Month: October 2018

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday October 7, 2018 (NIV)

Jeremiah 8:8-9:26

8 
“How can you say, ‘We are wise,
And the law of the Lord is with us [and we are learned in its language and teachings]’?
Behold, [the truth is that] the lying pen of the scribes
Has made the law into a lie [a mere code of ceremonial observances].(A)
9 
“The wise men are shamed,
They are dismayed and caught.
Behold, they have [manipulated and] rejected the [truth in the] word of the Lord,
And what kind of wisdom and insight do they have?
10 
“Therefore I will give their wives to others
And their fields to new owners;
Because from the least even to the greatest
Everyone is greedy for [unjust] gain;
From the prophet even to the priest
Everyone practices deceit and deals in corruption.
11 
“For they have treated the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
When there is no peace.
12 
“Were they ashamed because of the extremely disgusting and shamefully vile things they had done?
They were not at all ashamed,
And they did not know how to blush.
Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time of their punishment they shall be overthrown,”
Says the Lord.(B)

13 
“I will gather and snatch them away [utterly consuming them],” says the Lord.
“There will be no grapes on the vine,
Nor figs on the fig tree,
And even the leaf will wither;
And the things that I have given them will pass away [by the hand of those whom I have appointed].”’”(C)
14 
Why are we sitting still [the people wonder]?
Assemble yourselves, and let us enter the fortified cities
And let us die there,
For the Lord our God has decreed our ruin
And given us bitter and poisonous water to drink,
Because we have sinned against the Lord.
15 
We waited for peace and salvation, but no good came,
And for a time of healing, but behold, terror!
16 
The snorting of [Nebuchadnezzar’s] horses is heard from Dan [on Palestine’s northern border].
At the sound of the neighing of his strong stallions
The whole land quakes;
For they come and devour the land and all that is in it,
The city and those who live in it.
17 
“For behold, I am sending serpents among you,
Vipers which cannot be charmed,
And they will bite you,” says the Lord.

18 
Oh, that I (Jeremiah) could find comfort from my sorrow [for my grief is beyond healing],
My heart is sick and faint within me!
19 
Behold, [hear the sound of] the cry of the daughter of my people from the distant land [of Babylon]:
“Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not her King within her?”
[But the Lord answers] “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images and with foreign idols?”
20 
“The harvest is past, the summer has ended and the gathering of fruit is over,
But we are not saved,” [comes the voice of the people again].
21 
For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I (Jeremiah) am broken;
I mourn, anxiety has gripped me.
22 
Is there no balm in [a]Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then has not the [spiritual] health of the daughter of my people been restored?

A Lament over Zion

9 Oh that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!
2 
Oh that I had in the wilderness
A lodging place (a mere shelter) for wayfaring men,
That I might leave my people
And go away from them!
For they are all adulterers [worshiping idols instead of the Lord],
[They are] an assembly of treacherous men [of weak character, men without integrity].
3 
“They bend their tongue like their bow;
[Their] lies and not truth prevail and grow strong in the land;
For they proceed from evil to evil,
And they do not know and understand and acknowledge Me,” says the Lord.
4 
“Let everyone beware of his neighbor
And do not trust any brother.
For every brother is a supplanter [like Jacob, a deceiver, ready to grab his brother’s heel],
And every neighbor goes around as a slanderer.(D)
5 
“Everyone deceives and mocks his neighbor
And does not speak the truth.
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They exhaust themselves with sin and cruelty.
6 
“Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit [oppression upon oppression and deceit upon deceit];
Through deceit they refuse to know (understand) Me,” says the Lord.

7 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts,

“Behold, I will refine them [through suffering] and test them;
For how else should I deal with the daughter of My people?
8 
“Their tongue is a murderous arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor,
But in his heart he lays traps and waits in ambush for him.
9 
“Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord.
“Shall I not avenge Myself
On such a nation as this?

10 
“I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains,
And a [funeral] dirge for the pastures of the wilderness,
Because they are burned up and desolated so that no one passes through [them];
Nor can anyone hear the lowing of cattle.
Both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled; they are gone.
11 
“I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
A haunt and dwelling place of jackals;
And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

12 Who is the wise man who may understand this [without any doubt]? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, so that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined, laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? 13 The Lord said, “Because they have [b]turned away from My law which I set before them, and have not listened to and obeyed My voice nor walked in accordance with it, 14 but have walked stubbornly after their [own] heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them,” 15 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them bitter and poisonous water to drink. 16 I will [also] scatter them among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them.”

17 Thus says the Lord of hosts,

“Consider and call for the mourning women to come;
Send for the wailing women to come.
18 
“Let them hurry and take up a wailing for us,
That our eyes may shed tears
And our eyelids flow with water.
19 
“For a sound of wailing is heard [coming] from Zion:
‘How we are ruined!
We are greatly perplexed and utterly shamed,
Because we have left the land,
Because they have torn down our dwellings.’”
20 
Now hear the word of the Lord, O you women,
And let your ear hear the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters a song of mourning,
And each one [teach] her neighbor a dirge.
21 
For death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces,
Cutting off the children from the streets
And the young men from the town squares.
22 
Speak, “Thus says the Lord,
‘The dead bodies of men will fall like dung on the open field,
And like sheaves [of grain] behind the reaper,
And no one will gather them.’”(E)

23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not the one who is wise and skillful boast in his insight; let not the one who is mighty and powerful boast in his strength; let not the one who is rich boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] abundance; 24 but let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord.(F)

25 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish all who are circumcised [physically] and yet uncircumcised [spiritually]—(G) 26 [c]Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those who live in the desert who clip off the hair on their temples; for all these nations are uncircumcised (sinful, impure), and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”

Footnotes:

  1. Jeremiah 8:22 A scenic, fertile mountain region east of the Jordan River famous for its medicinal herbs and spices.
  2. Jeremiah 9:13 Lit forsaken.
  3. Jeremiah 9:26 All these nations are related to one another, except Egypt.

Cross references:

  1. Jeremiah 8:8 : Mark 7:13
  2. Jeremiah 8:12 : Jer 6:12-15
  3. Jeremiah 8:13 : Matt 21:18, 19
  4. Jeremiah 9:4 : Gen 25:26
  5. Jeremiah 9:22 : Jer 8:2
  6. Jeremiah 9:24 : 1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17
  7. Jeremiah 9:25 : Rom 2:25-29
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Colossians 3:1-17

Put On the New Self

3 Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.(A) 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. 3 For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, [a]appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5 So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God]. 6 Because of these [sinful] things the [divine] wrath of God is coming [b]on the sons of disobedience [those who fail to listen and who routinely and obstinately disregard God’s precepts], 7 and in these [sinful things] you also once walked, when you were habitually living in them [without the knowledge of Christ]. 8 But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self—(B) 11 a renewal in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [nor between nations whether] [c]barbarian or [d]Scythian, [nor in status whether] slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all [so believers are equal in Christ, without distinction].

12 So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; 13 bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive. 14 Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]. 15 Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. 16 Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Footnotes:

  1. Colossians 3:4 A reference to His second coming.
  2. Colossians 3:6 Two early mss do not contain this phrase.
  3. Colossians 3:11 A derogatory term used to describe uneducated, uncultured people who were not fluent in the Greek language.
  4. Colossians 3:11 The Scythians were savage equestrian herdsmen who were skilled archers and often worked as mercenaries and/or slave traders. The Scythian women were known to dress as warriors and fight alongside the men.

Cross references:

  1. Colossians 3:1 : Ps 110:1
  2. Colossians 3:10 : Gen 1:26
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Psalm 78:32-55

32 
In spite of all this they still sinned,
For they did not believe in His wonderful and extraordinary works.
33 
Therefore He consumed their days like a breath [in emptiness and futility]
And their years in sudden terror.

34 
When He killed [some of] them, then those remaining sought Him,
And they returned [to Him] and searched diligently for God [for a time].
35 
And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.
36 
Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouths
And lied to Him with their tongues.
37 
For their heart was not steadfast toward Him,
Nor were they faithful to His covenant.(A)
38 
[a]But He, the source of compassion and lovingkindness, forgave their wickedness and did not destroy them;
Many times He restrained His anger
And did not stir up all His wrath.
39 
For He [graciously] remembered that they were mere [human] flesh,
A wind that goes and does not return.

40 
How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness
And grieved Him in the desert!
41 
Again and again they tempted God,
And distressed the Holy One of Israel.
42 
They did not remember [the miracles worked by] His [powerful] hand,
Nor the day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
43 
How He worked His miracles in Egypt
And His wonders in the field of Zoan [where Pharaoh resided],
44 
And turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 
He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them,
And frogs which destroyed them.
46 
He also gave their crops to the grasshopper,
And the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 
He destroyed their vines with [great] hailstones
And their sycamore trees with frost.
48 
He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones,
And their flocks and herds to thunderbolts.(B)
49 
He sent upon them His burning anger,(C)
His fury and indignation and distress,
A band of angels of destruction [among them].
50 
He leveled a path for His anger [to give it free run];
He did not spare their souls from death,
But turned over their lives to the plague.
51 
He killed all the firstborn in Egypt,
The first and best of their strength in the tents [of the land of the sons] of Ham.
52 
But God led His own people forward like sheep
And guided them in the wilderness like [a good shepherd with] a flock.
53 
He led them safely, so that they did not fear;
But the sea engulfed their enemies.(D)

54 
So He brought them to His holy land,
To this mountain [Zion] which His right hand had acquired.
55 
He also drove out the nations before the sons of Israel
And allotted their land as an inheritance, measured out and partitioned;
And He had the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents [the tents of those who had been dispossessed].

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 78:38 The ancient Sopherim, the Jewish scholars whose responsibility it was to do counts of all the letters, words, and verses of the OT, said that this verse marks the halfway point in Psalms.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 78:37 : Acts 8:21
  2. Psalm 78:48 : Ex 9:18-21
  3. Psalm 78:49 : Ex 12:23
  4. Psalm 78:53 : Ex 14:27, 28
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 24:27

27 
Prepare your work outside
And get it ready for yourself in the field;
[a]Afterward build your house and establish a home.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 24:27 Establishing your priorities and proceeding in an orderly manner brings its own reward.
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

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10/06/2018 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 6:15-8:7, Colossians 2:8-23, Psalms 78:1-31, Proverbs 24:26

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello DAB family, this is Linda In Alberta calling. I just wanted to call in. I hope I don’t go on rambling here. I hear a lot of calls, as we all do, people asking for prayer for their children who have gone astray. And I just always feel for you being a parent myself. Three and a half years ago or so when I first called in the DAB with concerns for my daughter who has mental health and addiction in her life, you people prayed for her and really, the DAB was the safest place I found to share our story. At that time, I remember that, one time in particular, I went to meet my daughter somewhere and I had to meet her in kind of like a part at a picnic table because she had got herself previously involved with a bunch of bad people. And anyway, this time my daughter didn’t resemble herself at all. She was so skinny, she was shaking, she was hiding from these bad people. I wasn’t allowed to know her address for protection __. During that time our phones were bugged by detectives. We were followed, she was followed when they knew where she was. One time we had our front door kicked in and within a matter of seconds or minutes we had all these police cars surrounding our house. And anyways, my daughter now lives in another city, has a full-time job, she’s going to school, the bad people are in jail. She was spared. And I just want to give all of you hope. I want to encourage you to listen to the Daily Prayer that Brian has recorded and it’s on the podcast. And I listen to that day and night and I __ to God through that day and night for my daughter. And anyway, my times almost up. I just want to know that I pray for you and I know how bad this is but just have hope and we have God on our side. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Hello this is Afel from __ . Today is Wednesday, October 3rd and I’m just calling and after hearing Brian’s commentary today. It was something that really spoke to me especially. Especially just want to reference Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. So, having said that, you know, I just want to say, really thankful for so many things. Thankful to be blessed with the children, to be blessed with family, and to be blessed with so many comforts, and so much favor from God. I want to ask for a prayer request for my daughter in first grade. She’s having a challenge where she’s not able to speak in public. We’re seeing a specialist but I just want to ask for prayers, that God can see her through the situation, whatever anxiety or whatever obstacle is stopping her to be able to speak in public, we pray that God just lifts that and allows her to speak and communicate freely with her classmates and her teachers. I also want to pray for Duane from Wisconsin for his son up in prison. It’s a really tough situation but I just pray brother that you continue to be steadfast and I’m just thankful to God for the hope that your son will come through this situation. Thank you.

Hi this is Victoria Soldier just calling to pray for some of the DABbers. I want to pray for Sally from the UK. I want to pray for, I think it’s Barry from California, with his daughter…his goddaughter Angeline. I want to pray for her for insight. I want to pray for Daniel with a series of things going on in his marriage. And the other thing, I want to pray for Jay. And I want to pray for Robert and Ambrosia and our big sister Judy for the things that they are going through. Gracious Father we just praise You today for an opportunity to pray for Your people Lord, that they can see how wonderful and how awesome and how great You are, that You are a God that answers prayers, that You’re a God that can do anything but fail, that You’re a God that is good through the good times and even the bad, that You’re a God that is always there. You said You would never leave us or forsake us, Lord, and that You are with us every step of the way. Sometimes we be ready to call on You and You’ve already taken care of the problem. Lord we just ask You right now to touch the names I called Lord. You know what they’re going through. Father, You know all about them Lord. You open up the windows of heaven and You pour out their blessings Lord. You open up the windows of heaven and You heal them Lord. You touch whatever way You do it Lord. Your ways are not our ways and Your thoughts are not our thoughts, but we know that You will not hold any good thing from those who love You. Oh Lord we just thank You for Your people. We thank You for Brian and his family Lord. We thank You for pastor Gene and blind Tony Lord. We thank You for Sharon and her mother Lord and we pray that her mother gets to be with her daughter and …

Dear family, this is Shannon from Oregon. And Shannon from Texas, I am praying for Jadrian for his deliverance and for his healing and for you for your hope and perseverance. Family, I am asking for prayer for my daughter Serena. She is 11 years old and just started sixth grade and it is quite a time of transition as it is for any kiddo at that age. But I’m just already seeing some real challenges develop and today we had a really, really difficult experience. And it left me feeling really baffled and, honestly, kind of inadequate as a parent. And I just don’t know really where to go from here. And I know I need some help. And I’m just not even sure what doors to push on right now. We had a really great conversation and prayed with her as I tucked her to bed and I just really encouraged her to talk to the Lord too and really seek His wisdom because He knows her, He knows how he made her. And anyway, I just would love for you to pray for my sweet Serena and for me and my husband to have wisdom and to raise her in a way that she can see Jesus __ her. Thank you, family. I love you all. Bye.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday October 6, 2018 (NIV)

Jeremiah 6:16-8:7

16 The Lord proclaims:
Stop at the crossroads and look around;
ask for the ancient paths.
Where is the good way?
Then walk in it
and find a resting place for yourselves.
But you[a] said, “We won’t go!”
17 Still, I have appointed watchmen to warn you.
But you[b] said, “We won’t listen!”
18 Therefore, pay attention, nations;
take notice, assembly,
what is ahead of them.[c]
19 Pay attention, earth:
I’m bringing disaster upon my people,
the fruit of their own devices,
because they have ignored my words
and they have rejected my teaching.
20 What use to me is incense from Sheba
or sweet cane from a faraway land?
Your entirely burned offerings won’t buy your pardon;
your sacrifices won’t appease me.
21 Therefore, the Lord proclaims:
I’m putting obstacles before this people,
and both parents and children will stumble over them;
neighbor and friend alike will perish.

Panic-stricken Zion

22 The Lord proclaims:
An army is on the move
from the northern regions;
a great nation is roused
from the ends of the earth.
23 Equipped with bow and spear,
they are cruel;
they show no mercy.
Their horsemen sound
like the roaring sea,
arrayed in battle formation
against you, Daughter Zion.
24 We have heard reports of them
and are panic-stricken;
distress overwhelms us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
25 Don’t go out into the field!
Don’t walk on the road!
The enemies’ sword
terrorizes at every turn.
26 My people,
put on funeral clothes and roll in ashes;
weep and wail as for an only child,
because the destroyer will suddenly descend upon us.

Prophet as tester

27 I have made you a tester of metals,
to examine my people[d]
to know and prove their ways.
28 They are tin[e] and iron;
they are headstrong and rebellious.
They live to slander.
They act corruptly—every last one!
29 The bellows roar;
the lead is consumed.[f]
Yet the refining fails;
the impurities[g] remain.
30 They are called “rejected silver,”
for the Lord has rejected them.

The Lord’s temple

7 Jeremiah received the Lord’s word: 2 Stand near the gate of the Lord’s temple and proclaim there this message: Listen to the Lord’s word, all you of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, says: Improve your conduct and your actions, and I will dwell with you[h] in this place. 4 Don’t trust in lies: “This is the Lord’s temple! The Lord’s temple! The Lord’s temple!” 5 No, if you truly reform your ways and your actions; if you treat each other justly; 6 if you stop taking advantage of the immigrant, orphan, or widow; if you don’t shed the blood of the innocent in this place, or go after other gods to your own ruin, 7 only then will I dwell with you[i] in this place, in the land that I gave long ago to your ancestors for all time.

8 And yet you trust in lies that will only hurt you. 9 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, sacrifice to Baal and go after other gods that you don’t know, 10 and then come and stand before me in this temple that bears my name, and say, “We are safe,” only to keep on doing all these detestable things? 11 Do you regard this temple, which bears my name, as a hiding place for criminals? I can see what’s going on here, declares the Lord. 12 Just go to my sanctuary[j] in Shiloh, where I let my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, because you haven’t listened when I spoke to you again and again or responded when I called you, 14 I will do to this temple that bears my name and on which you rely, the place that I gave to you and your ancestors, just as I did to Shiloh. 15 I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out the rest of your family, all the people of Ephraim.

16 As for you, don’t pray for these people, don’t cry out or plead for them, and don’t intercede with me, for I won’t listen to you. 17 Can’t you see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make sacrificial cakes for the queen of heaven. And to offend me all the more, they pour out drink offerings to foreign gods. 19 But am I the one they are really offending? declares the Lord. Aren’t they in fact humiliating themselves? 20 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I’m going to pour out my fierce anger on this place, on humans and beasts, on the trees of the field and the crops of the fertile land. It will burn and not go out.

21 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, says: Add your entirely burned offerings to your sacrifices and eat them yourselves! 22 On the day I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I didn’t say a thing—I gave no instructions—about entirely burned offerings or sacrifices. 23 Rather, this is what I required of them: Obey me so that I may become your God and you may become my people. Follow the path I mark out for you so that it may go well with you. 24 But they didn’t listen or pay attention. They followed their willful and evil hearts and went backward rather than forward. 25 From the moment your ancestors left the land of Egypt to this day, I have sent you all my servants the prophets—day after day. 26 But they didn’t listen to me or pay attention; they were stubborn and did more harm than their ancestors. 27 When you tell them all this, they won’t listen to you. When you call to them, they won’t respond. 28 Therefore, say to them: This nation neither obeys the Lord its God nor accepts correction; truth has disappeared; it has vanished from their lips.

29 Cut off your hair and cast it away;
grieve on the well-traveled paths.
The Lord has rejected you
and has cast off a generation that provokes his anger.

30 The people of Judah have done what displeases me, declares the Lord. They have corrupted the temple that bears my name by setting up their disgusting idols. 31 They have built shrines at Topheth in the Ben-hinnom Valley to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, although I never commanded such a thing, nor did it ever cross my mind. 32 So now the time is coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer speak of Topheth or the Ben-hinnom Valley, but the Carnage Valley. They will bury in Topheth until no space is left. 33 The corpses of this people will be food for birds and wild animals, with no one to drive them off. 34 I will silence the sound of joy and delight as well as the voice of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, for the country will be reduced to a wasteland.

8 At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings of Judah and its officers, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be taken from their graves 2 and exposed to the sun, the moon, and the whole heavenly forces, which they have loved and served and which they have followed, consulted, and worshipped. Their bones won’t be gathered for reburial but will become like refuse lying on the ground. 3 The survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, wherever I have scattered them, declares the Lord of heavenly forces.

Depth of Judah’s wrongdoing

4 Say to them, The Lord proclaims:
When people fall down, don’t they get up?
When they turn aside, don’t they turn back?
5 Why then does this people, rebellious Jerusalem,
persistently turn away from me?
They cling to deceit
and refuse to return.
6 I have listened carefully
but haven’t heard a word of truth from them.
No one regrets their wrongdoing;
no one says, “What have I done?”
Everyone turns to their own course,
like a stallion dashing into the thick of battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky knows the seasons,
and the dove, swallow,[k] and crane[l]
return in due time.
But my people don’t know the Lord’s ways.

Footnotes:

  1. Jeremiah 6:16 Or they
  2. Jeremiah 6:17 Or they
  3. Jeremiah 6:18 Heb uncertain
  4. Jeremiah 6:27 Heb uncertain
  5. Jeremiah 6:28 Or bronze
  6. Jeremiah 6:29 Heb uncertain
  7. Jeremiah 6:29 Or wicked
  8. Jeremiah 7:3 Or I will let you dwell
  9. Jeremiah 7:7 Or I will let you dwell
  10. Jeremiah 7:12 Or place
  11. Jeremiah 8:7 Heb uncertain
  12. Jeremiah 8:7 Heb uncertain
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Colossians 2:8-23

8 See to it that nobody enslaves you with philosophy and foolish deception, which conform to human traditions and the way the world thinks and acts rather than Christ. 9 All the fullness of deity lives in Christ’s body. 10 And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised by him. This wasn’t performed by human hands—the whole body was removed through this circumcision by Christ. 12 You were buried with him through baptism and raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead because of the things you had done wrong and because your body wasn’t circumcised, God made you alive with Christ and forgave all the things you had done wrong. 14 He destroyed the record of the debt we owed, with its requirements that worked against us. He canceled it by nailing it to the cross. 15 When he disarmed the rulers and authorities, he exposed them to public disgrace by leading them in a triumphal parade.

16 So don’t let anyone judge you about eating or drinking or about a festival, a new moon observance, or sabbaths. 17 These religious practices are only a shadow of what was coming—the body that cast the shadow is Christ. 18 Don’t let anyone who wants to practice harsh self-denial and worship angels rob you of the prize. They go into detail about what they have seen in visions and have become unjustifiably arrogant by their selfish way of thinking. 19 They don’t stay connected to the head. The head nourishes and supports the whole body through the joints and ligaments, so the body grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If you died with Christ to the way the world thinks and acts, why do you submit to rules and regulations as though you were living in the world? 21 “Don’t handle!” “Don’t taste!” “Don’t touch!” 22 All these things cease to exist when they are used. Such rules are human commandments and teachings. 23 They look like they are wise with this self-made religion and their self-denial by the harsh treatment of the body, but they are no help against indulging in selfish immoral behavior.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 78:1-31

Psalm 78

A maskil[a] of Asaph.

78 Listen, my people, to my teaching;
tilt your ears toward the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a proverb.
I’ll declare riddles from days long gone—
3 ones that we’ve heard and learned about,
ones that our ancestors told us.
4 We won’t hide them from their descendants;
we’ll tell the next generation
all about the praise due the Lord and his strength—
the wondrous works God has done.
5 He established a law for Jacob
and set up Instruction for Israel,
ordering our ancestors
to teach them to their children.
6 This is so that the next generation
and children not yet born will know these things,
and so they can rise up and tell their children
7 to put their hope in God—
never forgetting God’s deeds,
but keeping God’s commandments—
8 and so that they won’t become like their ancestors:
a rebellious, stubborn generation,
a generation whose heart wasn’t set firm
and whose spirit wasn’t faithful to God.

9 The children of Ephraim, armed with bows,
retreated on the day of battle.
10 They didn’t keep God’s covenant;
they refused to walk in his Instruction.
11 They forgot God’s deeds
as well as the wondrous works he showed them.
12 But God performed wonders in their ancestors’ presence—
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13 God split the sea and led them through,
making the waters stand up like a wall.
14 God led them with the cloud by day;
by the lightning all through the night.
15 God split rocks open in the wilderness,
gave them plenty to drink—
as if from the deep itself!
16 God made streams flow from the rock,
made water run like rivers.

17 But they continued to sin against God,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They tested God in their hearts,
demanded food for their stomachs.
19 They spoke against God!
“Can God set a dinner table in the wilderness?” they asked.
20 “True, God struck the rock
and water gushed and streams flowed,
but can he give bread too?
Can he provide meat for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard this, he became furious.
A fire was ignited against Jacob;
wrath also burned against Israel
22 because they had no faith in God,
because they didn’t trust his saving power.
23 God gave orders to the skies above,
opened heaven’s doors,
24 and rained manna on them so they could eat.
He gave them the very grain of heaven!
25 Each person ate the bread of the powerful ones;[b]
God sent provisions to satisfy them.
26 God set the east wind moving across the skies
and drove the south wind by his strength.
27 He rained meat on them as if it were dust in the air;
he rained as many birds as the sand on the seashore!
28 God brought the birds down in the center of their camp,
all around their dwellings.
29 So they ate and were completely satisfied;
God gave them exactly what they had craved.
30 But they didn’t stop craving—
even with the food still in their mouths!
31 So God’s anger came up against them:
he killed the most hearty of them;
he cut down Israel’s youth in their prime.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 78:1 Perhaps instruction; the root is used in Ps 32:8.
  2. Psalm 78:25 Or everyone ate the bread from heaven; Heb uncertain
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 24:26

26 Those who speak honestly
are like those who kiss on the lips.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Posted on

10/05/2018 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 4:19-6:14, Colossians 1:21-2:7, Psalms 77:1-20, Proverbs 24:23-25

Today is October 5th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today from the lovely rolling hill of Tennessee. And I hope it’s a lovely day in the rolling hills of wherever you are or the mountains or the planes or the valleys or the desserts or the coastland of wherever you are. I’m excited that wherever we are we have a place that we can all go around the global campfire as we allow God’s word to come washing into our lives for today. So, we’re reading from the Common English Bible this week and we’ll continue our journey in Jeremiah today. Chapter 4 verse 19 through 6:15.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in our reading from Psalm 77 today we saw, in poetic fashion, Asaph who was the author, in great distress as he cried out to God for comfort and for some resolution to what was going on his life. And this Psalm is pertinent to us because, I mean, because we’ve all likely walked through those same kinds of emotional seasons in our lives and in this Psalm six questions were asked. Will my Lord reject me forever? Will He never be pleased again? Has His faithful love come to a complete end? Is His promise over for future generations? Has God forgotten how to be gracious? Has He angrily stopped up His compassion? Okay. So, once again we see the Bible saying out loud the things that we sometimes feel inside, but do not give voice because it will seem ungrateful. But these questions, whether we speak them out loud or whether we just like stuff them deep inside, they find their way into our lives. And it usually happens when we’re feeling the discomfort of crisis, right? Or we’re going through hardship or we’re suffering from loss or from pain or whatever is coming against us. We never ask those kinds of questions, right? Those six questions. We never ask them when things have turned out, right? When things turn out the way you wanted them to turn out, when we think things are going well for us. But when we’re suffering, Asaph’s conclusions often do become our own. His conclusion was, this is…this is my misfortune. It’s my misfortune that the strong hand of the most high seems different now. Seems like He's…God’s turned against me. So, if this is sounding eerily familiar, then the Bibles speaking. What are we to do when we feel downcast and bewildered like this. The psalmist suggests something that might seem counterintuitive or even unproductive but it’s essential. We must stop and remember. In Asaph’s words, I will remember the Lord’s deeds. Yes, I will remember Your wondrous acts from times long past. I will meditate on all Your works. I will ponder Your deeds. So, Asaph is suggesting that focusing our energy on remembering God’s faithfulness will bring back context, right? Will give us our balance back. And this is not unlike what the apostle said about the peace that passes all understanding. Right? When we closed the letter to the Philippians a couple days ago. Asaph used the remainder of the Psalm to bring his emotions into balance by worshiping God and remembering His faithfulness. So the next time one of those six questions or all of those six questions start filtering into our life experience, go back to your old journals you’ve kept or just sit quietly, still yourself, and remember times when God undoubtedly carried you through a difficult time because He’s doing that right now. It’s just hard to see when you’re in the thick of it, but it’s much easier to see in hindsight. Surely, I thought I was going down but surely I’m still standing here today because God was faithful and brought me through. He will never leave us. We will not be forsaken. The Bible tells us over and over and over and over, His faithful love endures forever. So, that’s either true or it’s not true. It is true however. And it’s true whether we believe it or not. So, we can embrace this, His faithful love endures forever or we can deny it but it’s still true. When we deny it in thought, word, or deed we’re simply not participating, we’re not partaking of the gift that is available to us.

Prayer:

Father, we definitely confess that we’ve had these postures of heart that we read from Asaph in the psalms. We definitely felt this way before. And we take the counsel to stop and remember, slow it down and remember that You have been faithful that You have carried us through difficulties before and You are continuing to carry us now. And in the future we’ll be able to look back on this time and see that You were faithful because Your faithful love endures forever. Come Holy Spirit, bring Your comfort into our lives today. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here.

We were just talking about remembering and journaling and that’s something that we’re big on around here. So, we make our way through the Bible, the Bible speaks an awful lot of things into our lives. And it’s important that we remember them. But we don’t. I mean, we think we’ll never forget but then we forget 10 minutes later. And, so, when we take a few moments out of our day, write down some thoughts, some of the things that stuck out in the Scriptures, some of the interesting things that happened in our lives, we’re creating the story of our lives, we’re telling it as it happens. And we can look at previous chapters, right? We can look back at other seasons exactly like Asaph is suggesting and remember God’s faithfulness to us. So, we have the Daily Audio Bible Journal and some great writing utensils in the shop for exactly this, to take this journey through the year and to write down what God speaks to us so that we don’t forget and so that we can remember. So, you can check that out in the Daily Audio Bible shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link. It’s on the homepage. Thank you, thank you for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday October 5, 2018 (NIV)

Jeremiah 4:19-6:15

Anguish over looming disaster

19 Oh, my suffering, my suffering!
My pain is unbearable;
my heart is in turmoil;
it throbs nonstop.
I can’t be silent, because I hear the blast of the trumpet
and the roar of the battle cry!
20 Disaster follows disaster;
the whole land is ruined.
Suddenly, my tents are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21 How long must I see the battle flags
and hear the blast of the trumpet?
22 My people are foolish.
They don’t even know me!
They are thoughtless children
without understanding;
they are skilled at doing wrong,
inept at doing right.
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was without shape or form;
at the heavens
and there was no light.
24 I looked at the mountains
and they were quaking;
all the hills were rocking back and forth.
25 I looked and there was no one left;
every bird in the sky had taken flight.
26 I looked and the fertile land was a desert;
all its towns were in ruins
before the Lord,
before his fury.
27 The Lord proclaims:
The whole earth will become a desolation,
but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Therefore, the earth will grieve
and the heavens grow dark
because I have declared my plan
and will neither change my mind
nor cancel the plan.
29 As the horsemen and archers approach,
the people take flight.
They hide in the bushes
and escape to the cliffs.
Every city is deserted;
no one remains.
30 And you, devastated one,
why dress up in scarlet,
deck yourself in gold jewelry,
and color your eyes with paint?
In vain you get all decked out;
your lovers have rejected you
and now seek your life.
31 I hear the cry of a woman in labor,
the distress of one delivering her first child.
It is the cry of Daughter Zion,
gasping for breath,
her arms stretched out,
and moaning,
“I’m about to fall into the hands of murderers!”

Futile search for a good person

5 Search every street in Jerusalem,
comb the squares,
look far and wide
for one person,
even one who acts justly
and seeks truth that I may pardon her!
2 Even when making a pledge—“As the Lord lives”—
they swear falsely.
3 Lord, don’t you look for integrity?
You have struck them down,
but they didn’t even cringe.
You have crushed them,
but they have ignored your discipline.
They make their faces harder than rock
and refuse to return.
4 Then I thought to myself,
These are the poor who don’t know better!
They don’t understand the Lord’s way
or the justice of their God.
5 Let me go and speak to the powerful people,
for they will surely know the Lord’s way
and the justice of their God.
But they too have broken their yoke
and shattered the chains.
6 Therefore, a lion from the forest will attack them;
a wolf from the desert will destroy them;
a leopard prowling around their towns
will tear to pieces anyone venturing out—
because of their many crimes
and countless acts of unfaithfulness.
7 How can I pardon you?
Your children have forsaken me
and swear by gods that are not gods.
Although I could have satisfied them,
they committed adultery,
dashing off to the prostitution house.
8 They are lusty stallions roving about,
snorting for another’s wife.
9 The Lord declares:
Shouldn’t I confront these acts?
Shouldn’t I take revenge on such a nation?

Contempt for God

10 Climb through her vineyards and ravage them,
although not completely.
Prune back her branches,
because they aren’t the Lord’s.
11 The people of Israel and Judah
have been utterly faithless to me,
declares the Lord.
12 They have lied about the Lord
and said, “He’ll do nothing![a]
Disaster won’t come upon us;
we won’t see war or famine.”
13 The prophets are so much wind;
the word isn’t in them.
Thus and so may it be done to them.

14 Therefore, the Lord God of heavenly forces proclaims:

Because you have spoken this way,
I will put my words
in your mouth as a fire;
it will consume the people,
who are but kindling.
15 I am about to bring a distant nation against you,
people of Israel,
declares the Lord.
It is an established nation,
an ancient nation,
a nation whose language you don’t know,
whose speech you won’t understand.
16 Its weapons are deadly;[b]
its warriors are many.
17 It will devour your harvest and food;
it will devour your sons and daughters;
it will devour your flocks and herds;
it will devour your vines and fig trees;
it will shatter your fortified towns in which you trust—
with the sword!

18 Yet even in those days, declares the Lord, I won’t completely destroy you. 19 And when they ask, “Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?” you must reply, “Just as you have abandoned me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land not your own.”

Shouldn’t you fear me?

20 Declare this to the people of Jacob,
announce it in Judah:
21 Listen, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but don’t see
and ears but don’t hear.
22 Shouldn’t you fear me,
declares the Lord,
and tremble before me,
the one who set the shoreline for the sea,
an ancient boundary that it can’t pass?
Though its waves may rise and roar,
they can’t pass the limits I have set.
23 And yet the people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they turn and go their own way.
24 They don’t say in their hearts,
Let’s fear the Lord our God,
who provides rain in autumn and spring
and who assures us of a harvest in its season.
25 Your wrongdoing has turned these blessings[c] away.
Your sin has robbed you of good.
26 Criminals are found among my people;
they set traps to catch people,
like hunters lying in wait.[d]
27 Like a cage full of birds,
so their houses are full of loot.
No wonder they are rich and powerful
28 and have grown fat and sleek!
To be sure, their evil deeds exceed all limits,
and yet they prosper.
They are indifferent to the plight of the orphan,
reluctant to defend the rights of the poor.
29 Shouldn’t I punish such acts?
declares the Lord.
Shouldn’t I repay that nation for its deeds?
30 An awful, a terrible thing
has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
the priests rule at their sides,[e]
and my people love it this way!
But what will you do when the end comes?

Prepare for war

6 Escape, people of Benjamin,
get out of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
sound the alarm in Beth-haccherem;
for disaster looms from the north,
massive devastation.
2 You are like a lovely pasture, Daughter Zion.[f]
3 Shepherds come to her with their flocks.
They pitch their tents around her
and graze in their place.
4 “Prepare for battle against her;
get ready; let’s attack by noon!
Oh, no! Daylight is fading,
and the evening shadows lengthen.
5 Get ready, let’s attack by night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6 The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
Cut down her trees,
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be held accountable,[g]
for there’s nothing but oppression in her midst.
7 As a well brings forth fresh water,
she brings forth evil.
Violence and destruction are heard within her;
injury and wounds are ever before me.
8 Hear me out,[h] Jerusalem,
or else I’ll turn away from you
and reduce you to ruins,
a land unfit to live in.

Unresponsive people

9 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
From top to bottom, let them harvest
the remaining few in Israel.
Pick clean every
last grape on the vine!
10 To whom can I speak and warn?
How can I get someone’s attention?
Their ears are shut tight,[i]
so they won’t hear.
They are ashamed of the Lord’s word
and take no pleasure in it.
11 But I’m filled with the Lord’s rage
and am tired of holding it in.

Pour it out on the children in the streets
and on the youths gathered together;
husband with wife will be trapped,
as will those old and gray.
12 Their homes will be turned over to others,
their fields and wives as well.
I will stretch out my hand
against the people of this land,
declares the Lord.
13 From the least to the greatest,
each is eager to profit;
from prophet to priest,
each trades in dishonesty.
14 They treat the wound of my people
as if it were nothing:
“All is well, all is well,” they insist,
when in fact nothing is well.
15 They should be ashamed
of their detestable practices,
but they have no shame;
they don’t even blush!
Therefore, they will fall among the fallen
and stumble when I bring disaster,
declares the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Jeremiah 5:12 Or not he
  2. Jeremiah 5:16 Or Its quiver is like an open grave
  3. Jeremiah 5:25 Heb lacks blessings.
  4. Jeremiah 5:26 Heb uncertain
  5. Jeremiah 5:31 Or by their hands
  6. Jeremiah 6:2 Heb uncertain
  7. Jeremiah 6:6 Heb uncertain
  8. Jeremiah 6:8 Or Accept correction
  9. Jeremiah 6:10 Or uncircumcised
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Colossians 1:18-2:7

18 He is the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning,
the one who is firstborn from among the dead[a]
so that he might occupy the first place in everything.

19 Because all the fullness of God was pleased to live in him,
20 and he reconciled all things to himself through him—
whether things on earth or in the heavens.
He brought peace through the blood of his cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your minds, which was shown by your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death, to present you before God as a people who are holy, faultless, and without blame. 23 But you need to remain well established and rooted in faith and not shift away from the hope given in the good news that you heard. This message has been preached throughout all creation under heaven. And I, Paul, became a servant of this good news.

Paul’s service for the church

24 Now I’m happy to be suffering for you. I’m completing what is missing from Christ’s sufferings with my own body. I’m doing this for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I became a servant of the church by God’s commission, which was given to me for you, in order to complete God’s word. 26 I’m completing it with a secret plan[b] that has been hidden for ages and generations but which has now been revealed to his holy people. 27 God wanted to make the glorious riches of this secret plan[c] known among the Gentiles, which is Christ living in you, the hope of glory. 28 This is what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all wisdom so that we might present each one mature in Christ. 29 I work hard and struggle for this goal with his energy, which works in me powerfully.

2 I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who haven’t known me personally. 2 My goal is that their hearts would be encouraged and united together in love so that they might have all the riches of assurance that come with understanding, so that they might have the knowledge of the secret plan[d] of God, namely Christ. 3 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. 4 I’m telling you this so that no one deceives you with convincing arguments, 5 because even though I am absent physically, I’m with you in spirit. I’m happy to see the discipline and stability of your faith in Christ.

Error threatening the church

6 So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him. 7 Be rooted and built up in him, be established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught.

Footnotes:

  1. Colossians 1:18 Or first over the dead
  2. Colossians 1:26 Or mystery
  3. Colossians 1:27 Or mystery
  4. Colossians 2:2 Or mystery
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 77

Psalm 77

For the music leader. According to Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

77 I cry out loud to God—
out loud to God so that he can hear me!
2 During the day when I’m in trouble I look for my Lord.
At night my hands are still outstretched and don’t grow numb;
my whole being[a] refuses to be comforted.
3 I remember God and I moan.
I complain, and my spirit grows tired. Selah

4 You’ve kept my eyelids from closing.
I’m so upset I can’t even speak.
5 I think about days long past;
I remember years that seem an eternity in the past.
6 I meditate with my heart at night;[b]
I complain, and my spirit keeps searching:
7 “Will my Lord reject me forever?
Will he never be pleased again?
8 Has his faithful love come to a complete end?
Is his promise over for future generations?
9 Has God forgotten how to be gracious?
Has he angrily stopped up his compassion?” Selah
10 It’s my misfortune, I thought,
that the strong hand of the Most High is different now.

11 But I will remember the Lord’s deeds;
yes, I will remember your wondrous acts from times long past.
12 I will meditate on all your works;
I will ponder your deeds.
13 God, your way is holiness!
Who is as great a god as you, God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have demonstrated your strength among all peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people;
redeemed the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 The waters saw you, God—
the waters saw you and reeled!
Even the deep depths shook!
17 The clouds poured water,
the skies cracked thunder;
your arrows were flying all around!
18 The crash of your thunder was in the swirling storm;
lightning lit up the whole world;
the earth shook and quaked.
19 Your way went straight through the sea;
your pathways went right through the mighty waters.
But your footprints left no trace!
20 You led your people like sheep
under the care of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 77:2 Or soul
  2. Psalm 77:6 LXX; MT I remember my song in the night.
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 24:23-25

More sayings of the wise

23 These are also the sayings of the wise:

Partiality in judgment isn’t good.

24 Those who say to the guilty, “You are innocent”—
the people will curse them.
Nations will condemn them.
25 But it will go well for those who rebuke them.
A rich blessing will come to them.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Posted on

10/04/2018 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 2:31-4:18, Colossians 1:1-20, Psalms 76:1-12, Proverbs 24:21-22

Today is the 4th day of October. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian and it is always great to be here with you as we come around the global campfire. Just threw some logs on. Got a nice fresh pot of coffee going. And off we go into the wild frontier that is the Scriptures and is our journey through the Scriptures this year. We’re reading from the common English Bible. We just began the book of Jeremiah, so, we’ll continue forward in Jeremiah and then when we get to the New Testament we’ll start another of Paul’s letters, the letter to the Colossians. But first Jeremiah 2:31 through 4:18.

Introduction to the letter from Paul to the Colossians:

Okay. So, like we mentioned at the beginning, we’re moving into some new territory, a new letter, an epistle from the apostle Paul to the Colossians. And Colossae was not an unfamiliar city to Paul. It was about 100 miles from Ephesus where Paul spent a considerable amount of time. And, the ancient ruins of Colossae, they have been identified. They’re in the western part of modern-day Turkey but there hasn’t been any major excavation to this point. But ancient Colossae has definitely been identified. During Paul’s life, Colossae wasn’t a ruin, it was a cultural melting pot that brought a lot of people together and mingled them. And, so, a lot of philosophical and religious ideas were flowing into the city and these had made their way into the Colossian church. And so, Paul’s letter was written as a response. Like Ephesians and Philippians, Colossians is widely considered to be another of the letters that Paul wrote while he was in prison in Rome while awaiting trial before the Emperor. And this letter breaks down kind of into two halves, in two sections. The first is a doctrinal issue. Individuals had come into the church were teaching angel worship and, you know, other foreign rituals. And Paul addressed this by reiterating Jesus is supreme over all of creation, that the universe itself was created by and through Him and is sustained through His Lordship. And then Paul had to deal with an issue that that we see appearing over and over in the New Testament, circumcision versus on the circumcision. And this had become quite a controversy in the early church and we’ve already seen it many times. This issue had also found its way into the church at Colossae. And of course, Paul’s shared his views. He had no problem doing that. So, we see in the early church that some of some of these fundamental issues, they keep showing up in different letters and in different places and contexts because they were widespread and controversial issues of the early church. Ironically, many of these challenges are still with us today in one form or another, making it possible for us to experience growth and correction in our own contexts through these letters. And understanding the Colossians was written by man awaiting a life or death judgment, right? Allows the letter to carry a certain amount of gravity and we should give it the gravity that it deserves. Colossians is a magnificent testament to the Lordship of Jesus in our lives and presents the overwhelming reality of what that Lordship offers to all of humanity. And, so, we begin. Colossians 1 verses 1 through 17.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for the letter to the Colossians we’ve just begun that shows us how Almighty, how sovereign Your Lordship is and how much we can rest in that. And, so, come Holy Spirit and plant these words in our lives as we continue our journey forward. You are the sovereign God. We return to You as we were reading about in Jeremiah. We come back to You. We humble ourselves before You. We want to walk with You in every moment of this day, in every choice that we need to make, in every conversation that’s going to happen in every intent of our hearts, we invite You to be present in it all. Come Holy Spirit align us with Your will and Your ways. We trust You. You will only lead us into all truth. You will only guide us on the narrow path that leads to life and we can’t find this without You. We can navigate this without You. And, so, we surrender to Your Lordship and Your authority. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s is a link on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership, thank you humbly, thank you profoundly. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday October 4, 2018 (NIV)

Jeremiah 2:31-4:18

31 People of this generation, listen closely to the Lord’s word:
Have I been a wasteland to Israel
or a land of dense darkness?
Why then do my people say,
“We have wandered far away;
we’ll come to you no longer”?
32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry
or a bride her wedding dress?
Yet you have forgotten me days without end!
33 So skilled are you at pursuing lovers[a]
that you instruct even the most wicked.[b]
34 Your garments are stained
with the blood of the innocent poor,
even though you didn’t catch them
breaking and entering.
Yet, despite all this,[c]
35 you still insist,
“I’m innocent;
as a result he will turn his anger away from me.”
Because you claim not to have sinned,
I will pass judgment against you.
36 You change sides so casually!
But Egypt will shame you
no less than Assyria.
37 From there you will go out
with your hands on your heads,
because the Lord has rejected those you rely on;
they won’t help you.

Jeremiah’s summons to change

3 If a man divorces his wife,
and after she leaves him marries another,
can he return to her again?
Wouldn’t such an act completely corrupt the land?
Yet you have prostituted yourself with many lovers.
Would you return to me?
declares the Lord.
2 Look to the well-traveled paths[d] and see!
Where haven’t you committed adultery?
On the roadsides you sit in wait for lovers,
like a nomad in the wilderness.
You have corrupted the land
with your cheap and reckless behavior.
3 That’s why the showers have failed
and the spring rains have ceased.
Still you act like a brazen prostitute[e]
who refuses to blush.
4 At the same time you say to me,
“My father, my friend since youth,
5 will you stay angry forever?
Will you continue to be furious?”
This is what you say
while you do as much evil as you possibly can.

6 During the rule of King Josiah, the Lord said to me: Have you noticed what unfaithful Israel has done? She’s gone about looking for lovers on top of every high hill and under every lush tree. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me, but she didn’t. Her disloyal sister Judah saw this. 8 She[f] also saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away with divorce papers because of all her acts of unfaithfulness; yet disloyal sister Judah was not afraid but kept on playing the prostitute. 9 She didn’t think twice about corrupting the land and committing adultery with stone and tree. 10 Yet even after all this, disloyal sister Judah didn’t return to me with all her heart but only insincerely, declares the Lord. 11 Then the Lord said to me: Unfaithful Israel is less guilty[g] than disloyal Judah.

12 Go proclaim these words to the north and say:

Return, unfaithful Israel,
declares the Lord.
I won’t reject you,
for I’m faithful,
declares the Lord;
I won’t stay angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your wrongdoing:
how you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
and given yourself to strangers
under every lush tree
and haven’t obeyed me,
declares the Lord.
14 Return, rebellious children,
declares the Lord,
for I’m your husband.
I’ll gather you—
one from a city and two from a tribe—
and bring you back to Zion.

15 I will appoint shepherds with whom I’m pleased, and they will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And in those days, when your numbers have greatly increased in the land, declares the Lord, people will no longer talk about the Lord’s covenant chest; they won’t recall or remember it; they won’t even miss it or try to build another one. 17 At that time, they will call Jerusalem the Lord’s throne, and all nations will gather there to honor the Lord’s name. No longer will they follow their own willful and evil hearts. 18 In those days the people of Judah and Israel will leave the north together for the land that I gave their ancestors as an inheritance.

19 I thought to myself, How wonderful it would be
to treat you like children
and give you a beautiful land,
an inheritance unrivaled among the nations.
And I thought, You will call me father,
and you won’t turn away from me.
20 But as a woman betrays her lover,
so you, people of Israel, have betrayed me,
declares the Lord.
21 A voice is heard on the well-traveled paths;[h]
it’s the crying and pleading of the people of Israel,
who have lost their way
and forgotten the Lord their God.
22 Return, rebellious children,
and I will heal your rebellion.

“Here we are; we come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23 Surely what happens on the hills[i] is a waste,
as is the uproar on the mountains.
Only in the Lord our God
is the salvation of Israel.
24 From our youth, shame[j] has devoured
the fruit of our parents’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
as well as their sons and daughters.
25 Let’s lie down in our shame.
Let our dishonor cover us,
for we have sinned against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors,
from our youth to this very day.
We have disobeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”

4 If you return, Israel, return to me, declares the Lord.
If you get rid of your disgusting idols from my presence
and wander no more,
2 and if you swear by the living God
in truth, justice, and righteousness,
then the nations will enjoy God’s blessings;[k]
they will boast about him.

3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem:

Break up your hard rocky soil;
don’t plant among the thorns.
4 Dedicate[l] yourselves to the Lord;
don’t be thick-skinned,[m]
people of Judah and residents of Jerusalem,
or else my anger will spread like a wildfire.
It will burn, with no one to put it out,
because of your evil deeds.

Disaster approaches

5 Announce in Judah,
in Jerusalem proclaim,
sound the alarm throughout the land,
cry out and say,
“Gather together!
Let’s flee to the fortified towns!”
6 Set up a flag to Zion;
take cover, don’t just stand there!
I’m bringing disaster from the north,
massive devastation.
7 A lion bursts out of the thicket;
a destroyer of nations advances.
He’s gone forth from his place
to ravage your land,
to wipe out your towns,
until no one is left.
8 So put on funeral clothing.
Weep and wail,
for the Lord’s fierce anger
hasn’t turned away from us.
9 On that day, declares the Lord,
the courage of the king and his princes will fail,
the priests will be stunned,
and the prophets will be shocked.
10 Then I said, “Lord God, no!
You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem
by promising them peace
even though the sword is at their throats.”
11 At that time, this people and Jerusalem will be told:
A blistering wind from the bare heights;
it rages in the desert toward my people,
not merely to winnow or cleanse.
12 This wind is too devastating for that.
Now I, even I, will pronounce my sentence against them.
13 Look! He approaches like the clouds;
his chariots advance like a tempest,
his horses swifter than eagles.
How horrible! We’re doomed!
14 Cleanse your heart of evil, Jerusalem,
that you may be saved.
How long will you entertain your destructive ideas?
15 A voice declares from Dan;
someone proclaims disaster from the highlands of Ephraim.
16 Warn the nations,
proclaim it to Jerusalem!
Armies are approaching from a far-away country,
raising their war cries against the towns of Judah.
17 They hem her in like those guarding a field,
because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
18 Your own conduct, your own deeds have done this to you.
This is your payment and how bitter it is,
piercing into the depths of your heart.

Footnotes:

  1. Jeremiah 2:33 Or love
  2. Jeremiah 2:33 Or you have taught your ways to wicked women.
  3. Jeremiah 2:34 Heb uncertain
  4. Jeremiah 3:2 Or bare heights
  5. Jeremiah 3:3 Or You have a prostitute’s forehead.
  6. Jeremiah 3:8 LXX, Syr; MT I
  7. Jeremiah 3:11 Or more righteous
  8. Jeremiah 3:21 Or bare heights
  9. Jeremiah 3:23 LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT from the hills
  10. Jeremiah 3:24 Or the shame
  11. Jeremiah 4:2 Or bless themselves in him or be blessed by him or will bless themselves
  12. Jeremiah 4:4 Or circumcise
  13. Jeremiah 4:4 Or remove the foreskins of your hearts
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Colossians 1:1-17

Greeting

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother.

2 To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and prayer for the Colossians

3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. 4 We’ve done this since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all God’s people. 5 You have this faith and love because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You previously heard about this hope through the true message, the good news, 6 which has come to you. This message has been bearing fruit and growing among you since the day you heard and truly understood God’s grace, in the same way that it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, who is the fellow slave we love and Christ’s faithful minister for your sake. 8 He informed us of your love in the Spirit.

9 Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; 11 by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; 12 and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. 13 He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.

Hymn about Christ’s work

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God,
the one who is first over all creation,[a]

16 Because all things were created by him:
both in the heavens and on the earth,
the things that are visible and the things that are invisible.
Whether they are thrones or powers,
or rulers or authorities,
all things were created through him and for him.

17 He existed before all things,
and all things are held together in him.

Footnotes:

  1. Colossians 1:15 Or firstborn of all creation
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 76

Psalm 76

For the music leader. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

76 God is known in Judah;
his name is great in Israel.
2 His dwelling place became Salem;
his habitation was Zion.
3 It was there that he broke the fiery shafts of the bow,
the shield, the sword—even the battle itself! Selah

4 You are ablaze with light,
mightier than the mountains that give food.
5 The bravehearted lie plundered.
They sank into deep lethargy.
All the strong troops
couldn’t even lift their hands!
6 At your rebuke, Jacob’s God,
both chariot and horse were stopped dead-still.

7 You! You are awesome!
Who can stand before you when you are angry?
8 You have announced judgment from heaven.
The earth grew afraid and fell silent
9 when God rose up to establish justice,
when God rose up to save all of the earth’s poor. Selah

10 Even human rage will turn to your praise
when you dress yourself
with whatever remains of your wrath.[a]
11 Make promises to the Lord your God and keep them!
Let all around him bring gifts to the awesome one.
12 He breaks the spirit of princes.
He is terrifying to all the kings of the earth.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 76:10 Heb uncertain
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 24:21-22

21 Fear the Lord, my child, as well as the king.
Don’t associate with those who are rebellious.
22 Disaster comes suddenly from them.
Who can know the ruin that both can bring?

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

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10/03/2018 DAB Transcript

Jeremiah 1:1-2:30, Philippians 4:1-23, Psalms 75:1-10 , Proverbs 24:17-20

Today is the 3rd day of October. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. And it’s great to be here with you today as we take the next step forward. And I was just realizing, man, this is my thirteenth October 3rd. Which means this will be the thirteenth time we’ve started the book of Jeremiah together, which is what we’re going to do today because that would be what the next step forward would look like. So Jeremiah is one of the most intriguing books of prophecy in the Old Testament. And this is in part because of who Jeremiah presents himself to be. He’s just very authentic. He was committed to obeying God, but he did not like everything he was asked to do by God. He didn’t like saying everything God told him to say. And at times he wanted to just wash his hands of it all because it appeared that no one was listening anyway. And in part, that was true. Jeremiah’s frustration wasn’t all in his head. Israel had turned its back on God. And for more than two decades, Jeremiah was this lone voice warning that where they were headed was not going anywhere pleasant or prosperous. And this often led to conflict and even imprisonment for Jeremiah. What he was saying was simply not good for business and powerful people were fed up with his interference. At one point, as we’ll see when we get to the later parts of this book, he was thrown into a pit to die. But through all these experiences, Jeremiah stayed faithful to God and sure enough, his warnings were accurate. The Babylonian Empire invaded the land of Judah in 587 BC. Jerusalem fell in the conquest. Solomon’s stunning palace that we journeyed through, watched it being built, watched it being dedicated, this great temple of God was utterly destroyed. And the remnants of Israel’s finest city and monuments were left in rubble and ash and people were carried away. And so, that’s the territory that we’re heading into. And as with all of the Scriptures we’ll find them raising up a mirror and allowing us to look into our own lives and examine our own paths as we continue forward. So we’re reading from the Common English Bible this week. Jeremiah 1:1-2:30 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we finished Paul’s letter to the Philippians today, as was probably fairly apparent as he closed the letter. But Paul led us into some very famous portions of the New Testament and told us some very important things. For example, don’t worry about anything. Let that sit there for a second. That’s a pretty important thing. Don’t worry about anything. So, all together now. Don’t worry about anything. Instead, right? So, rather than worrying about stuff, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. So, Paul’s taking us through this process. This is not just a manic, tell God what you need. If you don’t come through for me right now, I’m gonna go down. Now this is a process of asking God for what you need as you thank him for all he has done. So, you’re looking back and seeing God’s faithfulness in your life, knowing that that has not been discontinued. That will continue forward. According to Paul, if we’ll do this, then we’ll experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. So, this famous portion of scripture, mostly because it promises an unexplainable peace, this unexplainable peace that we very rarely get to experience, but maybe that’s because we’re not paying attention to the process. If we’re gonna keep worrying about everything and not approach God with gratitude for all that he’s done on our behalf, than we can’t expect to experience peace beyond our understanding. So, my little guy, Ezekiel, he started school for the first time just a couple weeks ago. And that’s been quite a bit of an adjustment for him. Those first days, those first couple weeks, he was worried a lot. In fact, he would come home from school and kind of start whimpering and it would go all the way till bedtime. He didn’t want to go back. All the disruption that was coming into his life, all of the unknowns, all of the new faces, all of the commotion, all of the new rituals, all of the new noises. Everything was out of his control. And so he would worry inside. And yes, we can sit down and explain to him that there’s nothing to worry about. And no one was going to let anything happen to him. That we are there. That Jesus is with him whatever he goes. All of these things. But he was choosing to worry because it’s something that he could get his mind around. Everything else was too big. Until he began to understand that many people were caring for him. Many people were protecting him, and this wasn’t a bad thing. This was an opportunity to learn how to read. That this was a gift instead of an obstacle. Once he settled in, understanding that there’s no where he can go that Jesus isn’t gonna be with him and that there’s no one against him, this is just a new experience, he did settle down. Paul’s telling us- I know this is like a kindergarten example, maybe not the best example for the kinds of things that we face in our lives, but we do have to remember it’s the faith of a child that unlocks the kingdom. And these principles, whether we learn them early or young, they have to be learned. And Paul is telling us, there’s a way to unlock this posture where you’re not worried all the time. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. So, if we’ll focus our energy there on the things that are going right instead of the things that are going wrong. And by the way, for most of us, if we actually had to add that up, way more is going right than is going wrong. So, if we’ll focus our energy with gratitude toward the Lord, these things that are going right, the deficits that we feel, whether they’re inside of us or they’re the circumstances that we’re facing, they can no longer distract us from the union that we have with Jesus, the collaborative relationship that we’re enjoying in this world, which is our destiny. And Paul summed this up for us as we concluded Philippians by telling us that, here’s how he worked it out. And in his words, I’ve learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with plenty. I’ve learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it’s with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. So, the bottom line is that the anxiety, the worry, the obsessive behavior, this is simply indicating to us that we are not doing what Paul is suggesting we try. And at some point we have to say, What do I exactly have to lose by fully trusting in God and what his word is telling me? What if I did focus all of my energy on things that are true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable? What if that’s what I was thinking about instead of this obsession about all the disruptions in my life? What if I did believe that there was a peace available that’s beyond my understanding and somehow supersedes the circumstances that I see around me. What would happen if I stopped worrying about anything and instead prayed about everything and trusted God? Because I can look back and see that he’s been faithful. And I know that he will continue to be faithful. And that may not look like what I have prescribed for myself, but I’m surrendering. This is not about my choices and my decisions. I’m not trying to create my own life outside of God. What if I fall face first into him and trust him completely? What do I have to lose here? Paul’s saying that the peace that passes understanding is available if we’ll do these things. Which means that we have to set aside our agendas and our outcomes and trust God, understanding that this is a great adventure through this life. And we’re going to be okay.

Prayer:

So, Holy Spirit, come into that because it’s a daily struggle. There’s always plenty to worry about. There’s always things that need to be maintained and fixed. There’s always not enough time to do all of the things that we need to do. It’s never not an opportunity to feel like we’re falling further and further behind. But this is because we’re trying to do everything in our own strength when You have invited us to live differently, to stop worrying about all this, to commune with You, to talk with You about everything, to move through life with You in a grateful way because You have been faithful every day of our lives. You’re telling us that we can experience a peace that exceeds anything that we can understand. And that that peace will guard our hearts and minds as we live in You. And so we’re turning towards You and confessing that we don’t know exactly how to practically live that out in every moment, but this is the moment we need to be responsible for. And so we’re being responsible in this moment to surrender to You and open our hearts fully to You, asking You to help us in the moments that become crazy when we think that we’ve gotta grab for control again. Help us Holy Spirit to trust You in all things so that we might experience the peace that You bring, the comfort, the guida nce that You bring. Come, Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to stay connected.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link. It’s on the homepage. Thank you humbly for clicking that link. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner. Or if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday October 3, 2018 (NIV)

Jeremiah 1:1-2:30

Introduction

1 These are the words of Jeremiah, Hilkiah’s son, who was one of the priests from Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. 2 The Lord’s word came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of Judah’s King Josiah, Amon’s son, 3 and throughout the rule of Judah’s King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah, Josiah’s son, when the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.

Call of Jeremiah

4 The Lord’s word came to me:

5 “Before I created you in the womb I knew you;
before you were born I set you apart;
I made you a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Ah, Lord God,” I said, “I don’t know how to speak
because I’m only a child.”
7 The Lord responded,
“Don’t say, ‘I’m only a child.’
Where I send you, you must go;
what I tell you, you must say.
8 Don’t be afraid of them,
because I’m with you to rescue you,”
declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out his hand,
touched my mouth, and said to me,
“I’m putting my words in your mouth.
10 This very day I appoint you over nations and empires,
to dig up and pull down,
to destroy and demolish,
to build and plant.”

Jeremiah’s mission confirmed

11 The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

I said, “A branch of an almond[a] tree.”

12 The Lord then said, “You are right, for I’m watching over[b] my word until it is fulfilled.” 13 The Lord asked me again, “What do you see?”

I said, “A pot boiling over from the north.”

14 The Lord said to me, “Trouble will erupt from the north against the people of this land.”

15 I’m calling for all the tribes of great nations from the north, says the Lord, and they will set up their rulers by the entrances of Jerusalem, on its walls, and in every city of Judah. 16 I will declare my judgment against them for doing evil: for abandoning me, worshipping other gods, and trusting in the works of their hands. 17 But you must prepare for battle and be ready to utter every word I command you. Don’t be frightened before them, or I will frighten you before them. 18 Today I have made you an armed city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall against the entire land—the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and all its people. 19 They will attack you, but they won’t defeat you, because I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.

God’s people abandon their God

2 The Lord’s word came to me:
2 Go and proclaim to the people of Jerusalem,
The Lord proclaims:
I remember your first love,[c]
your devotion as a young bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in an unplanted land.
3 Israel was devoted to the Lord,
the early produce of the harvest.
Whoever ate from it became guilty;
disaster overtook them,
declares the Lord.
4 Listen to the Lord’s word,
people of Judah,
all you families of the Israelite household.

5 This is what the Lord says:

What wrong did your ancestors find in me
that made them wander so far?
They pursued what was worthless
and became worthless.
6 They didn’t ask,
“Where’s the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us through the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and ravines,
in a land of drought and darkness,
in a land of no return,
where no one survives?”
7 I brought you into a land of plenty,
to enjoy its gifts and goodness,
but you ruined my land;
you disgraced my heritage.
8 The priests didn’t ask,
“Where’s the Lord?”
Those responsible for the Instruction didn’t know me;
the leaders rebelled against me;
the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,
going after what has no value.
9 That is why I will take you to court
and charge even your descendants,
declares the Lord.
10 Look to the west as far as the shores of Cyprus
and to the east as far as the land of Kedar.
Ask anyone there:
Has anything this odd ever taken place?
11 Has a nation switched gods,
though they aren’t really gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glory
for what has no value.
12 Be stunned at such a thing, you heavens;
shudder and quake,
declares the Lord.
13 My people have committed two crimes:
They have forsaken me, the spring of living water.
And they have dug wells, broken wells that can’t hold water.

14 Is Israel a slave,
a servant by birth?
If not, why then has he become prey?
15 Lions roar at him; they growl.
They destroy his land
and make his towns desolate
until nothing is left.
16 As well, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes
lay open your scalp.
17 Haven’t you brought this on yourself
by abandoning the Lord your God,
who has directed your paths?
18 So why take the path to Egypt
to drink water from the Nile?
Why travel the path to Assyria
to drink water from the Euphrates?
19 Your wrongdoing will punish you.
Your acts of unfaithfulness will find you out.
Don’t you understand how terribly bitter
it is to abandon the Lord your God
and not fear me?
declares the Lord of heavenly forces.
20 Long ago I broke your yoke;
I shattered your chains.
But even then you said, “I won’t serve you.”
On every high hill and under every lush tree,
you have acted like a prostitute.
21 Yet it was I who planted you, a precious vine of fine quality;
how could you turn into a wild vine
and become good for nothing?
22 Even though you scrub yourself with soap or strong powder,
the stain of your sin is still before me,
declares the Lord God.
23 How can you say,
“I’m not dirty;
I haven’t gone after Baals.”
Look what you have done in the valley;
consider what you have done there.
You are like a frenzied young camel,
racing around,
24 a wild donkey in the wilderness,
lustfully sniffing the wind.
Who can restrain such passion?
Those who desire her need not give up;
with little effort they will find her in heat.
25 Don’t run about until your feet are blistered
and your throat is parched.
But you say, “What’s the use?
I have fallen in love with foreign gods,
and I must pursue them.”
26 As a thief is ashamed when caught in his tracks,
so the people of Israel are ashamed—
their kings, officials, priests, and prophets—
27 when they say to a piece of wood, “You are my father,”
and to a stone, “You gave me birth.”
They have turned their backs to me
and not their faces.
Yet in their time of trouble they say,
“Arise and save us!”
28 Where are the gods
you have made for yourselves?
Let’s see if they will come through for you in your time of trouble.
You have as many gods, Judah,
as you have towns.
29 Why would you bring charges against me?
You have all rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
30 I have disciplined your children in vain;
they have rejected my correction.
You have devoured your prophets
like a hungry lion.

Footnotes:

  1. Jeremiah 1:11 Heb shaqed
  2. Jeremiah 1:12 Heb shoqed
  3. Jeremiah 2:2 Or the love of your youth
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Philippians 4

Stand firm in the Lord

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord.

Loved ones, 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to come to an agreement in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I’m also asking you, loyal friend, to help these women who have struggled together with me in the ministry of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the scroll of life.

4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.

8 From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. 9 Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.

Paul’s thanks for gifts

10 I was very glad in the Lord because now at last you have shown concern for me again. (Of course you were always concerned but had no way to show it.) 11 I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. 12 I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. 13 I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. 14 Still, you have done well to share my distress.

15 You Philippians know from the time of my first mission work in Macedonia how no church shared in supporting my ministry except you. 16 You sent contributions repeatedly to take care of my needs even while I was in Thessalonica. 17 I’m not hoping for a gift, but I am hoping for a profit that accumulates in your account. 18 I now have plenty and it is more than enough. I am full to overflowing because I received the gifts that you sent from Epaphroditus. Those gifts give off a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice that pleases God. 19 My God will meet your every need out of his riches in the glory that is found in Christ Jesus. 20 Let glory be given to God our Father forever and always. Amen.

Final greeting

21 Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters with me send you their greeting. 22 All God’s people here, especially those in Caesar’s household, send you their greeting. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 75

Psalm 75

For the music leader. Do not destroy. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

75 We give thanks to you, God. Yes, we give thanks!
Your name is near. Your marvelous deeds are declared.

2 God says,[a] “When I decide the time is right,
I will establish justice just so.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants will melt,
but I will keep its pillars steady.” Selah

4 I said to the arrogant,
“Don’t be arrogant!”
To the wicked I said,
“Don’t exalt your strength!
5 Don’t exalt your strength so highly.
Don’t speak so arrogantly against the rock.”[b]
6 Because what exalts someone
doesn’t come from the east or west;
it’s not from the south either.
7 Rather it is God who is the judge.
He brings this person down,
but that person he lifts up.
8 Indeed, there’s a cup in the Lord’s hand
full of foaming wine, mixed with spice.
He will pour it out,
and all of the earth’s wicked people
must drink it;
they must drink every last drop!

9 But I will rejoice[c] always;
I will sing praises to Jacob’s God!
10 God says:[d]
“I will demolish every bit of the wicked’s power,
but the strength of the righteous will be lifted up.”

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 75:2 Heb lacks God says.
  2. Psalm 75:5 LXX against God; MT speak with an arrogant neck
  3. Psalm 75:9 LXX; MT I will declare
  4. Psalm 75:10 Heb lacks God says.
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 24:17-20

17 When your enemies fall, don’t rejoice.
When they stumble, don’t let your heart be glad,
18 or the Lord will see it and be displeased,
and he will turn his anger from them.
19 Don’t get fighting mad at evil people;
don’t be envious of the wicked.
20 Indeed, there is no future for the evil;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Posted on

10/02/2018 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 66:1-24, Philippians 3:5-21, Psalms 74:1-23, Proverbs 24:15-16

Today is the 2nd day of October. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is always a joy to come around global campfire together and just be together and allow God’s word to wash into our lives and speak to us and reorient our hearts to God. We’re just getting going in this brand new month but we will complete a book today. And it’s been a book we’ve been in for a while. The book of Isaiah. So, we’re reading from the Common English Bible this week. Isaiah 66: 1-24.

Commentary:

Okay. Let’s talk about the book of Philippians - the letter to the Philippians today. And let’s try to focus in and get this very clear for ourselves. A lot of us are married people. And a lot of us aspire to be married people. So, if you’re married, you probably have a wedding ring and you’re probably wearing your wedding ring. So, just look at the wedding ring for a second on your hand. Is that ring your marriage? I mean, it’s not really a trick question. Is the ring your marriage? No matter how many karats of rock you have on your finger or no matter how simple it is, none of us could call our wedding ring our marriage. Instead, it’s a symbol representing the fact that we’ve entered into marriage. A symbol that we receive e during a ritualistic ceremony commonly understood as a wedding. However, those of us who are married understand that being married is quite a bit different than having a symbol wrapped around our finger, which is fundamentally Paul’s point in today’s reading and then pretty much throughout all of his ministry. The covenantal relationship that God offered his people had become empty ritual, like a ring without a marriage. The heart and soul of the relationship had become about rules. So, for Paul, obeying the rules in order to be made righteous before God had proven incomplete. Unless we assume that Paul was only half into his faith, like just sort of culturally participating in his faith, that wasn’t the case. He had obeyed the rules with all of his effort and still could not find a relationship with God in those rules. And that’s exactly what he said today. So, quoting Paul, We don’t put our confidence in rituals performed on the body, though I have good reason to have this kind of confidence. If anyone else has reason to put their confidence in physical advantages, I have even more. Then he goes down the list. I was circumcised on the eighth day. I’m from the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin. I’m a Hebrew of Hebrews. With respect to observing the law, I’m a Pharisee. With respect to devotion to the faith, I persecuted the church. With respect to righteousness under the law, I’m blameless. These things were my assets, but I wrote them off as a loss for the sake of Christ. So, Paul’s saying a lot there. He’s saying, I spent my life in utter and absolute devotion, moving on one specific path to become righteous for God and I have thrown it all out as meaningless. That’s saying a lot. Paul was convinced that only the righteous could ever hope to see God, so he applied himself to becoming righteousness through the rituals and ceremonies of his faith. Unfortunately, it didn’t make him righteous. It only revealed his inability to be righteous. Until someone fulfilled the law- Jesus. So, Paul diligently searched the Scriptures. And then through direct revelation from Jesus, Paul realized that faith started the whole story for Abraham. And God counted that faith as righteousness. And therefore, faith could make a person righteous, but obeying the rules and the rituals and the ceremonies could not. Which compelled Paul to put all his faith in Jesus, believing that God was doing a new thing in the world and bringing humanity back into full fellowship with himself through Jesus. This is such a paradigm shift. It’s like the basics of the Christian faith that we take for granted, but this is such a paradigm shift. This is so monumental that Paul was willing to consider all of his previous efforts at being righteous to be a total loss. In Paul’s own words, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him. But what I lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ and be found in him. In Christ, I have righteousness that is not my own. And it does not come from the law, but rather from the faithfulness of Christ. It is the righteousness of God that is based on faith. So, like I was saying, this is fundamental truths of the Christian faith and they permeate Paul’s writings. But, aside from the fact that there’s some repetition here, we still need the repetition because we often mistake the ring for the relationship as we strive to obey the rules so that God will notice us. So, was Paul just on this massive campaign to do away with the rules? Do the tenants of our faith have any value? Do the rules that we try to observe matter? If our salvation is a gift that we can never earn, than what’s the point in trying to live by any rule of life? Well, let’s look at our wedding ring again. Can you make your spouse love you? You cannot. It’s a gift. And since you can’t earn that gift, are you then permitted to do whatever you want to in the marriage? Well, I suppose you could do whatever you want, but it will have repercussions. You can hardly do whatever you want. The exchange of love between two people involves a lot risk and a lot of loyalty. And if the relationship’s healthy, then all of the rules become apparent. We’re not following them out of coercion, but the rules, the respect, the boundaries, they define our love. This was always Paul’s point and he was absolutely convinced that we are on a journey to wholeness and restoration through this relationship with Christ. But if we’re gonna be in love with Jesus, then we need to act like it. It’d be pretty difficult to be honestly claiming we are involved in a thriving marriage while we are betraying our spouse. It’s not that mistakes aren’t made in marriage. We all make mistakes. It’s that we’re going somewhere together and that somewhere is called union. In marriage, we two are becoming one in Christ, in the same way that each of us as individuals are becoming one with Christ. And so with that in mind, Paul gives us some language not only for how to think about our relationship with Jesus, but for that matter, how to think about our relationship with each other, our spouses. Paul said, it’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and I reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

So, Father, we thank You. We thank You for Your word and all that You are speaking to us as we move fully into this new month. And all that this touches inside of us. Yes, we have to confess that, in some ways, we have gotten the cart before the horse in the same way that the audience that Paul was speaking to had. We’ve thought if we could just get our act together and get shiny and sparkly enough, than maybe You’ll pay attention to us when it was never about the rules, but always about being in love, in covenant, in relationship, in union with You. And this is the invitation. We keep trying to clean ourselves up so that You might pay attention to us and You’re saying, I love You as You are. If You will come to me, You don’t  have to clean Yourself up. I will wash it all away. There’s nothing behind You You need to look at.  It’s only out in front of us. This vista of an eternal relationship and covenant that we get to enjoy together. So, Father this has straightened us out for right now. We can see this right this minute. But the world has a way of trying to steal it from us. So,, Holy Spirit, protect these realities. Plant them deep within our hearts and may they  yield bountiful fruit for Your kingdom. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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And as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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 my DAB family, this is Mark Street from Sydney Australia, today is Sunday the 1st October. I’m calling today…it’s a very hard call for me because I feel like…I know the enemy is getting to me. I’ve gotta be honest my family, I’ve fallen back into sexual sin but not only that __ getting into talk about other people, rumors, and I’ve been back sliding a bit this last month. and I feel like now I’m taking too much of the __ and I’ve not given back enough and I just want to…I’m using you my lovely family as an accountability partner and I want to be honest with you. Please just ask God to help me to put the…put on the armor of God each day so that I can be stronger. __ earlier this month…I don’t want to wallow in my sorrow and backslide even more, but I want to come to you to confess my sin and move forward again. And keep praying for me DAB family because I love God, I do. And it upsets me a lot that I’m back __ and I really want to keep moving forward. Thank you family. And I’m hopefully calling with better things soon. Love you all very much. Thank you. Mark Street from Sydney Australia.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family. This is Grandma Love and I want to thank Victoria Soldier for praying so verbally and vocally and worldwide for my dad and for him to feel the Spirit of the Lord around him in this important time in his life. It’s a passage we all go through. It’s also quite amazing to me how the Lord has put obstacles in my way and all kinds of diversions and I have ended up right here by his bedside taking care of him. So, __ I’m the one to  __ side. He’s somewhat neglected here at the __ a nursing home. And they have trouble feeding him, hydrating, bathing him and changing him…just cause it’s busy. So, __ the Lord has showed me that  need to be my father’s advocate during this time because he’s unable to advocate for himself __. __ wonderful blessings. And I also wanted to reach out to the lady…I can’t remember her name…that called in on the program and had just buried her dad and is going through a grief period. __ 20 people __. And just know that there’s a time and a place the Lord has placed us in, that He will direct your steps. And give yourself permission to be angry but underneath the anger is the grief, the sorrow. And, so, if anger does tend to tip over then you don’t want to feel the loss…but just remember your husband is waiting for you…

Good day all, this is Robert Learning to Serve in San Antonio Texas. I sure would like a big group hug with all of you. I’m calling to have a praise report, of course, and I should probably call the minute I after I hung up asking for your prayers my sister Jeannie. You know, in 12 years or 11 years, I guess, every time I’ve called for a prayer request it seems like it’s instantaneous, it’s just amazing. God’s gifts are just unmeasurable…and it’s just amazing. I thank you for praying for me with my rheumatoid arthritis. I’ve got my medicine back and for about the last couple weeks it was really difficult but He carried me through it and showed me what to do. And all of your prayers, everything is just…it’s…it’s all of us…it really…it’s so important and it’s so much love it can’t be measured. And I love you all so very, very much and I so appreciate you Brian, so much. You’re so awesome. Well, I’ll see you all later and thank you.

Hi this is Sonja calling from Tampa. I believe it was the September 11th podcast that spoke about putting your hope in God and in God alone for your survival. Being independent since the 15 and always working, I found the wilderness at age 32 very scary. But it was through this journey that I learned how to put my hope and trust in God for my complete survival. As a single parent with two children it was very challenging but I would not trade it for the world because it was through the wilderness that I truly learned the meaning of what it meant to trust God. I remember as if it were yesterday while I was praying the Holy Spirit kept prompting me to go to the store and I kept telling God that I did not want to waste my gas. I only had $15 in my pocket but I kept hearing that soft voice over and over so I finally gave in and drove to the store. Mind you, I’m walking around with an empty shopping cart down each aisle wondering why God prompted me to come. I finally chalk it up to a test of obedience as I get ready to head home. Then in front of me is a manager special and I’m baffled it’s $4 dollars off. That means the chicken breast would only be $0.59. I’m blown away about the price and I check with the staff and they tell me is right. I check the expiration date and load the grocery cart with 16 pounds chicken ranging from $0.39 two $0.59 a pack. I get in the car and I begin to cry and praise God for His greatness. Needless to say I blessed my mom, my neighbors, and everybody else I could think of with chicken and still have plenty in the freezer to create every chicken recipe known to man.