The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 27, 2022 (NIV)

Zechariah 10-11

The Lord Will Care for Judah

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(A) to all people,
and plants of the field(B) to everyone.
The idols(C) speak deceitfully,
diviners(D) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(E) that are false,
they give comfort in vain.(F)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(G)

“My anger burns against the shepherds,
and I will punish the leaders;(H)
for the Lord Almighty will care
for his flock, the people of Judah,
and make them like a proud horse in battle.(I)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(J)
from him the tent peg,(K)
from him the battle bow,(L)
from him every ruler.
Together they[a] will be like warriors in battle
trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(M)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(N)

“I will strengthen(O) Judah
and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
because I have compassion(P) on them.(Q)
They will be as though
I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
and I will answer(R) them.
The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(S)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
their hearts will rejoice(T) in the Lord.
I will signal(U) for them
and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
they will be as numerous(V) as before.
Though I scatter them among the peoples,
yet in distant lands they will remember me.(W)
They and their children will survive,
and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.(X)
I will bring them to Gilead(Y) and Lebanon,
and there will not be room(Z) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
the surging sea will be subdued
and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(AA)
Assyria’s pride(AB) will be brought down
and Egypt’s scepter(AC) will pass away.(AD)
12 I will strengthen(AE) them in the Lord
and in his name they will live securely,(AF)
declares the Lord.

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,(AG)
so that fire(AH) may devour your cedars!
Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks(AI) of Bashan;
the dense forest(AJ) has been cut down!(AK)
Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;(AL)
the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!(AM)

Two Shepherds

This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(AN) Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.(AO) For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors(AP) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”(AQ)

So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(AR) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

The flock detested(AS) me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.(AT) Let those who are left eat(AU) one another’s flesh.”

10 Then I took my staff called Favor(AV) and broke it, revoking(AW) the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.(AX)

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver(AY) and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.(AZ)

14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,(BA)
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm(BB) and his right eye!
May his arm be completely withered,
his right eye totally blinded!”(BC)

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They

Cross references:

  1. Zechariah 10:1 : S Lev 26:4; S 1Ki 8:36; S Ps 104:13; S 135:7
  2. Zechariah 10:1 : S Job 14:9
  3. Zechariah 10:2 : Eze 21:21
  4. Zechariah 10:2 : S Isa 44:25
  5. Zechariah 10:2 : Jer 23:16
  6. Zechariah 10:2 : S Isa 40:19
  7. Zechariah 10:2 : S Nu 27:17; S Jer 23:1; S Hos 3:4; S Mt 9:36
  8. Zechariah 10:3 : Isa 14:9; S Jer 25:34
  9. Zechariah 10:3 : S Eze 34:8-10
  10. Zechariah 10:4 : S Ps 118:22; S Ac 4:11
  11. Zechariah 10:4 : S Isa 22:23
  12. Zechariah 10:4 : S Zec 9:10
  13. Zechariah 10:5 : S 2Sa 22:43; S Mic 7:10
  14. Zechariah 10:5 : S Am 2:15; S Mic 5:8; Hag 2:22; Zec 12:4
  15. Zechariah 10:6 : S Eze 30:24
  16. Zechariah 10:6 : S Ps 102:13; S Isa 14:1
  17. Zechariah 10:6 : S Eze 36:37; 37:19; S Zec 8:7-8
  18. Zechariah 10:6 : Ps 34:17; Isa 58:9; 65:24; Zec 13:9
  19. Zechariah 10:7 : Zec 9:15
  20. Zechariah 10:7 : S 1Sa 2:1; S Isa 60:5; S Joel 2:23
  21. Zechariah 10:8 : Isa 5:26
  22. Zechariah 10:8 : S Jer 33:22; S Eze 36:11
  23. Zechariah 10:9 : S Isa 44:21; S Eze 6:9
  24. Zechariah 10:10 : S Isa 11:11; S Zec 8:8
  25. Zechariah 10:10 : S Jer 50:19
  26. Zechariah 10:10 : S Isa 49:19
  27. Zechariah 10:11 : Isa 19:5-7; S 51:10
  28. Zechariah 10:11 : Zep 2:13
  29. Zechariah 10:11 : Eze 30:13
  30. Zechariah 10:11 : Eze 29:15
  31. Zechariah 10:12 : S Eze 30:24
  32. Zechariah 10:12 : S Mic 4:5
  33. Zechariah 11:1 : S Eze 31:3
  34. Zechariah 11:1 : S 2Ch 36:19; Zec 12:6
  35. Zechariah 11:2 : S Isa 2:13
  36. Zechariah 11:2 : Isa 32:19
  37. Zechariah 11:2 : S Isa 10:34
  38. Zechariah 11:3 : S Isa 5:29
  39. Zechariah 11:3 : Jer 2:15; 50:44; Eze 19:9
  40. Zechariah 11:4 : S Jer 25:34
  41. Zechariah 11:5 : Jer 50:7; S Eze 34:2-3
  42. Zechariah 11:6 : Zec 14:13
  43. Zechariah 11:6 : Isa 9:19-21; S Jer 13:14; S La 2:21; 5:8; S Mic 5:8; 7:2-6
  44. Zechariah 11:7 : S Jer 25:34
  45. Zechariah 11:8 : S Eze 14:5
  46. Zechariah 11:9 : S Jer 43:11
  47. Zechariah 11:9 : S Isa 9:20
  48. Zechariah 11:10 : ver 7
  49. Zechariah 11:10 : S Ps 89:39; Jer 14:21
  50. Zechariah 11:12 : S Ge 23:16; Mt 26:15
  51. Zechariah 11:13 : S Ex 21:32
  52. Zechariah 11:13 : Mt 27:9-10*; Ac 1:18-19
  53. Zechariah 11:17 : Jer 23:1
  54. Zechariah 11:17 : S Eze 30:21-22
  55. Zechariah 11:17 : S Jer 23:1
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Revelation 18

Lament Over Fallen Babylon

18 After this I saw another angel(A) coming down from heaven.(B) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.(C) With a mighty voice he shouted:

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[a](D)
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,(E)
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.(F)
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.(G)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(H)
and the merchants of the earth grew rich(I) from her excessive luxuries.”(J)

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“‘Come out of her, my people,’[b](K)
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;(L)
for her sins are piled up to heaven,(M)
and God has remembered(N) her crimes.
Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back(O) double(P) for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(Q)
Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(R)
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c]
I will never mourn.’(S)
Therefore in one day(T) her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(U)
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her(V) and shared her luxury(W) see the smoke of her burning,(X) they will weep and mourn over her.(Y) 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off(Z) and cry:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AA)
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour(AB) your doom has come!’

11 “The merchants(AC) of the earth will weep and mourn(AD) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore(AE) 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;(AF) 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.(AG)

14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her(AH) will stand far off,(AI) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn(AJ) 16 and cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AK)
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(AL)
17 In one hour(AM) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’(AN)

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,(AO) will stand far off.(AP) 18 When they see the smoke of her burning,(AQ) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city(AR)?’(AS) 19 They will throw dust on their heads,(AT) and with weeping and mourning(AU) cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AV)
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’(AW)

20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!(AX)
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”(AY)

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

21 Then a mighty angel(AZ) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,(BA) and said:

“With such violence
the great city(BB) of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.(BC)
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.(BD)
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.(BE)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.(BF)
By your magic spell(BG) all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,(BH)
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”(BI)

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 18:2 Isaiah 21:9
  2. Revelation 18:4 Jer. 51:45
  3. Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 18:1 : Rev 17:1
  2. Revelation 18:1 : Rev 10:1; 20:1
  3. Revelation 18:1 : Eze 43:2
  4. Revelation 18:2 : S Rev 14:8
  5. Revelation 18:2 : Rev 16:13
  6. Revelation 18:2 : Isa 13:21, 22; 34:11, 13-15; Jer 50:39; 51:37; Zep 2:14, 15
  7. Revelation 18:3 : S Rev 14:8
  8. Revelation 18:3 : Rev 17:2
  9. Revelation 18:3 : ver 11, 15, 23; Eze 27:9-25
  10. Revelation 18:3 : ver 7, 9
  11. Revelation 18:4 : Isa 48:20; Jer 50:8; 51:6, 9, 45; 2Co 6:17
  12. Revelation 18:4 : Ge 19:15
  13. Revelation 18:5 : 2Ch 28:9; Ezr 9:6; Jer 51:9
  14. Revelation 18:5 : Rev 16:19
  15. Revelation 18:6 : Ps 137:8; Jer 50:15, 29
  16. Revelation 18:6 : Isa 40:2
  17. Revelation 18:6 : Rev 14:10; 16:19; 17:4
  18. Revelation 18:7 : Eze 28:2-8
  19. Revelation 18:7 : Ps 10:6; Isa 47:7, 8; Zep 2:15
  20. Revelation 18:8 : ver 10; Isa 9:14; 47:9; Jer 50:31, 32
  21. Revelation 18:8 : Rev 17:16
  22. Revelation 18:9 : ver 3; Rev 14:8; 17:2, 4
  23. Revelation 18:9 : ver 3, 7
  24. Revelation 18:9 : ver 18; Rev 14:11; 19:3
  25. Revelation 18:9 : Jer 51:8; Eze 26:17, 18
  26. Revelation 18:10 : ver 15, 17
  27. Revelation 18:10 : ver 16, 19
  28. Revelation 18:10 : ver 17; Rev 17:12
  29. Revelation 18:11 : Eze 27:27
  30. Revelation 18:11 : ver 15, 19; Eze 27:31
  31. Revelation 18:11 : S ver 3
  32. Revelation 18:12 : Eze 27:12-22; Rev 17:4
  33. Revelation 18:13 : Eze 27:13; 1Ti 1:10
  34. Revelation 18:15 : S ver 3
  35. Revelation 18:15 : ver 10, 17
  36. Revelation 18:15 : ver 11, 19; Eze 27:31
  37. Revelation 18:16 : ver 10, 19
  38. Revelation 18:16 : Rev 17:4
  39. Revelation 18:17 : ver 10; Rev 17:12
  40. Revelation 18:17 : Rev 17:16
  41. Revelation 18:17 : Eze 27:28-30
  42. Revelation 18:17 : ver 10, 15
  43. Revelation 18:18 : ver 9; Rev 19:3
  44. Revelation 18:18 : S Rev 17:18
  45. Revelation 18:18 : Eze 27:32; Rev 13:4
  46. Revelation 18:19 : Jos 7:6; La 2:10; Eze 27:30
  47. Revelation 18:19 : ver 11, 15; Eze 27:31
  48. Revelation 18:19 : ver 10, 16; Rev 17:18
  49. Revelation 18:19 : Rev 17:16
  50. Revelation 18:20 : Jer 51:48; S Rev 12:12
  51. Revelation 18:20 : Rev 19:2
  52. Revelation 18:21 : Rev 5:2; 10:1
  53. Revelation 18:21 : Jer 51:63
  54. Revelation 18:21 : S Rev 17:18
  55. Revelation 18:22 : Isa 24:8; Eze 26:13
  56. Revelation 18:22 : Jer 25:10
  57. Revelation 18:23 : Jer 7:34; 16:9; 25:10
  58. Revelation 18:23 : ver 3; Isa 23:8
  59. Revelation 18:23 : Na 3:4
  60. Revelation 18:24 : Rev 16:6; 17:6
  61. Revelation 18:24 : Jer 51:49; Mt 23:35
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Psalm 146

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the Lord,(A) my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;(B)
I will sing praise(C) to my God as long as I live.(D)
Do not put your trust in princes,(E)
in human beings,(F) who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;(G)
on that very day their plans come to nothing.(H)
Blessed are those(I) whose help(J) is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven(K) and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful(L) forever.
He upholds(M) the cause of the oppressed(N)
and gives food to the hungry.(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(P)
the Lord gives sight(Q) to the blind,(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,(S)
the Lord loves the righteous.(T)
The Lord watches over the foreigner(U)
and sustains the fatherless(V) and the widow,(W)
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns(X) forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Proverbs 30:33

33 For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.”

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

12/26/2022 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 9:1-17, Revelation 17:1-18, Psalms 145:1-21, Proverbs 30:32

Today is the 26th day of the December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is wonderful to be here with you one day post-Christmas. How’s everybody recovering? I hope all is well and that the lingering joy that Christmas brings is just like this mist all around you as we continue to enjoy the glow that Christmas is and brings, and that the hope of Christmas is more real than ever. And I guess I also hope that you find some good deals if you’re going shopping. But for and how here we are around the Global Campfire one day post-Christmas coming together all over the world as we have done every day this year to take the next step forward together because there is only one way to go and that is forward and it’s best to do it together. And, so, let’s dive in and take the next step for together which leads us right to that place where we left off yesterday and that would be back in the book of Zechariah. Today, Zechariah chapter 9.

Commentary:

Okay. So, it is the day after Christmas and likely it’s been a busy month. It certainly has been around here in the rolling hills of Tennessee. So, we get like one day past Christmas and there’s still festivities, but we know that Christmas has passed us and so now it’s like cleanup time and maybe some shopping on some deals or to make some exchanges of that sort of thing. We may have had a feast yesterday. We probably had a feast yesterday. And, so, we’re either still really full or it’s leftovers today. Nobody’s gonna be doing the cooking. But some of those day-after Christmas feasts are the best. and maybe it’s time to start thinking about getting back on the plane and going back to our city and back to our home or getting back in the car and driving those hours back to where we live or maybe we hosted everybody and that’s what’s being thought of by everyone else. It’s time to move forward. And we know that. The day after Christmas we move into that, but we know that it’s time to begin to move forward. And, so, over the course of these next several days, this in between week is such an interesting week between Christmas and New Year’s because the disruption of the month of December is still there, like the flow of things, the rhythm of things is still a little bit different. Even if we’re going back to work it’s still a little bit different and we begin to start thinking, wow, this year…this year is almost in the history books. Just a few days left and then we start thinking about next year and what that might look like. And invariably that gets us to setting some goals that we end up calling New Year’s resolutions because there are things, although we have grown this year, there are things in our lives that we look at and think, I can do better. Like, I can handle these situations better or I need to take better care of myself. I want to have a lot many more experiences of Christmas. And, so, into the time of the year that we’re in drops Proverbs today offering us some advice not only for kind of navigating through this week, but as we’re thinking about a fresh start in a fresh ear what that’s gonna look like. And Proverbs speaks to us. If you’ve been foolish and arrogant, if you’ve been scheming put your hand to your mouth. This may feel fairly immediate. We’ve been through Christmas week. We’ve been disrupted and we’ve been around people that we’re probably not around on a daily basis. It’s pretty hard to imagine that we have not seen pride or foolishness or arrogance or even scheming. It wouldn’t be unusual if we haven’t gotten trapped on the corner of a couch listening to a conversation that we don’t necessarily want to be in because it’s a one-sided conversation where we’re getting a huge offload of pride and arrogance or a huge helping of opinion, or maybe…maybe…maybe we’ve offered that unsolicited. What Proverbs is telling us is put your hand to your mouth. In other words, kind of enough with the foolishness. That’s not going to get us anywhere. That's…that’s like in a false way trying to puff ourselves up to be larger and bigger and more dominant than we actually are. But the thing is it’s not true. It's…it’s inflated. It's…it’s puffed up. And, so, we can hear the words from Proverbs and go, put my head on my mouth. Who are you to tell me? Even though it’s the voice of wisdom. We can bristle at that. It seems like, confrontational, especially the day after Christmas. But confrontational as it might be, it’s only confrontational if we need to be confronted. And inside of what we’re being told is a beautiful freedom and that is that we are enough, and we don’t need to falsely inflate ourselves and make fools of ourselves. We can put our hands over our mouth and remember that we don’t have to be anybody else besides who we are. And who we are children of God, which invites us to think about why were…what…what…what are we trying to measure up to when we go down those roads when we puff ourselves up, when we act foolishly, when we’re arrogant and we’re scheming? What is that about? Because if there’s one thing that we’ve learned in the Scriptures is that the truth will set us free, and the truth does matter. And we went through the Gospels, and we watched our Savior be true. We have examples for what it looks like. Wouldn’t it free us if we didn’t have any pressure to be anything but what we are? Wouldn’t it be freeing to be true? And although we may need to lose a few pounds in the coming year and get more healthier or although we may need to make any number of changes and set any number of goals, wouldn’t a foundational principle or goal for our new year be to be true? And, so, as we take this first step forward beyond Christmas and we begin to start to think about what’s coming next for us let’s remember this today. Let’s remember what the proverb is telling us and let’s remember that we are invited, and it is necessary that we be true.

Prayer:

Father, we love you. We thank you for bringing us here. We’re still kind of glowing from Christmas. We’re also kinda tired from it all and this is a time where we begin to think about what comes next and we invite your Holy Spirit into that. Reveal to us in each of our contexts in each of our stories what the next steps are, how it is that we step into the new year together with you. We love you. We trust you. We have asked nearly every day that you would lead us into all truth, and so we ask that, and we ask you to give us a picture of what it might look like if we had nothing to hide, if we were true and the freedom that that would bring. We pray this in the mighty and precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, that is the website, and that us where you can find out what’s going on around here. The Daily Audio Bible app will do that as well and you can get the app free from whatever app store works with your device, Just look for Daily Audio Bible and you should find it, be able to download that, get all set up to take the journey in the new year and keep track of your progress and all kinds of stuff. Check it out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible here in the final days of the year, thank you profoundly, thank you with all humility. The Global Campfire is us, and it wouldn’t be here if us weren’t here if we weren’t here in this together. And, so, thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you are using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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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:

Hi Daily Audio Bible family and friends this is a Girl After God’s heart. I am calling in to pray for the dad whose son has autism and he had to place him with the state. My…my dear brother I just…I wanted you to know that you have been on my mind since you called in and I was reminded again today by the prayers of others that I needed to call in and pray for you specifically as well as pray for all of the people that I know who are raising children with special needs. I am a special education teacher of…of severe children those with more challenging…those with more challenging diagnosis. And at any rate, I have met with so many parents over the years and myself being one, a parent of children with special needs, people with specifically developing children sometimes don’t understand exactly how hard it is and raising a child with special needs whether it be ADHD, autism, down syndrome, mental health issues, any of those kind of things can be so very difficult. And sometimes we feel very alone in this world and as if nobody understands. But what I have learned over the years is that we are not alone. We’re not alone on this journey at all. And, so, I just wanted to let you know that I am praying for you and I wanted to lift you up right now. Father God, bless this son and bless his father. Lord, lead them in the path of righteousness for your namesake. Give them peace that passes all understanding Father. Direct their paths to You. In Your son’s name I pray. Amen.

This is Spunky from snowy Michigan calling in a prayer request for the first time. I have been with my employer for three years. In October my manager left and the new one is a challenge to work with. In November she hired her friend, my replacement. It is clear that I need to find other employment and I just ask for your prayers as I do that. Medical insurance is a must for me as my spouse is self-employed. I do lack good references and interview skills. Pray for clear direction for me in my next steps. Thank you.

Hi everybody it’s Susan from Canada God’s Yellow Flower calling, and I’ve been listening to the family Christmas party. I love it, love it, love it. But you know what I…I…I want to lift up in prayer, Sampson Ellis, and all the men and women incarcerated for one thing or another rightly or wrongly. I worked with people who had been in prison for…for 10 years before I retired. And actually I married one. We were married for 18 wonderful years. So, anyways I just want to lift you guys up, guys and gals. I know this is a very difficult season for you. So, Lord God I just lift up all our incarcerated family that need Your presence in their life right now. Help them to remember that Christmas is Your day, where we celebrate Your birth. And I pray a new birth in each and every one of them as they seek Your face Lord God and seek Your wisdom for their life. Be the joy that they need in their hearts, the hope they need in their lives. In Jesus’ precious and holy name, I pray. Amen.

Good morning family it’s Marylynn in New Brunswick and I’m calling just to kind of add a tag line to Rockhound in Georgia. I listened to you and your encouragement for People on the Water on the community prayer and encouragement for December the 17th. And it was so funny because as you were talking about changing locations and following your husband while he’s driving RV and you’re in the personal vehicle. I knew that feeling because while he didn’t…my husband doesn’t drive an RV we both drive motorcycles. And many times, during the summer we will take a road trip together. And one of my biggest pet peeves is when a car will get between us because we like to drive a safe distance between each other. I don’t…I don’t drive abreast like some drivers do because I’m just not confident enough of my own ability. But many many many times we have gotten into a situation where we have 1, 2, maybe 3 cars in between us and I know that anxiety. I can’t see him. And it…and it causes me to make really bad judgment sometimes. I almost had a wreck two summers ago because of that very thing. I couldn’t see him and a car pulled in between us and then another car was backing out and that car in front of me stopped to let him out and I almost rear-ended both of them. Anyway, I'm…I’m telling you all this to say this. Your point was smack on for us to keep our eyes ahead, but you know what I learned is that my husband loves me so much that when he sees that I can’t see him he slows down, sometimes he even pulls over and waits for me. And if I don’t come just when he thinks I should he turns around and he comes and gets me. So, I see Jesus doing that for you People on the Water. So…

Merry Christmas DAB family this is your…your sister Julie and I’m asking you for prayer for my coworker and friend’s daughter Kaylee who has been found in Mazatlán. She’s been under arrest by the government and she is been caught up in…it’s just a tough prayer. I’m sorry. I…it…she’s been caught up in human trafficking and she's…she’s alive but we’re not quite sure how everything’s going to turn out. So, I’m just praying that you would ask for a hedge of protection around her and that a Father would deliver her from this evil that’s going against her right now and that her mom will be able to bring her home safely and that our government would also help at the same time do the right thing to bring her home safely. And it’s just…it’s just really hard for her and it would be really awesome if God could just do a miracle and bring her home safely. So, family, I knew that you guys would be on the horn and that you would pray with me in her deliverance from this evil and to bring her home safely. So, thank you. I love you all and I’m praying for you all. December 20th’s prayers were hard, but I know that God is on the throne and He is in control and as long as He’s in control we have nothing to worry about. I love you. Have a blessed Christmas in Jesus’ name. This is your sister Julie. Have a great day. Bye.

Hi, this is Scott Campbell from Olean NY. I like to wish all…everybody from the Daily Audio Bible a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. And happy birthday Jesus. I’m glad it’s Christmas.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday December 26, 2022 (NIV)

Zechariah 9

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:(A)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
and will come to rest on Damascus(B)
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord[a]
and on Hamath(C) too, which borders on it,
and on Tyre(D) and Sidon,(E) though they are very skillful.
Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.(F)
But the Lord will take away her possessions
and destroy(G) her power on the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.(H)
Ashkelon(I) will see it and fear;
Gaza will writhe in agony,
and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
and Ashkelon will be deserted.
A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
and I will put an end(J) to the pride of the Philistines.
I will take the blood from their mouths,
the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(K)
and become a clan in Judah,
and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(L)
But I will encamp(M) at my temple
to guard it against marauding forces.(N)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
for now I am keeping watch.(O)

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!(P)
Shout,(Q) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,(R)
righteous and victorious,(S)
lowly and riding on a donkey,(T)
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(U)
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.(V)
He will proclaim peace(W) to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River[b] to the ends of the earth.(X)
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant(Y) with you,
I will free your prisoners(Z) from the waterless pit.(AA)
12 Return to your fortress,(AB) you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice(AC) as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(AD)
and fill it with Ephraim.(AE)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,(AF)
and make you like a warrior’s sword.(AG)

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(AH)
his arrow will flash like lightning.(AI)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(AJ)
he will march in the storms(AK) of the south,
15 and the Lord Almighty will shield(AL) them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.(AM)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(AN)
they will be full like a bowl(AO)
used for sprinkling[c] the corners(AP) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(AQ)
as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.(AR)
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women.

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
  2. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
  3. Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like

Cross references:

  1. Zechariah 9:1 : S Isa 13:1; Jer 23:33
  2. Zechariah 9:1 : Isa 17:1; S Am 1:5
  3. Zechariah 9:2 : S Jer 49:23
  4. Zechariah 9:2 : Eze 28:1-19
  5. Zechariah 9:2 : S Ge 10:15
  6. Zechariah 9:3 : Job 27:16; S Eze 28:4
  7. Zechariah 9:4 : S Isa 23:11
  8. Zechariah 9:4 : S Isa 23:1; Jer 25:22; Eze 26:3-5; 27:32-36; 28:18
  9. Zechariah 9:5 : Jer 47:5
  10. Zechariah 9:6 : S Isa 14:30
  11. Zechariah 9:7 : S Job 25:2
  12. Zechariah 9:7 : S Jer 47:1; S Joel 3:4; S Zep 2:4
  13. Zechariah 9:8 : S Isa 26:1
  14. Zechariah 9:8 : Zec 14:21
  15. Zechariah 9:8 : S Isa 52:1; S 54:14; S Joel 3:17
  16. Zechariah 9:9 : S Isa 62:11
  17. Zechariah 9:9 : S 1Ki 1:39
  18. Zechariah 9:9 : S Ps 24:7; S 149:2; Mic 4:8
  19. Zechariah 9:9 : Isa 9:6-7; 43:3-11; Jer 23:5-6; Zep 3:14-15; Zec 2:10
  20. Zechariah 9:9 : S Ge 49:11; S 1Ki 1:33
  21. Zechariah 9:9 : Mt 21:5*; Jn 12:15*
  22. Zechariah 9:10 : Hos 1:7; 2:18; Mic 4:3; 5:10; Zec 10:4
  23. Zechariah 9:10 : S Isa 2:4
  24. Zechariah 9:10 : Ps 72:8
  25. Zechariah 9:11 : S Ex 24:8; S Mt 26:28; S Lk 22:20
  26. Zechariah 9:11 : S Isa 10:4; S 42:7
  27. Zechariah 9:11 : Jer 38:6
  28. Zechariah 9:12 : S Joel 3:16
  29. Zechariah 9:12 : S Dt 21:17; S Isa 40:2
  30. Zechariah 9:13 : S 2Sa 22:35
  31. Zechariah 9:13 : S Isa 49:2
  32. Zechariah 9:13 : S Joel 3:6
  33. Zechariah 9:13 : S Jer 51:20
  34. Zechariah 9:14 : Isa 31:5
  35. Zechariah 9:14 : Ps 18:14; S Hab 3:11
  36. Zechariah 9:14 : S Lev 25:9; S Mt 24:31
  37. Zechariah 9:14 : Isa 21:1; 66:15
  38. Zechariah 9:15 : Isa 31:5; 37:35; Zec 12:8
  39. Zechariah 9:15 : Zec 14:3
  40. Zechariah 9:15 : Zec 10:7
  41. Zechariah 9:15 : Zec 14:20
  42. Zechariah 9:15 : S Ex 27:2
  43. Zechariah 9:16 : S Isa 10:20
  44. Zechariah 9:16 : S Jer 31:11
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Revelation 17

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels(A) who had the seven bowls(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment(C) of the great prostitute,(D) who sits by many waters.(E) With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(F)

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(G) into a wilderness.(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.(K) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(L) She held a golden cup(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(N) The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(O)

babylon the great(P)

the mother of prostitutes(Q)

and of the abominations of the earth.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(T) The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss(U) and go to its destruction.(V) The inhabitants of the earth(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

“This calls for a mind with wisdom.(Z) The seven heads(AA) are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not,(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

12 “The ten horns(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.(AE) 14 They will wage war(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen(AI) and faithful followers.”

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.(AK) 16 The beast and the ten horns(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.(AM) They will bring her to ruin(AN) and leave her naked;(AO) they will eat her flesh(AP) and burn her with fire.(AQ) 17 For God has put it into their hearts(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.(AT) 18 The woman you saw is the great city(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Psalm 145

Psalm 145[a]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you,(A) my God the King;(B)
I will praise your name(C) for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise(D) you
and extol your name(E) for ever and ever.

Great(F) is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(G)
his greatness no one can fathom.(H)
One generation(I) commends your works to another;
they tell(J) of your mighty acts.(K)
They speak of the glorious splendor(L) of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b](M)
They tell(N) of the power of your awesome works—(O)
and I will proclaim(P) your great deeds.(Q)
They celebrate your abundant goodness(R)
and joyfully sing(S) of your righteousness.(T)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,(U)
slow to anger and rich in love.(V)

The Lord is good(W) to all;
he has compassion(X) on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you,(Y) Lord;
your faithful people extol(Z) you.(AA)
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom(AB)
and speak of your might,(AC)
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts(AD)
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.(AE)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,(AF)
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy(AG) in all he promises(AH)
and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The Lord upholds(AI) all who fall
and lifts up all(AJ) who are bowed down.(AK)
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food(AL) at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires(AM) of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous(AN) in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.(AO)
18 The Lord is near(AP) to all who call on him,(AQ)
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires(AR) of those who fear him;(AS)
he hears their cry(AT) and saves them.(AU)
20 The Lord watches over(AV) all who love him,(AW)
but all the wicked he will destroy.(AX)

21 My mouth will speak(AY) in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature(AZ) praise his holy name(BA)
for ever and ever.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate
  3. Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 145:1 : Ps 30:1; 34:1
  2. Psalm 145:1 : Ps 2:6; 5:2
  3. Psalm 145:1 : S Ps 54:6
  4. Psalm 145:2 : S Ps 71:6
  5. Psalm 145:2 : Ps 34:1; Isa 25:1; 26:8
  6. Psalm 145:3 : S Ps 95:3
  7. Psalm 145:3 : S 2Sa 22:4; Ps 96:4
  8. Psalm 145:3 : S Job 5:9
  9. Psalm 145:4 : Ps 22:30
  10. Psalm 145:4 : S Dt 11:19
  11. Psalm 145:4 : S Ps 71:16
  12. Psalm 145:5 : Ps 96:6; 148:13
  13. Psalm 145:5 : S Ps 75:1
  14. Psalm 145:6 : Ps 78:4
  15. Psalm 145:6 : S Ps 66:3
  16. Psalm 145:6 : S Dt 32:3
  17. Psalm 145:6 : Ps 75:1; 106:22
  18. Psalm 145:7 : S Ex 18:9; S Ps 27:13
  19. Psalm 145:7 : S Ps 5:11; S 101:1
  20. Psalm 145:7 : S Ps 138:5
  21. Psalm 145:8 : S Ps 86:15; 103:8
  22. Psalm 145:8 : S Ps 86:5
  23. Psalm 145:9 : S 1Ch 16:34; S Ps 136:1; Mt 19:17; Mk 10:18
  24. Psalm 145:9 : Ps 103:13-14
  25. Psalm 145:10 : S Ps 8:6; S 103:22; S 139:14
  26. Psalm 145:10 : Ps 30:4; 148:14; 149:9
  27. Psalm 145:10 : Ps 115:17-18
  28. Psalm 145:11 : ver 12-13; S Ex 15:2; Mt 6:33
  29. Psalm 145:11 : Ps 21:13
  30. Psalm 145:12 : S Ps 75:1; 105:1
  31. Psalm 145:12 : ver 11; Ps 103:19; Isa 2:10, 19, 21
  32. Psalm 145:13 : S Ex 15:18; 1Ti 1:17; 2Pe 1:11; Rev 11:15
  33. Psalm 145:13 : S Dt 7:9; S 1Co 1:9
  34. Psalm 145:13 : S Jos 23:14
  35. Psalm 145:14 : S Ps 37:17
  36. Psalm 145:14 : S 1Sa 2:8; Ps 146:8
  37. Psalm 145:14 : S Ps 38:6
  38. Psalm 145:15 : S Ge 1:30; S Job 28:5; S Ps 37:25; S Mt 6:26
  39. Psalm 145:16 : S Ps 90:14; S 104:28
  40. Psalm 145:17 : S Ex 9:27; S Ezr 9:15
  41. Psalm 145:17 : ver 13
  42. Psalm 145:18 : S Nu 23:21; S Ps 46:1; Php 4:5
  43. Psalm 145:18 : Ps 18:6; 80:18
  44. Psalm 145:19 : S Ps 20:4
  45. Psalm 145:19 : S Job 22:28
  46. Psalm 145:19 : S Ps 31:22; S 40:1
  47. Psalm 145:19 : S 1Sa 10:19; Ps 7:10; 34:18
  48. Psalm 145:20 : S Ps 1:6
  49. Psalm 145:20 : Ps 31:23; 91:14; 97:10
  50. Psalm 145:20 : S Ps 94:23
  51. Psalm 145:21 : Ps 71:8
  52. Psalm 145:21 : Ps 65:2; 150:6
  53. Psalm 145:21 : S Ex 3:15; S Ps 30:4; S 99:3
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Proverbs 30:32

32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!(A)

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 30:32 : S Job 29:9
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

12/25/2022 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 8:1-23, Revelation 16:1-21, Psalm 144:1-15, Proverbs 30:29-31

Today is the 25th day of December, also known as Christmas day, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you. We have taken this journey from the beginning of the year all the way to this day and this day marks the turn of human history. This day marks the arrival of the Savior of the world and there is nowhere that I’d rather be to celebrate this than here with you, around the Global Campfire Merry Christmas everybody.

Merry Christmas everybody. It is so wonderful to reach this point every year, in this most holy day and this most beautiful day of celebration and the fact that no matter where we are in the world, we can celebrate it together here. And I trust that wherever you are the peace of Christ descends upon you filling your heart with joy and filling the world with joy. And I’m glad even on this Christmas day we can gather together and move forward together and take the next step forward together in the Scriptures. So, let’s dive in. We obviously are picking up where we left off, no matter what day it is or what holiday it is, and we have been moving our way this week, through the book of Zechariah. And we will continue to move our way through the book of Zechariah, today and tomorrow and all the way up until a couple of days before the end of the year. Today, Zechariah chapter 8.

Commentary:

Okay, so obviously it’s hard to ignore and hard to miss that today is Christmas day and we are celebrating all over the world, the arrival of the Savior. And this is a passage of Scripture that I have read every Christmas day, well, this would be the 17th time in a row, 17th Christmas, reading these passages. And all of the while, I’ve read these passages and thought, man I wish we had a manger scene, like I wish we had the postcard Christmas reading but this is what comes up. And so often, I’ve thought, this is and all that encouraging for Christmas day, but I really enjoyed what we read in Zechariah today. Just hearing from the Lord and I quote from Zechariah, God speaking here, “I care passionately about Zion, I burn with passion for her. The Lord proclaims I have returned to Zion. I will settle in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the city of truth, the mountain of the Lord of heavenly forces will be the holy mountain. Old men and old women will again dwell in the plazas of Jerusalem, the city will be full of boys and girls gathering in its plazas. Even though it may seem to be a miracle for the few remaining among his people in these days, should it seem to be a miracle for me, says the Lord of heavenly forces. I’m about to deliver my people from the land of the East and the West and I’ll bring them back, so they will dwell in Jerusalem, they will be My people and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.” Just one more time where we get to see that God, no matter what happens, will not relent and surrender what He loves, His treasure, His people. And if Christmas day doesn’t tell us anything else, it has to tell us that, the lengths He’s been willing to go to. Not only to get our attention, but to capture our hearts because He loves us so much. And yet, with all of that I end up generally speaking, pretty much every year at some point during Christmas day listless. There’s like nothing that makes it happen, it just kind of comes blowing in, it is like all of the joy, all of the celebration, all of the gifts, all of the smiles, all of the laughter, all of the joy of the kids. Like a whole month of preparation for the day and maybe that’s part of it, all of this preparation and then it comes and goes and then you wake up and it’s over and it came and went so fast. I think that's…that’s part of it, but then there’s like the reading from…from Revelation today, wrath and judgment in bolts being poured out on the earth, really awful things and it just doesn’t feel like Christmas. And it took many, many years where I just really trying to reconcile the baby Jesus. And then this…this Jesus of judgment in the book of Revelation. Until one year, it just really hit me, this is the same Jesus and how does that work when Jesus came to earth, helpless, but He didn’t grow up and stay helpless. He grew up and rescued the world in udder humility. And then we read in Revelation about an all grown up Jesus who is the all-powerful One, who has come back to earth to eradicate evil like, to destroy the things that are destroying human beings, to eradicate from the world the things that are destroying and consuming His people. And so, over the years I’ve read through the book of Revelation many times and read through this passage on Christmas day, many times. And I’ve begun to realize, this is what He was coming to do. Whether as a little baby or as the resurrected Christ. He’s not mad at people, He’s very mad about the things that destroy people. And very mad about people being willing to participate in things that will not only destroy them but everyone around them. And we hate death. I hate death. I have been touched by it. I hate it, on a day like today. I miss my mom and dad enough to start crying right now just talking about it. I hate that death has separated us. But I love that they are hidden away with Christ in God. I love it that they are with Jesus on this Christmas day, and I love it that His coming, His arrival for us is hope that no goodbye is forever. And what we see happening in Revelation is the destruction of the destroyer, the destruction of the whole system that is kept mankind in bondage, telling us that in the end He will and reign for ever and ever and ever. I want that, I want to see that, I want to be there. I want to see the judgment on death. That death has no more sting, that grave has no more victory, that things that destroy us no longer exist and are no longer categories. And it seems to me as we read the Scriptures, we can love the baby Jesus, but if we want the ultimate victory, we need the warrior risen Christ, who will not put up with evil another minute. And so, we find ourselves in the in between. And I think that is what blows in upon me during Christmas week, during Christmas day. Some people call it the blues, the Christmas blues. That sort of tinge of, I guess almost depression, the blues. I’ve learned that really at its core that feeling at least for me is longing. No matter how we prepare, no matter how much we work, no matter how much joy that we can conjure on Christmas day, we still know that it’s not perfect and no matter how close to perfection we can get, it comes and goes so quickly. And then we got to think about going back to regular life. And there’s longing in that, we want to stay in this place of rejoicing and goodwill toward men and hope. But the work is not yet complete. Time is not full. So, we are here in the chaos of this world as witnesses, or as lights in the darkness, and we endure along with God in His patience, in His love for everyone, that all might know. And we’re invited to collaborate in being a light or a city on a hill or the salt of the earth, we’re not just here helplessly hoping to hide out and wait. We have a very visible role to play in drawing people to Lord. So, I expect that this longing that some of us may feel, is not unlike the longing of those who were waiting for the arrival of the Savior in the first place, wondering when things are going to change, wondering when there will be hope again, wondering when God will come with his mighty power and restore things. And then almost as if in secret, He came and did just that. And we are longing for His return when everything will be back together again. And so, if you end up feeling like that and I know like, I’m talking to brothers and sisters around the Global Campfire, around the world. And so, for some of you there is nobody else, here spending Christmas day by yourself and us being able to spend time together as a community. This is a bright spot in that day, but maybe you’re lonely or maybe there are missing people at the table this year that were there last year or maybe there were relationships that you had last year that you don’t have now, and things look quite different. Or maybe there are new additions around the table this year that are joyful and full of celebration. We’ve got a couple a little baby granddaughters who are just walking and running around and that is, that is about, that is about as close to pure joy as I can get to right now. But regardless of the scenario, if you find a point in your heart where you’re like my feelings do not match the festivities of what is going on. This is a very wonderful celebration, and I am feeling a little off from that feeling. Look inside your heart. We were made for things to be right, and we know they are not right, and we long for them to be put back together and we hope in the Savior for that to happen. And although it is happening. It has not reached its completion. But the further that we walk with Jesus, the more we can see the contrast between His hope for humanity and what we’ve made of this place. We long for restoration. And I have realized that is part of Christmas. The celebration isn’t just because He came, the celebration is that He came and changed everything, and He is coming again. So, if you feel little off at some point today, rest in that, this is the soul crying out to be made whole and the awareness that we cannot make anything perfect on our own. So, may we hope in this child born and laid in a feeding trough from livestock, in the lowliest state in a cave. He’s not a little baby anymore. And if Revelation is indicating anything, it’s indicating that He is not weak or timid. He is our Savior. He is within us. He will never leave or forsake us and one day He will return and make all things new again. Merry Christmas everybody, Merry Christmas. May the joy of the Lord be your strength, may the peace of Christ be with you always. Amen.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday December 25, 2022 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous(A) for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

This is what the Lord says: “I will return(B) to Zion(C) and dwell in Jerusalem.(D) Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,(E) and the mountain(F) of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.(G)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,(H) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.(I)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time,(J) but will it seem marvelous to me?(K)” declares the Lord Almighty.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.(L) I will bring them back(M) to live(N) in Jerusalem; they will be my people,(O) and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.(P)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong(Q) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets(R) said who were present when the foundation(S) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. 10 Before that time there were no wages(T) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely(U) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,”(V) declares the Lord Almighty.

12 “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,(W) the ground will produce its crops,(X) and the heavens will drop their dew.(Y) I will give all these things as an inheritance(Z) to the remnant of this people.(AA) 13 Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse[a](AB) among the nations, so I will save(AC) you, and you will be a blessing.[b](AD) Do not be afraid,(AE) but let your hands be strong.(AF)

14 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster(AG) on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, 15 “so now I have determined to do good(AH) again to Jerusalem and Judah.(AI) Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth(AJ) to each other, and render true and sound judgment(AK) in your courts;(AL) 17 do not plot evil(AM) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.(AN) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

19 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,(AO) fifth,(AP) seventh(AQ) and tenth(AR) months will become joyful(AS) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth(AT) and peace.”

20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat(AU) the Lord and seek(AV) the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”(AW)

23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”(AX)

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 8:13 That is, your name has been used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, you have been regarded as under a curse.
  2. Zechariah 8:13 Or and your name will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or and you will be seen as blessed

Cross references:

  1. Zechariah 8:2 : S Joel 2:18
  2. Zechariah 8:3 : Zec 1:16
  3. Zechariah 8:3 : S Isa 52:8; S Joel 3:21
  4. Zechariah 8:3 : S Zec 2:10
  5. Zechariah 8:3 : S Ps 15:2; S Isa 1:26; S 48:1; S Jer 33:16
  6. Zechariah 8:3 : S Jer 26:18
  7. Zechariah 8:3 : S Isa 1:26; S Mic 4:1
  8. Zechariah 8:4 : S Isa 65:20
  9. Zechariah 8:5 : S Jer 30:20; 31:13
  10. Zechariah 8:6 : Ps 118:23; 126:1-3
  11. Zechariah 8:6 : Jer 32:17, 27
  12. Zechariah 8:7 : Ps 107:3; S Isa 11:11; S 43:5
  13. Zechariah 8:8 : S Eze 37:12; Zec 10:10
  14. Zechariah 8:8 : S Jer 31:24
  15. Zechariah 8:8 : S Isa 51:16; S Eze 11:19-20; S 36:28; S Zec 2:11; Heb 8:10
  16. Zechariah 8:8 : Jer 11:4; Zec 10:6
  17. Zechariah 8:9 : S Hag 2:4
  18. Zechariah 8:9 : S Ezr 5:1
  19. Zechariah 8:9 : S Ezr 3:11
  20. Zechariah 8:10 : S Isa 5:10; S Hag 1:6
  21. Zechariah 8:10 : S 2Ch 15:5
  22. Zechariah 8:11 : Isa 12:1
  23. Zechariah 8:12 : S Ps 85:12; S Joel 2:22
  24. Zechariah 8:12 : S Ps 67:6
  25. Zechariah 8:12 : S Ge 27:28
  26. Zechariah 8:12 : S Ps 65:13; S Isa 60:21; Ob 1:17
  27. Zechariah 8:12 : S Hos 2:21
  28. Zechariah 8:13 : S Nu 5:27; S Dt 13:15; S Ps 102:8; Jer 42:18
  29. Zechariah 8:13 : S Ps 48:8
  30. Zechariah 8:13 : S Ge 12:2; S Joel 2:14
  31. Zechariah 8:13 : S Hag 2:5
  32. Zechariah 8:13 : ver 9
  33. Zechariah 8:14 : S Eze 24:14
  34. Zechariah 8:15 : ver 13; S Jer 29:11; Mic 7:18-20
  35. Zechariah 8:15 : Jer 31:28; 32:42
  36. Zechariah 8:16 : S Ps 15:2; S Jer 33:16; S Eph 4:25
  37. Zechariah 8:16 : S Eze 18:8
  38. Zechariah 8:16 : S Eze 45:9; S Am 5:15; S Zec 7:9
  39. Zechariah 8:17 : Pr 3:29
  40. Zechariah 8:17 : S Pr 6:16-19; S Jer 7:9; Zec 5:4
  41. Zechariah 8:19 : S 2Ki 25:7; Jer 39:2
  42. Zechariah 8:19 : S Jer 52:12
  43. Zechariah 8:19 : 2Ki 25:25
  44. Zechariah 8:19 : Jer 52:4
  45. Zechariah 8:19 : Ps 30:11
  46. Zechariah 8:19 : ver 16
  47. Zechariah 8:21 : S Zec 7:2
  48. Zechariah 8:21 : Jer 26:19
  49. Zechariah 8:22 : S Ps 86:9; 117:1; Isa 2:2-3; S 44:5; S 45:14; 49:6; S Zec 2:11
  50. Zechariah 8:23 : S Ps 102:22; S Isa 14:1; S 45:14; S 56:3; 1Co 14:25
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Revelation 16

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple(A) saying to the seven angels,(B) “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”(C)

The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,(D) and ugly, festering sores(E) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.(F)

The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.(G)

The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,(H) and they became blood.(I) Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments,(J) O Holy One,(K)
you who are and who were;(L)
for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,(M)
and you have given them blood to drink(N) as they deserve.”

And I heard the altar(O) respond:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,(P)
true and just are your judgments.”(Q)

The fourth angel(R) poured out his bowl on the sun,(S) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.(T) They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,(U) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent(V) and glorify him.(W)

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,(X) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.(Y) People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed(Z) the God of heaven(AA) because of their pains and their sores,(AB) but they refused to repent of what they had done.(AC)

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,(AD) and its water was dried up to prepare the way(AE) for the kings from the East.(AF) 13 Then I saw three impure spirits(AG) that looked like frogs;(AH) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,(AI) out of the mouth of the beast(AJ) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(AK) 14 They are demonic spirits(AL) that perform signs,(AM) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,(AN) to gather them for the battle(AO) on the great day(AP) of God Almighty.

15 “Look, I come like a thief!(AQ) Blessed is the one who stays awake(AR) and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”(AS)

16 Then they gathered the kings together(AT) to the place that in Hebrew(AU) is called Armageddon.(AV)

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,(AW) and out of the temple(AX) came a loud voice(AY) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”(AZ) 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder(BA) and a severe earthquake.(BB) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,(BC) so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city(BD) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered(BE) Babylon the Great(BF) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.(BG) 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.(BH) 21 From the sky huge hailstones,(BI) each weighing about a hundred pounds,[a] fell on people. And they cursed God(BJ) on account of the plague of hail,(BK) because the plague was so terrible.

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 16:21 Or about 45 kilograms

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 16:1 : Rev 11:19
  2. Revelation 16:1 : S Rev 15:1
  3. Revelation 16:1 : ver 2-21; Ps 79:6; Zep 3:8
  4. Revelation 16:2 : Rev 8:7
  5. Revelation 16:2 : ver 11; Ex 9:9-11; Dt 28:35
  6. Revelation 16:2 : Rev 13:15-17; 14:9
  7. Revelation 16:3 : Ex 7:17-21; Rev 8:8, 9; Rev 11:6
  8. Revelation 16:4 : Rev 8:10
  9. Revelation 16:4 : Ex 7:17-21
  10. Revelation 16:5 : Rev 15:3
  11. Revelation 16:5 : Rev 15:4
  12. Revelation 16:5 : S Rev 1:4; Rev 6:10
  13. Revelation 16:6 : Lk 11:49-51
  14. Revelation 16:6 : Isa 49:26; Rev 17:6; 18:24
  15. Revelation 16:7 : Rev 6:9; 14:18
  16. Revelation 16:7 : S Rev 1:8
  17. Revelation 16:7 : Rev 15:3; 19:2
  18. Revelation 16:8 : Rev 8:12
  19. Revelation 16:8 : Rev 6:12
  20. Revelation 16:8 : Rev 14:18
  21. Revelation 16:9 : ver 11, 21
  22. Revelation 16:9 : S Rev 2:21
  23. Revelation 16:9 : S Rev 11:13
  24. Revelation 16:10 : Rev 13:2
  25. Revelation 16:10 : Ex 10:21-23; Isa 8:22; Rev 8:12; 9:2
  26. Revelation 16:11 : ver 9, 21
  27. Revelation 16:11 : Rev 11:13
  28. Revelation 16:11 : ver 2
  29. Revelation 16:11 : S Rev 2:21
  30. Revelation 16:12 : S Rev 9:14
  31. Revelation 16:12 : Isa 11:15, 16
  32. Revelation 16:12 : Isa 41:2; 46:11
  33. Revelation 16:13 : Rev 18:2
  34. Revelation 16:13 : Ex 8:6
  35. Revelation 16:13 : S Rev 12:3
  36. Revelation 16:13 : S Rev 13:1
  37. Revelation 16:13 : Rev 19:20; 20:10
  38. Revelation 16:14 : 1Ti 4:1
  39. Revelation 16:14 : S Mt 24:24
  40. Revelation 16:14 : S Mt 24:14
  41. Revelation 16:14 : Rev 17:14; 19:19; 20:8
  42. Revelation 16:14 : S Rev 6:17
  43. Revelation 16:15 : S Lk 12:39
  44. Revelation 16:15 : Lk 12:37
  45. Revelation 16:15 : Rev 3:18
  46. Revelation 16:16 : ver 14
  47. Revelation 16:16 : Rev 9:11
  48. Revelation 16:16 : Jdg 5:19; 2Ki 23:29, 30; Zec 12:11
  49. Revelation 16:17 : Eph 2:2
  50. Revelation 16:17 : Rev 14:15
  51. Revelation 16:17 : Rev 11:15
  52. Revelation 16:17 : Rev 21:6
  53. Revelation 16:18 : S Rev 4:5
  54. Revelation 16:18 : S Rev 6:12
  55. Revelation 16:18 : Da 12:1; Mt 24:21
  56. Revelation 16:19 : S Rev 17:18
  57. Revelation 16:19 : Rev 18:5
  58. Revelation 16:19 : S Rev 14:8
  59. Revelation 16:19 : Rev 14:10
  60. Revelation 16:20 : S Rev 6:14
  61. Revelation 16:21 : Eze 13:13; 38:22; Rev 8:7; 11:19
  62. Revelation 16:21 : ver 9, 11
  63. Revelation 16:21 : Ex 9:23-25
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Psalm 144

Psalm 144

Of David.

Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(A)
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,(B)
my stronghold(C) and my deliverer,
my shield,(D) in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples[a](E) under me.

Lord, what are human beings(F) that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;(G)
their days are like a fleeting shadow.(H)

Part your heavens,(I) Lord, and come down;(J)
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(K)
Send forth lightning(L) and scatter(M) the enemy;
shoot your arrows(N) and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high;(O)
deliver me and rescue me(P)
from the mighty waters,(Q)
from the hands of foreigners(R)
whose mouths are full of lies,(S)
whose right hands(T) are deceitful.(U)

I will sing a new song(V) to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre(W) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(X)
who delivers his servant David.(Y)

From the deadly sword(Z) 11 deliver me;
rescue me(AA) from the hands of foreigners(AB)
whose mouths are full of lies,(AC)
whose right hands are deceitful.(AD)

12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,(AE)
and our daughters will be like pillars(AF)
carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(AG)
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen(AH) will draw heavy loads.[b]
There will be no breaching of walls,(AI)
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.(AJ)
15 Blessed is the people(AK) of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
  2. Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Proverbs 30:29-31

29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
and a king secure against revolt.[a]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

12/24/2022 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 6:1-7:14, Revelation 15:1-8, Psalms 143:1-12, Proverbs 30:24-28

Today is the 24th day of the December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian and it is wonderful to be here around the Global Campfire with you today on this Christmas eve. Ahh, it’s like…it seemed so far in the distance that we would arrive here when we began this journey at the beginning of the year. It felt like we…we just move through Christmas that’s a long long long way off, but day by day step by step around the Global Campfire we have navigated here again to Christmas eve another time and we are grateful Lord that you have brought us here to this point in the year and to this point in the Scriptures. And our next step forward in the Scriptures leads us back into the book of Zechariah. Today, Zechariah chapters 6 and 7.

Prayer:

Father, we thank you for your word and we thank you for Christmas. And here we are. This evening may bring candlelight services or staying up till past midnight to bring in Christmas or any…any number of traditions that we have. We thank you for bringing us together, close together with family again, with friends again. And hopefully much of the labor is complete, we don’t have to stay up all night wrapping presents. But whether we do or whether we don’t Lord, may it be beautiful to you. May our hearts be open to you. May the gifts that we give represent the gift that you are and may we give the gift of our presence to one another, just being together without agendas. Help us learn to obey what we read of in Zechariah today. Help us to make just and faithful decisions, to show kindness and compassion to each other. We need this reminder, and we need to heed it. May the beauty of this season descend upon us and fill us with joy all over the world. Joy to the world the Lord has come. Thank you for that. Thank you for coming. We love you. We rejoice in you. We are lost without you, but we’re not without you. You have not withheld yourself from us. You have heaped gifts upon us every day of our lives and we reach to you with gratitude and return the only gift that we have, our hearts. We love you and we celebrate you and we pray this in your name, the name above all names, the name of Jesus. Amen.

Song:

Silent Night

Deep dive into the book of Revelation:

Part 8

Okay. So, we read from Revelation chapter 15 today and what we read is actually a transition into what’s coming next. And at this point I’m gonna try to start zooming us out toward the major themes that arise in the rest of this book because we’ve spent substantial time together, you know, kind of diving into some of the minutia, which is so interesting because what we’ve talked about in the book of Revelation since we started this year is probably less than 5% about what scholars and interpreters and theologians and translators and anthropologists have to say. And we’ve been doing that in part to just simply acknowledge the complexities of interpretation of the book of Revelation. It’s easy enough to say, well in the end, Jesus wins that’s all I need to know about the book of Revelation. And yes, God having the final say in bringing His kingdom to the world is certainly good news. But this book wasn’t written just to give that assurance. This book was to remind believers to endure and stay true until the very end and that’s something that the book of Revelation will not allow us to forget and it’s very important that we do not forget it. But along with that comes a lot of symbolism and statements that have been interpreted in very diverse ways. And these diverse theological understandings have been so influential that entire denominations of Christian believers have formed around them. And at the Daily Audio Bible we’re all over the map, like literally all over the map geographically, but we’re also all over the map in the kind of church that we go to, the kind of understandings that we have. So, I’m trying to get behind all of that and look at some of the main ways that this book has been looked at. But I think we’ve gone into it sufficiently enough to know, okay, this has actually been looked at a number of ways and here are some of the main ways so that we can zoom out a little bit because it can certainly get a bit tedious. So, we began our reading today with something spectacular and amazing, another sign in heaven, and seven plagues that are the final expression of God’s anger. So, were told what’s going to happen and then John sees what looks to be a sea of glass mixed with fire and everyone who was victorious, everyone who stayed true, kept their witness, kept their light burning standing on this sea. What…what an amazing sight to see. And they’re standing on the glassy sea, which, you know, so they’re…they’re walking on water as it were, which may be an allusion to Jesus doing the same thing. And these people are holding God’s harps and singing something interesting. They’re singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. So, we begin to see clearly Exodus imagery, the imagery when the children of Israel left Egypt and went into the wilderness in order to attain the promised land. And that imagery snaps a bunch of things into place by paralleling God’s judgment by sending plagues upon Egypt in order to force them to relent, acknowledge God, and set His people free. And in like fashion we begin to see that this is kind of the pattern God is using in the book of Revelation with these final judgments. So, when God is bringing plagues down upon Egypt what that does is make life harder for the children of Israel who have been enslaved. So, it gets harder for them before it gets better and they’re even complaining to Moses about the whole thing, that he’s come in and said he’s carrying the words of God and he’s going up against Pharaoh, but it’s only making things worse for them, which would parallel God beginning to bring his kingdom and all of the unrest that that brings and the conflict that brings simply makes it harder for God’s people temporarily, but in the end they find their freedom and eternal rest. And when the victory is complete, when the children of Israel are truly free Moses has a song to sing. And, so, we’re seeing this kind of addendum to that song sung by all God’s people, but they’re doing this while standing on a sea that is like glass and fire. And this has been paralleled with the Red Sea experience that the children of Israel faced when they had to go over on dry land and Pharaoh’s army was then washed away. So, after they sing their song then the temple opens in heaven, seven angels with seven plagues come out of the temple. One of the four living creatures gives the seven gold bowls full of God’s anger to the Angels and the temple was filled with the glory of God. And that’s where we end today with a set up. But we see the clear parallel imagery of the Exodus story. And these plagues, just as they descended upon Pharaoh are about to be poured out upon the earth, but we’ll have to wait for that until tomorrow.

Prayer:

Father, we thank you for your word and we ask your Holy Spirit to continue the work of planting the word in our lives and in our hearts. We ask you to continue to bring up things in us that need to be healed and restored or let go of. It is our desire that we be among those who can sing this song. So, come Holy Spirit and continue to do the work of sanctification within us. And we also acknowledge that this is the eve of the day that we celebrate your birth, your arrival, your invasion of this planet on our behalf. And, so, even as we celebrate the joy of your arrival, the joy of Christmas, we also acknowledge that we long for your second arrival for your return. And we thank you for the glimpse that you have provided us with as we move to the book of Revelation. Come Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 24, 2022 (NIV)

Zechariah 6-7

Eighth night vision

I looked up again
and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains;
the mountains were made of bronze.
The first chariot had red horses,
and the second chariot had black horses.
The third chariot had white horses,
and the fourth chariot had horses that were heavily spotted.
I responded and said to the messenger speaking with me,
“What are these, sir?”
The messenger answered and said to me,
“These are the four winds of heaven that are going out
after presenting themselves to the Lord of all the earth.
The one with the black horses is going to the north country;
the white ones are going to the west;[a]
and the spotted ones are going south.”
Then the powerful ones approached, intent on going to patrol the earth.
He said, “Go! Patrol the earth!”
So they patrolled the earth.
Then he called out and said to me,
“Look, the ones going north have provided rest for my spirit in the north.”

The Lord’s word came to me:
10 Take silver and gold[b] from the exiles who came from Babylon,
from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah.
As for you, go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
11 Take silver and gold and make a crown.[c]
Place it on the head of the high priest Joshua, Jehozadak’s son.
12 Say to him,
“The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
Here is a man.
His name is Branch, and he will branch out from his place;
he will build the Lord’s temple.
13 He will build the Lord’s temple.
He will be majestic;
he will sit and rule on his throne.
There will be a priest on his throne,
and the two of them will share a peaceable plan.
14 The crown will be a memorial in the Lord’s temple
for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and for Hen, Zephaniah’s son.
15 People from far away will come and build the Lord’s temple
so you might know that the Lord of heavenly forces has sent me to you.
It will happen if you truly obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

Answering the Bethel delegation

In the fourth year of Darius the king, the Lord’s word came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev.[d] The people of[e] Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech,[f] along with his men, to seek the Lord’s favor, saying to the priests who were in the house of the Lord of heavenly forces and to the prophets: “Should I weep in the fifth month and abstain as I have done for a number of years?”

Then the word of the Lord of heavenly forces came to me: Say to all the land’s people and to the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth month and the seventh month for these past seventy years, did you fast for me? When you ate and drank, weren’t you the ones eating and drinking? Weren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem was dwelling quietly along with the surrounding cities, and when the arid southern plain and the western foothills were inhabited?

The Lord’s word came to Zechariah:
The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:

Make just and faithful decisions; show kindness and compassion to each other! 10 Don’t oppress the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the poor; don’t plan evil against each other! 11 But they refused to pay attention. They turned a cold shoulder and stopped listening.

12 They steeled their hearts against hearing the Instruction and the words that the Lord of heavenly forces sent by his spirit through the earlier prophets. As a result, the Lord of heavenly forces became enraged.

13 So just as he called and they didn’t listen, when they called, I didn’t listen, says the Lord of heavenly forces. 14 I scattered them throughout the nations whom they didn’t know. The land was devastated behind them, with no one leaving or returning. They turned a delightful land into a wasteland.

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 6:6 Or after them
  2. Zechariah 6:10 Heb lacks silver and gold; cf 6:11.
  3. Zechariah 6:11 LXX; Heb crowns, so also 6:14
  4. Zechariah 7:1 November–December
  5. Zechariah 7:2 Heb lacks the people of.
  6. Zechariah 7:2 Heb uncertain
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Revelation 15

Song of Moses and the Lamb

15 Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign in heaven. There were seven angels with seven plagues—and these are the last, for with them God’s anger is brought to an end. Then I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who gained victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name were standing by the glass sea, holding harps from God. They sing the song of Moses, God’s servant, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and awe-inspiring are your works,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
king of the nations.
Who won’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name?
You alone are holy.
All nations will come and fall down in worship before you,
for your acts of justice have been revealed.”

Seven bowl plagues

After this I looked, and the temple in heaven—that is, the tent of witness—was opened. The seven angels, who have the seven plagues, came out of the temple. They were clothed in pure bright linen and had gold sashes around their waists. Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls full of the anger of the God who lives forever and always. The temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power, and no one could go into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven last angels were brought to an end.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 143

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

143 Listen to my prayer, Lord!
Because of your faithfulness, hear my requests for mercy!
Because of your righteousness, answer me!
Please don’t bring your servant to judgment,
because no living thing is righteous before you.

The enemy is chasing me,[a]
crushing my life in the dirt,
forcing me to live in the dark
like those who’ve been dead forever.
My spirit is weak inside me—
inside, my mind is numb.

I remember the days long past;
I meditate on all your deeds;
I contemplate your handiwork.
I stretch out my hands to you;
my whole being is like dry dirt, thirsting for you.[b] Selah

Answer me, Lord—and quickly! My breath is fading.
Don’t hide your face from me
or I’ll be like those going down to the pit!
Tell me all about your faithful love come morning time,
because I trust you.
Show me the way I should go,
because I offer my life up to you.
Deliver me from my enemies, Lord!
I seek protection from you.[c]
10 Teach me to do what pleases you,
because you are my God.
Guide me by your good spirit
into good land.
11 Make me live again, Lord, for your name’s sake.
Bring me out of distress because of your righteousness.
12 Wipe out my enemies because of your faithful love.
Destroy everyone who attacks me,
because I am your servant.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 143:3 Or my soul; also in 143:6, 8, 11-12
  2. Psalm 143:6 Heb lacks thirsting.
  3. Psalm 143:9 Heb uncertain; MT to you I have hidden
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 30:24-28

24 Four things are among the smallest on earth,
but they are extremely wise:
25 Ants as creatures aren’t strong,
but they store away their food in the summer.
26 Badgers as creatures aren’t powerful,
but they make their homes in the rocks.
27 Locusts don’t have a king,
but they march together in ranks.
28 You can catch lizards in your hand,
but they are in kings’ palaces.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

12/23/2022 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 4:1-5:11, Revelation 14:1-20, Psalm 142:1-7, Proverbs 30:21-23

Today is the 23rd day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today around the Global Campfire, as we gather and keep warm together and I imagine that it’s all decorated in here. It’s beautiful, it’s a beautiful oasis that we have here to take the next step forward together on this Christmas eve, eve. I literally can’t believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. It’s like here we are, but this is where we are, and we are here around the Global Campfire to take the next step forward. And so, that’s what we’ll do. We are working our way through the book of Zechariah. Today we will read Zechariah chapters four and five.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for bringing us this far Christmas eve, eve the world is sitting up and taking notice. Now, as we move through this part of the year and this is the one time of the year when focus can certainly be on materialism, but the story is Your story and it is a love story and a story of rescue, the story of Your Advent, the story of Your arrival. And it is so easy for us to know that but be focused on everything but that. Now as we’re right in the thick of it and we’re swirling around and we’re all going to go through Christmas and it’s going to be awesome and beautiful, provided that we don’t lose track of what’s going on here and fall into any number of ancient patterns that are a part of the life that is no longer who we are. We are at this point in the year, and we look back to when we began this journey, almost a year ago now, and we acknowledge You have done much in our hearts. We are not the same people that we were. We know full well that in our own strength, we will fail. And so, Holy Spirit, come as we move through this next couple of days. We need Your kindness. We also need to be very aware of Your presence. We are celebrating You and the only way that we will be able to navigate properly is we learned in Zechariah, neither by power, nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of heavenly forces. And so, Spirit lead us. We declare along with what we read in Psalms today, along with the psalmist, we cry to You Lord for help. You are our refuge, we say. You are all that we have in the land of the living. Our ultimate and only hope is in You, and we celebrate Your arrival for us, which means we have You, which means we have hope, and we rejoice in that and ask that You lead us. And may that hope spill out of us and overflow onto everyone that we interact with, over these next few days. That we might be Your hands and feet, that we might be Your ambassadors, that we may represent You well and that You may be proud. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudioible.com is home base, it is the website, it is where you find out what’s happening and it’s Christmas eve, eve. And so, we’re like, we’re like locked and loaded. It’s, it’s upon us and we are rejoicing and celebrating in all of the festivities. May we enjoy peace on earth and goodwill toward men. And I have enjoyed and am enjoying this season here around the Global Campfire. I loved our Christmas party very, very much. If you hadn’t had a chance to listen to that yet and you want your spirits lifted, just dive into that for a little while, it’ll warm your soul.

Also, for Christmas, I’ve been mentioning the different Christmas projects that have come from around the Global Campfire. Christmas Time by Maxwell Hardin. Family Christmas and you can find that by looking for my name, Brian Hardin. And then you can search Jill Parr, my wife and she has Christmas songs available in her catalog as well. And so, you can insert any, anything that you like, any of it, put it in your playlists for Christmas, incorporate the Global Campfire into your celebration.

And of course, if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if life and good news, and hope, has come from the Scriptures from the community around the Global Campfire. If that has been life-giving than thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

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

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

Prayer and Encouragements:

James, the teacher, this prayer is for you. Lord Jesus, come to James. Come Lord, he needs to know that You have the desire to be in conversation with him. And so, lead and guide him. And most of all, just be intimate together. That You love him so dearly. He’s not the first person and there is people throughout the whole Bible right, that have had this struggle. So, Lord, immerse him in the Scriptures that Brian’s reading and give him that, that belief and understanding that you will seek the Lord and find Him when you seek Him with all your heart. Don’t give up. Thank You, Lord, for James. Thanks for all the times You’ve come through and You have his back right now. Thank You, Lord. This is Candace from Oregon.

I pray everybody has a very Merry Christmas. I pray the ones that are traveling to your families houses or friends’ houses for Christmas, that you have safe travels. I pray that you, as service members of your families, makes it home for Christmas. I come from a military family and have a lot of family members still in the military: Air Force, Army and Marines. I’d like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas. I pray you have a good Christmas. Phillis from San Jose, California. Thank you, bye bye.

Hey DABers, this is Slave of Jesus in North Carolina. Alright Holy Spirit let’s role. People on the Waters, yeah, there are many times, I’ve had some great things from God, hey, do this and when I finally got around to doing it, they have been amazing. When I’m supposed to be doing right now is full time charity work, for financial and I’m not doing it. To help military families with financial freedom. But that’s a long story, why I’m not doing that. So, I’m sure God will have me walking around the mountain, as many years as it takes. I’ll come back to this eventually. But don’t…don’t feel bad you know, sometimes, God’s message to me is just be still. And you’re kind of getting roots, you know, you’re doing this stuff, so that when you got this big thing that God wants you to do, you have a way to fight all those enemy wins that’s gonna come along. Cause they will. When God finally tells you to do something and you know, the enemy will come and try to steal that, rob and steal that from you. Speaking about stealing, I got victory. So, in 2008 you guys know about this, I was debt free when I got married in 2000, by 2008 I had run my family up into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, non-mortgage. Not mortgage, hundreds of thousands of dollars. And as of today, those 14 accounts that had balances on them are now zero. And that includes, all I have left is a mortgage, which will hopefully be paid off in 5 years. But what I did, is I went out and got a scripture weapon. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. When I was tempted to borrow more money, I said it out loud, every time I got the balance transfer thing in the mail. Shredded it and said it out loud. And then I started changing the way.

Hey DAB family, it’s Shannon from Salem, Oregon. Calling to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let’s pray together, Father in heaven, thank You and thank You for 2022. Thank You for every blessing, every encouragement, every smile, every gift, every kindness, that we saw from you. Lord, thank You also for the trials, for the hard things, because in those and through those, You are growing us and helping us, Your refining us. And so, we bless You for all of it. And we, we thank You for life. We thank You that You’ve blessed us beyond what we can even think of. Lord, as we enter a new year, I pray that we would end this one well. That we would reflect with You what we did well, where we want to grow and help us to enter 2023 with purpose, with conviction, with power from Your Holy Spirit to go and make disciples and help people know You and teach the word of God. We ask for Your blessing over our families, over our friends, all of the circles of influence that You have given each one of us. Empower us Lord, to be Your light and be Your salt and share Your love and share Your gospel. Thank You for the Hardin Family and all of the DAB team. Please bless them and give them great joy. We thank You and bless You, in Jesus name. Amen.

Dear Lord, thank You so much for this day. Thank You Lord, that You are an ever-present help in times of trouble. Lord, I just wanna lift up all our brothers and sisters who are alone today. But we know that we’re never alone, that You’re always with us, Lord. Even though we know that Lord, in our hearts, it can be hard to be by ourselves or feel alone, especially during this time of year. So, I just pray Father God, that You would just fill up the hearts of those who may be physically by themselves today. And that they would know that You are with them and that they would just feel overabundance of joy in their lives. And that they would just have a blessed day and just a wonderful Christmas time, Lord. Just better than ever before. Just let them know Lord, Your presence in a greater way than they’ve ever known it before Lord. I thank You that we have You Lord. What would we do without You. Thank You Lord, thank You for loving us, thank You sending Your son, Jesus, for us. Thank You. Amen.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 23, 2022 (NIV)

Zechariah 4-5

Fifth night vision

The messenger speaking with me returned and woke me like one who awakens someone who is asleep.

Then he said to me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a lampstand
made entirely of gold.
It has a bowl on top.
The bowl has seven lamps on top
and seven metal pipes for those lamps.
It has two olive trees beside the lampstand,
one to the right of its bowl and one to the left.”
I responded to the messenger speaking with me,
“What are these, sir?”
The messenger responded to me:
“Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, sir. I don’t.”
He answered me:
“This is the Lord’s word to Zerubbabel:
Neither by power, nor by strength,
but by my spirit, says the Lord of heavenly forces.”
Who are you, great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain.
He will present the capstone to shouts of great gratitude.

The Lord’s word came to me:
The hands of Zerubbabel laid the foundation of this house,
and his hands will finish it
so that you will know that the Lord of heavenly forces has sent me to you.
10 Those who despise a time of little things will rejoice when they see the plumb line[a] in Zerubbabel’s hand.
These are the seven eyes of the Lord, surveying the entire earth.
11 I responded to him,
“What are these two olive trees on the right and left sides of the lampstand?”
12 Then I responded a second time,
“What are these two olive branches that empty out golden oil through the two gold pipes?”
13 He said to me, “Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, sir.”
14 He said,
“These are the two anointed ones[b] standing beside the Lord of all the earth.”

Sixth night vision

I looked up again and saw a flying scroll.
And he said to me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.”
He said to me, “This is the curse going out across all the land.
Anyone stealing will be purged according to what’s on one side of the scroll,[c]
and anyone swearing lies[d] will be purged according to what’s on the other side.
I sent it out, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
It will come to the house of the thief and the one swearing lies in my name.
It will lodge in their house and destroy the wood and stones of that house.”

Seventh night vision

Then the messenger speaking with me came forward and said,

“Look up and see what’s approaching.”
I said, “What’s this?”
He said, “This is the basket[e] that is going out.
This is how it appears[f] throughout the entire land.”[g]
Then a lead cover was lifted,
showing a woman sitting in the middle of the basket.
He said, “This is wickedness.”
He shoved her back into the basket,
and he put the lead stone over its opening.
I looked up again and saw two women going out.
There was a wind in their wings;
their wings were like the wings of a stork.
They carried the basket between the earth and the sky.
10 I said to the messenger speaking with me,
“Where are they taking the basket?”
11 He said to me,
“To build a house for it in the land of Shinar.
It will be firmly placed there on its base.”

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 4:10 Or stone, tin
  2. Zechariah 4:14 Or sons of oil
  3. Zechariah 5:3 Heb lacks of the scroll.
  4. Zechariah 5:3 Heb lacks lies.
  5. Zechariah 5:6 Heb ephah, a basket measuring approximately twenty quarts
  6. Zechariah 5:6 Or their eye
  7. Zechariah 5:6 Heb uncertain
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Revelation 14

The Lamb and the one hundred forty-four thousand

14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion. With him were one hundred forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven that was like the sound of rushing water and loud thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. They sing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. They weren’t defiled with women, for these people who follow the Lamb wherever he goes are virgins. They were purchased from among humankind as early produce for God and the Lamb. No lie came from their mouths; they are blameless.

Messages of three angels

Then I saw another angel flying high overhead with eternal good news to proclaim to those who live on earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

Another angel, a second one, followed and said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She made all the nations drink the wine of her lustful passion.”

Then another angel, a third one, followed them and said in a loud voice, “If any worship the beast and its image, and receive a mark on their foreheads or their hands, 10 they themselves will also drink the wine of God’s passionate anger, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will suffer the pain of fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their painful suffering goes up forever and always. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, and those who receive the mark of its name.”

12 This calls for the endurance of the saints, who keep God’s commandments and keep faith with Jesus.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Favored are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they can rest from their labors, because their deeds follow them.”

Two harvests of the earth

14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud. On the cloud was seated someone who looked like the Human One.[a] He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel came out of the temple, calling in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud: “Use your sickle to reap the harvest, for the time to harvest has come, and the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who has power over fire, came out from the altar. He said in a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle to cut the clusters in the vineyard of the earth, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle into the earth, and cut the vineyard of the earth, and he put what he reaped into the great winepress of God’s passionate anger. 20 Then the winepress was trampled outside the city, and the blood came out of the winepress as high as the horses’ bridles for almost two hundred miles.[b]

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 14:14 Or Son of Man
  2. Revelation 14:20 Or one thousand six hundred stades
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 142

Psalm 142

A maskil[a] of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.

142 I cry out loud for help from the Lord.
I beg out loud for mercy from the Lord.
I pour out my concerns before God;
I announce my distress to him.
When my spirit is weak inside me, you still know my way.
But they’ve hidden a trap for me in the path I’m taking.
Look right beside me: See?
No one pays attention to me.
There’s no escape for me.
No one cares about my life.

I cry to you, Lord, for help.
“You are my refuge,” I say.
“You are all I have in the land of the living.”
Pay close attention to my shouting,
because I’ve been brought down so low!
Deliver me from my oppressors
because they’re stronger than me.
Get me out of this prison
so I can give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous will gather all around me
because of your good deeds to me.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 142:1 Perhaps instruction
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Proverbs 30:21-23

21 At three things the earth trembles,
at four it can’t bear up:
22 at a servant when he becomes king
and fools when they are full of food;
23 at a detested woman when she gets married
and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible