10/30/2022 DAB Transcript

Lamentations 3:1-66, Hebrews 1:1-14, Psalm 102:1-28, Proverbs 26:21-22

Today is the 30th day of October, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is wonderful to be here with you today, as we greet a brand-new, shiny week. A brand-new week to move through and into and walk with God in. It’s all out in front of us. It’s a story to tell and we will tell it with our thoughts, words and deeds. So, it is great to be here with you to greet a brand-new week. We’re not only greeting a brand-new week; we will be greeting a brand-new territory in the Scriptures as we approach the New Testament today. We began the book of Lamentations yesterday. We talked about that; we will continue that forward. We read in its entirety, Paul’s final letter, known as Philemon, yesterday. So, that will lead us to the opening chapters of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, when we get there. And we’ll talk about that, when we get there. But first we’ll read from the English Standard Version this week, Lamentations 3.

Introduction to the Book of Hebrews:

Okay so, as we were talking about at the beginning, we’re moving into new territory. We’ve moved rapidly through some transitions and in the New Testament we read the entire letter of Philemon yesterday, which brings us to the book of Hebrews, which is also a letter and one of the most compelling letters that encourage a believer to keep the faith, to stay true. That we’re going to find in the entire New Testament, but Hebrews is still a bit of an anomaly because it’s not really clear the…the pedigree, the origins, the author. The apostle Paul’s been credited with authorship at different points in time but nearly all biblical scholars agree that Paul did not write this, that it’s very unlikely that Paul wrote this. One thing that we do know from reading it, whoever wrote Hebrews was a great writer, a great communicator, clearly educated person, a person who clearly understood the Jewish way, Judaism, clearly understood the Hebrew Scriptures. So, there are many candidates that have been put forward over thousands of years. A couple that sort of rise to the top could be Barnabas, maybe even Apollos but even saying that that’s conjecture, nobody’s certain. What is certain is that whoever wrote the letter to Hebrews, to the Hebrews had the authority to write that kind of a letter like, didn’t just write the letter and kind of put it out there and hope for the best like, this person wrote specifically and wrote in a way that would be understood and that would be appreciated, and that would be cared for with the utmost respect. And we know that happened because we still have this letter. Paul’s son in the faith Timothy, and we remember we read first Timothy and second Timothy, so, Paul son in the faith, Timothy, is mentioned in the letter to the Hebrews. And so, Hebrews is probably contemporary with Paul’s writings, like it could have been written a little bit later because Timothy was younger than Paul and as tradition tells us, Paul was executed in Rome. So, Timothy still had life before him so it could have been a little bit after Paul’s life. It’s clear in the letter that persecution of those, and marginalization of those who believed in Jesus, was happening inside the Jewish community. Stereotyping of Christian believers as strange, backward, odd, weird people had definitely begun. And because this had begun, some believers were, just kind of fading into the woodwork, shrinking back, hiding what they believed, trying to avoid the marginalization and the stereotyping. While others just simply abandoned the faith and return to traditional Judaism. The writer of Hebrews observed this happening and stepped forward to encourage people not to shrink back, not to abandon, not hide, but instead to stay faithful to Jesus and not go back to their former ways. So, Hebrews encourages us to hold fast to the hope that we do have in Jesus and not waiver. And finally, as we prepare to get going in Hebrews, something that we will probably mention a number of times as we move through the letter to the Hebrews is this, and if we can remember this, we will pretty well remember the context that were in. Hebrews was written to Hebrews and so Hebrews is written to a Jewish audience. So, Hebrews brings the context of the Jewish community that Jesus did his ministry in, forward for us in such a way that if we can remember that Hebrews is written to Hebrews we are given of rich tapestry, a beautiful clear lens to look through, as we’re moving through Hebrews about Jesus, His work and what He means to a Jewish believer. And context for how big of a deal that is that we kind of miss has Gentiles having never grown up in the Hebrew culture. And so, with that we begin Hebrews chapter 1.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word, we love You, we worship You, we thank You for bringing us into this brand-new, shiny week. And here we are, one day remaining in this month and so, we’ll be moving into a shiny new month, as we move through this shiny new week, and we know that you will lead us. Our hope is in You. Our trust is in You. There is no other place to put our trust. There is no other place to put our hope, our hope is in You alone. Come Holy Spirit and lead us in the way that we should go. We pray in the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hey fellow DABers, Joe the Protector from Georgia. Sorry I hadn’t called in a while, just been very busy. Been listening daily still though, lifting up the prayers at the end. Got a prayer in mind though I need. My daughter that had a child, 3 nearly 4 years ago, she had decided to leave the family and pull the baby out from our house. So, now my wife and I, we’re not allowed to be around the baby right now. She’s totally turned against us and become defiant and the baby’s dad, who thinks he’s a man but not acting like a man, is doing things the wrong way. Family, I need prayers over my thoughts about him because there’s some pretty violent, wild and wicked thoughts, running through my head about, about what I want to do to this young man. And I need help in that regard, in that area. We need help to bring our grandchild back, back into our stable family and the lifestyle she was used to. And so, just be in prayer for that, for me and my wife, just this situation. Thanks, fellow DABers. Love ya’ll.

Hello, this is Ms. Carolyn, and it is October the 26th and I want to reach out to a Woman in Texas. I understand what you’re going through my sister, I too have mornings that I just don’t want to get out of bed. I had back surgery and was abandoned by my husband. Had to call on my 86-year-old parents to come help take care of me when I could barely get out of bed. I lost my 16-year-old best buddy, my pet and the same week, passed out and fell and injured both my ankles and my knees. And I tell you, my sister, there is recovery. It sounds like you work in health care as I do too and you know, hormonal levels can get out of whack, when a lot of things are going on. So, I pray that you reach out to your primary care physician for some help. I believe in prayer, and I believe in medicine. God gave that to us. And I want to lift you up in prayer and I shall pray for you daily, my sister. As you continue to pray for yourself. One thing that helps me get out of bed is that I focus on helping others. And then, do a little something for yourself. Father God, I lift up my sister right now. I claim healing in the name of Jesus, Father. Have her just step-out on faith. That knowing that You will give her recovery and give her …

Hi, Daily Audio Bible, huge fan, been listening on the side here. I have a prayer request. Can you please just pray to God to just not wake me up in the morning and to wipe my existence from the history books. Everything I have done for three years has failed. I’ve applied to over 300 hundred jobs, God led me to start my own company, I did, and everything I did for my company has failed within the 3 years. Now, I have no money to my name, I’ve become a burden to my family, I’ve reached out to every church and every Christian I can believe in and all I receive is either crickets or advice that I’ve did something wrong. I have yet to receive any support and encouragement from any so-called Christians, that call themselves. I also give to the Daily Audio Bible, but my money has run out. So, you know, I’ve reach disaster at every single turn, and I am just done. I’m not upset or angry, I’m just done. I’ve prayed to God every day, put on my daily armor everyday and..

Hello dabby dab, DABers, this is Trixalina. I’m calling cause I could really use some prayer. I have built up, like a singles church dinner and it’s been really, really, a wonderful thing, a blessing. There’s the four of us and then we invite a few more people to join our group. And it’s just wonderful fellowship and it’s been really great. But someone in the group has really just absolutely betrayed me and I’m really hurt, I’m bitter and I’m angry. And I’m trying to go to the Lord about this and I’m forgiving them and it’s very difficult. And it’s like, step-by-step and I just really pray and if ya’ll would help pray with me about, may the Lord soften my heart and help me to move on and perhaps be able to build that, the dinners back up again. And to have that again. I just, right now, I want nothing to do with that person. I’m just so angry at them. And this is bigger than me and I need the Lord to help me through this. And I’m having a hard time, if maybe He could help put it back together and heal my heart. That would be really, really great cause I know that the enemy is definitely working, and I just could use prayer. Thank you. Have a good day.