09/30/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 60:1-62:5, Philippians 1:27-2:18, Psalms 72:1-20, Proverbs 24:11-12

Today is the 30th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you as we cross through the center of a week together and bring to the conclusion another one of our months together. Today is the final day of the third quarter of the year. Ahh man…that’s where we are. One quarter of the year to go after this and I pray that it’s glorious in all of our lives. But let’s dive in and finish this quarter well, finish this month well. We’re reading from the Lexham English Bible this week. Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1 through 62 verse 5.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we end a month and a quarter, we find ourselves in the book of Philippians, and Paul is speaking to his readers and essentially…well…first of all, telling them what he’s told everybody in his letters, “this is all going somewhere. Everything is happening for a purpose. We are headed somewhere good.” And then he invites them to get on the same page so that they can all go where this “somewhere good” is going. And, so, he tells them, “having the same love, united in spirit, having one purpose, do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves each of you not looking out for your own interests, but also each of you for the interests of others.” And it would be easy enough for us to say, “well…I mean that’s kind of part of the Christian faith. That’s the posture. That’s…we all know that.” Well we…we have to live that though. Like, it doesn’t matter if we know it know it but don’t live it or do it. What’s the point? Well for Paul it's…it’s important to get on that same page because that’s the Jesus page. Like that’s the page we’re trying to get on. And, so, he says, “look, basically, look at Jesus. What I’m telling you is what He did. He was God”…well…I’ll just quote it…”who existing in the form of God did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped.” That right there is saying a mouthful, “but He emptied Himself by taking the form of a slave, by becoming in the likeness of people. And being found in the appearance like a man He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore”, and it’s because of this obedience that Paul is saying this, “therefore God exalted Him and graciously granted Him the name above every other name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, of those under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.” That’s where this is all going, and we go there, we follow that path, that narrow path that leads to life by becoming imitators of Christ. That’s a page we all need to be on. And Paul gives some words to what that looks like. And even as I was reading it just a minute ago, I was like, “wow, right here as we’re gonna go into the final quarter of the year, and it’s gonna be a roller coaster of a quarter of a year, it always is. It’s the fourth quarter of the year. So, it’s like major holidays like Christmas in the next quarter of the year, but there’s also domestic things here in the United States, like an election in the next quarter of the year. And that’s always fun. You know, it’s popcorn eating fun.” And, so, Paul’s words to the Philippians really ring true in the season that we are in. And, so, I quote Paul as…as we end our time together today. “Do all things without grumbling and disputing in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world, holding fast to the word of life.” I don’t know, could there be any better advice for going into this next season of our lives, this next season of the year, and this next season in the Scriptures?

Prayer:

Father we thank You. You remind us, always, You are continually bringing us back and orienting us to You and it happens almost every day because we need it. It’s crushing here in the swirl of everything that…that happens. It’s confusing here when we try to navigate on our own. It’s confusing here when we try to play by the rules of the cultures that we live in and its hard. And yet You are with us and it becomes less difficult when we step back and let go realizing You are the sovereign Lord and we are Your children and we are going somewhere good and it doesn’t matter what things look like at the moment, ultimately we are going somewhere good with You and we can access that spiritually now. We can live into that now. This isn’t something we have to wait for it’s something that we are transformed into and we are in process. And some days, we are more of a failure than a success and other days we are more of a success than a failure. And typically, that is very very much tied to how much we are paying attention, how much we are aware of Your presence and guidance in our lives. So, we confess we need You now more than we have ever needed You before and we need to pay attention and stay awake now more than we have ever had to before. You are inviting us into maturity. This…this season we’ve been in, this year that we’ve been in, it’s been a bit of a crucible, is refining us. We’re fighting to get through it as fast as we possibly can, but it is a refining time and You are purifying us and preparing us for what is yet out in front of us. And, so, we embrace that. We embrace it by stepping back, letting go of all the control mechanisms that we are trying to leverage to make life work. It just doesn’t work without You. And all we need is to be in Your presence and aware of it. And, so, that is the goal. That is the goal of this next quarter of the year, to be awake, to be alert, to stay completely aware of Your presence and Your guidance in our lives. Come Holy Spirit into that we pay. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. Of course, if you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you kind of have that in your pocket. You can find out what’s going on around here on the app as well. And one thing that I can tell you that’s going on that I can’t really tell you. What I can tell you is this. Tomorrow I’m going to tell you something that’s going on around here and I even think you might want to know about it being a community like we are and all and I can’t tell you today. I have to tell you tomorrow. It’s a very specific thing. So…so, stay tuned until tomorrow. But while you’re waiting for all of that just be aware of all the things that are available at the website – the Daily Audio Bible Shop, the different resources that are there for our journey through the Bible in a year to just…to encourage, to enlighten, to deepen, to widen and just to bring joy into the journey as we make our way through the Bible. So, check that out.

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello Daily Audio Bible family I…I’m baking birthday cakes for my two grandchildren who were born a day apart and I’m listening to the prayer line and I’m just so grateful to God for the Daily Audio Bible, for Brian Hardin, for the way that he has been obedient to God’s calling on his life and all of the support and the beauty that his wife Jill has brought into women’s lives also and China, listening as a double DABber all the wisdom that she imparts every day and just the peace and love and beauty of her life that she…she speaks about. But it’s all of the voices on this prayer line that have healed me so greatly. And I want to thank Radiant Rachel. So, I’m sitting here making these cakes and I am kind of murmuring and complaining and grumpy at my husband because we had a friend show up at the door the other night with no mask on, no call ahead. And my husband goes…he says that the door…Ken you better not have COVID and then walks right out and starts talking to him. Meanwhile I’m thinking, what is going on? But this is the way our lives show up. And, so, all night long I spent frustrated at him and now this morning we prayed, and God is going to use it to break my husband free of the need to please people. And, so, I…I know God’s greater than the COVID, but God gave us a brain to use as well. He gave us His Spirit of wisdom so we gotta be wise as well. So, thank You God for your love. Thank You, Father God for people like radiant Rachel who call up and encourage us and bless us sometimes with our own words. How humbling is that? So, thank You Lord for Your love Your mercy and Your kindness and I lift each one of us up…up and pray that You would give us that spirit of encouragement and help us speak words of life and light into each other. In Jesus’ name.

Disappointments are many and sometimes they hurt quite a lot
and with time the pain may lessen but forgotten they’re not
because they’re based on dreams and fantasies that we create in our own mind
visions of what we believe will make everything just fine
but then disappointment enters in and we get shaken to the core
A shot of reality that’s impossible to ignore
we don’t get what we wanted but we lose what we’ve gotten
either way the dream is shattered and the future starts to look rotten
but sometimes we push on any way and stubbornly persist
trying to bend realities to our wills with the strength of our own fists
refusing to submit refusing to bow refusing to even entertain the possibility that the disappointment just might be a blessing somehow
because God said that all things will work out for our good when we stay focused on him
even through disappointments when the future looks grim
and God you also said you keep in perfect peace the mind stayed on you
so help us to truly live into those words stand both faithful and true
and help us to grow to the point where we can honestly say not my will father but thy will be done
and to fully rule us and accept it that it’s you and not us that should always be number one
for you said that every knee would bow and every tongue would eventually confess that it is only your grace and mercy that allows us to be so abundantly blessed
so help us to stay humble totally trusting in you
knowing that your words are both faithful and true
so that when disappointments come as often they will
we’ll have the strength and good sense to just hold on and be still

Hey, my brothers and sisters this is the Prodigal calling in. I’d like to take this time to thank Brian and his family for all the sacrifices and everything that they’ve done to be here today. I’ve been a rodeo clown at this rodeo for 15 years now and the changes have been amazing from iTunes reviews that said he had a creepy voice to where we could be lost without his voice every day, without our shepherd. It’s him. His service crash, just amazing stuff. His initiatives, the Wind Farm Café and all that sort of stuff that many of you new people don’t know. But Brian’s been trying everything God has sent him to help grow this community and resource this community. And, so, I’m grateful to have participated along the way and made friends, virtual friends anyway, along the way. And it’s so amazing. We had people who needed kidney replacements, Robert I think is name was. We had crazy Natasha from New York. We had I remember Tony first home, Blind Tony’s first poem. I remember when Slave of Jesus showed up on the scene and remember what a powerful prayer warrior Sinner was. He disappeared again. So, come back my friend. You were in inspiration to us all. I remember Biola’s first call. The memories along the way. Going to Israel Brian. I remember his…his trip to Rwanda. I remember the…the container…the shipping container he made into a school over in Africa. Just everything. God has…has just been divinely guiding him. And, so, if it weren’t for Brian we wouldn’t be here. And if you’re here it’s because you’re meant to be here, and you’re meant to listen to Brian’s word and get out of it every day. I’ve been getting different stuff every day for 15 years. And the Bible didn’t change, I changed. And that’s a beautiful thing. So, praying for you all. Praying for Brian and his family. And thankful for, incredibly thankful for all the gifts we been given. So, pray on and warrior on and you make it a great day. God bless.

Dear God, I want to lift up those who are having anxiety. I pray for the two anonymous callers who called in from Michigan who are just anxious about what’s going on in the world right now for safety for finances for their future. I pray for Drew who put in a prayer request to be able to trust people and for healing in his ear. He’s looking to have more people in his life but he’s having trouble trusting people. So, I just pray that the anxiety will go away. I pray for James the mighty warrior from Texas who is praying to stay on the path and Pelham who is praying for strength to stay on the path. I just pray that You will lift these people up and fill them with Your Holy Spirit so that they can reflect Your grace and Your mercy and Your love in their lives. I want to pray for those who are feeling overwhelmed right now. Please help us to stay prioritized to be able to filter through to get to what really needs to be done and not to worry about the rest. That everything that needs doing will get done in Your time Lord and that if we just give it to You that You will help to keep our eyes on You and to put You first in our lives. I also pray that You will just protect us from being guided in the wrong direction through things like the media. I pray for that little girl. Her mom called in and she’s being pulled in different directions through other family members and social media. I just pray that we will be a little filter in Your name. Amen.

Hello my Daily Audio Bible family I just listened…today’s Sunday 27th of September and I just listened to a recording from Tammy and Canada. Tammy you were talking about how you couldn’t…all the sudden you can’t sleep and your mental health is…is at stake physical health is…is at stake. I just cannot begin to imagine what you’re going through because I know when I don’t sleep properly for just one night the next day I feel like a zombie. So, to imagine you’ve been going through this for over a month now its…its worrying to be honest. And I really…I pray the good Lord will lift…will hold you in his arms. I lift you up and ask the good Lord to please quiet your heart and whatever it is that is causing this to please take it away and give you peace. And, yeah, I know you’re hanging in there and I know it’s difficult but I want you to please not give up. Keep fighting because it’s a battle. Keep fighting. And if you if you do want to talk to someone you can reach me lucia_obi@hereho.co.uk and I would love to speak to you or to at least chat with you. I’m calling from the UK and I pray that the God Lord be with you. God bless you my dear.

Hello, DABbers this message is for James the mighty warrior. I heard your message this morning and it just makes me so happy to hear that there’s someone like you out there so joyful and a DABber in Texas that I never knew about. You make it feel like family James and because of you I put away my fear of calling in and just said, you know what Lord I’m gonna pray for James because you give me love for him. And, so, you asked for prayer James and I want to pray and encourage you to trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. So, it’s already answered for your brother. You are mighty warrior and I’m your sister out here in Arizona. I love you and I love you all DABbers. Bless you.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday September 30, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 60:1-62:5

Zion Glorified

60 “Arise, shine! For your light has come,
and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you.
For look! darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples,
but[a] Yahweh will rise on you,
and his glory will appear over you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the bright light of your sunrise.
Lift up your eyes all around and see!
All of them gather; they come to you.
Your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be looked after on the hip.
Then you shall see
and you shall be radiant;
and your heart shall tremble
and open itself wide,
because the abundance of the sea shall fall upon you;
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young male camels of Midian and Ephah.
All those from Sheba shall come;
they shall bring gold and frankincense,
and they shall proclaim the praise of Yahweh.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you.
They shall present a sacrifice for favor on my altar,
and I will glorify my honorable house.[b]
Who are these? They fly like a cloud,
and like doves to their coops.
Because the coastlands wait for me,
and the ships of Tarshish are first
to bring your children from afar,
their silver and gold with them,
for the name of Yahweh your God,
and for the holy one of Israel, because he has glorified you.
10 And foreigners[c] shall build your walls,
and their kings shall serve you,
for in my anger I struck you,
but[d] in my favor I have taken pity on you.
11 And your gates shall continually be open,
day and night they shall not be shut,
to bring you the wealth of nations,
and their kings shall be led.
12 For the nation and the kingdom that will not serve you shall perish,
and the nations shall be utterly devastated.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you;
the cypress, the plane, and the pine together,
to glorify the place of my sanctuary,
and I will do honor to the place of my feet.
14 And the children of those who oppressed you shall come to you bending low,
and all those who treated you disrespectfully shall bow down at the soles of your feet.
And they shall call you the city of Yahweh,
Zion of the holy one of Israel.
15 Instead of you being forsaken
and hated with no one passing through,[e]
I will make[f] you an everlasting object of pride,[g]
a joy of coming generations.[h]
16 And you shall suck the milk of nations,
and suck the breast of kings,
and you shall know that I am Yahweh your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Strong One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
and instead of iron I will bring silver,
and instead of wood, bronze,
and instead of stones, iron.
And I will appoint[i] peace as your overseer,
and righteousness as your ruling body.[j]
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land;
devastation or[k] destruction on your borders.
And you shall call your walls Salvation,
and your gates, Praise.
19 The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
and for bright light the moon shall not give you light,
but[l] Yahweh will be your everlasting light,
and your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down,
and your moon shall not wane,[m]
for Yahweh himself will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall come to an end.
21 And all your people shall be righteous;
they shall take possession of the land forever,
the shoot of his[n] planting,
the work of my hands, to show my glory.
22 The small one shall become a tribe,
and the smallest one a mighty nation.

I am Yahweh; I will hasten it in its time.”

The Year of Yahweh’s Favor

61 The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me,
because Yahweh has anointed me,
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,[o]
to proclaim[p] release to the captives
and liberation to those who are bound,
to proclaim[q] the year of Yahweh’s favor,
and our God’s day of vengeance,
to comfort all those in mourning,
to give[r] for those in mourning in Zion,
to give them a head wrap instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.
And they will be called[s] oaks of righteousness,
the planting of Yahweh, to show his glory.
And they shall build the ancient ruins,
they shall erect the former deserted places.
And they shall restore the devastated cities,[t]
the deserted places of many generations.[u]
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,[v]
and foreigners[w] shall be your farmers and vinedressers.
But[x] you shall be called the priests of Yahweh,
you will be called[y] servers of our God.
You shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and you shall boast in their riches.
Instead of your shame, a double portion,
and instead of insult, they will rejoice over their portion.
Therefore they will take a double portion in their land;
they shall possess everlasting joy.[z]
For I, Yahweh, love justice,
hate robbery and[aa] injustice,
and I will faithfully[ab] give their reward,
and I will make[ac] an everlasting covenant with[ad] them.
And their descendants[ae] will be known among the nations,
and their offspring in the midst of the peoples.
All those who see them shall recognize them,
that they are descendants[af] whom Yahweh has blessed.
10 I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh;
my being shall shout in exultation in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewelry.
11 For as the earth produces[ag] its sprout,
and as a garden makes its plants sprout,
so the Lord Yahweh will make righteousness sprout,
and praise before all the nations.

Zion’s New Identity

62 For the sake of Zion I will not be silent,
and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not maintain a quiet attitude,
until her righteousness goes out like the bright light,
and her salvation burns like a torch.
And the nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you will be called[ah] a new name
that the mouth of Yahweh will designate.
And you shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of Yahweh,
and a headband of royalty in the hand of your God.
It shall no longer be said of you, “Forsaken,”
and it shall no longer be said of your land, “Desolation!”
but you will[ai] be called “My Delight Is In Her,”
and your land, “Married,”
for Yahweh delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as is the joy of the bridegroom over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 60:2 Or “and”
  2. Isaiah 60:7 Literally “house of my honor”
  3. Isaiah 60:10 Literally “sons of a foreign country”
  4. Isaiah 60:10 Or “and”
  5. Isaiah 60:15 Or “and there is not one who passes through”
  6. Isaiah 60:15 Literally “place”
  7. Isaiah 60:15 Literally “pride”
  8. Isaiah 60:15 Literally “generation and generation”
  9. Isaiah 60:17 Literally “put”
  10. Isaiah 60:17 Literally “they who force you to work”
  11. Isaiah 60:18 Or “and”
  12. Isaiah 60:19 Or “and”
  13. Isaiah 60:20 Literally “be taken away”
  14. Isaiah 60:21 The reading tradition (Qere) has “my”
  15. Isaiah 61:1 Literally “those broken of heart”
  16. Isaiah 61:1 Literally “call”
  17. Isaiah 61:2 Literally “call”
  18. Isaiah 61:3 Literally “place”
  19. Isaiah 61:3 Literally “it will be called to them”
  20. Isaiah 61:4 Literally “cities of devastation”
  21. Isaiah 61:4 Literally “generation and generation”
  22. Isaiah 61:5 Hebrew “flock”
  23. Isaiah 61:5 Literally “sons of a foreign country”
  24. Isaiah 61:6 Or “And”
  25. Isaiah 61:6 Literally “it shall be said of you”
  26. Isaiah 61:7 Literally “possession of joy everlasting shall be for them”
  27. Isaiah 61:8 Or “in”
  28. Isaiah 61:8 Literally “in the faithfulness”
  29. Isaiah 61:8 Literally “cut”
  30. Isaiah 61:8 Literally “to”
  31. Isaiah 61:9 Hebrew “descendant”
  32. Isaiah 61:9 Hebrew “descendant”
  33. Isaiah 61:11 Literally “brings out”
  34. Isaiah 62:2 Literally “it shall be called to you”
  35. Isaiah 62:4 Literally “to you it shall”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Philippians 1:27-2:18

Stand Firm for the Gospel

27 Only lead your lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent I hear your circumstances[a], that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not letting yourselves be intimidated in anything by your opponents, which is a sign of destruction to them, but of your salvation, and this from God, 29 because to you has been graciously granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on behalf of him, 30 having the same struggle which you saw in me and now hear about in me.

Humility and Unity

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, complete my joy, so that you are in agreement[b], having the same love, united in spirit, having one purpose[c]. Do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves, each of you[d] not looking out for your own interests[e], but also each of you for the interests[f] of others.

Christ’s Humiliation and Exaltation

Think this in[g] yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped,
but emptied himself
by[h] taking the form of a slave,
by[i] becoming in the likeness of people.
And being found in appearance like a man,
he humbled himself
by[j] becoming obedient to the point of death,
that is, death on a cross.
Therefore also God exalted him
and graciously granted him the name above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Holding Fast to the Word of Life

12 Therefore my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For the one at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure, is God. 14 Do all things without grumbling and disputing, 15 in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault[k] in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,[l] 16 holding fast to the word of life, for a source of pride[m] to me in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and rejoice with all of you. 18 And in the same way also you rejoice and rejoice with me.

Footnotes:

  1. Philippians 1:27 Literally “the things concerning you”
  2. Philippians 2:2 Literally “you think the same thing
  3. Philippians 2:2 Literally “thinking the one thing
  4. Philippians 2:4 Some manuscripts have “each one of you”
  5. Philippians 2:4 Literally “the things of yourselves”
  6. Philippians 2:4 Literally “the things”
  7. Philippians 2:5 Or “among”
  8. Philippians 2:7 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“taking”) which is understood as means
  9. Philippians 2:7 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“becoming”) which is understood as means
  10. Philippians 2:8 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“becoming”) which is understood as means
  11. Philippians 2:15 Or “blameless”
  12. Philippians 2:15 Or possibly “in the universe”
  13. Philippians 2:16 Or “for a cause of boasting”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Psalm 72

A Prayer for the Prosperity of God’s Anointed King

Of Solomon.[a]

72 O God, give your judgments to the king,
and your righteousness to the king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
Let the mountains yield prosperity[b] for the people,
and the hills in righteousness.
May he provide justice for the poor of the people,
save the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
May he live long[c] while the sun endures[d]
as long as the moon[e] for all generations.[f]
May he descend like rain on mown grass,
like showers watering the earth.
May what is right blossom in his days
and an abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
And may he rule from sea up to sea,
and from the River[g] to the edges of the land.
Let the desert dwellers bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute.
Let the kings of Sheba and Seba present gifts,
11 and let all kings bow down to him.
Let all nations serve him.
12 Indeed he will deliver the needy who is crying for help,
and the afflicted who has no helper.
13 He will take pity on the helpless and needy,
and the lives of the needy he will save.
14 From oppression and from violence
he will redeem their lives,
and their blood will be precious in his eyes.
15 So may he live, and may gold from Sheba be given to him,
and may prayers be offered for him continually.
May blessings be invoked for him all day long.[h]
16 May there be an abundance of grain in the land
even on the top of the mountains.
May his crop[i] sway like the trees of Lebanon,
and may those from the city blossom like the grass of the earth.
17 May his name endure forever.
May his name increase as long as the sun shines,[j]
and let them be blessed in him.
Let all nations call him blessed.
18 Blessed be Yahweh God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful things.
19 And blessed be his glorious name forever,
and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are completed.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 72:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 72:3 Or “peace”
  3. Psalm 72:5 This presupposes the reading, suggested by the LXX, that might indicate that two of the Hebrew root letters have been inverted. The Hebrew reads “They will/Let them fear”
  4. Psalm 72:5 Literally “with the sun”
  5. Psalm 72:5 Literally “in the presence of the moon”
  6. Psalm 72:5 Literally “generation of generations”
  7. Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
  8. Psalm 72:15 Literally “all the day”
  9. Psalm 72:16 Or “May his descendants”
  10. Psalm 72:17 Literally “in the presence of the sun”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Proverbs 24:11-12

11 Rescue those who are led away to the death
and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back,
12 if you say, “Look, we do not know this,”
does not he who weighs hearts perceive it?
And he who keeps your soul,[a]
he knows and will repay humankind according to his deeds.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 24:12 Or “life,” or “inner self”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

09/29/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 57:15-59:21, Philippians 1:1-26, Psalms 71:1-24, Proverbs 24:9-10

Today is the 29th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we continue the journey, the voyage that we embarked on so many days ago, 200…I don’t know…270 something days ago we started our journey and here we are moving forward through one of the strangest years we’ve ever experienced in the rhythm of the Scriptures and our lives. It’s been such a gift to have in our lives. It’s been such a gift to have each other to take this journey with. So, we’re reading from the Lexham English Bible this week and we’ll pick up where we left off in Isaiah. And then when we get to the New Testament, we’ve got a new letter from the apostle Paul. It’s known as Philippians and we’ll talk about that when we get there. But first Isaiah chapter 57 verse 15 through 59 verse 21.

Introduction to the book of Philippians:

Okay. This leads us to the letter to the Philippians, although of note…and I don’t usually like talk right here in the middle but the we see yesterday we…we read as we were closing, Ephesians about putting on the whole armor of God and we see the inspiration for this in Isaiah today. But anyway, let’s move forward. Philippians. So, there’s…there’s very little debate among biblical scholars about whether Paul wrote Philippians, and there’s really not a lot of debate about sort of the circumstances behind Philippians, what ill Paul’s circumstances where. He was incarcerated. He was in Rome. He had appealed to the Emperor and he was awaiting trial. So, as Paul writes this, he is imprisoned. And the letters that he writes from…from…from incarceration are known as his prison letters, right, his prison epistles. We should also note that Philippians, as well as all of Paul’s letters, that these are some of the earliest, and in some cases, the earliest Christian writings, documents, that still exist. So, this letter that we’re going to read, even though we’re well into our year, this letter is earlier than the New Testament for sure. It became part of the New Testament. But there was no New Testament for this letter to be added to. This is a letter that predates the Gospels, predates the book of Acts. All of that stuff came a little later. And, so, this letter is roughly, couple, three decades after the life of Jesus, His earthly life and ministry. And Philippi itself, this is a Roman colony in the region of Macedonia, which is northern Greece today. And it was a prosperous city but the church that was founded there, they weren’t particularly powerful or wealthy or influential. What we’ll find is that they are rich in love and their rich in their concern about Paul who had come to them and brought the Good News. And, so, part of Paul writing this letter is just to encourage them and thank them because they’ve encouraged him. So, basically when the church in Philippi found out that Paul was in prison they sent a man named Epaphroditus, who was part of their congregation, to Rome to bring…to bring a gift, but also to bring the gift of love, like to lift his spirits and to find out how he’s doing and to bring word back. And of course, Paul being imprisoned in Rome, receiving a visitor, like a friendly face, you can only imagine the joy and the comfort and peace that that would bring. And, so, Epaphroditus stays with Paul while he’s in prison kind of trying to help care for his needs and just…just be there for him. But while he was in Rome with Paul, he became deathly ill and in fact, we’ll find out in the letter, like nearly died. And, so, when he recovered and was restored to health Paul was…was determined to send back Philippi and he carried this letter back to Philippi with him. And it shares of the circumstances and it’s meant to be…it’s meant to be encouraging. It…it’s meant to lift up those that read it. And as we’ve mentioned before, these letters, these letters…like we’re actually reading these letters as they were originally read. They weren’t silently read. Like you didn’t go to church, and you know to congregation one day and there are Xerox copies of a letter that had just come in and everybody gets a copy and then they just sit there and silently read. That’s not how letters worked. So, the letter would’ve been recited. It would have been read aloud before the congregation as if the reader were Paul. And in some of Paul’s letters, we even hear him saying, “although I’m not with you present…like I’m not physically with you, I’m with you in Spirit.” Those are in the letters, and those are supposed to be read aloud, like “I’m with you in spirit” that people took that to heart. Not literally like there’s some kind of a metaphysical thing going on here. More like the spirit of Paul, like what Paul is trying to convey, somebody else’s voice is being used but these are the words that are actually being said. The spirit of what’s being said is from the spirit of Paul. And what we see that he’s trying to convey, like what his spirit is trying to say to them is encouraging, is to lift them. Even though he’s in chains, even though persecution and marginalization is beginning to occur he wants to talk about the joy of salvation. And we’ll see that he wants to talk about perseverance, which we won’t be able to escape as we move forward. The idea of endurance as a necessary component of the Christian life is impossible to avoid as we move forward into the New Testament. So, like it's…it’s been crazy out there. Like I know you guys have noticed. It’s been a crazy year. It’s been crazy. And it’s still kind of crazy…like it’s still crazy if we’re just being honest. This has been a very disruptive year. Just a lot of uncertainty and a lot of divisiveness. And that’s only gonna amp up here, especially in the United States since we have an election year. So, it is kind of a crazy year with a lot of disruption. And, so, Philippians kind of comes in right now when we need it most, with joy and encouragement, I mean, with lots of things, but fundamentally, with words of encouragement and perseverance. And, so, we begin. Philippians, chapter 1.

Prayer:

Father we thank You for Your word. We love You Lord. We just…we’re continually thanking You for the gift of each other and the gift of Your word and we are grateful every day, but we worship You. We just take a moment to worship You. And it’s because of who You are, but the benefits that are bestowed upon us that we cannot get any other way that are just gifted to us when we reach out to You in faith, is unspeakable. It’s good news. And, so, we are grateful. We love You and we thank You. And as we move through Philippians, we invite Your Holy Spirit to bring words of encouragement into a very discouraging time. Come Holy Spirit and lead and guide us. May we put on the full armor on a daily basis knowing that we are equipped, that nothing can get to us, nothing can get to our spirits to destroy the union that we have with You, nothing can access that spot, that place unless we allow it. And we don’t. We declare it. Nothing is getting between You and us. You have never left. You have always, always been there for us. We confess we have come and gone more times than we could possibly count. But there’s nothing getting between us now. We need You now more than ever and we thank You for the opportunity for…for the odd circumstances that surround us to make us aware of our utter dependence upon You. And, so, we rest in that. We get to depend on You. We are fortunate. We have a rock and a redeemer. And, so, we rest in You. Lead us forward we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it’s where the Global Campfire is, it's…it’s where we gather, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here, its where we get connected. So, let’s do just that and stay connected on our journey as we continue forward.

The Community section will be a great place to start. That’s where the Prayer Wall is and different links to different social media channels that we are on. So, check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, first of all. Thank you, humbly and gratefully. This mission that we started so long ago to bring the spoken word of God read fresh every day for anybody who would listen to it has grown into this community that we now have and the Global Campfire that we come around every day and that has happened because we’ve done this together. And, so, thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if you prefer, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good morning DABbers today is Friday, September 25th this is Lelah from Virginia. I’m a 9 or 10 year listener but first-time caller. I don’t often listen to the prayer requests but this morning I did, and I know God kept me on the program to hear the heart of Denise from North Carolina. Denise I too am in a 3- year marriage with no intimacy. I suffer greatly as you are suffering now, longing for connection to the one I love. Being lonely in a house full of people is so a very hard to endure. I am praying for you sister. Praying that your heart would be totally enveloped with the love of God for you, praying that you would not be jealous of your friends who have these seemingly perfect soulmates as spouses. My ability to endure and have peace about the situation came when I recognized that my desire for my marriage to be more had become an idol to me. I desired that more than I want to God. I was able to let it go and became satisfied with the companionship. It’s still not easy but it’s so much less painful. I’m praying for peace for you. The situation may never change but God will never change, and He loves you. Sink into His love dear sister. Cry in His arms. He is there for you. You are not alone. You have never been alone. I love you. I love all of you DABbers. Thank you for being such an important part of my life. Thank you, Jill, Brian, China and the rest of your family. May God bless you all richly. Thank you.

Good morning fellow DABbers Joe the protector from Georgia it’s Friday, Friday, September 25th 7:54 in the morning. Just got finished listening to the DAB and I heard Pelham from Alabama call in and state how he wanted to start a new…a new part of his life by calling in for others and encouraging them. And, I don’t that is much as I need to or should. But Terry the trucker did call in the other day. Terry you’ve been a part of this community for a while and we should all be encouraging you. But I can remember just a couple years ago you called in when you had your accident. And brother, you know, I know you’re away from your family do to the COVID but you’ve been through worse, you know. If I remember correctly, you told us that…that you almost or could have died from that accident and you went down an embankment if I recall correctly. So, you know, you’ve been through a lot and the Lord’s still with you. He hasn’t a left you. And just consult Him as we all know we should at all times. Alright fellow DABbers you all have a blessed and wonderful day. See y’all.

Hi Daily Audio Bible family this is Preston from Sunnyvale California today is September 25th. I want to lift up today the people of Dubai or at least the people working there. Seems like we’ve been getting a few prayer requests from different people whose job situations seem to be in somewhat a challenging situation. So, I’d like to pray for them. Dear Father, we thank You for those of us who are called to work in foreign countries. We thank You for those of us who make the choice to live and work in places that are not their home. Father we love You and we thank You for calling us to…to…to be in those places Father. We ask that for those individuals who have called in, that You would make their work situations viable, that You would make those work situations…just smooth out those paths where they are crooked and make it so that they can continue to live and work and prosper in where they are. Father we love You and we thank You for sending Your son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. We thank You that You sent the Holy Spirit to be our helper in these difficult times and we just ask that Your Holy Spirit make…make Dubai a hospitable place for these individuals who have called in. In Your precious name Jesus.

Hello, I just want to ask everybody to pray with me for Denise who called in from the Carolinas seeking intimacy with her husband. And Father we lift up Denise to You and her husband and we ask Lord that You would bless them with a battery relationship Lord God. We ask Lord God that by Your Holy Spirit You would move in each one of their lives and bring them together, knit their hearts together, knit their love life together Lord and bless them and their marriage Father in the name of Jesus. Denise is a believer looking to You and crying out to You and we thank You Father for moving in that situation in Jesus’ name. And if it would be good for them to go to counseling Lord God we ask that You would put that desire in their heart and lead them and guide them and direct them to a good godly counselor and we thank You for doing that Father. Thank You for Denise. Thank You Lord that everything is important to You, every need we have is important to You and that is an important thing that she is believing for You to work in. And we thank You for doing that work, for Your glory in the name of Jesus.

Well hello again fellow DABbers this is James the Mighty Warrior. I called in a couple of days ago. I really just was more or less edifying, exhorting the DABbers and expressing my regards for this….for this…for this family but I do have something to pray about this time and I’d like for you guys to pray with me. Actually, my wife and I, we’ve been separated for about two years and I hadn’t heard or seen her but maybe once or twice since then and it was very, very brief. But I called a friend of mine today and he told me that she had called his wife and explained to her that she had met some guy from O wherever and she’s going to be get married and she’s going to be filing for a divorce and all of that kind of stuff. But it’s so…it’s like a coincidence because over the last three weeks I’ve been dreaming about her, seeing her in visions and things like that. And, so, the Lord laid on my heart to fast and pray for her today and I did and I got on messenger and I hadn’t heard from my friend in a long time but anyway he told me that, you know, what had transpired. She had talked to his wife and she told em that we’re getting divorced and all this. So, guys, I just ask you all the pray for me, with me, that we could get the mind of God on this thing. I really don’t want a divorce even though we haven’t been around each other in about two years because I just don’t want another divorce, you know, for whatever reason. And I believe God is into reconciliation…

Hello this is the first time I’ve ever called. I’m Melissa from Louisiana. I was calling…I wanted to pray…I have a prayer request of my own. I’ve had multiple eye diseases for the last 20 years. About 18, 19 surgeries in both eyes. Last month I had a macular hole repair in the left eye but the doctor says that the right eye his family, my pressures a 4. It’s because the capillaries keep bleeding into the eye and it’s…it’s been inflamed for 10 years. I’ve been using steroids and it is not responding to the steroids. So, the inflammations causing everything from the macular…the eye is failing. So, I just…I believe in the Lord and I need everybody’s faith to help carry me to a miracle. I am believing for an absolute miracle, that the Lord will heal my eyes so I can see out of this eye, so it doesn’t hurt when I blink or move from left to right. So, there’s just a lot of pain and issues in this right eye and I just pray for a miracle in Jesus’ name. Thank you, DABbers.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday September 29, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 57:15-59:21

15 For thus says the high and lofty one who resides forever, and whose name is holy:

“I reside in a high and holy place,
and with the contrite[a] and humble of spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.[b]
16 For I will not attack forever,
and I will not be angry forever,
for the spirit will grow faint before me,
and the breaths that I myself I have made.
17 I was angry because of his sin of gain, and I struck him;
I hid and I was angry, but[c] he walked apostate, in the ways[d] of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but[e] I will heal him;
and I will lead him and give him and his mourners comfort as a recompense,
19 creating fruit of lips.
Peace, peace to the far and near,” says Yahweh, “and I will heal him.
20 But[f] the wicked are like the churning sea,
that is not able to keep quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and mud.
21 There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

True Fasts and Sabbaths

58 “Call with the throat; you must not keep back!
lift up your voice like a trumpet,
and declare[g] to my people their rebellion,
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet[h] they seek me day by day,
and they desire the knowledge of my ways
like a nation that practiced[i] righteousness,
and had not forsaken the judgment of its God;
they ask me for righteous judgments,[j]
they desire the closeness of God.
‘Why do we fast, and you do not see it?
We humiliate our soul, and you do not notice it?’
Look! You find delight on the day of your fast,
and you oppress all your workers!
Look! You fast to quarrel and strife,
and to strike with a wicked fist.[k]
You shall not fast as you do today,[l]
to make your voice heard[m] on the height.
Is the fast I choose like this,
a day for humankind to humiliate himself[n]?
To bow his head like a reed,
and make[o] his bed on sackcloth and ashes;
you call this a fast
and a day of pleasure to Yahweh?
Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
and to let the oppressed go free,
and tear[p] every yoke to pieces?
Is it not to break your bread for the hungry?
You must bring home[q] the poor, the homeless.
When you see the naked, you must cover him,
and you must not hide yourself from your relatives.[r]
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall grow quickly.
And your salvation shall go before you;
the glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and Yahweh himself will answer.
You shall cry for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am!’
If you remove from among you the yoke,
the finger-pointing[s] and evil speech,[t]
10 if[u] you offer your soul to the hungry,
and you satisfy the appetite of the afflicted,
then[v] your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your darkness will be like noon.
11 And Yahweh will lead you continually, and satisfy your soul in a barren land,
and he will strengthen your bones,
and you shall be like a well-watered garden,
and like a spring of water whose water does not fail.
12 And they shall rebuild ancient ruins from you;
you shall erect the foundations of many generations,[w]
and you shall be called[x] the bricklayer of the breach,
the restorer of paths to live in.
13 If you hold your foot back from the Sabbath,
from doing your affairs on my holy day,[y]
if[z] you call the Sabbath a pleasure,
the holy day of Yahweh honorable,
if[aa] you honor him more than[ab] doing your ways,
than finding your affairs[ac] and speaking a word,
14 then you shall take your pleasure in[ad] Yahweh,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth,
and I will feed you the heritage of Jacob your ancestor,[ae]

for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”

Rampant Transgression

59 Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short to save,[af]
and his ear is not too dull to hear.[ag]
Rather, your iniquities have been barriers[ah] between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.
For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity.
Your lips have spoken lies,
your tongue speaks wickedness.
There is nobody who pleads with[ai] justice,
and there is nobody who judges with honesty.
They rely on nothing
and speak vanity.
They conceive trouble
and beget iniquity;
they hatch viper eggs,
and they weave a spider web.
One who eats their eggs dies,
and that which is pressed is hatched as a serpent.
Their webs cannot become clothing,
and they cannot cover themselves with their works.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds[aj] of violence are in their hands.
Their feet run to evil,
and they hasten to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
devastation and destruction are in their highways.
They do not know the way of peace,
and there is no justice in their firm paths.
They have made their paths crooked for themselves;
everyone who walks[ak] in it knows no peace.
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We wait for light, but[al] look! there is darkness;
for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10 We grope like the blind along a wall,
and we grope as without[am] eyes.
We stumble at noon as in the twilight;
among the strong we are like the dead.
11 We all groan like bears,
and we coo mutteringly like doves.
We wait for justice, but[an] there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are numerous before you,
and our sins testify[ao] against us.
Indeed, our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing and denying Yahweh,
and turning away from following[ap] our God;
speaking oppression and falsehood,
conceiving and uttering words of deception from the heart.
14 And justice is pushed back,
and righteousness stands afar;
for truth stumbles in the public square,
and straightforwardness is unable to enter,
15 and truth is missing,
and he who turns aside from evil is plundered.
And Yahweh saw,
and it was displeasing in his eyes that there was no justice
16 And he saw that there was no man,
and he was appalled that there was no one who intercedes,
so[aq] his arm came to assist him,
and his righteousness was what[ar] sustained him.
17 And he put on righteousness like a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head,
and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and he wrapped himself in zeal as in a robe.
18 According to deeds, so he will repay;
wrath to his enemies, requital to those who are his enemies.[as]
He will repay requital to the coastlands.
19 So[at] they shall fear the name of Yahweh from the west,
and his glory from the sunrise,
for he will come like a narrow stream;
the wind of Yahweh drives it on.
20 “And a redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn away from transgression,”

declares[au] Yahweh.

21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says Yahweh:

my spirit that is upon you,
and my words that I have placed in your mouth
shall not depart from your mouth,
or[av] from the mouths[aw] of your children,[ax]
or[ay] from the mouths[az] of your children’s children,”[ba]
says Yahweh, “from now on and forever.”

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 57:15 Literally “crushed”
  2. Isaiah 57:15 Literally “crushed”
  3. Isaiah 57:17 Or “and”
  4. Isaiah 57:17 Hebrew “way”
  5. Isaiah 57:18 Or “and”
  6. Isaiah 57:20 Or “And”
  7. Isaiah 58:1 Or “announce”
  8. Isaiah 58:2 Or “And”
  9. Isaiah 58:2 Literally “did”
  10. Isaiah 58:2 Literally “judgments of righteousness”
  11. Isaiah 58:4 Literally “fist of wickedness”
  12. Isaiah 58:4 Literally “the day”
  13. Isaiah 58:4 Literally “cause to hear your voice”
  14. Isaiah 58:5 Literally “his soul”
  15. Isaiah 58:5 Literally “he makes”
  16. Isaiah 58:6 Literally “you must tear”
  17. Isaiah 58:7 Literally “a house”
  18. Isaiah 58:7 Literally “flesh”
  19. Isaiah 58:9 Literally “stretching out of the finger”
  20. Isaiah 58:9 Literally “the speaking of evil”
  21. Isaiah 58:10 Or “and”
  22. Isaiah 58:10 Or “and”
  23. Isaiah 58:12 Literally “generation and generation”
  24. Isaiah 58:12 Literally “shall be called to you”
  25. Isaiah 58:13 Literally “the day of my holiness”
  26. Isaiah 58:13 Or “and”
  27. Isaiah 58:13 Literally “and”
  28. Isaiah 58:13 Literally “from”
  29. Isaiah 58:13 Hebrew “affair”
  30. Isaiah 58:14 Or “on”
  31. Isaiah 58:14 Or “father”
  32. Isaiah 59:1 Literally “from saving”
  33. Isaiah 59:1 Literally “from hearing”
  34. Isaiah 59:2 Literally “dividers”
  35. Isaiah 59:4 Literally “calling in”
  36. Isaiah 59:6 Hebrew “deed”
  37. Isaiah 59:8 Literally “walking”
  38. Isaiah 59:9 Or “and”
  39. Isaiah 59:10 Literally “like there are no”
  40. Isaiah 59:11 Or “and”
  41. Isaiah 59:12 Or “answers”
  42. Isaiah 59:13 Literally “back from behind”
  43. Isaiah 59:16 Or “and”
  44. Isaiah 59:16 Literally “it”
  45. Isaiah 59:18 Literally “hostile”
  46. Isaiah 59:19 Or “And”
  47. Isaiah 59:20 Literally “declaration of”
  48. Isaiah 59:21 Or “and”
  49. Isaiah 59:21 Hebrew “mouth”
  50. Isaiah 59:21 Literally “offspring”
  51. Isaiah 59:21 Or “and”
  52. Isaiah 59:21 Hebrew “mouth”
  53. Isaiah 59:21 Literally “the offspring of your offspring”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Philippians 1:1-26

Greeting

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

I give thanks to my God upon my every remembrance of you,[a] always in my every prayer for all of you, making the prayer with joy, because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now, convinced of this same thing, that the one who began a good work in you will finish it[b] until the day of Christ Jesus, just as it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since[c] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you are sharers of grace with me. For God is my witness, that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Prayer for Spiritual Maturity

And this I pray: that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is superior, in order that you may be sincere and blameless in[d] the day of Christ, 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

The Progress of the Gospel

12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances[e] have happened instead for the progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in Christ has become known in the whole praetorium[f] and to all the rest, 14 and most of the brothers, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, dare even more to speak the word without fear. 15 Some even because of envy and strife preach Christ, but some also because of good will. 16 The latter do so from love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction in my imprisonment. 18 What is the result?[g] Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. But also I will rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out to me for deliverance through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my eager expectation and hope, that I will be put to shame in nothing, but with all boldness, even now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether through life or through death. 21 For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if it is to live in the flesh, this is fruitful work for me, and which I will prefer I do not know. 23 But I am hard pressed between the two options[h], having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, for this is very much better[i]. 24 But to stay on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 And because I am[j] convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that what you can be proud of may increase in Christ Jesus because of me through my return again to you.

Footnotes:

  1. Philippians 1:3 Or “upon your every remembrance of me
  2. Philippians 1:6 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  3. Philippians 1:7 Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as causal
  4. Philippians 1:10 Or “for,” or “until”
  5. Philippians 1:12 Literally “the things with me”
  6. Philippians 1:13 Or “praetorian guard,” or “imperial guard”
  7. Philippians 1:18 Literally “for what”
  8. Philippians 1:23 Literally “by the two”
  9. Philippians 1:23 Literally “for this is more better by much”
  10. Philippians 1:25 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“convinced”) which is understood as causal
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Psalm 71

A Prayer to God the Rock of Refuge

71 In you, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.
Be for me a rock of refuge to resort to always;
you have ordained[a] to save me,
because you are my rock and my fortress.
My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp[b] of the evildoer and the oppressor,
because you are my hope,
O Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from birth.[c]
It was you who took[d] me from the womb of my mother.
My praise is of you continually.
I have become a wonder to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
with your glory all the day.
Do not cast me away in the time of old age;
when my strength fails do not abandon me.
10 For my enemies talk concerning me,
and those who watch for my life conspire together,
11 saying, “His God has abandoned him.
Pursue and seize him, because there is no deliverer.”
12 O God, do not be far from me.
My God, hurry to help me.
13 Let them be ashamed; let them perish
who are my adversaries.[e]
Let them wrap themselves with scorn and disgrace
who seek my harm.
14 But as for me, I will hope continually
and increase your praise.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
your salvation all day long,[f]
though I do not know the full sum of them.
16 I will come in to tell the mighty deeds of Lord Yahweh.
I will make known[g] your righteousness, yours only.
17 O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and up to now I have proclaimed your wonderful deeds.
18 And even when I am old and gray,
O God, do not abandon me
until I proclaim your strength[h] to this generation,
your power to every one that comes after.
19 And your righteousness, O God, is to the height of heaven.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20 You who have caused me[i] to see many troubles and evils,
you will again revive me.[j]
And from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my greatness,
and you will comfort me all around.[k]
22 On my part, I will praise you with a stringed instrument,
and your faithfulness, O my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will sing for joy when I sing praises to you,
and my soul, which you have redeemed.
24 My tongue also
will speak of your righteousness all the day,
because they have been put to shame, because they have been humiliated
who seek my harm.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 71:3 Or “commanded”
  2. Psalm 71:4 Literally “palm”
  3. Psalm 71:6 Literally “from the belly”
  4. Psalm 71:6 Literally “cut,” that is, the umbilical cord
  5. Psalm 71:13 Literally “adversaries of my soul”
  6. Psalm 71:15 Literally “all the day”
  7. Psalm 71:16 Literally “bring to remembrance”
  8. Psalm 71:18 Literally “arm”
  9. Psalm 71:20 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  10. Psalm 71:20 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  11. Psalm 71:21 A slightly different vocalization yields, “… comfort me again”; compare the LXX.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Proverbs 24:9-10

Devising folly is a sin,
and an abomination to humankind is a scoffer.
10 If you faint on the day of adversity,
little is your strength.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

09/28/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 54:1-57:14, Ephesians 6:1-24, Psalms 70:1-5, Proverbs 24:8

Today is the 28th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we…as we move into our work week and work our way through the final days of this month. We’re reading from the Lexham English Bible this week and we’ll do what we do every day, we’ll pick up where we left off. In the Old Testament, that would be Isaiah chapter 54 verse 1 through 57 verse 14 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, we’ve been working our way through the letter to the Ephesians and today we concluded the letter to the Ephesians. And some…some of the more famous passages in all of the New Testament are in the letter to the Ephesians. And we’ve examined some of that as we’ve taken the journey. But as we concluded today again, some very, very famous stuff gets said. Like, even in closing, this letter packs a punch. It’s…it’s just like, if we would slow down and ponder, then it's…it’s less of a cliché or less of just a famous verse pulled out of context or a famous set of verses out of context that we just keep saying over and over and over again, but they’re not rooted in the rest of the letter in the sentences that are  around them and the thing that’s being talked about. So, let’s look at it for a second. So, quoting from Ephesians. “Finally”, which is a way of like saying in conclusion, “become strong in the Lord and in the mind of his strength.” Like, that’s just one sentence. But if we slow down and ponder that, it’s like, “yeah” we might have heard this a thousand times, which is why it doesn’t have the effect that maybe it should sometimes. “Become strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength.” We’re talking about God and the might of God’s strength. Just to become aware that this is even a possibility should blow our minds. “Become strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil”, right? The strategies. “Because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.” Okay, so, the letter to the Ephesians has just given us a context and orientation to…to life…like what’s going on, but how much of our daily lives are we even aware of what the Bible just said? And if this letter is correct and true in what it’s telling us then it explains an awful lot about the confusion we face daily trying to figure out what in the world is going on, right…right? If we are not fighting against enemies that have flesh and blood then why are they…those the only battles that we fight? Like, why are those the only battles that we usually engage in? If there really is a spiritual realm and this spiritual…which we believe…but this spiritual realm then has influence and impact on the way we live our lives in this world. Well, if that’s not even a category, if we’re not even considering that this is a possibility well…well…well then, we have a veil. Remember when we talked about veils back in second Corinthians then we’re not seeing clearly. And when we’re not seeing clearly that brings confusion. And is it any wonder? Of course, it’s easy enough to go to the other extreme. And, you know, look for the devil underneath every rock, blame the principalities, the dark lords for making us oversleep and being late to work and getting yelled at today. Like, you can take it to the other extreme, which leads us to the awareness of what we have been aware of all along. There is no way to navigate this life without the Spirit of God’s presence, without the Holy Spirit’s guidance that is always with us, that will always lead us on the path of wisdom. Wisdom will be at every fork in the road saying, “this is the way, walk-in it.” Like, this is what the Bible has been teaching us all year. We can’t do this without God. We can try to do it in our head. We can’t contain God in our head, and we cannot figure out every problem of life in our head. We can just try to engage with our senses. It is not enough. We can go far off the deep end spirit…in spirituality. It is not enough. Only God, only the Holy Spirit of God that is within us can help us to navigate any aspect of our lives. And we can think, “Okay, you know, I…I get it. Like I get what’s being said here. I even believe this is the truth but it’s hard to know like how you…how you do this. How you continually listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit in every encounter, in every engagement, in every decision, and every everything and while the world is flying at us a million miles an hour, while everything around us is pressing in and demanding our focus and our attention. Like, how do you do it? Just because the Scriptures have made us aware, how do we live into this? The letter gives us some answers on that. We have been given resources for this. It’s called the armor of God. So…so, nobody is going to go to work naked today, right, probably? Like nobody is gonna get out of the shower and then just grab the keys jump in the car and drive to the office, righjt? Nobody’s gonna be pumping gas naked today or going to the grocery store naked and probably nobody’s gonna really be walking around their house for very long naked today. We don’t usually walk around naked. But why are we walking around naked spiritually so often? Why…why do we go out the door spiritually naked and then try to take on the day only to get crushed by the day? Because we’re walking around naked. There’s armor that has been given to us. According to this letter. And it begins with the belt of truth. That holds the rest of the armor together. So, if we’re gonna put on the belt of truth and then take it off the second we get out into the wild and we’re gonna deceptive and we’re gonna be deeply nuanced in that we do, well then nothing else is going to be held together. If we’re not gonna walk in truth, then it’s all gonna fall apart. Once we’ve got the belt of truth on, we have this breastplate. We have body armor, the breastplate of righteousness. And we’ve learned over and over and over and over and over in the Bible, we can’t earn our righteousness. This isn’t our breastplate. This is the righteousness of God and it covers our hearts when we walk out into the wild. And we’ve been given shoes, right, to walk around in. This is the awareness that peace is available. The good news of peace is available in every step we take. These are our shoes. Every step that we take makes us aware of the good news of peace, that everything around us because we are there, has the potential for the good news of peace. And we have the shield of faith that extinguishes the stuff that’s flying at us continually. Nothing can penetrate the shield of faith. We can drop the shield and get taken out. We can lay the shield down and get taken out. Nothing can penetrate the shield of faith if we’re holding it up, if we’re suited up. And our helmet is salvation, the awareness that nothing can take us from the presence of God. Nothing can take us from His hand. We are safe. We are saved. Salvation has come and been bestowed upon us. This protects our minds. And the attacks so much are on our minds trying to lead us into the darkest of dark places. But when we realize, “wait a second, I’m safe. Like none of these bunny trails I’m going down, all these fears and worries, all the existential angst even, like if I’m wearing the helmet of salvation, I become aware that I am safe in all of it, in all of the things that come against me and all of the things that I think about. I’m safe. I have a home base to return to.” And, so, we’re protected. That’s the point. That’s the point being made here, is that if we become aware of what has been bestowed upon us, we can navigate in this world understanding that we are protected. But it’s not just defensive. It’s not just like, “okay I’ve got my armor on.” We’ve also been given the sword of the Spirit, which is an offensive weapon. Like, we just don’t have to take it. We have a way to fight back. We have the sword of the Spirit, which, according to the letter here is the word of God, which, like we might think, “well…you know I’ve been reading the Bible, I’ve been listening to the Bible every day so I guess O got the sword. I guess when I read…when I listen to the Bible then I’m swinging the sword at the devil and he’s afraid. And I’m just swinging it in circles and all these bad principalities are staying away from me. But again, as we’ve talked many times, it’s not just about hearing. Like, it’s not just about hearing all this stuff, it’s about living into it. As we will learn later, you can’t just be a hearer you’ve got to be a doer of the word of God. God spoke about His word in Isaiah today in our reading. He said that it will accomplish whatever He sends it to do and it will succeed wherever it is sent. Like, that’s the power that that’s at our side, that we can draw out, that we can wield. And then last, we’re to pray in the Spirit at all times. Like…like what’s being said here isn’t that we just ignore everything else that’s going on around us, ignore everybody else that’s going on around us because we’re continually talking to God, we’re…we’re praying in the Spirit. What’s being said here is that the connection, the ongoing conversation never ends. It’s always available. It’s always on. It’s never off. And when we develop the gifts that have been given to us to where spiritually we understand that we are in constant contact with God. There is nowhere we can run from His Spirit. I think what we’re seeing here as we close Ephesians, if you’ve ever wondered how the Savior navigated life on planet Earth, this is how He did it. He may have used different terminology to describe it. He may…may not have described it as armor, I don’t know. But this is how He operated. This is what is available to us. Because of Christ nothing that He had has been withheld from us. We have everything He had. It’s just a matter of whether or not we are aware and paying attention and doing all that we can to live into this.

Prayer:

Father, that is our desire - to be fully mature, to be fully suited up and strong. Not so that we can just make it through another day. That’s never been the point. So, that we can be the light in the darkness. So, that we can be a part of Your ongoing work of reclaiming this world. We are a part of that story and You have given us what we need. We live so often as if we are lacking something. But You have given us all that we need. May we become aware. Once again, may we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Come Holy Spirit, lead us today. May we be in continual conversation with You today. May we always be aware of Your presence in our lives. May we not move in any direction without considering where You are leading. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base and that’s home of the Global Campfire. And, so, be aware of that. And I don’t know how you could not be because I say it every day. But I do that for reason. It’s one of the ways we stay connected to each other. So, as I say often, the Community section, that's…there’s links to all the different places that we are on social media, but it’s also the home of the Prayer Wall.

And then also the…the Daily Audio Bible Shop. It's…it’s there stalked with resources that are for our journey together. So, certainly, check it out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if the mission that we share in common to bring the spoken word of God to anyone who will listen to it anywhere on this planet any time of day or night and to build community around that rhythm so that we’re not taking this journey alone. It’s a solitary endeavor. And when we take a journey through the Bible together, we realize we’re taking a journey through way more than a book…way more than a book. We are taking a journey through the Bible together but we’re taking a journey of life together in community and that makes a difference, a huge one. So, if that matters to you, if that has brought life to you, then I humbly thank for those who have partnered and will partner with the Daily Audio Bible. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that’s your preference, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, there are a number of ways to reach out. You can hit the Hotline button in the app, the little red button at the top, which is probably the easiest way or there are some numbers you can call depending on where you are. If you’re in the Americas 877-942-4253 is the number. If you’re in the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078 is the number to dial. And if you are in Australia or that part of the world 61-3-8820-5459 is the number.

And that’s it for today. What a day. May the Lord bless and keep you. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey, everyone it’s Margo here from Australia/Liberia/UK. I don’t know where I’m from but right now what I do know is that I’m in Australia. So, we made it. I can’t really even believe it. Thank you for praying. Thank you to His Little Cherry that God would just flick us with His little pinky finger over to Australia. And that is exactly what He did. We got bumped off three times and managed to get on our fourth flight. Some people have been bumped off 10 times. So, it just really feels like this is a miracle. So we’re in another state to our home state but that’s fine. We’ll do our quarantine here. I was nervous about we have mandatory two weeks hotel quarantine in Australia and we’re now on day three. I was nervous about it because what bothers me is that we can’t go outside and get fresh air. And I just hoped that maybe we would have a window that could open. And on the way to the hotel in the bus my verse of the day came up and it was “whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you’ve received it.” And, so, I thought I’ll just pray, “God if there’s any way we can have an opening window I would be ever so grateful.” And when we got to our room, I discovered we don’t have a window that opens but guess what? We have a balcony. I can actually go out on the balcony. I can’t even believe it. It is like God has just blessed me beyond more than I can even imagine. I get fresh air. I can get some sunshine. I’m gonna make it through this two weeks. Thank you again for your prayers. My next prayer is going to be trying to get us back to Liberia. Hopefully will be next year. But hey one step at a time. All right guys love you all heaps. Bye.

[singing starts] my love who is Lord who’s the king who wields the sword who is the king on his throne who have we sat on the throne in the heart who is King but the Lord seek his face seek his honor seek his grace hold him there his forgiveness supplies your healing your repentance is unwielding all the things that were before your freedoms at the door come inside into his grace his love is anew come into the love of God honor him at the mountain hear the thunder hear the roar Jesus is our precious Lord we kneel down we cry our tears we shared our burdens so many years Jesus is Lord and God Jesus is Lord and God [singing stops]

Hello Brian Jill and all. God, I love you so much. I’ve been a listener for O probably seven years and I’m so blessed that this has come into my life. What I’m calling about is a prayer request for my grandson Bryson. I am so very blessed with seven natural grandchildren and six additional grandchildren from some folks that we raised. But Bryson is special. At one-year-old he was diagnosed with traverse myelitis. He was not mobile at all from his neck down when he went to the ER. And he has since been able to gain some mobility in his arms. He can open his hands. He cannot walk. He’s three now or will be three very shortly. The breathing treatments he had while he was in the hospital ruined his teeth. He’s just had all of his front teeth removed and the back teeth can’t at three. He has to wait until he’s 5, 6, 7 years old until he gets his front teeth back. At three he is so very embarrassed about this and of course the pain that happened as a result of this a couple days ago. Anyway, he has brought so much light into our lives. We all love him so very much and we…we pray confidently that he gets to heaven, number one. But if God can make his journey on this earth more palatable that would be an additional blessing. So, please pray for my grandson…

Hey this is Hank from Texas I actually just moved to Florida recently for my girlfriends job she’s pursuing, you know, she’s got a good opportunity here and I was able to get a good job myself here on the Atlantic coastline. But, you know, there’s just a couple things. I’ve been praying a lot lately __ for the Lord __ in our relationship __ which is great and…but we’re coming up on, you know, just the brink of a year. We’ve been, you know, going into the next month and I wanted to just, you know, she’s concerned about, you know, being engaged for more than a couple years __ get married in a few years and does not feel differently and I feel like the Lord definitely played a huge role in this relationship I…I..I can feel__ that next step, you know, at least the next several months and I do want, you know, I want the Lord to make that point clear and I do…I do want there to be a conversation around that detail. It’s been happy but I just __ the Lord just continues to follow our relationship and develop my thoughts around it. And I’ve been able __ for a while and pursue the opportunities __ just a beautiful adventure that we’re all on here. It’s my first time calling in but I’ve been listening ever since I’ve been __ up in Dallas Texas…

Hi dear family this is Janice calling from Goodyear Arizona a suburb of Phoenix. I just wanted to say that I’ve been listening every day. You’re all in my prayer book. And Denise today is the 24th and I heard your prayer request about being lonely in your marriage. And honey I have been there. I have been there for years and years and years and years and I just want you to know you’re in my prayers and I’m praying that the Lord will send an older woman with wisdom and compassion and that you and she can have fellowship and that the Lord will fill your marriage in new ways. But it’s gonna have to happen from the inside out and God can do it. I’ve seen him do it here and I just want to praise Him for that, and I want to tell you don’t give up. Do not give up. Do not stop praying and neither will I. And I love you. God bless you all. Bye. Talk to you soon.

Hello DABber family this is Jody from Pennsylvania. God bless you Brian for your DAB ministry. I’m a new DABber since March and I’ve been so very blessed. I’m calling to ask for prayer for a young teenager. Her name is Desiree. She’s 18 years old today. I am calling on her birthday September 24th. Desiree was Diagnosed with cancer in her leg when she was ten. She eventually had her leg amputated. Since then she has had surgery in her lungs to remove tumors. She now has a very aggressive cancerous tumor in her right lung, several cancerous tumors in her left lung and cancer in a lymph node in her art which is inoperable. Throughout all of this Desiree has capture Jesus joy and she’s been a wonderful witness of God’s love in her life. So, DABbers I am asking all who are listening to pray for God’s miracles healing for her body. Thank you. God bless you all. And God bless our prayers for Desiree.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday September 28, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 54:1-57:14

The Fertile Wife of Yahweh

54 “Sing for joy, barren woman; who has not borne!
Burst forth into rejoicing and rejoice, she who has not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate woman are more than the children of the married woman,” says Yahweh.
“Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let them stretch out the tent curtains of your dwelling place.
You must not spare; make your tent cords long
and strengthen your pegs,
for you will spread out to the right and to the left.
And your descendants[a] will be heir to the nations,
and they will inhabit desolate towns.
You must not fear, for you will not be ashamed,
and you must not be confounded, for you will not feel abashed,
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
For your husband[b] is your maker,[c] his name is Yahweh of hosts;
and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel, he is called the God of all of the earth.
For Yahweh has called you like a wife forsaken and hurt of spirit,
like[d] the wife of childhood when she is rejected, says your God.
I abandoned you for a short[e] moment,
but[f] I will gather you with great compassion.
I hid my face from you for a moment, in the flowing of anger,
but[g] I will have compassion on you with everlasting faithfulness” says your redeemer, Yahweh.
“For this is like the waters of Noah to me,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again pass[h] over the earth,
so I swore that I would not be[i] angry at you and rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart,
and the hills may sway,
but[j] my faithfulness shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not sway,”
says Yahweh, who has compassion on you,
11 “O afflicted one, driven away, who is not consoled.
Look! I am about to set your stones in hard mortar,
and I will lay your foundation with sapphires.
12 And I will make[k] your battlements of ruby,
and your gates of stones of beryl,
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 And all your children shall be pupils of Yahweh,
and the peace of your children shall be great.

14 In righteousness you shall be established.

Be far from oppression, for you shall not fear,
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 If indeed one attacks, it is not from me;
whoever attacks you shall fall because of you.
16 Look! I myself have created the craftsman who blows[l] the fire of coals,
and who produces[m] a weapon for his work;
also[n] I myself have created the destroyer to destroy.
17 Every weapon formed against you shall not succeed,
and you shall declare guilty every tongue that rises against you for judgment.
This is the inheritance of the servants of Yahweh,
and their legal right[o] from me,”

declares[p] Yahweh.

Invitation to True Rewards

55 “Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters!
And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat,
and come, buy without money,
wine and milk without price!
Why do you weigh out money for what is not food,
and your labor for what cannot satisfy?[q]
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and let your soul take pleasure in rich[r] food.
Extend your ear, and come to me!
Listen so that[s] your soul may live,
and I will make[t] an everlasting covenant with[u] you,
the enduring proofs of the mercies shown to[v] David.
Look! I made[w] him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and a commander for the peoples.
Look! You shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that does not know you shall run to you,
because of Yahweh your God,
and the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you.”
Seek Yahweh while he lets himself be found;[x]
call him while he is[y] near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the man of sin his thoughts.
And let him return to Yahweh, that[z] he may take pity on him,
and to our God, for he will forgive manifold.[aa]
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,”

declares[ab] Yahweh.

“For as the heavens are higher[ac] than the earth,
so my ways are higher[ad] than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and they do not return there
except they have watered the earth thoroughly
and cause it to bring forth and sprout,
and give seed to the sower
and bread to the eater,
11 so shall be my word that goes out from my mouth.
It shall not return to me without success,
but shall accomplish[ae] what I desire
and be successful in the thing for which I sent it.
12 For you shall go out in joy,
and you shall be led in peace.
The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you, rejoicing
and all the trees of the field shall clap hands.[af]
13 Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper shall go up;
instead of the brier, the myrtle shall go up,
and it shall serve as a memorial to Yahweh,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Salvation for All Who Obey

56 Thus says Yahweh:

“Observe justice
and do righteousness,
for my salvation is close to coming,
and my justice to being revealed.
Happy is the man who does this,
and the son of humankind who keeps hold of it,
who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane[ag] it,
and who keeps his hand from doing any[ah] evil.”
And do not let the foreigner[ai] who joins himself to Yahweh say, “Surely Yahweh will separate me from his people.”
And do not let the eunuch say, “Look! I am a dry tree!”
For thus says Yahweh, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
and choose that in which I delight,
and who keep hold of my covenant.
And I will give them a monument and a name in my house and within my walls,
better than sons and daughters;
I will give him an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
And the foreigners[aj] who join themselves to Yahweh to serve him
and to love the name of Yahweh, to become his servants,
every one who keeps the Sabbath, so as not to profane[ak] it,
and those who keep hold of my covenant,
I will bring them to my holy mountain;[al]
I will make them merry in my house of prayer.
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted[am] on my altar,
for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,”

declares[an] the Lord Yahweh, who gathers[ao] the scattered ones of Israel (still I will gather to[ap] him, to his gathered ones).

Wicked Leaders

All wild animals in the field, come,
to devour,[aq] all wild animals in the forest!
10 His watchmen are blind,
none of them know.
They are all dumb dogs;
they are unable to bark,
panting, lying down,
loving to slumber.
11 And the dogs have a greedy appetite;[ar]
they are never satisfied.[as]
And they are the shepherds!
They do not have[at] understanding.
They all turn to their own way,
each one for his own gain, every one of them.[au]
12 “Come, let me take wine,
and let us carouse with intoxicating drink,
and tomorrow will be like today,
very great indeed.”[av]

Idolatry is Adultery

57 The righteous one perishes, and there is no one who takes[aw] it to heart.
And men of faithfulness are gathered, while there is no one who understands,
for the righteous is gathered from the presence of wickedness.
he enters into peace;
they will rest on their beds,
walking straight ahead of him.
“But[ax] you, come near here, you children of a soothsayer,
offspring of an adulterer and she who commits fornication.
At whom do you make fun?
At whom do you open[ay] your mouth and stick out[az] your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
offspring of deception,
who burn with lust among the oaks,
under every leafy tree,
who slaughter children in the valleys,
under the clefts of the rocks?
Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley;
they, they are your lot;
indeed, to them you have poured out a drink offering,
you have brought a food offering.

Shall I relent concerning these things?

You have set your bed upon a high and lofty mountain;
indeed, you went up there to slaughter sacrifice.
And you have set your symbol behind the door and the doorpost;
for you depart[ba] from me, and you go up;
you make your bed wide, and you make a deal with[bb] them,
you have loved their bed; you have seen their genitals.[bc]
And you climbed down to the king with oil,
and you made your perfumes numerous,
and you sent your envoys far away,[bd]
and you sent down deep[be] to Sheol.
10 You grow weary by the greatness of your way,
but you did not say, ‘Despairing!’
You found the renewal[bf] of your strength,[bg]
therefore you do not grow weak.
11 And of whom were you afraid and feared, that you deceived
and did not remember me?
Did you not place it on your heart?
Have I not been silent, even from long ago,
and so you do not fear me?
12 I myself will declare your righteousness and your works,
but[bh] they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry,[bi] let your collection deliver you,
and the wind will carry all of them away;
a breath will take them away.
But[bj] he who takes refuge in me shall take possession of the land,
and he shall inherit my holy mountain.”[bk]

Peace for the Contrite

14 And one shall say, “Build up, build up! Clear the way!
Remove the obstacles[bl] from the way of my people!”

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 54:3 Hebrew “descendant”
  2. Isaiah 54:5 The Hebrew is plural
  3. Isaiah 54:5 The Hebrew is plural
  4. Isaiah 54:6 Or “and”
  5. Isaiah 54:7 Literally “in a small”
  6. Isaiah 54:7 Or “and”
  7. Isaiah 54:8 Or “and”
  8. Isaiah 54:9 Literally “from the passing over of the waters of Noah again”
  9. Isaiah 54:9 Literally “from being “
  10. Isaiah 54:10 Or “and”
  11. Isaiah 54:12 Literally “place”
  12. Isaiah 54:16 Or “blowing”
  13. Isaiah 54:16 Or “producing”
  14. Isaiah 54:16 Or “and”
  15. Isaiah 54:17 Literally “justice”
  16. Isaiah 54:17 Literally “declaration of”
  17. Isaiah 55:2 Literally “what is not for satiation”
  18. Isaiah 55:2 Literally “fatty”
  19. Isaiah 55:3 Or “and”
  20. Isaiah 55:3 Literally “cut”
  21. Isaiah 55:3 or “for”
  22. Isaiah 55:3 Literally “mercy of”
  23. Isaiah 55:4 Or “gave”
  24. Isaiah 55:6 Literally “in his letting himself be found”
  25. Isaiah 55:6 Literally “in his being”
  26. Isaiah 55:7 Or “and”
  27. Isaiah 55:7 Literally “make numerous to”
  28. Isaiah 55:8 Literally “declaration of”
  29. Isaiah 55:9 Literally “high”
  30. Isaiah 55:9 Literally “high”
  31. Isaiah 55:11 Or “do”
  32. Isaiah 55:12 Hebrew “hand”
  33. Isaiah 56:2 Literally “from profaning”
  34. Isaiah 56:2 Or “all”
  35. Isaiah 56:3 Literally “son of the foreign country”
  36. Isaiah 56:6 Literally “sons of the foreign country”
  37. Isaiah 56:6 Literally “from profaning”
  38. Isaiah 56:7 Literally “the mountain of my holiness”
  39. Isaiah 56:7 Literally “for acceptance”
  40. Isaiah 56:8 Literally “declaration of”
  41. Isaiah 56:8 Or “gathering”
  42. Isaiah 56:8 Or “upon”
  43. Isaiah 56:9 Or “eat”
  44. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “are strong of soul”
  45. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “do not know satiation”
  46. Isaiah 56:11 Or “know”
  47. Isaiah 56:11 Literally “from his end “
  48. Isaiah 56:12 Literally “excessively”
  49. Isaiah 57:1 Or “sets”
  50. Isaiah 57:3 Or “And”
  51. Isaiah 57:4 Literally “widen”
  52. Isaiah 57:4 Literally “make long”
  53. Isaiah 57:8 The reading tradition (Qere) has “uncover,” which makes no sense in context, but with different vowels it would be “depart”
  54. Isaiah 57:8 Literally “cut off for yourself from”
  55. Isaiah 57:8 Literally “hand”
  56. Isaiah 57:9 Literally “to from far”
  57. Isaiah 57:9 Literally “humiliated”
  58. Isaiah 57:10 Literally “life”
  59. Isaiah 57:10 Literally “hand;” compare the “hand” in verse 8
  60. Isaiah 57:12 Or “and”
  61. Isaiah 57:13 Literally “your crying”
  62. Isaiah 57:13 Or “And”
  63. Isaiah 57:13 Literally “mountain of holiness “
  64. Isaiah 57:14 Hebrew “obstacle”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first[a] commandment with a promise), “in order that it may be well with you, and you may live a long time[b] on the earth.”[c] And fathers, do not make your children angry, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ, not while being watched[d], as people pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart, serving with goodwill as to the Lord and not to people, because you[e] know that each one of you, whatever good he should do,[f] this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. And masters, do the same things to them, giving up threats, knowing that both their Lord and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

Spiritual Warfare

10 Finally, become strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil, 12 because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and binding shoes under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace, 16 in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one, 17 and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this end being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, 19 and for me, that a word may be given to me at the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for the sake of which I am an ambassador in chains, that in them[g] I may speak freely, as it is necessary for me to speak.

Conclusion and Benediction

21 Now, so that you also may know my circumstances[h], what I am doing, Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things, 22 whom I have sent[i] to you for this very reason, that you may know our circumstances[j], and he may encourage your hearts.

23 Peace to the brothers and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptibility.[k]

Footnotes:

  1. Ephesians 6:2 Or “is a very important”
  2. Ephesians 6:3 Literally “be long-lived”
  3. Ephesians 6:3 A quotation from Exod 20:12 and/or Deut 5:16
  4. Ephesians 6:6 Literally “with eye service”
  5. Ephesians 6:8 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
  6. Ephesians 6:8 Some manuscripts have “if he should do anything good”
  7. Ephesians 6:20 Literally “in it” since “chain” is singular in the Greek text
  8. Ephesians 6:21 Literally “the things with me”
  9. Ephesians 6:22 Or “whom I am sending”
  10. Ephesians 6:22 Literally “the things concerning us”
  11. Ephesians 6:24 Or “with undying love”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Psalm 70

A Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

For the music director. Of David. To bring to remembrance.[a]

70 O God, make haste to deliver me.
O Yahweh, make haste to help me.
Let them be ashamed and abashed
who seek my life.
Let them be repulsed and humiliated
who desire my harm.
let them turn back because of their shame,
those who say, “Aha! Aha!”
Let them rejoice and be glad in you,
all those who seek you.
Let them say continually, “God is great!”
those who love your salvation.
But I am poor and needy;
O God hasten to me.
You are my help and my deliverer.
O Yahweh, do not delay.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 70:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Proverbs 24:8

He who plans to do evil for[a] himself,
they will call him “master[b] of mischief.”

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 24:8 Or “to”
  2. Proverbs 24:8 Or “owner”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

09/27/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 51:1-53:12, Ephesians 5:1-33, Psalms 69:19-36, Proverbs 24:7

Today is the 27th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you as we look out into this fresh, shiny, sparkly new week and we walk into it together, and we…we think in advance about the things that are coming our way that we know about in this week and we make some advanced decisions about how we’re gonna live into this week, as we walk with God and as we allow the Scriptures to speak into our lives and inform our choices each and every day. So, we got a brand-new week. We’ll read from the Lexham English Bible this week and we’ll pick up where we left off in the book of Isaiah…Isaiah. Today chapters 51, 52 and 53.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your word and thank You for bringing us into this brand-new, shiny, sparkly week, a week of transition because before this week is over, we will…well…we will be transitioning into a new month. And, so, we are grateful, and we invite Your Holy Spirit, as we continue to focus upon You. And as we talked about from the book of Ephesians a couple of days ago, we’re focusing…we’re focusing upon growing up, we’re focusing these last few days of this month as we prepare to go into the final quarter of the year on spiritual maturity knowing that if we’re gonna succeed in the final quarter of this year we need to start it well. And, so, come Holy Spirit and continue to lead us toward what is mature and what is wise in You, that we might be continually transformed from within, that the wisdom of God from Your spirit within will inform the choices and decisions that we make. And, so, the wisdom from within becomes the wisdom from without and that everything we touch is touched by the fruit of the Spirit that is being cultivated within us. Come Holy Spirit into this we pray. In the mighty name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey DAB family this is Jordan and Texas. Wanted to call in for Sean who called on the 22nd. Sean you…you called in and were just feeling bad toward yourself, that you couldn’t stand yourself, and that you’re despicable. I just wanted to encourage you because I was praying for you and just felt led and I just wanted to call and encourage you that because you pray…you asked for prayer to be able to write, that you…that Jesus told you to write and you’re having great difficulty with that. And I want to pray for you. And anyway. Lord I just pray for Sean. I believe that…that…that was your name. I didn’t hear too well. But today you’re Sean. So, I pray God for Sean and ask God that You would equip him, You have equipped him, You’ve given him this gift to write, a desire to write and I pray that You would give him the first step to do that, to write something that You take off all the expectations he may have himself or lowered expectations he might have it himself, that he would see himself the way that You do, as someone with a gift, as someone with a story to tell, as someone who bears Your image. And, so, I pray God that…that maybe he begins with writing something simple and that You…that it would just turn into something…to exactly what You were hoping to see come from him and that…just those expectations are lifted. So, Father bless him and that. I pray that he’s encouraged in Jesus name. Amen.

Good morning fellow DABbers this is James the Mighty Warrior from Texas. But I’ve been listening to all of these great people that’s calling in for prayer requests and praise reports. Actually, I’ve been listening to the DAB for…since about 2012 and I don’t call in much, but I definitely listen to the podcast every day and the prayer requests and the praise reports from the community. I’m so grateful for this DAB app. Basically I’m calling up just for to pray for the nation, to pray for the DAB family, all the…all the prayer requests and the…everything that people are going through. I’m just thankful to be a part of this family but I do ask for prayer, that I would just, you know, stay in the right direction and that I would just stay on the path, you know, and I’m just thankful for every good and perfect gift that the Father has given me. I really don’t have anything to complain about. I’m just gonna praise Him. And yes, I’m going through like everybody else, but I can’t focus on it, I’m gonna focus on His goodness. You guys have a blessed day. Bye-bye.

Hi DAB family this is Hopeful, and I just heard Mary’s prayer request for her daughter who’s 25 who’s been battling cancer and I just want to pray over. She didn’t mention her name, so I’ll just refer to her as Mary’s daughter. Father we come to You right now and we just lift up Mary’s daughter to You. We just pray for complete healing over her body, that You would restore her speech, that her life would be a testimony of You and Your power and what You can do. And I just pray in Jesus’ name that You just give her peace and joy in her heart, that she would know that she is loved by You, she is loved by thousands of people who are hearing this and who are praying for her and we just lift her up to You right now in Jesus’ name.

Hi, my DAB family this is Truly Thankful Taylor from DFW the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. I’m just calling today for Denise from North Carolina. My sweet sister I just want to tell you how much I love you and that I am praying for you. I don’t ever want you to feel like your needs, your prayer requests are so small. God cares about the little things. He cares about the big things, but he also cares about the little things and when you’re hurting, He sees you and He knows what you’re going through. And, so, I just want to pray for you and your circumstances. God right now I just pray over Denise. Lord I just ask that You lift her up in this season God, that You would comfort her. Lord she longs to have companionship in her marriage. I pray Lord Jesus that You would give her those desires Lord Jesus. You have said in Your word that it’s not good for man to be alone and You gave him a companion Lord. You’d gave her a companion in her husband Lord, but the intimacy isn’t there. Lord, so I ask that You would ignite a spark. Lord Jesus that You would breathe over it, Lord Jesus. Breathe Your Holy Spirit over their marriage. God that that flame would kindle Lord and would begin to burn, burn with passion, Lord Jesus. Give them a passion and a hunger for each other, a healthy desire that it is Your will in a marriage Lord. And that I just pray an extra blessing of You over them God. May You fulfill every need, every desire Lord Jesus that she has. Give her peace, give her hope, give her strength, give her endurance. Thank You, Lord Jesus that she can stand firm in You Lord God. I ask that You would bless her and her husband and their marriage and their family in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Good morning DAB family this is Lady of Victory on Thursday morning the 24th of September just finished listening to Brian’s podcast today and this call is for Mary and her daughter who has cancer, she’s 25 and been battling cancer since 2016 and has now lost her voice. Oh God, our God how excellent is Your name in all the earth, in all the earth. God we’ve searched high and we’ve search flow and we cannot find anybody who is like our God. God, we don’t understand the things that You do, the things that You allow to happen, but God when we cannot see Your hand, we have to trust Your heart. And God it sounds like that’s what Mary and her daughter is doing at this point God. We thank You Lord God that Mary is a heart and her daughter has a heart to be grateful and to worship You through this hard, difficult time. And yet, God we’re…we’re looking at it like, “really God? 25? And You said, ‘in everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning us?’” Oh God and it sounds like this lady is doing that God. Her mom says she’s never given up on You. She’s continued to have faith and to trust in You. And, so, God this is a difficult time of losing her speech and we don’t know why You’ve allowed it to happen. God we don’t know what the purpose is God but in Your sovereignty we’re asking if it’d be Your will that You would restore this Young lady’s speech God so that she can tell others about who You are God. That’s her hearts cry, is to tell others about who You are. Yes, God she…she’s living it out through her life, but she wants to use her voice. So, would You do that for Your glory and her good? In Jesus’ name.

Hello Daily Audio Bible this is Tammy calling from Canada I’m a first-time caller except I did actually just call to pray for someone. But I’ve been listening for almost 2 years now and this is such a blessing. I love hearing Brian. I love hearing all the prayer requests. I pray with you all every day and I really covet your prayers right now. About a month ago I started having severe sleep difficulties and disturbances and I’m just in the midst of…of working with doctors to figure out what’s going on but it…it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and after a month of…of very troubled sleep…and you can imagine that your mind starts to feel like it’s going to crumble and you’re losing your faculties…and that’s about where I am right now. My physical body is…is suffering, my mind is suffering. I have anxiety through the roof. And I just actually did a sleep study last night because I may have sleep apnea. Anyway, I just really covet your prayers, that God could hold me up in this time. I know he will but it’s so hard to convince yourself in the moment when you feel that you just simply can’t stand it anymore, the torture, it is mental torture, sleep deprivation. And it’s hard to see the good and it…it’s hard to see the reason why God allows these things happen. And, so, I thank you for your prayers and your support in this time because I don’t want to give up. I can’t give up for my family. Some days it is so incredibly hard. Thank you.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday September 27, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 51-53

Yahweh Comforts Zion

51 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
who seek Yahweh.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the excavation of the pit from which you were quarried.
Look to Abraham your father,
and to Sarah; she brought you forth.
For I called him alone,[a]
but[b] I blessed him and made him numerous.”
For Yahweh will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all its sites of ruins.
And he will make[c] its wilderness like Eden,
and its desert like the garden of Yahweh.
Joy and gladness will be found in it,
thanksgiving and the sound[d] of song.
“Listen attentively to me, my people,
and my nation, listen to me!
For a teaching will go out from me,
and I will cause my justice to rest for a light to the peoples.
My righteousness is near; my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples.
The coastlands wait for me,
and for my arm they wait.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens
and look to the earth beneath,
for the heavens will be torn to pieces like smoke,
and the earth will be worn out like a garment,
and those who inhabit her will die like gnats.
But[e] my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will not be broken to pieces.
Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
people who have my teaching in their heart;
you must not fear the reproach of men,
or be terrified because of their abuse.
For a moth will eat them like garments;
a moth will devour[f] them like wool,
but[g] my righteousness will be forever,
and my salvation for generation after generation.[h]
Awake! Awake; put on strength, O arm of Yahweh!
Awake as in days of long ago,
the generations of a long time back!
Are you not the one who cut Rahab in pieces,
the one who pierced the sea-dragon?
10 Are you not the one who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
the one who made[i] the depths of the sea a way
for those who are redeemed to cross over?
11 So[j] the redeemed ones of Yahweh shall return,
and they shall come to Zion with singing,
and everlasting joy shall be on their heads.[k]
Joy and gladness shall appear;[l]
sorrow and sighing shall flee away!
12 “I, I am he who comforts you;
who are you that[m] you are afraid of man? He dies!
And of the son of humankind? He is sacrificed[n] as grass!
13 And you have forgotten Yahweh, your maker,
who stretched out the heavens,
and founded the earth.
And you tremble continually, all day,
because of the wrath of the oppressor
when he takes aim[o] to destroy.
But[p] where is the wrath of the oppressor?
14 The fettered one shall make haste to be freed.
And he shall not die in[q] the pit,
and he shall not lack his bread.
15 For[r] I am Yahweh, your God,
who stirs up[s] the sea, so that[t] its waves roar;
Yahweh of hosts is his name.
16 And I have put my words in your mouth,
and I have covered you in the shadow of my hand,
to plant the heavens
and to found the earth,
saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
17 Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself!
Stand up, Jerusalem, who have drunk from the hand of Yahweh the cup of his wrath;
you have drunk the goblet, the cup of staggering;
you have drained it out.
18 There is no one who guides her among[u] all the children she has borne,
and there is no one who grasps her by the hand among[v] all the children she raised.
19 Two things here have happened to you—who will show sympathy[w] for you?—
devastation and destruction, famine and sword—who will comfort you?
20 Your children have fainted;
they lie at the head of all the streets, like an antelope in[x] a snare,
those who are full of the wrath of Yahweh,
the rebuke of your God.
21 Therefore hear now this afflicted one
and drunken one but[y] not from wine.
22 Thus says your Lord, Yahweh,
and your God pleads the cause of his people:
“Look! I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering.
You shall not continue[z] to drink the goblet, the cup of my wrath, any longer.
23 And I will put it in the hand of your tormenters,
who have said to you,[aa] ‘Bow down that[ab] we may pass[ac] over you!’
And you have made[ad] your back like the ground,
and like the street for those who pass[ae] over you.”

Yahweh Redeems Zion

52 Awake! Awake; put on your strength, Zion!
Put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem, holy city![af]
For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall not continue to[ag] enter you any longer.
Shake yourself free from the dust! Rise up; sit, Jerusalem!
Free yourselves from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion!

For thus says Yahweh:

“You were sold for nothing,
and you shall be redeemed without money.”

For thus says the Lord Yahweh:

“My people went down to Egypt in the beginning, to dwell as aliens there, and Assyria oppressed him without cause.[ah] And now what do I have here?”declares[ai] Yahweh, “for my people is taken without cause. Its rulers howl,” declares[aj] Yahweh—“and my name is reviled continually, all day. Therefore my people shall know my name, therefore in that day, that I am the one who speaks. Here am I.”[ak]

How delightful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns as a king.”
The voices[al] of your watchmen! They lift up their voices;[am]
together they sing for joy;
for they clearly[an] see Yahweh’s return to Zion.
Break forth,
sing for joy together, ruins of Jerusalem,
for Yahweh has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 Yahweh has bared his holy arm[ao] to the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends[ap] of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 Depart, depart, go out from there! You must not touch any unclean thing.
Go out from the midst of it, keep clean, you who carry the vessels of Yahweh.
12 For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight,
for Yahweh is going before you,
and your rear guard is the God of Israel.

The Servant’s Suffering and Exaltation

13 Look, my servant shall achieve success;
he shall be exalted,
and he shall be lifted up,
and he shall be very high.
14 Just as many were appalled at you—
such was his appearance beyond human disfigurement,
and his form beyond the sons of mankind—
15 so he shall sprinkle many nations;
because of him, kings shall shut their mouths.[aq]
For they shall see what has not been told them,
and they shall consider with full attention what they have not heard.

53 Who has believed our message,
and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
For[ar] he went[as] up like a shoot before him,
and like a root from dry ground.
He had no form and no majesty that[at] we should see him,
and no appearance that[au] we should take pleasure in him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of suffering, and acquainted with[av] sickness,
and like one from whom others hide their faces,[aw] he was despised,
and we did not hold him in high regard.
However, he was the one who lifted up our sicknesses,
and he carried our pain,
yet[ax] we ourselves assumed him stricken,
struck down by God and afflicted.
But[ay] he was pierced[az] because of our transgressions,
crushed because of our iniquities;
the chastisement for[ba] our peace[bb] was upon him,
and by his wounds[bc] we were healed.[bd]
All of us have wandered about like sheep;
we each have turned to his own way;
and Yahweh let fall on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet[be] he did not open his mouth;
he was brought like a lamb to the slaughter,
and like a sheep is dumb before its shearers,
so[bf] he did not open his mouth.
He was taken by restraint of justice,
and who concerned himself with his generation?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
he received a blow because of the transgression of my people.
He made[bg] his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet[bh] Yahweh was pleased to crush him;
he made him sick.[bi]
If she[bj] places[bk] his life a guilt offering,[bl]
he will see offspring.
He will prolong days,
and the will of Yahweh will succeed in his hand.
11 From the trouble of his life[bm] he will see;[bn]
he will be satisfied.
In his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, shall declare many righteous,[bo]
and he is the one who will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will divide to him a portion among the many,[bp]
and with the strong ones he will divide bounty,
because[bq] he poured his life out to death
and was counted with the transgressors;
and[br] he was the one who bore the sin of many
and will intercede for the transgressors.

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 51:2 Literally “one”
  2. Isaiah 51:2 Or “and”
  3. Isaiah 51:3 Literally “put”
  4. Isaiah 51:3 Literally “voice”
  5. Isaiah 51:6 Or “And”
  6. Isaiah 51:8 Or “eat”
  7. Isaiah 51:8 Or “and”
  8. Isaiah 51:8 Literally “generation of generations”
  9. Isaiah 51:10 Literally “placed”
  10. Isaiah 51:11 Or “And”
  11. Isaiah 51:11 Hebrew “head”
  12. Isaiah 51:11 Literally “reach”
  13. Isaiah 51:12 Or “and”
  14. Isaiah 51:12 Literally “given”
  15. Isaiah 51:13 Literally “sets up”
  16. Isaiah 51:13 Or “And”
  17. Isaiah 51:14 Or “to”
  18. Isaiah 51:15 Or “And”
  19. Isaiah 51:15 Or “stirring up”
  20. Isaiah 51:15 Or “and”
  21. Isaiah 51:18 Or “from”
  22. Isaiah 51:18 Or “from”
  23. Isaiah 51:19 Literally “wander”
  24. Isaiah 51:20 Or “of”
  25. Isaiah 51:21 Or “and”
  26. Isaiah 51:22 Literally “do again”
  27. Isaiah 51:23 Literally “your inner self”
  28. Isaiah 51:23 Or “and”
  29. Isaiah 51:23 Or “stride”
  30. Isaiah 51:23 Literally “placed”
  31. Isaiah 51:23 Or “stride”
  32. Isaiah 52:1 Literally “city of the holiness”
  33. Isaiah 52:1 Literally “do again he shall”
  34. Isaiah 52:4 Literally “in nothing”
  35. Isaiah 52:5 Literally “declaration of”
  36. Isaiah 52:5 Literally “declaration of”
  37. Isaiah 52:6 Literally “Look at me”
  38. Isaiah 52:8 Hebrew “voice”
  39. Isaiah 52:8 Hebrew “voice”
  40. Isaiah 52:8 Literally “eye in eye “
  41. Isaiah 52:10 Literally “the arm of his holiness”
  42. Isaiah 52:10 Hebrew “end”
  43. Isaiah 52:15 Hebrew “mouth”
  44. Isaiah 53:2 Or “And”
  45. Isaiah 53:2 Or “grew”
  46. Isaiah 53:2 Or “and”
  47. Isaiah 53:2 Or “and”
  48. Isaiah 53:3 Or “knowledgeable of”
  49. Isaiah 53:3 Literally “hiding of face from him”
  50. Isaiah 53:4 Or “and”
  51. Isaiah 53:5 Or “And”
  52. Isaiah 53:5 Or “wounded”
  53. Isaiah 53:5 Or “of”
  54. Isaiah 53:5 Or “healing”
  55. Isaiah 53:5 Hebrew “wound”
  56. Isaiah 53:5 Literally “it was healed for us”
  57. Isaiah 53:7 Or “and”
  58. Isaiah 53:7 Or “and”
  59. Isaiah 53:9 Or “gave”
  60. Isaiah 53:10 Or “And”
  61. Isaiah 53:10 Literally “he made sick”
  62. Isaiah 53:10 Or “you”
  63. Isaiah 53:10 Or “makes”
  64. Isaiah 53:10 Or “compensation”
  65. Isaiah 53:11 Or “soul”
  66. Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls add “light”
  67. Isaiah 53:11 Or “right”
  68. Isaiah 53:12 Or “great”
  69. Isaiah 53:12 Literally “Instead of that”
  70. Isaiah 53:12 Or “yet”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Ephesians 5

Imitators of God

Therefore become imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, just as also Christ loved us, and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant smell.[a] But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or greediness, must not even be named among you (as is fitting for saints), and obscenity, and foolish talk, or coarse jesting (which are not proper), but rather thanksgiving. For this you know for certain[b], that every sexually immoral person, or unclean person, or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

Walk Like Children of Light

Therefore do not be sharers[c] with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is well-pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak about the things being done by them in secret, 13 but all things exposed by the light are made visible, 14 for everything made visible is light. Therefore it says,

Wake up, sleeper,
and rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.[d]

15 Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of the time because the days are evil.

Being Filled by the Spirit

17 Because of this do not become foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine (in which is dissipation), but be filled by the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and singing praise in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to the God and Father, 21 being subject to one another out of reverence for[e] Christ 22 —wives to their own husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church (he himself being the Savior of the body). 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, thus also wives should be subject[f] to their husbands in everything.

Husbands and Wives

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for her; 26 in order that he might sanctify her by cleansing her[g] with the washing of water by the word; 27 in order that he might present to himself the church glorious, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she may be holy and blameless. 28 Thus also husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. The one who loves his own wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as also Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[h] 32 (This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.) 33 Only you also, each one of you, must thus love his own wife as himself, and the wife must respect[i] her husband.

Footnotes:

  1. Ephesians 5:2 Or “a fragrant offering”
  2. Ephesians 5:5 Literally “for this you know, knowing”
  3. Ephesians 5:7 Or “partners”
  4. Ephesians 5:14 A quotation of unknown origin with possible allusions to Isa 26:19, 51:17, 52:1, 60:1
  5. Ephesians 5:21 Literally “in the fear of”
  6. Ephesians 5:24 The words “should be subject” are not in the Greek text, but are an understood repetition from the previous clause
  7. Ephesians 5:26 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  8. Ephesians 5:31 A quotation from Gen 2:24
  9. Ephesians 5:33 Literally “that she fear”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Psalm 69:19-36

19 You know my reproach, my shame and my disgrace.
Fully known[a] to you are all my adversaries.
20 Reproach has broken my heart and I am sick.
And I hoped for sympathy, but there was none,
and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for food,[b]
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 Let their table before them be a trap,
and their times of peace a snare.
23 Let their eyes be dark so they cannot see,
and make their loins continually tremble.
24 Pour out your indignation on them,
and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 Let their camp be desolate.
Let none dwell in their tents,
26 because they persecute those whom you, yourself, have struck,
and they tell of the pain of those you have wounded.
27 Add guilt on top of their guilt,[c]
and do not let them be acquitted.[d]
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
and let them not be recorded with the righteous.
29 But as for me, though I am afflicted and pained,
your salvation will protect[e] me, O God.
30 I will praise the name of God in song,
and magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 For Yahweh it will be better than an ox or bull,
horned and hoofed.[f]
32 The afflicted will see and rejoice.
O God seekers, let your heart revive,[g]
33 because Yahweh hears the needy
and does not despise his own who are prisoners.
34 Let heavens and earth praise him,
the seas and all that moves in them,
35 because God will save Zion
and build the cities of Judah,
that they may dwell there and possess it.
36 And the offspring of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will abide in it.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 69:19 Literally “right in front of”
  2. Psalm 69:21 Or “they put poison in my food”
  3. Psalm 69:27 Literally “Give guilt on their guilt”
  4. Psalm 69:27 Literally “come into your righteousness”
  5. Psalm 69:29 The sense is that of making something inaccessibly high, like a fortress
  6. Psalm 69:31 That is, mature and ritually clean
  7. Psalm 69:32 Or “live”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

Proverbs 24:7

Wisdom is too high for fools;
at the gate he will not open his mouth.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

09/26/2020 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 48:12-50:11, Ephesians 4:17-32, Psalms 69:1-18, Proverbs 24:5-6

Today is the 26th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we bring to a close another one of our weeks together. And, this will be the last time we bring a week to a close in the month of September. We are winding our way to the end of the month. Not that that…not that that is that big of a deal, but it is a fact. So, anyway, we’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week, which is today and continuing our journey through the book of Isaiah. Today chapters 48 verse 12 through 50 verse 11.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for bringing us through the final full week of the month of September and…yeah…we’re getting ready to go to the final quarter of the strangest of years and once again we acknowledge Your faithfulness. And we’re here. You have been faithful. We have had plenty of trials along the way and You have been faithful, and You have carried us through, and we are once again grateful. And, so, as we release this week and become aware of the fact that it is becoming a part of our history, part of our past we look forward to all that You have yet to say to us in the coming months. So, come Holy Spirit we pray. We worship You. We love You. We need You. Make us more and more aware of Your never-ending presence in our lives we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, that’s where you find what’s going on around here, it’s the website, home of all the stuff, all the Global Campfire. This is where we are. So, check it out. Be familiar.

Check out the Community section. That is how to get connected. Check at the Shop. There are resources there for…for continuing our journey and taking it deeper and wider as we continue the voyage that leads us through the Bible in…in a year. And I can’t believe…it’s been such a year and it’s gone by quickly. It always seems like it’s dragging on but then when you look back it went past and that’s kind of where we are. And, so, it’s important for us to stay connected to each other as we prepare these next few months to finish strong, to finish strong in the Scriptures, but to finish strong in our lives and to be a light in the darkness because there is no shortage of darkness and we must light up the dark. And, so, let’s stay connected in any way that we can.

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. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner and the mailing address if…if you prefer the mail is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi this is Jeanette from Denmark I’m originally from the states. I’m calling because my family, my husband and I, we’ve been active in service for the past year and a half, at least participating with local churches here and we’re experiencing the…we’re reacting very much to the stuff that’s happening in the states at least our government is also making sure that we’re using masks. And I’d like to pray for issues here on our island. So, Father I ask for Your grace to be over Funen to help them in their time of need, to help them us in our time of need, to use the time wisely for praying and getting in close in relationship with You. Help us to walk in the spirit of humble obedience and not fear Father and in bold joy knowing that You are coming to rescue Your children in the time that is appropriate. Thank You, Jesus that You love Funen and You love Denmark. Thank You that You know Your people here. Father I ask Holy Spirit that You would encourage dwell well in them Father and help them to hear Your voice. Thank You, Jesus for Your blood on the cross for all of us. Amen.

Good morning DABbers this is Danny would you all join me in prayer and lifting up all of the unloved wives out there. Heavenly father I just lift up all of these beautiful and precious ladies that you’ve created, these ladies Lord that you have put in the role of life. And Lord it’s not an easy role for sure and there are so many Lord that feel unloved by their husbands. Lord I just pray for these ladies, that they would be able to feel Your love and Your comfort and realize that they have no control over how their husband treats them or makes them feel but they do have control over how they feel. And Lord I just pray that You would do a mighty work in all of the hearts of these ladies, that You would replace their pain with joy Lord, joy in You, that they would stop looking at their husbands to fulfill that desire in them, a desire that You’ve created in us for fellowship Lord, and instead that they would fill that need with the fellowship with You God, that they would focus on their relationship with You and Lord that they would just hear Your voice in what to do next, how to be whole Lord. And I just pray that in their obedience Lord that You would bless them and keep them. And I just thank You Lord. Give them strength and courage in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Hi everyone Tony the Narrator here. Thank you to everybody who got in touch with me about my DABC statement. That was really lovely. It’s really encouraging to know that you guys really do care. I just wanted to encourage all of you. I mean, on the Atlantic coast you’ve got storms and hurricanes on the way. On the west coast you’ve got huge fires happening all over the place. And basically, I just wanted to hold up every single one of you that’s a Christian in that area facing potential devastation. But I can’t help but remember the story of Abraham trying to convince God not to go ahead with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah where God basically says, if one righteous person is there, I will spare em’. And do you know what? This damage is not is not 100%. America will always be able to come back from this. This is just little things and that’s because of you. I honestly believe that that is your faithfulness, your righteousness that is saving the lives of millions of American people like literally because God would…would just go for it, my country to. Britain deserves it probably deserves it more than every other country in the world. It is our faithfulness that is holding our life…holding us together. Anyway, I love you all. God bless you. Be blessed.

Hello Daily…Daily Audio Bible community I just want to say hi. I want to give a shout out to my brother Clarence Daniels and Perry Daniels. My brother Clarence introduced me to this app and I’m so grateful that he did and I just…I’m looking forward to posting prayers and replying back to prayers and getting to know the Daily Audio Bible community because this is exactly what I needed. So, to everyone out there be blessed be safe, spread love, spread hope, stay positive and always, always, always put your trust in God. Thank you.

Good morning today is September 23rd giving praise glory and honor to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is King of King and Lord of lords. This is Lora Walking in the Wilderness from Georgia. Our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Hello, my beautiful DAB family I wanted to share this thought with you all. I was thinking the other day about how much God loves us and this morning, it’s Wednesday, September 23rd and Brian’s explanation of Ephesians, I think it was Chapter 2, reminded me of this. God loves us so very, very much. And I was reminded a few weeks ago of a commercial that was in the United States many years ago about a married couple who were getting ready to have a baby and they had to gather all the babies things and it was just changing their lives in so many ways. And at the end of the commercial it said having a baby changes everything. And I remember before we had our first child, I remember thinking, “oh yeah. I’ll bet having a baby really does change everything.” But when I had that first baby. O my goodness I couldn’t believe that having a baby would change everything. And I was thinking a few weeks ago about how much God loves us, how very, very much He loves us and that commercial came back to mind and I thought, “wow, knowing how much God loves you changes everything.” And it really does. Life is changed completely when you realize deep down inside how very, very, very much God loves you. So, my prayer for you today my…my beautiful DAB brothers and sisters is that you would know truly really know how very, very, very much God loves you because when you know that it changes everything. Blessings for you today.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday September 26, 2020 (NIV)

Isaiah 48:12-50:11

12 Israel, my chosen people,
listen to me.
I alone am the Lord,
the first and the last.
13 With my own hand
I created the earth
and stretched out the sky.
They obey my every command.

The Lord Speaks to the Nations

14 Gather around me, all of you!
Listen to what I say.
Did any of your idols
predict this would happen?
Did they say that my friend[a]
would do
what I want done
to Babylonia?[b]
15 I was the one who chose him.
I have brought him this far,
and he will be successful.
16 Come closer and listen!
I have never kept secret
the things I have said,
and I was here
before time began.

It Is Best To Obey the Lord

By the power of his Spirit
the Lord God has sent me
17 with this message:
People of Israel,
I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
For your own good,
I teach you,
and I lead you
along the right path.
18 How I wish that you
had obeyed my commands!
Your success and good fortune
would then have overflowed
like a flooding river.
19 Your nation would be blessed
with more people
than there are grains of sand
along the seashore.
And I would never have let
your country be destroyed.

20 Now leave Babylon!
Celebrate as you go.
Be happy and shout
for everyone to hear,
“The Lord has rescued
his servant Israel!
21 He led us through the desert
and made water flow from a rock
to satisfy our thirst.
22 But the Lord has promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.”

The Work of the Lord’s Servant

49 Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The Lord chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
The Lord said to me,
“Israel, you are my servant;
and because of you
I will be highly honored.”

I said to myself,
“I’m completely worn out;
my time has been wasted.
But I did it for the Lord God,
and he will reward me.”

Even before I was born,
the Lord God chose me
to serve him and to lead back
the people of Israel.
So the Lord has honored me
and made me strong.

Now the Lord says to me,
“It isn’t enough for you
to be merely my servant.
You must do more than lead back
survivors
from the tribes
of Israel.
I have placed you here as a light
for other nations;
you must take my saving power
to everyone on earth.”

The Lord Will Rescue His People

Israel, I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
You are slaves of rulers
and of a nation
who despises you.[c]
Now this is what I promise:
Kings and rulers will honor you
by kneeling at your feet.
You can trust me! I am your Lord,
the holy God of Israel,
and you are my chosen ones.

The Lord Will Lead His People Home

This is what the Lord says:
I will answer your prayers
because I have set a time
when I will help
by coming to save you.
I have chosen you
to take my promise of hope
to other nations.[d]
You will rebuild the country
from its ruins,
then people will come
and settle there.
You will set prisoners free
from dark dungeons
to see the light of day.

On their way home,
they will find plenty to eat,
even on barren hills.
10 They won’t go hungry
or get thirsty;
they won’t be bothered
by the scorching sun
or hot desert winds.
I will be merciful
while leading them along
to streams of water.
11 I will level the mountains
and make roads.
12 Then my people will return
from distant lands
in the north and the west
and from the city of Syene.[e]

The Lord’s Mercy

13 Tell the heavens and the earth
to celebrate and sing;
command every mountain
to join in the song.
The Lord’s people have suffered,
but he has shown mercy
and given them comfort.

14 The people of Zion said,
“The Lord has turned away
and forgotten us.”

15 The Lord answered,
“Could a mother forget a child
who nurses at her breast?
Could she fail to love an infant
who came from her own body?
Even if a mother could forget,
I will never forget you.
16 A picture of your city
is drawn on my hand.
You are always in my thoughts!

17 “Your city will be built faster
than it was destroyed[f]
those who attacked it
will retreat and leave.
18 Look around! You will see
your people coming home.
As surely as I live,
I, the Lord, promise
that your city with its people
will be as lovely as a bride
wearing her jewelry.”

Jerusalem’s Bright Future

19 Jerusalem is now in ruins!
Nothing is left of the city.
But it will be rebuilt
and soon overcrowded;
its cruel enemies
will be gone far away.

20 Jerusalem is a woman
whose children were born
while she was in deep sorrow[g]
over the loss of her husband.
Now those children
will come and seek room
in the crowded city,
21 and Jerusalem will ask,
“Am I really their mother?
How could I have given birth
when I was still mourning
in a foreign land?
Who raised these children?
Where have they come from?”

22 The Lord God says:
“I will soon give a signal
for the nations
to return your sons
and your daughters
to the arms of Jerusalem.
23 The kings and queens
of those nations
where they were raised
will come and bow down.
They will take care of you
just like a slave
taking care of a child.
Then you will know
that I am the Lord.
You won’t be disappointed
if you trust me.”

The Lord Is on Our Side

24 Is it possible to rescue victims
from someone strong
and cruel?[h]
25 But the Lord has promised
to fight on our side
and to rescue our children
from those strong
and violent enemies.
26 He will make those cruel people
dine on their own flesh
and get drunk from drinking
their own blood.
Then everyone will know
that the Lord is our Savior;
the powerful God of Israel
has rescued his people.

The Lord’s Power To Punish

50 The Lord says, “Children,
I didn’t divorce your mother
or sell you to pay debts;
I divorced her and sold you
because of your sins.
I came and called out,
but you didn’t answer.
Have I lost my power
to rescue and save?
At my command oceans and rivers
turn into deserts;
fish rot and stink
for lack of water.
I make the sky turn dark
like the sackcloth
you wear at funerals.”

God’s Servant Must Suffer

The Lord God gives me
the right words
to encourage the weary.
Each morning he awakens me
eager to learn his teaching;
he made me willing to listen
and not rebel or run away.

I let them beat my back
and pull out my beard.
I didn’t turn aside
when they insulted me
and spit in my face.
But the Lord God keeps me
from being disgraced.
So I refuse to give up,
because I know
God will never let me down.

My protector is nearby;
no one can stand here
to accuse me of wrong.
The Lord God will help me
and prove I am innocent.
My accusers will wear out
like moth-eaten clothes.

10 None of you respect the Lord
or obey his servant.
You walk in the dark
instead of the light;
you don’t trust the name
of the Lord your God.[i]
11 Go ahead and walk in the light
of the fires you have set.[j]
But with his own hand,
the Lord will punish you
and make you suffer.

Footnotes:

  1. 48.14 my friend: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1).
  2. 48.14 Babylonia: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
  3. 49.7 You. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 49.8 my. . . nations: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. 49.12 Syene: The Dead Sea Scrolls; the Standard Hebrew Text “Sinim.” The reference may be to modern Aswan, a city in southern Egypt.
  6. 49.17 Your city. . . destroyed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  7. 49.20 whose children. . . sorrow: These “children” are Jews who were born in foreign countries during the time that Jerusalem was in ruins. Jerusalem probably stands for all the cities in Judah that were destroyed by the Babylonians.
  8. 49.24 cruel: The Dead Sea Scrolls and two ancient translations; the Standard Hebrew Text “good.”
  9. 50.10 God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
  10. 50.11 Go. . . set: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Ephesians 4:17-32

The Old Life and the New Life

17 As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. 18 Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, 19 and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things.

20-21 But that isn’t what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. 22 You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24 and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.

Rules for the New Life

25 We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. 26 Don’t get so angry that you sin. Don’t go to bed angry 27 and don’t give the devil a chance.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.

29 Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.

30 Don’t make God’s Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.

31 Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32 Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.

Psalm 69:1-18

(By David for the music leader. To the tune “Lilies.”)

God Can Be Trusted

69 Save me, God!
I am about to drown.
I am sinking deep in the mud,
and my feet are slipping.
I am about to be swept under
by a mighty flood.
I am worn out from crying,
and my throat is dry.
I have waited for you
till my eyes are blurred.

There are more people
who hate me for no reason
than there are hairs
on my head.
Many terrible enemies
want to destroy me, God.
Am I supposed to give back
something I didn’t steal?
You know my foolish sins.
Not one is hidden from you.

Lord God All-Powerful,
ruler of Israel,
don’t let me embarrass anyone
who trusts and worships you.
It is for your sake alone
that I am insulted
and blush with shame.
I am like a stranger
to my relatives
and like a foreigner
to my own family.

My love for your house
burns in me like a fire,
and when others insulted you,
they insulted me as well.
10 I cried and went without food,[a]
but they still insulted me.
11 They sneered at me
for wearing sackcloth[b]
to show my sorrow.
12 Rulers and judges gossip
about me,
and drunkards make up songs
to mock me.

13 But I pray to you, Lord.
So when the time is right,
answer me
and help me
with your wonderful love.
14 Don’t let me sink in the mud,
but save me from my enemies
and from the deep water.
15 Don’t let me be
swept away by a flood
or drowned in the ocean
or swallowed by death.

16 Answer me, Lord!
You are kind and good.
Pay attention to me!
You are truly merciful.
17 Don’t turn away from me.
I am your servant,
and I am in trouble.
Please hurry and help!
18 Come and save me
from my enemies.

Footnotes:

  1. 69.10 went without food: See the note at 35.13.
  2. 69.11 sackcloth: See the note at 30.11.

Proverbs 24:5-6

-21-

Wisdom brings strength,
and knowledge gives power.
Battles are won
by listening to advice
and making a lot of plans.