our lives and that we might center ourselves in You and that we might pause and allow Your leadership in our lives instead of just running off in our own directions doing what is right in our own eyes as we will learn from the book of Judges. Come Holy Spirit into this week, lead and guide us that we might reveal You in the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Coming soon…

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday April 23, 2023 (NIV)

Judges 1:1-2:9

Judah and Simeon Conquer the Land

1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?”

2 The Lord answered, “Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.”

3 The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, “Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory.” So the men of Simeon went with Judah.

4 When the men of Judah attacked, the Lord gave them victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites, and they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bezek. 5 While at Bezek they encountered King Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and the Canaanites and Perizzites were defeated. 6 Adoni-bezek escaped, but the Israelites soon captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 Adoni-bezek said, “I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire. 9 Then they went down to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills.[a] 10 Judah marched against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath-arba), defeating the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 From there they went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). 12 Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 13 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.

14 When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him[b] to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”

15 She said, “Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

16 When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev.

17 Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed[c] the town. So the town was named Hormah.[d] 18 In addition, Judah captured the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with their surrounding territories.

Israel Fails to Conquer the Land

19 The Lord was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots. 20 The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak.

21 The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin.

22 The descendants of Joseph attacked the town of Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 They sent men to scout out Bethel (formerly known as Luz). 24 They confronted a man coming out of the town and said to him, “Show us a way into the town, and we will have mercy on you.” 25 So he showed them a way in, and they killed everyone in the town except that man and his family. 26 Later the man moved to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named it Luz, which is its name to this day.

27 The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shan,[e] Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all their surrounding settlements, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. 28 When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they never did drive them completely out of the land.

29 The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them.

30 The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. But the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves for the people of Zebulun.

31 The tribe of Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob. 32 Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out.

33 Likewise, the tribe of Naphtali failed to drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. Instead, they moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land. Nevertheless, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were forced to work as slaves for the people of Naphtali.

34 As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites forced them back into the hill country and would not let them come down into the plains. 35 The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the descendants of Joseph became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves. 36 The boundary of the Amorites ran from Scorpion Pass[f] to Sela and continued upward from there.

The Lord’s Messenger Comes to Bokim

2 The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. 2 For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? 3 So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides,[g] and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”

4 When the angel of the Lord finished speaking to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. 5 So they called the place Bokim (which means “weeping”), and they offered sacrifices there to the Lord.

The Death of Joshua

6 After Joshua sent the people away, each of the tribes left to take possession of the land allotted to them. 7 And the Israelites served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him—those who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.

8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. 9 They buried him in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-serah[h] in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

Footnotes:

  1. 1:9 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  2. 1:14 Greek version and Latin Vulgate read he urged her.
  3. 1:17a The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
  4. 1:17b Hormah means “destruction.”
  5. 1:27 Hebrew Beth-shean, a variant spelling of Beth-shan.
  6. 1:36 Hebrew Akrabbim.
  7. 2:3 Hebrew They will be in your sides; compare Num 33:55.
  8. 2:9 As in parallel text at Josh 24:30; Hebrew reads Timnath-heres, a variant spelling of Timnath-serah.
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.


Luke 21:29-22:13

29 Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. 30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. 32 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

37 Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38 The crowds gathered at the Temple early each morning to hear him.

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

22 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. 2 The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

3 Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, 4 and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. 5 They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. 6 So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.

The Last Supper

7 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

10 He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11 say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 13 They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

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 90-91

Book four (Psalms 90–106)

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, through all the generations
you have been our home!
2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from beginning to end, you are God.

3 You turn people back to dust, saying,
“Return to dust, you mortals!”
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day,
as brief as a few night hours.
5 You sweep people away like dreams that disappear.
They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
6 In the morning it blooms and flourishes,
but by evening it is dry and withered.
7 We wither beneath your anger;
we are overwhelmed by your fury.
8 You spread out our sins before you—
our secret sins—and you see them all.
9 We live our lives beneath your wrath,
ending our years with a groan.

10 Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.
11 Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.
12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.

13 O Lord, come back to us!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.
15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good.
16 Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory.
17 And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful!

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

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 13:24-25

24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.
Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

25 The godly eat to their hearts’ content,
but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.

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.